Thanks for the welcomes.
The doubles in question were not what anyone would call "fine" american doubles:
1) Conn. Arms, Peerless in 16ga. I know it's considered junk by most (and I guess I now know why), but the gun in question seemed well used, but in good mech condition, which made me think that it had been reliable for the previous owner/owners. This is the one that broke the lever spring.
2) 311 in 16GA. This wasn't my first choice, but I knew it was supposed to be as solid as an anvil. This is the model that slam-fired.
So how much are you supposed to spend on a dble to get a good field gun that can handle 1-2k rounds a year?
