doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Will a new generation discover SXSs?

I am wondering if the influx of lower cost English boxlocks will result in more younger shooters give the SxSs a try?

Lately it seems like GunBroker and Cabelas are awash in good quality lower cost shotguns coming to the USA after the lead ban in the UK. If prices are more approachable, will some younger shooters give them a go?

Great question.

I hope so.

Some will get scared away by 2 1/2" shells, others because they can't imagine a 6 1/2 lb. 12 gauge, still others by their older friends and relatives, and poorly informed internet experts telling them they aren't safe.

The one who push though all that have got some fine guns to choose from.

Questionable. I doubt kids will embrace them either. They seem like they want camo, black plastic or whatever they think will be cool. SxS are nostalgic, not anything they are interested in. And price does not matter to them. Too many are not paying it any ways.

My father told me when he was a kid it was 50% SxS, 30% pumps and 20% autos and no O/U. When I was a kid, I would see SxS maybe 20%, pumps about 40%, Autos 35% and O/U 5%. Now it is 30% O/U, 60% autos and 5% SxS and pumps. Pumps are just about a lost cause like SxS. I don't either making much of a comeback.

I agree that low cost doubles are here. I have bought too many myself. I have imported many good shooter, for $400-500.00 in total, in large groups of 15-25. I even scored on a 11/87, for $260.00 total, imported, that was listed for parts and a simple $25.00 part fixed it into a 95% gun. Bargains do come if you watch and get lucky. If you bump that price range to $1,000.00, you can find guns which ten years ago you could not touch for $1,500-2,000.00. The market is soft and shows no sign of getting better. I expect the seal bid auctions at Holt's will have twice as many SxS as they currently have with prices getting even lower. I even see a very soft O/U market right now on the auctions.

An interesting discussion, but unless something changes over here it will be difficult.

1) Availability of appropriate ammo for British 2.5” guns.
2) Most people find the modern O/U easier to shoot and they are accustomed to using pocket rockets in the semiautos
3) There are areas requiring nontoxic shot (even in SD) making appropriate bismuth ammo expensive for the vintage guns.

It would be great to see a resurgence in the vintage guns.

Ken

Only if they can fit a plastic stock on it

No.
JR

Nothing wrong with a SxS that a 21st Century stock wouldn't cure. So long as the new guns have flintlock inspired stocks the market will stay in the toilet.



And "new blood" ? It seems to me that the current political/economic/social climate is unlikely to attract any interest in joining whatever segment of the shooting community. And assigning the cause for that to some imaginary boogeyman will solve nothing.
JMO of course, but just look around.

Have a nice day

Depends on what game you're playing, for clays you may very well be spot on. If you happen to enjoy walking up wild upland birds, and I do, I believe the Brits perfected stock design over a century ago.

YMMV

One way to look at it might be, the SxS was the camo and black plastic of the day. Everyone starts somewhere. A shooter of anything might be more likely to get into an antique or classic, if they weren't discouraged early on.

There are way more shooters today, for a relatively fixed number of SxS's. There's bound to be a niche market, even if it's not the appreciating investment that some seem to hope for. Even today with high supply, some sellers are able to find markets, and there will be people saying that they are so glad to have bought at 2020's prices.

The US has a better chance of future appreciation for fine SxS's, than the next generation in the UK. It's a real time lesson in how to discourage a population, primarily by pricing something out of reach.

Maybe if you weren't so immersed in the Californica way of life you would know that there are many thousands of new shotgunners each year, thanks to school programs encouraging participation.

There are immensely more opportunities that encourage youth to participate in shooting sports than there was 60 years ago when I was an adolescent/teenager.