Classic Old Shotgun

[JamesWP]

I’m wanting a classic old shotgun. I’ve been planning on a Browning A5.
But….
I don’t have a double currently either. What would you get if you didn’t get the A5 (or decided to buy 2!).

LC Smith
Parker
Ithaca
Fox
Lefever

School me! Or should I expand the list to include the Browning Superposed? The Winchester 21 is probably out of my budget unfortunately…..

Maybe the best option is Stevens 311 lol I figure it may be the most traditional 1900s working man’s shotgun…

 

[weatherby]

So many choices and all can be great.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Guns from before WWII have low stocks for heads up shooting. The clothes were much thicker then also so the stocks are short.

Savage 310 & 311 from the early 60's are the best entry level guns! (by the mid 70's they get clunky!)

Ivan

 

[Rudi]

Look for a Fox Sterlingworth. A classic old side by side.

 

[tops]

I think the LC Smith is the best looking because it's a side lock. The AH Fox is the best looking of the box locks. Larry

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Guns from before WWII have low stocks for heads up shooting. The clothes were much thicker then also so the stocks are short.

Savage 310 & 311 from the early 60's are the best entry level guns! (by the mid 70's they get clunky!)

Ivan

I disagree.......My mdl 12's ad 97's from 1918 and 1919 DO NOT require a "turkey neck " to shoot..........Neither does the A5...Nor the Remingtons or Savages....None are stocked short...Mount-cheek down.....Look down the barrel and shoot.
Where did that cokamamy idea come from????????

 

[Alpo]

If you like hammers, I don't believe you could go wrong with a Husqvarna under lever. These pics are my daughter at a cowboy match many years back.



They are just sweet sweet guns. That particular one that she is using is a 16 from 1920.

 

[jjrr]

Well I can’t comment on the Parker’s and the LC smiths but I have a 1935 vintage Ithaca Lefever nitro special 20 that is a fine little gun. I got it from a fellow who ran a hardware store back when every hardware store had guns. He was a quail hunter and it was his personal gun that he had replaced with a Fox Sterlingworth. In the end those are all great classic shotguns and either of them would be nice to own.

 

[targetchief]

I disagree.......My mdl 12's ad 97's from 1918 and 1919 DO NOT require a "turkey neck " to shoot..........Neither does the A5...Nor the Remingtons or Savages....None are stocked short...Mount-cheek down.....Look down the barrel and shoot.
Where did that cokamamy idea come from????????

You are correct about repeaters you mentioned. Pick up and mount most any of the pre-war side by sides and you will know where that cockamamy idea came from. [emoji16]


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[45Smashemflat]

Maybe not the same vintage, but the Browning BSS is nice, as is the older SKBs. Both nice doubles.

That said, if you find a Fox or LC in good shape, they are wonderful.

I’m working on restoring my Grandfather’s 1894 Remington as we speak.

 

[45Smashemflat]

Oh, do check chamber lengths on the older guns. Many are 2” or 2.5” chambers. You can still put a 2.75” 12Ga in them, but firing is a pretty “high pressure event” for the gun.

 

[jakerudy]

To me classic shotgun says SxS and my bias will show here:



Parker VH in 20 ga & 16 ga. To me they just look and feel right. Balance, machining work, triggers, etc. I don't own a Fox but they seem to be a good value in todays market. LC Smith is a solid choice but don't feel as good to me. Winchester 21 is a great one if you want to spend the money for one. A Stevens 311 will do the job.

I've always wanted a Superposed but would want a 20 ga and they have always been worth more than I wanted to pay for a hunting O/U.

As to repeaters there are many solid guns but for a good choice a classic pump is usually a Model 12 and auto is the A5. I've had several of both and they are reliable good shooting guns.

Chambers can be reamed to safely shoot modern shells without a huge cost. Lengthening the forcing cone of an older shotgun is another modification within reason that helps to reduce felt recoil.

 

[ruger 22]

I second the BSS and SKB doubles. Modern but still classic. I would definitely include the Superposed on my list as they are very well made and great shooters. LCSmith is fine but you need to carefully watch the stocks on sidelocks as they have a habit of cracking around the locks. The A5 is a real classic but for me the balance is not quite right. In summary I would choose the BSS/SKB first, the Superposed then and the A5 or its Remington variant last.

