I fancy a new gun - but which one?

[mgsontour]

As the title suggests, I'm in the market for a new gun ( nothing wrong with what I have but have an itch that needs scratching ) anyhow, I love Brownings and shoot well with a 525, a Ultra XS and SxS for those nice days out when it's more about the gin and the crack than the shooting but am a little short on a longer range gun.

Obviously whether we like it or not toxic loads are out and non toxic is the short term answer until shooting is banned ( probably won't effect most of us on here ) so have gave a tentative look at a Semi-auto Browning Maxmus not that I want a semi-auto for one minute but it does offer a good all round gun that will take those big heavy loads.

So what do you all recon would be the weapon of choice with a upper budget of £4 - 5k ?

 

[Scully]

The worlds your cockle.

Browning. Benelli. Beretta. Franchi. Baikel. You can use any of those with both lead and steel. 

[Ferretlurcher1970]

I have a Browning maxus in camo. Great gun, shoots well reliable 

One downside camp wears off

[Centrepin]

2 hours ago, mgsontour said:

 

So what do you all recon would be the weapon of choice with a upper budget of £4 - 5k ?

 

I'd go for a Miroku MK38 sporter in grade 5 for that price.

[Taileron]

^^^^^ This…with a trap forend.

[muncher]

24 minutes ago, Taileron said:

^^^^^ This…with a trap forend.

Yes please 

[retromlc]

£4 to 5k?

Used Perazzi

[mgsontour]

Thanks for the suggestions lads, but to come back to you all. . . . .

I'm no gun expert but I see some very solid suggestions and a couple I've had a go with and like but to you all. . . . are they future proof in relation to chamber size as the way I see it; as we move forward towards non toxic loads to get the same killing power at distance the cart manufacturers 'must' increase the size of the loads because ( again as I see it ) they new style shot options aren't going to be as dense/heavy as lead.

Therefore I posted this thread to you all as I've got a hunch that most of the guns suggested above won't be able to take new developments in carts. . . am I wrong or overthinking the issue because I don't like buying new kit that's not future proof to a degree?

Thanks to you all so far

[Centrepin]

Yes, I think you're overthinking.

As far as I'm aware a new Miroku is "future" proof for as far as we can see into the future.

Mine is a 2013 and can handle any load currently on the market as far as I'm aware.  That's as far as I can see into the future. 

Others of course may disagree 🤔

[Scully]

Yes, you’re overthinking it. 
The vast vast majority of guns out there whether steel shot proofed or not are capable of shooting steel. There are currently guns from the 1970’s and earlier being proofed for steel shot, and thereby proving the lack of need. 

[mgsontour]

1 hour ago, Centrepin said:

Yes, I think you're overthinking.

As far as I'm aware a new Miroku is "future" proof for as far as we can see into the future.

Mine is a 2013 and can handle any load currently on the market as far as I'm aware.  That's as far as I can see into the future. 

Others of course may disagree 🤔

Cheers, may I ask if it has 3 and half inch camber? Would you put in 50grms + ?

[mgsontour]

58 minutes ago, Scully said:

Yes, you’re overthinking it. 
The vast vast majority of guns out there whether steel shot proofed or not are capable of shooting steel. There are currently guns from the 1970’s and earlier being proofed for steel shot, and thereby proving the lack of need. 

I would agree in a way as I know a few gentlemen who have had their expensive old English SxS altered to take 32gms of standard steel but that's as much as they can take. I knew this could prove a hot topic and I'm just unsure as I don't know enough but do know there are alot of people on here who know the difference between an astronaut and a cosmonaut who would educate us all.

If a Miroku 38 sporter is capable as Centrepin suggests then I'll buy one tomorrow as I think they are a great gun

[Stephen-H]

3 minutes ago, mgsontour said:

Cheers, may I ask if it has 3 and half inch camber? Would you put in 50grms + ?

3 inch chambers I imagine same as the browning 525 normally only find 3.5inch chambers on semi autos for wildfowling or they did do a browning 525 special edition with 3.5inch chambers or a yildiz wildflower & some other side by sides 3.5 inch loads are mainly used on the marsh or for inland goose shooting 

[London Best]

40 minutes ago, mgsontour said:

Cheers, may I ask if it has 3 and half inch camber? Would you put in 50grms + ?

