Go to Shotgun

[bruno22rf]

Following another thread on this forum about Foxing rifles I was wondering if most people have an "old favourite" shotgun that they reach for time after time? I currently have at least 10 shotguns to choose from including a B525 and a Miroku, 101 etc yet my gun of choice is a 1914 Pollard Sidelock - of all the others this one just feels "right" - it was bought for next to nothing and I had the barrels reblacked locally and Demonwolf444 on this forum stripped and oiled the woodwork, she now looks like a new gun but the quality and pedigree are what I find most appealing.

[AberFowl]

Beretta a302 20bore

Not the oldest (although probably older than me) but a hell of a work horse, never let us down yet!

[Old Boggy]

My favourite is a 16 bore Charles Hellis boxlock non ejector made for/sold to 'Thesiger' in 1931 so the records tell me. I would love to think that this was a 21st birthday present for the intrepid explorer and author Wilfred Thesiger, but my limited research has yet to confirm this.

Regardless of that, the gun is just a joy to use and I seem to shoot well (or as well as I ever would) with it.

Unlike other guns that I've owned, sold on and regretted selling thereafter, this one's for keeps and will see me out. It will then be passed down to one of my Grandsons, should they be at all interested in owning and using such a gun.

 

I'm sure from previous posts that I'm not the only lover of 16 bores.

 

OB

[fortune]

As per post #1 I have a lot to choose from. Pump, o/u, sbs, some of which are very nice and quiet expensive but quite often I go to an old AyA 4. I was given It by brother in law when he packed in because he had to install a cabinet. I don't know why it is because the gun is nothing special and there are pits in both barrels and a bit of slap in the action. I shoot well with it but no more than any of the other guns in the rack. This brings up the old question about people who can only shoot with one sort of gun and moan about double Trigger's excetra. I suppose I'm lucky that I can shoot well with any gun without having to consider barrel length, check, single/double Trigger and all the other things that people seem to find difficult to get on with. The gun has 28 inch barrels and a fairly decent piece of wood. I've got no idea how they are choked because there must be an amount of wear in them. The gun has the strongest ejectors I have ever seen in any shotgun and it will throw the cases many yards backwards such high velocity. The gun is the bottom one in this picture.

[butchdickason]

My favourite is a Beretta 687EL 12 bore that I bought new in 1987, I have no idea how many thousand of cartridges I have shot through it,( Poss shoot in foot now), never had a problem with it.

Edited September 15, 2016 by butchdickason

[AYA117]

Have had an AYA No2 for around 18 years now and is my go to gun for everything except geese,have many others but this one sees more daylight than any other,sometimes,just sometimes it goes as a spare gun,but not often.

[Wingman]

I find I use one of my Browing Auto-5's more often than any other gun in the cabinet. Especially my early 1930's one as its reliable, will cycle everything from 28G clay loads to 36G game cartridges. Its a tad on the heavy side, but I shoot it well and it definitely qualifies as my goto gun at the moment.

[TONY R]

And like the Foxing rifle thread it is complex, it depends on what i am doing time of year and expected quary.

I supose if i think about it and take into account the whole year and basing it on nothing more than the one gun i shoot the most it will be my Browning Gold lite Ten , i use tens for much of my wildfowling , as i do tend to favour flighting geese above all other forms of shooting.

Now thats on most used over a 12 month period, wildfowling is near enough 6 months of the year, and although i have other guns i use for this MP153 ..425 waterfowl two more tens etc i use that browning the most , i even go to the trouble of loading 2 steel and copper for ducks stricktly for this Gold 10.

Now if by go to you mean what gun do i reach for if going for a walk round the woodside or up the hedgerows for pigeons etc or rabbits shooting over the dogs rough shooti ng or even the two beaters days i do a year i use a AYA no4 26 inch much of the time.

Pigeon crow decoying and decoying ducks i supose MP153 is my main gun but hatsan escort 20 bore tends to be my main pigeon gun this past few monthys with the AYA no4 on occassion.

[Scully]

Not an easy one this as I've spent a small fortune on expensive guns like a Renato Gamba Daytona, a Perazzi MX4C, a Winchester Grand European plus others, but the one I shoot best with has to be a humble little Winchester 101 fixed choke game gun.

It was a sleeper when I found it and is still in excellent condition.

It just comes up bang on the button each and every time; swings like a swingy thing and folds up birds dead in the air.

To me, nothing handles like a 101.