 

[Skyhunter]

You might take a look at what CZ has to offer. IMO, darn near all their firearms are under-valued.

WYT-P
Skyhunter

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

You are correct about repeaters you mentioned. Pick up and mount most any of the pre-war side by sides and you will know where that cockamamy idea came from. [emoji16]


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When I was young we shot Remington doubles(damascus barrels) and Savage/Stevens 311's and a Parker.....Had a Sterlingworth here for a couple of years. Didn't ever notice "your" problem..........Seems like an old fable...Like Cancer.......It won't die.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Once had a Savage 311. Basic reliable double trigger gun.
As a kid I often used a Family owned Stevens Hammer 12 Gauge.
If I got the Itch for ‘Classic Double Scattergun’,
I would look for an American made gun chambered for 2 3/4 shells.
Prefer one trigger, but can live with two.

 

[Hair Trigger]

I’m wanting a classic old shotgun. I’ve been planning on a Browning A5.
But….
I don’t have a double currently either. What would you get if you didn’t get the A5 (or decided to buy 2!).

LC Smith
Parker
Ithaca
Fox
Lefever

School me! Or should I expand the list to include the Browning Superposed? The Winchester 21 is probably out of my budget unfortunately…..

Maybe the best option is Stevens 311 lol I figure it may be the most traditional 1900s working man’s shotgun…

It all depends on how much you want to spend. If you go the "budget" route towards a 311 (actually made by Savage since they bought Stevens back in the 1920's), look for a Fox Model B. (Savage also owns A.H. Fox but the Fox B is based on the Stevens gun). It's basically a 311 with nicer wood and some dress-up like a vent rib and roll-stamp designs. A decent 12 gauge will run in the $650-$800 range. If you want a modern gun with old-time features, CZ (Huglu) makes a nice side lock SxS with rabbit-ear hammers, with either coach gun length barrels or standard upland game barrels. It sells in the $850-$900 range, or it did when I bought mine The CZ also has screw in chokes on the long barrels. I'd love to have a AH Fox or an LC Smith, but it's $$$ and I don't hunt. I have three of the Fox B guns from back in the 1950's-60's. Whatever you find, get a double trigger.

 

[scooter123]

First, if you are considering a new re-issue of a Winchester 21 or AH Fox shotgun made my Connecticut Shotgun BEWARE. While they are very pretty in the pictures this company has a reputation for denying any warranty at all if the gun is delivered brand new with some very serious problems. Go to the website for CSMC and read the Terms of Service carefully and you will begin to see just how arrogant the owner of this company is.

My preference would be Parker as first choice and LC Smith as second choice. Because both made guns designed for Shooters who bought guns to use as a gun. Styling features such as engraving were options. I'll also note that I prefer Extractors over Ejectors strongly. Because Ejectors made back then were probably the most intricate and complex sub assemblies in the gun, Extractors are dead simple and easy to repair today. The big plus for the Parker's is that the Extractor guns are pretty easy to work on and some can be quite modern in terms of fit because they made so many gun to order. The early LC Smiths feature perhaps the simplest Sidelocks ever created, so repairs to the locks is very easy. The downside is that they are all 4 finger stocks with a LOT of inletting in the head of the stocks. As a result any LC Smith that was actually used will have stocks that are split or been repaired for splits. Good news is that new stocks can be purchased but duplicating any original checkering will be rather expensive.

 

[StrawHat]

I’m wanting a classic old shotgun. I’ve been planning on a Browning A5.
But….
I don’t have a double currently either. What would you get if you didn’t get the A5 (or decided to buy 2!).

LC Smith
Parker
Ithaca
Fox
Lefever

School me! Or should I expand the list to include the Browning Superposed? The Winchester 21 is probably out of my budget unfortunately…..

Maybe the best option is Stevens 311 lol I figure it may be the most traditional 1900s working man’s shotgun…

Baker shotguns are also worth considering.

Kevin

 

[Dvus]

I love the L.C. Smiths, they lock up like a bank vault. I prefer rabbit ears, but a box lock double is darn near bullet proof when it comes to reliability. I am also a big 1897 Winchester fan and believe that everybody should own at least one.