Anyone have an opinion on the over-unders made in Italy by Antonio Zoli for Sears? A local sporting goods store has one in 95 percent condition, 12 gauge, M/F, double triggers. Model no. 281 (or is that just the beginning three digits of the serial number?) Gun is very tight and appears to have been carried little. Price: $420. I know this isn't a high grade piece of the sort often discussed here, but is this a solid gun for the money? It seems so to me but mine is not an informed opinion. Does anyone know when these were made?

Pete

I think Sears went out of the gun business early 70's or so, but you can tell the date by looking at the proofmarks. You should find a Roman numeral. Add that number to 1944 and that will give you the date.

I bought the same gun in 20ga a few years ago at a gun show. Traded it off, made money, almost wish I'd kept it. I don't think you'll go wrong at that price.

I had a 20 guage Zoli O/U that I bought used back in the early 1980s. It was a double-triggered gun (why I bought it) with a case-colored reciever, extractors, solid chokes, 3" chambers (has an Italian 20 been made with standard chambers within living memory?), vent rib, and plain wood. I used it as a rainy day gun for several seasons, and remember a couple of memorable hunts including one where I made a rare (for me) double on chukars in a box canyon in Asotin County, Washington. It seemed to me a solid, fairly light, workmanlike gun. Mine had considerable cast-off for a right handed shooter, which worked fine. Gun went into a down payment on a house, along with a pair of Zoli 20 guage SxS "Silver Hawks" that I liked even better and a bunch of other lamented hardware.... I think that the model name of the O/U was Golden Hawk or Golden Falcon or something like that. I paid $275 for it all those years ago, so $420 doesn't seem out of line.

I've got an Antonio Zoli 20 gauge sxs from the 60s, which is a very nice (if very American styled) gun. If you like single trigger/beavertail/pistol grip/vent rib on a 20 gauge sxs weighing about 6-3/4 pounds, it's certainly the cat's meow.

I've shot it a bunch over the years and still shoot it occasionally. My only real complaint about it is that the ejectors don't function consistently if the screws holding the ejector mechanism to the forend get the least bit loose. A little epoxy would fix it, but I haven't gotten around to doing the repair yet.

By the way, Mike, the chaambers on this gun are 2-3/4. My Bernardelli 20 gauge, built in the early 70s, which weighs in at barely 6 pounds, if that much, has the 3 inch chambers. Makes no sense, but what does?

Hi, 40x! I very much liked the A. Zoli "Silver Hawks" I had. They were two-triggered, extractor guns, with tapered solid ribs. Didn't cost much (used) and I had a 26" IC/M and a 28" M/F to choose from. Different engravers, tho--one that did the 28" was a real dub! Interesting to compare the skills of the two different guys side by side. Mine had "American" styling, all right, but it was "restrained"--small beavertails and open pistol grips. Suited me to a "T".

"Magnumania" exists at all levels and in all markets, I guess. A 6 3/4 pound 20 mag makes some sense if you can get it to pattern with the long shells, but most of the Italian 20 mags I've had were way too light for the 3" to be comfortable. I also have a Bernadelli "Gamecock Deluxe" with 25" barrels and straight grip stock that is under 6 pounds and has the long chambers. Never even fired a magnum in it, and I've had it for over 15 years. The only magnums I ever use are the .22WRM in rifles and handguns, the .357 in both, the .32 H&R in handguns, and rarely, the 12 guage for coyotes. I could do without all of them but the .22WRM. Mostly I shoot .38 Spls. and .32 Longs and 2 3/4" 12s in the other magnums.

Mike:

I think the Dakin imported Zolis from the 60s to be a real bargain in the used gun market. For some reason (perhaps confusion about which Zoli is which), Zolis do not seem to have appreciated the same way as some of the equivalent quality guns from the same era have. Oh well, more for me then.

I've actually owned this Zoli twice, having bought it originally for my wife and then traded it on a double rifle in the late 80s. It sat forlornly on the dealer's shelf for over a year, priced too high, and I finally made them an offer of about 50% of the price on the tag. I guess they were tired of looking at it (and probably forgot they had taken it in from me), because they took the offer and it came home with me again.

I've had the stock refinished and recheckered, but the bluing on the barrels and trigger guard and the coin finish on the receiver are still in 95%+ condition. I doubt I could get $700 for it, but I'd be happy to stand it up against one of comparable Ithaca/SKB or Browning BSS models, none of which I could touch for that money.

