doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Best sxs for under$3000

I have a Brit 20 (Alex Martin) that meets the requirements. Originally 2 1/2", but chambers lengthened to 2 3/4" (and reproofed). But you'll also find quite a few with short stocks, because a lot of them were sold as "starter" guns for boys, or for women. If you'd consider a light 12, there are plenty of Brit 12's that will weigh less than a Parker Repro, Win 23, or BSS in 20ga. I've owned 4 that weight less than 6 1/4, 3 of them with 28" barrels.

No shortage of German 20's that will fit your requirements. Sauer, Merkel, Simson are the big names. As with the Spanish guns, you won't find a new one in your price range, but there are plenty on the used market.

The English gun trade is a bit down at the moment for side by sides although 20's are holding quite well. Plenty of good stuff around to suit your budget. Keep an eye on what is on auction or on gun dealer websites you might be pleasantly surprised; depending on import costs of course. Failing that find a nice AyA Number 2 second hand. Lagopus�..

Seems like an awfully plain gun for that much money. Maybe it is just me.

My first SxS was a Browning BSS 12 ga. sporter with 28" barrels. I sold it after transitioning to nicer guns, and regret that I ever sold it. Typical story of seller's regret!
Karl

Beretta 626 used.

having disassembled many different SXS actions, I can say that the 626 stands above most in terms of engineering, material quality and finish (internal and external).

Parts can be changed without hand fitting, though I doubt if any will ever break.

A class item!

Like usual, you are missing something. That gun is 2x better looking than a Merkel sxs. It probably handles better too.
Why are you still here btw? Still participating? Send Dave some money, apologize and tell him what a tool you�ve been being. Still participating, for free. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Might be nicer than a Merkel but then a Merkel that plain (like mine) is a quarter of that price.

I'm just here for you LeFusil. Just for you. No money for Dave either. Not until he delivers what he promises. I'll happily then.

You�re so full of crap it�s gotta be just oozing out of your ears. Pay Dave, you freeloading goof or beat it. Nobody will miss your vast amounts of doublegun knowledge or opinion, I promise.

Whatever you say LeFusil. Whatever you say.

Never claimed to have much knowledge of doubleguns, but I'll be happy to offer you all I have. That GI Rizzini, is still pretty damn plain for that much money.

I for one look forward to that write up. Haven't heard the name Bazil Slaughter in quite awhile. He was the gunsmith for BC Outdoors who imported the Verona. I have a 500 series Verona. And also a NEA 500 which was FAIR's first line to be introduced in the US. It is a 16 ga. and I have both 28" and 30" barrels for it. Both have had a LOT of rounds through them but I have never needed the services of Bazil they have been flawless. Also agree with his assessment that the newer FAIR's which I have seen are even better in fit and finish.

Always fancied the 900 series of the NEA and then Verona which became the Gold of today. You have a great looking gun IMO. For the last 5-6 years I have been shooting every SxS I can get my hands on and none have tripped my trigger so to speak. Early this year shot a friends retirement present to himself a FAIR Iside Prestige 16 ga. with 28" bbls. and coin finish. Bingo I didn't miss much with it. I felt 30" would make it ever better and spent a large part of the summer debating purchasing a 30" Gold in 16 ga. from John Boyd at Quality Arms that he had in stock. A friend of mine ordered a 16 ga. 30" Iside with custom dimensions from John he should have it next month.

A friend of mine has a Win. 23 in 20 ga. with 28" which he purchased new in the 80's. This summer he broke it out for the first time in more than 15 years and shot it light outs. When ever I struggled with a station in sporting clays he would hand it to me and it seemed like I couldn't miss with it. By the end of summer he would start saying you know that you haven't missed with that gun yet. So I bought my own, my first SxS at the age of 60, will pick it up tomorrow from my FFL dealer. And sure that I will miss pretty regularly now that I own one LOL. Someone said earlier that a 23 is more than $3K but I paid $2K and it has the nicest stick of wood on any I have seen yet. For the last 6 months or so actual selling price on them have run from $1,800 to $2,400 for the 20 ga. with 28" bbls.

I also have 2 B. Rizzini guns both target and the same model. First one bought for myself to use for skeet and sporting clays. My youngest son picked it up and said how can you miss with this thing. He used it for trap and we all told him it wasn't a trap gun and tried to steer him more along the lines of my Joel Etchen 682\687 Gold E Custom Trap Combo but he didn't want to listen to us. He placed class runner up at the Mn. ATA shoot with it at the age of 15 so what did we know. Couldn't take it back at that point so got another to replace it for me. The B. Rizzini is a better gun for high volume shooting IMO but they also cost quite a bit more, and think the difference between the 2 being produced today has narrowed by a lot. Considering the makers are brothers not surprising. The B. Rizzini guns are normally a bit heavier than FAIR guns, usually. And the Guerini brothers that formed Caesar Guerini guns suffer from the same weight gain even in the field models from all that I have seen. Not surprising seeing how they are the nephews of Battista, the B. in B. Rizzini and studied under him. If I could get my hands on one of those B. Rizzini BR550 round body SxS like the one listed and shoot one first it likely would be high in the running for my pick. But haven't been able to. Yet. That is a great price on what is likely a hell of a gun and the weight is down where it should be which has me even more interested.

The best SxS gun for under $3K is the gun you shoot best would be my answer. Not an expert on SxS guns by any means but have a lot of experience with other types. Pretty sure that the gun you shoot best holds true across the board. Some are going to hold up better than others with high volume shooting but don't think many people shoot tens of thousands of rounds a year through a SxS and most of them listed are pretty equal in that regard. Shoot what you want and not what others think you should would be my other thought.