*** would you want to shoot 50 grams of shot through a 12 bore?

All the geese I have ever shot have died convincingly with less than 36 grams. Most have been shot with 32 gram loads. Some even with 28 grams.

[Centrepin]

2 hours ago, mgsontour said:

Cheers, may I ask if it has 3 and half inch camber? Would you put in 50grms + ?

I don't know that I would want to, there are no wild elephants attacks in the UK that I know of😁

I was given some 42 or 43gram free by someone wanting rid, I fired 2 to try them, the other 8 are still in the box. No ill effects.

[wymberley]

How's your sense of adventure? I think I'm in more medical trouble than I first thought so was looking for something else and saw this:

KRUPP JNTERNATIONAL HAMBURG 20 gauge Shotgun | Second Hand Guns for Sale | guntrader

[Taileron]

3 hours ago, mgsontour said:

If a Miroku 38 sporter is capable as Centrepin suggests then I'll buy one tomorrow as I think they are a great gun

It is, it’s as simple as that. I have put some 42g through mine that I was given as a bit of fun, apart from some serious recoil and dust where the clays were, no effects on the gun whatsoever.

I have mentioned in another thread that my friend, who is a serious shooter, has put 500,000 through his. Some minor work ( bottom pin and top lever spring) and it’s still going strong. My other pal has one of the very first MK38’s, his has had a real battering, it’s used for rough etc and thrown in the back of a landy. It’s never been split and has not missed a beat in over 20+ years as it’s like a magic wand in his hands, he rarely misses.

The MK60 is lead shot only, but that’s not to say it can’t handle steel.

Edited July 28, 2021 by Taileron

[Centrepin]

2 hours ago, wymberley said:

How's your sense of adventure? I think I'm in more medical trouble than I first thought so was looking for something else and saw this:

KRUPP JNTERNATIONAL HAMBURG 20 gauge Shotgun | Second Hand Guns for Sale | guntrader

Krupp, German steel, third only to Japanese and Sheffield steel.🤣

[Scully]

5 hours ago, London Best said:

*** would you want to shoot 50 grams of shot through a 12 bore?

All the geese I have ever shot have died convincingly with less than 36 grams. Most have been shot with 32 gram loads. Some even with 28 grams.

This. A mate gave me a couple of his cartridges to try whilst decoying last week. It wasn’t until I commented how punchy they were ( I was using an OU ) that he told me they were 35grm 6’s. 
 

6 hours ago, mgsontour said:

I would agree in a way as I know a few gentlemen who have had their expensive old English SxS altered to take 32gms of standard steel but that's as much as they can take. I knew this could prove a hot topic and I'm just unsure as I don't know enough but do know there are alot of people on here who know the difference between an astronaut and a cosmonaut who would educate us all.

If a Miroku 38 sporter is capable as Centrepin suggests then I'll buy one tomorrow as I think they are a great gun

If they’ve been altered to take 32grm of standard steel then there’s no reason they can’t take 32grm of HP steel, and I’ve cleanly felled many a wild duck with 32grm HP 4’s in an old Winchester 101. 

[mgsontour]

20 hours ago, Centrepin said:

I'd go for a Miroku MK38 sporter in grade 5 for that price.

As you clearly know more about guns than me, may I ask why the 38 in comparison to other MK's and why the 'sporter' ?

Sorry for all the questions and it would normally easier to have this conversation over a pint ( you got 1 in the pump from me if we ever cross paths )

1 hour ago, Scully said:

This. A mate gave me a couple of his cartridges to try whilst decoying last week. It wasn’t until I commented how punchy they were ( I was using an OU ) that he told me they were 35grm 6’s. 
 

If they’ve been altered to take 32grm of standard steel then there’s no reason they can’t take 32grm of HP steel, and I’ve cleanly felled many a wild duck with 32grm HP 4’s in an old Winchester 101. 

