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Are side by side guns obsolete


Graham M
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Like many shooters I find that I love the old hammerguns and side/side guns, but just lately I am finding that some dealers are simply not interested in them.

A while ago I attempted to sell an old BSA side/side gun on PW but was not successful, so, as I need to empty a slot in my cabinet for a new English side/side, I decided to see if my local gunshop would sell it for me on commission.

Took it out of the sleeve and without even looking at it he said "Whoa not a chance............................can't sell any side/sides as nobody wants them......BUT, I will take it off you for scrap if you want to get rid of it".

Now this is a really nice gun with very good bluing and mirror bores. The action is a tight as a ducks doodah and there are no splits in the wood. Why the hell would I want to scrap it?

 

I would rather give it to someone who will use it for £50. What the hell is going on. Do all new shooters want a Rambo type semi-auto with a dozen shots in the magazine or what ???

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If you go on you tube the gun shop done a video on this yesterday I think and the lad Johnny has got it fairly spot on I think. 

I know what you mean and it's definitely a shame, there something inherently sexy about a sxs, believe me if I had cabinet space there would be atleast one more in there. 

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A quick glance at the SxS section on this forum would indicate that these Guns and their owners are very much alive and kicking, but, like everything, some items are simply unpopular. With Guns available at under £200, and often less, it's a buyers market and a Gun like yours is up against cheap Spanish offerings with sidelock actions, ejectors and carlos fandango pretty engraving - I bought a Silver Kestrel in 9/10 condition for under £200 a couple of years back, from a dealer! If I were in your shoes I would offer it to someone just starting out on the understanding that it came back when they had moved on to another gun - at least it will be doing what is was made for.

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I think new starters want OU’s and not ‘Rambo type semi autos’. My nephew is struggling to sell his J. Curry sxs, as he no longer uses it. Sxs’s  definitely seem in the minority but I’ve told him to hang onto it and sell it when they enjoy a resurgence, which they probably will at some time. 

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I just keep buying ,em, last was a nice 20 bore boxlock N/EJ by Cogswell & Harrison  on Holts sealed bid auction,listed as "Missing forend", must have been lost at a very early age as it  is mint,a call to the Bosher of rabbits resulted in 5 forends, a lot of hand  engineering later  & following gifts of proper files from forestred & pigeon shredder I  fitted a modified forend &used it on the last two pheasant days, shoots (& kills) very well & a joy to carry,( cartridge bag is so much lighter) the cost £80.00 +RFD charge, so just over £100.

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Think they shall be with us for a long time yet. Still seem popular in the USA going by the stock lists of American gun dealers.  There seems to be a misconception that s x s have inferior ballistics to o/u but I can see no reason why if loads and chokes are the same.   Obviously dealers are not going to push sales of  s/h  s x s when they can sell a machine made o/u for greater profit.

 

Blackpowder

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I've got a 1974 Laurona in the gun safe that I've had for over 30 years and my 15 year old son loves it.  (He's got a brand new 12 O/U).

On a shoot a SxS always seems to be a talking point, so there is interest in them and hopefully they will come back into fashion and there will be a revival.

 

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hello, my self and another PW member went to a local RFD with the hope of PX ing a good named spanish side by side/ side lock ejector, was of no interest as had many in a back room that he could not sell, its now back on my ticket as he wanted room in his cabinet for a pump 12 bore which came by way of our friend on here Mick, it was on gunwatch and free adds with no interest, shame it would make a nice starter gun for a budding shooter

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They are not obsolete! Best SBS guns are still very much sought after, lower grade, foreign, butchered, altered, pitted, thin barrels, carp woodwork and shortened barrels with little or no chokes.....are not!

I would be in the market for an English, best, SLE, (or BLE) 12 or 20 in top original condition, if anyone has one knockin about? 😇

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There not obsolete by a long way 

however 

there are a lot of worn out neglected and abused ones out there 

the result of which is the entry/beginner shooter opts for a gun that has a warrentey and probably one similar to the one they’ve used at the clay ground 

currently looking for a long barrelled live pigeon gun 

original ones seem to be thin on the ground 

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46 minutes ago, Blackpowder said:

Think they shall be with us for a long time yet. Still seem popular in the USA going by the stock lists of American gun dealers.  There seems to be a misconception that s x s have inferior ballistics to o/u but I can see no reason why if loads and chokes are the same.   Obviously dealers are not going to push sales of  s/h  s x s when they can sell a machine made o/u for greater profit.

