doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Upsurge in SxS Guns & Shooting them

Example: Here is an excellent Reilly 12 bore BLE SN 33881 (1894) Deeley ejector patent 4289 - use #4519. engraved 'EDENCROFT ROBY, LOYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyal_Regiment_(North_Lancashire)

6lb 6oz, Barrels - 25” & 28”. choked cylinder and 3/4 in both sets obviously rebarreled with steel barrels - with full engraving, beautiful stock, scroll filed action backs and original case. It was advertised on Guntrader a couple of years ago for £2,850. It's being sold at Lonsdale Auction - estimate £300 - £600.

https://auctions.lonsdalesauctionee...-2023-sale-of-fine-sporting-arms-lot-48/

Examples such as this are commonplace all over the UK, sadly it is a true reflection of the current position re British shotguns. Guns of a reasonable quality in fair condition are virtually worthless. Great for the dwindling prospective purchasers, but sad that there doesn't appear to be a place for the guns in the shooting field moving forwards. Nothing stays the same forever, unfortunately. Regards

I've been shooting a skeet league of 300 targets, first three weeks conventional & last half all doubles w/an A grade Philly Fox bored CYL in both bbl.'s & ¾ oz of reclaimed shot. Shooting it all from a 'dead gun' start as well, just as one would in the field and having a blast! It draws some attention w/its double triggers as well, but I've not noticed anyone particularly interested in buying a SxS because of it. My score of just over 75% on the first 150 targets could have something to do w/that. Had I broken them all, interest would probably be higher. Shooting, in some ways, is like golf. What kind of clubs is the BIG DOG using?

We've a member only SxS Fun Shoot coming up on 11/11. DGC It will consist of a 100-target main event and a 50-target 20 bore event. All sporty clays and on dif. courses for ea. event. They are great shoots and we've had as many as 60 participating in them prior to the Wuhan virus. 40 something seems the new norm but I'm hoping we see a bit better number of entries this time. A lot will be predicated on the weather we draw. We have them annually but there is sufficient interest and participation to do one twice a year and some of us are advocating for that to happen. Meantime, anyone that wishes to utilize a SxS for any of the target games may do so and there are number of members who are doing just that. The interest is there but it is limited.

I certainly don’t see an uptick in people interested in using or buying sxs shotguns here in the mountain west. Myself and 1 other guy are the only ones at our relatively large, busy gun club that shoot SxS’s. We are known for being the “sxs guys”. There’s a lot of young shooters at the club though, middle school and high school shooters (a lot are young females) that shoot on teams and leagues. That’s a good thing, but none of them are using or seem very interested in using SxS’s.
A lot of folks are curious about guns with side by side barrels at the club, but I don’t see anyone else shooting them or buying them. Kreighoffs, Kolars, Brownings, & Berettas etc are king at our club. O/U’s, autos.
I rarely ever see good quality pump guns being used either.
Everytime I shoot my Win. 1897, it draws a small crowd.
I think myself and my buddy are the only ones that also shoot old Winchester pump guns at the club. I’ve only seen a couple of model 12’s or other vintage pumps in the last decade or so.
In the past 10 years I’ve seen exactly 1 other person shooting a sxs….I was so curious I walked over to talk with him about it. It was a Turkish made 28 gauge with a single trigger that wouldn’t fire the second barrel. Needless to say, I don’t think he stayed enamored with the sxs, haven’t seen him or that gun since.


Dustin

I look at websites in England and France, and the prices are quite attractive compared to what we see here, but, I believe that is a bellwether for us in a decade or two.

I grew up with a group of ten like minded kids, that hunted, fished, played, and lived and went to school together. I’m the only one left with a bird dog, and, for the last few years, the only one who bought and used a small game license. Most of those kids have just quietly retired from the game, but, a few have had spectacular health issues that ended everything all at once. None of them will ever buy a gun, much less a double gun, ever again. It occurs to me, that, if I didn’t have a dog, I might not hunt.

Best,
Ted

I just had one of my SLEs repaired by my gunsmith. Broken firing pin and needed a new screw made. He is in his 70's. I have no idea who is going to fix my guns when he retires.

I see the lack of qualified gunsmiths as one of the biggest impediments to the hobby, waning interest issues aside. There is limited quantity of good old guns, and less people to service them.

I am tempted just to buy some more guns just to have him get them into serviceable shape for the forseeable future as a prophylactic measure.

Attended a ring shoot today. Twenty four (older) shooters on 12 pegs with about half using SxS. The other half were OUs and one camo Benelli.

Today 4 of us opened the Dutch chicken season with 3 vintage doubles and an auto loader. Next year, it will be 4 vintage doubles, as the 25 yr old wants to upgrade.

What's a dutch chicken?

I think he meant “ditch chicken” which, is slang for pheasants.


Best,
Ted