To begin with, I own dozens and dozens of shotguns, auto shotguns, pump shotguns, over and under shotguns, and quite a few side by side shotguns, including A.H. Fox, L.C. Smith, Lefever, Miroku, AyA Model 100, Huglue, Stevens, and my latest love, a 12 gauge 2 3/4" 30" barreled 1959 V. Bernardelli S. Uberto I Charles Daly import, choked improved modified and full.
Bladeswitcher sold me my Bernardelli, and it weighs 6 3/4 pounds and handles well, it fits me, and I'm just head over heels in love with it.
I occasionally shoot doves, but otherwise I have no real use for a light game gun choked full and improved modified.
I shoot skeet two or sometimes three times a week with Blade and my friends, and it's seldom we shoot trap or sporting clays, and if we do I certainly have better trap guns than my Bernardelli.
My Berardelli is nice, but it's a $600 gun, with an added half inch pad, and has no real collector's value.
My inclination is to ship the gun to Mike Orlen and specify about .008 in the right barrel and .012 in the left, so that I could shoot skeet, 16 yard trap, casual sporting clays, and even hunt with it.
But while I regularly have other guns choked tighter than modified reamed out, something about this Berardelli makes me pause and want to ask for advice from devoted side by side gun fanciers.
The late Michael McIntosh thought that no choke in the right barrel and .015 in the left was the perfect side by side upland game gun.
I've always wanted a gun choked that way, but don't own one.
Or I might have both barrels choked .012, because I've found a tight improved cylinder does all I want to do with a shotgun.
Any ideas, from the board?
Your input will be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by 992B; 12/20/17 01:24 AM.