 

Blackpowder

Nail on the head there BP,not enough margin in cheaper s/s for most dealers now ,they want to sell big margin items only.

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I inherited a 16 bore leech 2 years ago. It’s in lovey condition and I use it for our walked up days, vermin shoots and our first driven day. It’s a great conversation starter!

Makes my 12bore o/u feel hugely over engineered. It’s caused me rethink using a 12 for game shooting and I shall be investing in a 20 bore ou for my driven shooting after this season finishes 

Edited by shalfordninja33
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Locally there has been a resurgence ànd I know quite a few game shots who have recently returned to Side by Sides but the common denominator is that are very good shots and have the confidence to give it a good go. 

The one's I have spoken to are very pleasantĺy surprised at what a joy they are to carry and shoot and their kill ratios havn't suffered.

The availability of light loads for practice are a big plus and you can now shoot 100, or so clays without feeling that you've been in a fight.

What's not helping is the lack of modern S x S 's being made which is not sending out a positive message.

I went back to Side by Sides and I now have 2 that fit me well and all I think about is when can I get out and shoot them again.

 

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11 hours ago, Graham M said:

he said "Whoa not a chance............................can't sell any side/sides as nobody wants them......BUT, I will take it off you for scrap if you want to get rid of it".

Most dealers are like that when you try and sell to them - at least he actually looked in the sleeve before opening his trap!  But if you want to buy they are always "very hard to find in that condition, you don't see many about now, going up in value ......." - any old story to sell them!

I have more s/s in my cabinet than o/u (and no pumps, autos or single barrels) - and I rarely use an o/u.  There is no 'technical' reason why anyone can't shoot just as well with a s/s.

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7 minutes ago, Graham M said:

Sad. I have one O/U and the rest are hammerguns or S/S's.

I am going to take the advice given and offer it to someone for free, and if that fails I will be back on here to see if anyone knows of a lad who wants a nice safe gun.

If you make him/her pay for it - however little you charge - there's a better chance that they may look after it.

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42 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

Most dealers are like that when you try and sell to them - at least he actually looked in the sleeve before opening his trap!  But if you want to buy they are always "very hard to find in that condition, you don't see many about now, going up in value ......." - any old story to sell them!

I have more s/s in my cabinet than o/u (and no pumps, autos or single barrels) - and I rarely use an o/u.  There is no 'technical' reason why anyone can't shoot just as well with a s/s.

...other than you have to be able to shoot properly!!!!! Most people coming into shooting are at best coached to hit a clay pigeon or two ,usually with a pre mounted gun sadly ...then off they go and shoot at lots more.You only have to look at the terrible stance of people shooting `gun up` at any clay pigeon ground to see why they would struggle ,other than with rifle like,aimed shots looking up a single sight plane. 

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Definitely not obsolete may be not in "trend" at the moment but that makes the market all the better for people like me that love them!

I use my SxS for most of my rough shooting and for pigeons, its just so much nicer to carry than my O/U's.  Took a while to shoot it well but I am there now, and have 2 of them one that just says "made in Spain" on it and a near mint AYA No4 love em both!

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The other issue is the short length of pull, low comb height old SxS don't fit modern people.

O/Us seem to be just about fits everyone dimensions this must be easier to sell.

However this thread has made me want to try the SxS route again with my 14yr old son. I'd prefer to send him off into the world with a nice sidelock.

I'm going to start with him  practising his gun mount

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I was always told it's easier to shoot a O/U well, is that not true?

All competition guns seem to be O/U these days so it seems so.

 

That aside, I have a great little O/U but it's rough and ready, I use it rough shooting with the dog and have no concerns about throwing it down on the ground if I need to correct the dog in his training. 

 

I think the SxS' market falls into 2 camps, the cheap and rough stuff that you can pick up for less than £100 and use and abuse, and then that bit of English (or British) history that you enjoy shooting because it is something special.

 

I would say most shooting fall in-between and like to have something mid range to turn up at the clay ground. 

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