Hunting dogs, fine firearms, and enjoying both.
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on May 2nd, 2013
When it comes to duck hunting, pumps and autoloaders are the shotguns you’re most likely to share space with in a blind. If you do see a double, it’s probably an O/U working. So if you prefer side-bys-sides, you may think you don’t have any options. Fortunately you do, and this Browning BSS is one [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Apr 2nd, 2013
I like shotguns (obviously, right?) and it’s easy for me to get caught up in the stuff that I can’t afford. Even though I appreciate their quality, and the skill that goes into making them, I know my chances of owning a pristine Purdey side-by-side or Boss over-under are pretty slim. Fortunately, I don’t have [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Mar 18th, 2013
Here’s another 12 gauge Fox Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland Game that just hit the market. Fox added the Skeet & Upland Game Gun to their line in 1935 to “…meet the demand for a moderately priced skeet and upland game double gun”. They were offered in 12, 16 & 20 gauge, and with 26″ & [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Mar 6th, 2013
If you’re into nice shotguns, James D. Julia’s firearms auctions are a big deal. Held in the spring and fall, these sales bring some of the world’s finest shotguns and rifles to market. This J.P Sauer Deluxe side-by-side is one of those great shotguns. Doubles like this rarely hit the open market. If you’re a [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Feb 11th, 2013
If I had to pick one double for all my bird hunting, it would this 12 gauge Beretta/ Cole Custom 686 Onyx Over Under. With 28″ barrels, screw-in choke tubes, and double triggers, it could do it all from grouse in Maine to pheasants in the Dakotas. Cole Gunsmithing in Harpswell, ME, has been turning [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jan 18th, 2013
When it comes to vintage shotguns, original condition is king. The more original condition a double has, the more people want it — 100% of the time. OK, but how much more are they really willing to pay for it? Check out these two 20 gauge Browning Superposed Lightnings that just sold over at GunRunnerAuctions.com. [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jan 12th, 2013
Here’s another Charles Daly side-by-side that’s selling at auction tomorrow. This is a Prussian/Lindner-made Daly, and if you follow this blog at all you know how much I like these shotguns. If you don’t follow it, you can read more about these Prussian/Lindner-made Dalys here. Prussian Charles Daly Empire Grade Double Ejector shotgun: Serial #1051, [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Dec 27th, 2012
Charles Daly “made” some of my favorite double-barrel shotguns. I say “made” because Charles Daly was an importer and a marketer, not an actual gunmaker. Starting around 1875, he formed a partnership with August Shoverling and together they imported firearms under name “Charles Daly”. Most of these side-by-sides were made in the Suhl region of Prussia, [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Nov 22nd, 2012
“What’s it worth?” That’s the question I get all the time. It’s also the question I’m always asking myself. To come up with an answer, I pull together an estimate based on historical prices and what I’m seeing in the market. But this is just a guess. If you really want to know what your [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jul 23rd, 2012
Just like humans, double barrel shotguns have evolved tremendously through the years. The new side-by-sides and over/unders that we see today have benefited from decades of this refinements, and for every design that has made it into the 21st century, many more have have disappeared. Frederick Beesley’s “Shotover” is one of the forefathers that went extinct. Very few [...]
