doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 20 Ga O/U For SMALL Lady...Recommendations?

I am looking for a light weight over under for my hunting companion, who is a new shooter (last was her first season hunting/shooting.)

She is 5' 1" on a good day, with proportionately short arms and tiny hands. I bought her a CZ 'Youth Model' (named after some duck species or other, made in Turkoslovakia) 20 ga o/u with single trigger, 13" LOP, and 24" bbls. I thought it would be perfect, but it's unnecessarily heavy for those dimensions (nearly 7 lbs!) and graceful as a fence post. To my friend's credit, she managed to slay some birds with it last year, but it's painful to watch her heave the gun to her shoulder and manoeuvre her hand into position to where she can reach the trigger. Any recommendations for a lightweight double (20 or maybe 16) of suitable proportions? I'm not interested in autoloaders or pumps, because I won't hunt with someone who can't break a gun open. A sxs might work, but I suspect she'd do better with an o/u with single trigger.

Thanks!

Herewith link to the Italian FAIR (Isodoro Rizzini) company website. These are not "best guns", by any means, but are affordable and decent guns for the money, with a VARIETY OF FRAME SIZES depending on gauge. Single selective trigger is standard, although I ordered double triggers for my 16GA O/U (with English hand/straight grip, longer LOP and longer barrels).
I have now had two for about eight years - both Jubilee Prestige versions, in 16 & 28 Ga. Both are very satisfactory, presentable and competent guns, each of which came with five screw-in chokes, and blue hard plastic guncase with built-in combination lock.
http://www.fair.it/eng/prodotti.jsp
Hope this helps.

can you re-shape the stock .change the length on the stock? lighten by drilling out some wood .the lighter the gun the more the recoil.mabe you can make a better fit. mc

If you can get over the need for it to be an O/U, the very bottom gun on this list http://www.doublegunshop.com/earle0.htm is a 20 Ga Flues (26in, IC/M) that comes in almost 2 lb lighter than the CZ, and at about the same price.

Alternatively, I think Kirby Hoyt has a couple sxs at reasonable prices which fit the light and short needs your companion has. Here's what I saw on his site:

http://www.vintagedoubles.com/inventory.php?sort=4&process=fullview&gunID=1661
This is a 16 ga Sauer boxlock with LOP of 13 and 24 in barrels coming in at 5 lb 9 oz. for $1k.

http://www.vintagedoubles.com/inventory.php?sort=4&process=fullview&gunID=1492
This is a French guild 16 boxlock with LOP of 13 5/8 coming in an ounce under 6 lb for $700 (but a little frost in the bores).

Hope this helps.

SKB Model 500 IC/M, light loads.

I am not a Browning fan, shooting a Beretta SP II Sporting 20 ga. myself, however, what you are looking for would likely be filled nicely with a Browning 625 Featherweight. In 20 ga. with 28" barrels it weighs 5# 8 oz., in 26" it weighs 5# 6 oz.

Might be worth checking out, though it would necessitate shortening the LOP. With the 26", and cutting 1" off the pull, you would be down to maybe 5# 3, or 4, oz.

SRH

clay: if it is in the budget, either a browning or beretta would be a wonderful choice. that way, if she does not like it, then you cannot blame the gun. also, keep her loads light, as in rst...

Browning Micro Citori. 20 ga weighing less than six pounds. Choke tubes on 24" barrels with a shortened stock. Marketed for women and younger shooters. They made these in years past, quit for awhile, but now I am thinking they make them again. My 5' 2'' wife shot one for a few years. Still have it. Check the Browning website if you are interested.

Nice modern Beretta O/U with choke tubes would be my top choice. One can use any bird shot available including steel and tungsten-iron-nickel and with that "U-bolt" mechanical lifespan is extremely long. I would stay away from old foreign doubles like that well used Sauer or French gun mentioned above both of which are priced twice of what they're worth. If something major breaks down repair cost will exceed value of the gun.

A used SKB Ithaca Quail Model (20 ga SxS) will come in at 6 lbs or less and has a single trigger. The LOP is <14" and they have 25" barrels. A Beretta 28 ga would be high on the list.

If you can live with double triggers I would look for a Webley & Scot 20 and it will be well under 6 lbs and have better handling characteristics than many other options. The 26" barrels are out of favor right now and that might be a good alternative and run a little less.