That's very interesting about the standard vs HP steel

[Gerry78]

I think for your price range 4K-5k you could buy 2 great shotguns any new gun you buy would be proofed for steel shot You don’t need magnum loads for the geese any I’ve shot have been shot with 32gram standard steel within a reasonable range Shot placement more important as most of the guys know on here my gun choked 1/2 1/4 out of a 40 year old Aya no3 magnum 

[Scully]

If I was going for the Mk38, I’d opt for the Sporterised Teague  trap, purely for personal reasons. It’s one hunk of gun. 
Saying that the Browning Pro Sport is up there too, which I would prefer over the Miroku, and saying that i more or less already have the latter as I own a Winchester 8500 trap, albeit fixed choke but with ported barrels! 
It’s never easy! But that’s half the fun! 🙂

Edited July 28, 2021 by Scully

[mgsontour]

1 hour ago, Scully said:

If I was going for the Mk38, I’d opt for the Sporterised Teague  trap, purely for personal reasons. It’s one hunk of gun. 
Saying that the Browning Pro Sport is up there too, which I would prefer over the Miroku, and saying that i more or less already have the latter as I own a Winchester 8500 trap, albeit fixed choke but with ported barrels! 
It’s never easy! But that’s half the fun! 🙂

I'm classed as a perfectionist in certain fields but obviously not those one where birds fly, don't get me wrong I'm happy enough with my guns and can stand my ground on a formal days, walked up with the lads, beating or standing on a peg picking up I enjoy it all and have been shooting since a child and a home made bow and arrows then an air rifle moving onto a 410 like most of us but I'm a creative thinker by nature and never switch off until it's gin o'clock which seems to be fastly approaching

[Centrepin]

1 hour ago, mgsontour said:

As you clearly know more about guns than me, may I ask why the 38 in comparison to other MK's and why the 'sporter' ?

Sorry for all the questions and it would normally easier to have this conversation over a pint ( you got 1 in the pump from me if we ever cross paths )

That's very interesting about the standard vs HP steel

I don’t know more than you, just have a opinion on the MK38 sporter as out of the guns I tried I got on best with it. Mine is grade 1 and more than adequate for anything. Multichoked Teague invector plus. I tried a Silver Pigeon, several other marques, several older Brownings, Miroku MK70, MK60 a 3800 which I bought then later upgraded to MK38 30". My son uses an MK70 game 28" barrels, so happy with it he bought another for a "pair".

For me it fits well, handles well, is almost bomb proof and should I be so pernickety I have the option of a variety of chokes.

If I ever upgrade it will only be to the same but a higher grade. I think that for roughly a £1000 or so an MK38 sporter grade 1 teague choked is an absolute bargain 2nd hand. £1500 - 1800 new or anything from £3000 upwards for better grades. For your money I'd buy the grade 5 and spend the change on cartridges and clays and a leather slip.

[mgsontour]

11 hours ago, Centrepin said:

I don’t know more than you, just have a opinion on the MK38 sporter as out of the guns I tried I got on best with it. Mine is grade 1 and more than adequate for anything. Multichoked Teague invector plus. I tried a Silver Pigeon, several other marques, several older Brownings, Miroku MK70, MK60 a 3800 which I bought then later upgraded to MK38 30". My son uses an MK70 game 28" barrels, so happy with it he bought another for a "pair".

For me it fits well, handles well, is almost bomb proof and should I be so pernickety I have the option of a variety of chokes.

If I ever upgrade it will only be to the same but a higher grade. I think that for roughly a £1000 or so an MK38 sporter grade 1 teague choked is an absolute bargain 2nd hand. £1500 - 1800 new or anything from £3000 upwards for better grades. For your money I'd buy the grade 5 and spend the change on cartridges and clays and a leather slip.

Thanks very much for your time, I already have the leather slip but don't go to the clays much as I can't hit them. . . . evidently I consistently shoot over the top as can't get through my think skull they are dropping and slowing down and always in need of carts!

I'd be happy enough with a grade 1 as not bothered about looks just as long as the dangerous end is bob-on, funny enough like your son my 525 is 28" barrels and I can swing it for fun and most of the time I use 1/4 and improved chokes with 32gs of 6's  ( pigeon, crow, ducks, partridge ) unless I'm on bigger/higher birds.

I occasionally go goosing and get summoned from time to time to a local fishery to hammer cormorants hence the need for a punchy gun as they are a challenge to say the very very least.