I'm hoping that the new Zoli target guns raise all Zoli boats as people become more familiar with Zoli quality.

I agree on magnums, too - I have a .32 H&R, a .357 and a couple of .41s, but only the .32 ever sees magnum loads. None of my rifles are magnums, but I wouldn't turn down one of the Coopers in .17 HMR, which would be a wonderful southeastern PA (rimfire only territory) woodchuck rifle.

I had a 12 gauge double trigger Sears gun that I paid 200.00 for brand new. I think I still have the folder that came with that gun somewhere. It was a great gun for the money and I would buy another. I sold my old one for 350.00 and would have kept it but I didn't like the Mod and full chokes.

Not to many people remember when Weatherby had their over/under false side plate guns made by Zoli. God awfull looking stocks, just like Weatherby (Roy) loved. But a vary fine made action and the barrels good also.

I think this is one reason plus the fact that Zoli would make just about anything people wanted no matter how poor or crppy it looked in that time frame.

Al, I think that I remember that the original "Weatherby" Zolis were made by a different "A. Zoli," Angelo Zoli. I agree that if you could get by the 1950ish stocks, they were well worth the price that was usually asked for them used. (I think Roy Weatherby would have put "fins" on his stocks if he could have figured out how....talk about "American style"!).

I also agree that there is confusion in the marketplace as to who made what Zoli and which Zolis are of what quality (my syntax is as confused as the market....). That accounts for crap being offered at fine gun prices (bad thing), but also for fine guns being offered at crap prices (good thing).

As usual, if you are looking for a "using" gun, having the Sears or other American "hardware store" brand on it just tends to discount a basically good gun even more. Works on Zolis and AyAs just as it did on Ithaca and Marlin "Rangers" and such in the good old days.

40X, interesting saga with the Zoli--wish I could find and buy back one of the three Zoli "Silver Hawks" I've owned over the years. I think all mine were imported by Sloans, but I may not be remembering correctly. One of the 20s had a little drop of solder inside the rib that "rang" when you mounted the gun. I always called it my "bird alarm;" made me grin every time it jingled!

If you handload, try a 98gr. target wadcutter loaded slightly warmer than factory in a .32 S&W Long case in your .32 H&R and also try a 60 gr. Winchester "Silvertip" if you can find some. My Ruger SP101 has a 3 1/16" barrel and I find that the magnum rounds are much sound and fury and flash, but little terminal performance over .32 Longs with these bullets loaded in them. The 60grs are meant for the .32ACP but shoot very well in my Ruger. They shoot to a different point of aim than the heavier loads, tho. If you don't handload, try Federal .32 wadcutter factory loads. They are loaded hotter than the rest of the .32 Longs because they have to function European blowback target autos. On small game up to woodchucks at close range, they are deadly. The 100gr Black Hills "cowboy" loads with a big flat meplat aren't too bad, either. I'm afraid I'm a mini-mag guy...

"Al, I think that I remember that the original "Weatherby" Zolis were made by a different "A. Zoli," Angelo Zoli. I agree that if you could get by the 1950ish stocks, they were well worth the price that was usually asked for them used. (I think Roy Weatherby would have put "fins" on his stocks if he could have figured out how....talk about "American style"!).


I remember it as Antonyo(?) Zoli. You more than likely recall the Hammered coach SXS they put out in the 70's. We sold a bunch of them in Fairbanks at that time. People wanted a cheap bear protection firearm.

Al, you could spend a lot more money and have worse insurance than a double 12 with a slug in one hole and buckshot in the other!

Except for the buck shot, you are right on the money. These old growley bears here need the extra help that slugs provide.

It seems the buck shot just acks like ball bearings and makes them roll faster.

Al, I'll heed the ballistical advice, should I ever get in big bear country again. The only black bear that ever gave me any static was chased away by my golden retriever, who was about as lethal as a Rhode Island Red. This was way back in the Wenaha roadless area of the Blue Mountains of Oregon and I don't think she'd ever seen a dog before, except kyoodles. One ignorant sow.

Mike: we don't lack bear here. Of course I wonder why anybody wants to kill the stinking things, and pay money to fly here to do it.

Now that fishing season is on we will hear about more fisherman meet-ups with bear fisherman. Usually a good time is had by the bear, stealing fish.

I have not seen a bear in nearly two weeks.