[masmiffy]

Hobsons choice really a Classic Doubles mod 92

Saying that I recently picked up a Spanish (Aramberri from memory) sidelock ejector for £80 for the odd walked up and driven day!!

[Caravanman]

Winchester SXP for everything.

[TONY R]

Not an easy one this as I've spent a small fortune on expensive guns like a Renato Gamba Daytona, a Perazzi MX4C, a Winchester Grand European plus others, but the one I shoot best with has to be a humble little Winchester 101 fixed choke game gun.

It was a sleeper when I found it and is still in excellent condition.

It just comes up bang on the button each and every time; swings like a swingy thing and folds up birds dead in the air.

To me, nothing handles like a 101.

Trust me Remington 1100 handles pretty much the same .

[Scully]

Each to their own.

[masmiffy]

Trust me Remington 1100 handles pretty much the same .

Never had a semi auto nor the desire to own one!

As has been said 'to each their own' !!

Edited September 15, 2016 by masmiffy

[masmiffy]

Not an easy one this as I've spent a small fortune on expensive guns like a Renato Gamba Daytona, a Perazzi MX4C, a Winchester Grand European plus others, but the one I shoot best with has to be a humble little Winchester 101 fixed choke game gun.

It was a sleeper when I found it and is still in excellent condition.

It just comes up bang on the button each and every time; swings like a swingy thing and folds up birds dead in the air.

To me, nothing handles like a 101.

I had a 101 lightweight, 28" fixed choke, many years ago lovely gun and I shot well with it wish I had never sold it!!

The Classic Doubles mod 92, 30" multichoke, I have now comes up very similar (almost the same gun if you read their 'history')

I shoot pretty good with it and the trigger on these is adjustable. Shame its not a 28" version but I got it for a steal!!

Edited September 15, 2016 by masmiffy

[Scully]

I had a 101 lightweight, 28" fixed choke, many years ago lovely gun and I shot well with it wish I had never sold it!!

The Classic Doubles mod 92, 30" multichoke, I have now comes up very similar (almost the same gun if you read their 'history')

I shoot pretty good with it and the trigger on these is adjustable. Shame its not a 28" version but I got it for a steal!!

Yes, from the same Japanese stable and more or less the same platform.

[steve d]

As per post #1 I have a lot to choose from. Pump, o/u, sbs, some of which are very nice and quiet expensive but quite often I go to an old AyA 4. I was given It by brother in law when he packed in because he had to install a cabinet. I don't know why it is because the gun is nothing special and there are pits in both barrels and a bit of slap in the action. I shoot well with it but no more than any of the other guns in the rack. This brings up the old question about people who can only shoot with one sort of gun and moan about double Trigger's excetra. I suppose I'm lucky that I can shoot well with any gun without having to consider barrel length, check, single/double Trigger and all the other things that people seem to find difficult to get on with. The gun has 28 inch barrels and a fairly decent piece of wood. I've got no idea how they are choked because there must be an amount of wear in them. The gun has the strongest ejectors I have ever seen in any shotgun and it will throw the cases many yards backwards such high velocity. The gun is the bottom one in this picture.

The middle one is lush, what is it?

[TDS]

Mine would be a Win 101 lightweight field or Rem 1100

As an aside , Classic Doubles models 90 and 92 are made by Marocchi , Italy

Classic Doubles mod 101s are made in Japan....completely different guns.

[Scully]

Are well; there you go then. Everyday's a school day. 👍

[chris1961]

My favorite has to be my lanba sporting lux not the best looking of guns but it does everything I ask of it

[throdgrain]

My 1979 Remington 870 Wingmaster is my favourite shotgun. I don't use it so much any more, but it will always be me favourite

[adzyvilla]

12b Browning 525 Lightweight game 28". Only gun i've ever had the stock adjusted to fit me, and hence the one I like the most. Its also the best gun i've owned so far, I tend not to keep them for very long, but this one will be mine for some time I think.

[johnnytheboy]

I love my old Auto5 but it's just used on high days and holidays as I don't want to waste it, I find I use my supernova pump more to preserve my old Auto5

[db135]

Since getting a sx3 for my birthday in February never had my miroku 3800 out the cabinet

[fortune]

The middle one is lush, what is it?

AyA 25sle

 

 

 

 

The guns in the original picture are top to bottom AyA 25 bl, 25sle and the #4.

Edited September 16, 2016 by fortune