Shotgun help!

[Wilderbeast]

Hi all,

I'll be buying my first gun soon and after a lot of thought I've decided I'd like a side by side 12 bore, second hand. Ideally I'd like a side lock, but not sure If I can find one in my price range. Ideally I'd prefer not to spend more than about £900.

What I want to know is if it's worth saving up an extra £300 or so to get an AYA No 2 which I really like and have shot with a lot before, or just get a solid Boxlock for £800 or so. Can anyone offer any advice or suggest any alternative guns I could look at?

Many thanks,

Will

 

[Jaysurfer]

hi Will

it's always my feeling that if there is a product you know you like and have experience with then it is always worth spending that little bit extra.

unless you are spending silly money on hand made engraved rifles/shot guns from prestige makers I always think you get what you pay for with firearms.

J

 

[IanM]

For a first gun I would go with something really cheap and cheerful.

Whatever you buy you will never sell as it was your first gun and it becomes an old friend. It will never be an 'investment'

But,

It wil almost certainly not fit your needs. It will be too long, too short, should have been an O/U, the wrong choke, bad fit and so on and on.

After a year or so you will want to get something better and by then you will know exactly what you need. That is the time to spend the money and time to get it exactly right and you will have the knowledge and experience to spend that money wisely on a gun that is perfect to you. (you probably won't be buying that as an investment either but it could be, whenever I have bought a high end gun I have been offered or sold at a much higher price)

Of course a while later you go through the whole cycle again and again until you own a complete armoury of perfect guns.

Make sure you buy a gun cabinet that is much larger than you need today, that will save money in the future. And try as many friends guns as possible before you start. Each style of gun has a specific use, are you sure that your specification matches your intended use?

Have a lot of fun choosing.

 

[Wilderbeast]

Cheers guys!

Could anyone tell me anything about this gun: http://www.cheshiregunroom.com/store/GUNS/USED-SHOTGUNS/SIDE-BY-SIDE/T-Jackson-SLNE

 

[tobes01]

Hmm - 28" barrels are nice for game, but 3/4 and full choke could get a bit ferocious for lower birds. Also it's non-ejector, so don't expect any fast and furious flurries. Not the gun for me.

I'm going to disagree with some of the above. If you know the AYA well, and you've had plenty of practice with it (as opposed to just half an hour's try-out) then why not? At least it's more likely to suit you than a random purchase from a gunsmith. BUT don't be tempted to buy new, go with a well looked after second hand. That way if you choose to trade it in a year down the line, you'll only lost £100 or so on the deal.

I had many hours' tuition on a tatty old Browning 425 before I bought my first gun, so when the time came I went to the gunsmiths and bought... a tatty old Browning 425. Love it, still my main gun five years later, probably worth about what I paid for it. I get the occasional pang to trade it for something shiny, but nothing ever feels as comfortable...

Tobes

 

[susi]

What are you planning on shooting?

 

[Metis Man]

It depends what you need a gun for.??? We use 12g pumps for protection against polar bears, barren land grizzles, wolverines. Black bears are generally after a easy meal and wont attack unless you act like pray or disrespect them. Never run back out of area stay calm, don't use bells, don't sneak around if attacked fight. black bears are scavengers and want an easy meal. you want one that is easy to care for. rust resistant and kept clean. you can hunt with it but they make big holes and are for close range.

 

[lannyman8]

again go for a cheep gun IMO a Bakle u/o can be had for £100 and although a bit heavy will last a life time and shoots ok.......they are a good first gun and you wont be to fussed if you make a mark on the wood or scratch the barrel.........

after that will have more idea of what you really want, again a shorter barrel is more for game, my best gun now is a Berreta silver pigeon 4, it cost £1500 and was brand spankers, i do love it to bits though....my main working gun is a Franchi semi auto, its got synthetic but and stock and is fully magnumed and cost £900...... the boy has a single barrel Bakle 410g that cost £100 new.

i love my guns and workrd up to them, my first gun was £600 and i wish i had just got a £100 jobey......

hope this helps.

chris.......................

 

[johnnytheboy]

You could look at the Fausti range for that money http://www.guntrader.co.uk/GunsForSale/090722172552001 I'm thinking on buying a sbs this year, likley a beretta silver hawk, but these fautis are getting such good reviews they are well worth a look, I was just reading about CZ-USA Ringnecks, they are meant to be good guns and they are in that price range as well, They are made by Huglu in Turkey which are available in the UK!!

another Fausti
http://www.guntrader.co.uk/GunsForSale/100813130027000

Huglu
http://cz-usa.com/products/view/ringneck-201a-single-case-hardened/

 

[SMOKOE]

I had a Winchester sbs like this for a few years, it's a single trigger,

http://www.guntrader.co.uk/GunsForSale/110103133808499

lovely gun and kept it's value I bought it for £500 and sold it for the same about 5 years later, the only reason for selling it was I never really took to a sbs Mine was 1/4 and 1/2 though.

 

[pete79]

My feelings upon shotguns is that most modern ones are pretty well made. I own and use 3, an 870 pump action, norinco side by side coach gun, and a mossberg maverick. There's a range of prices there, but the one I always turn to is the mossberg maverick; it's light and easy to pack around, and so cheap that there's no excuse to not take it out to the bush with you. I'd say buy a cheap, well made, no frills shotgun as a first firearm.

 

[Suffolksteve]

Hi Will,

I know you're kinda round my way. My advice would be to go to http://www.simpsonsofnewmarket.co.uk/ based in Newmarket. When I was thinking of getting a shotgun everyone said these were the best people to go to including a guy I met through work who used to be a gun rep and dealt with all the local gun shops.

Apparently they work with their customers a lot. I am not a customer or associated with them at all, I have just heard they are the best locally and thought you would want to know.

Stephen

 

[Wilderbeast]

Hi Will,

I know you're kinda round my way. My advice would be to go to http://www.simpsonsofnewmarket.co.uk/ based in Newmarket. When I was thinking of getting a shotgun everyone said these were the best people to go to including a guy I met through work who used to be a gun rep and dealt with all the local gun shops.

Apparently they work with their customers a lot. I am not a customer or associated with them at all, I have just heard they are the best locally and thought you would want to know.

Stephen

Cheers Steve, I may well do that!

 

[Home Guard]

A baikal SBS can be bought new for around £550 new, choice of calibers and are multi choked. As said before, indestructable, functional and cheap. Selectable ejectors, chrome lined, single or double trigger, choice of barrel lengths, they basically have everything you could ever need.

I have an old bashed up baikal from 1966 that feels, fires and functions just the same as a new one.

 

[Doc]

Best gun I ever shot with was a Holland and Holland. They may cost thousands, but they do balance and shoot very well. If you like the traditional English style SBS then I'd go with the best you can, whether AYA, maybe an older Webley.

I've noticed that non ejectors are less popular and therefore massively better value used. I've got a Japanese SKB side by side, very nice indeed, quality similar to Miroku. Cost me £60.

 

[British Red]

Cheers guys!

Could anyone tell me anything about this gun: http://www.cheshiregunroom.com/store/GUNS/USED-SHOTGUNS/SIDE-BY-SIDE/T-Jackson-SLNE

That one states it is 2 1/2" chamber. Personally, I'd pass that by tricky to get cartridges

Red