Just coming into the sport....

[Andrew1874]

I am just coming into the sport, and as you can imagine i have been looking at various shotguns to purchase as my first gun.

I have looked at the Kofs , ATA, Yildiz etc and they all seem much of a muchness.

Here's my question, i have 500-700 to spend, and have seen a very nice looking Lanber Sporting Deluxe for 595 a a local RFD, I will probably only shoot 100 clays, a couple of times a month maximum.

My concern is that Lanber is no longer making guns , and i read on various sites that parts can be tricky to get a hold of.

So, i guess the question / advice I'm looking for is new Turkish or used Lanber ?

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, are you only going to be clay pigeon shooting ?

[humperdingle]

You could get a really nice S/H gun for £700. My advice would be to find a clay ground who will let you try different guns to see which ones fit you properly.

Otherwise, you might purchase something that you won’t want to keep for long.

[Scully]

Lanber. A lot of older guns are no longer being made, but they’re still out there providing sterling service. 
As long as it looks in good shape and doesn’t look abused, there’s no reason why older guns should be considered a risk. 
The Lanber Sporting Deluxe is a much under- rated gun. They handle very much like a Winchester 101. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Scully

[Newbie to this]

There are plenty of gunsmiths that could easily make any part a lanber requires

[hod]

£700 is pushing into used beretta/browning territory, particularly private sellers. There might not be a guarantee etc but there’s far less to go wrong with a shotgun than a car.

Then you’re at the new Turkish vs used browning/beretta debate… 

I went Turkish a few years back. Now have a 525. For the cost of depreciation selling my Turkish gun, I could just have bought the 525. In retrospect I should just have kept it anyway! 

[Wylye]

My advice would be to buy an older Beretta 686. They are virtually bombproof and will do everything you want to do very easily. The KOFS/Yildiz stuff looks quite attractive but there are pitfalls and you would do well to avoid them.

I can already hear the claims of thousands of rounds being fired from the KOFS/Yildiz crowd with no problems whatsoever. I can find an equal number who have had problems and an even bigger number who have lost a fortune when they went to p/x.

[Andrew1874]

1 hour ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, are you only going to be clay pigeon shooting ?

Yes, I don't see a point where i will go out game shooting.

Maybe pigeons now and again but it would be very few and far between

1 hour ago, hod said:

£700 is pushing into used beretta/browning territory, particularly private sellers. There might not be a guarantee etc but there’s far less to go wrong with a shotgun than a car.

Then you’re at the new Turkish vs used browning/beretta debate… 

I went Turkish a few years back. Now have a 525. For the cost of depreciation selling my Turkish gun, I could just have bought the 525. In retrospect I should just have kept it anyway! 

Thank you 

[Tonka54]

As per the previous posts but with a few caveats. Some of the Turkish guns are very good now, the pro's are that for your kind of budget you could get a decent very young or even a new Turkish gun. It will also most probably be multi choked and good to go with HP steel proofing. The con's are, they don't really hold their value and the cheap end of the Turkish market i.e. Kofs  tend to be a bit lightweight and therefore have quite a recoil and are harder to control.

As also previously said, you have the option to purchase a better quality older gun that's in very good to excellent condition for the budget you mention. 

Lanber is a well respected make and is still a viable purchase as there are plenty of spare parts available and will be for years to come. The same goes for Browning, Beretta or Miroku. The pro's with these are you get a gun with a proven build quality that will serve you for years if serviced and looked after. The con's are, for your budget they will be second hand, have small amounts of cosmetic damage and in most cases, will only be able to cope with standard steel shot.

The way I see it is this, If you only intend using the gun for clays, you could purchase either, Turkish (newish) or quality used, the proviso with used being fixed choke's suitable for standard steel or multi choke

The (must) proviso for all considered guns is that they are a good fit, or can be altered to fit easily. ( you could be lucky and pick up the bargain of the century, but it won't be any good if it does not fit you. 

[Andrew1874]

1 hour ago, humperdingle said:

You could get a really nice S/H gun for £700. My advice would be to find a clay ground who will let you try different guns to see which ones fit you properly.

Otherwise, you might purchase something that you won’t want to keep for long.

Going to a clay ground is something i would definitely consider, however i have called a couple close to where i live and i have to say that the response has been underwhelming.

I am considering giving the oxford gun company a call and booking an appointment with them, even though it would entail driving from Birmingham to Oxford, as they have been the only clayground that i have contacted that have shown any real interest

[Scully]

7 minutes ago, Andrew1874 said:

Going to a clay ground is something i would definitely consider, however i have called a couple close to where i live and i have to say that the response has been underwhelming.

I am considering giving the oxford gun company a call and booking an appointment with them, even though it would entail driving from Birmingham to Oxford, as they have been the only clayground that i have contacted that have shown any real interest

It would be worth investing in a few lessons with a GOOD coach; if Ben Husthwaite is anywhere near you, or one of many top shots, give them a call, or anyone with a good reputation. 
They will be able to save you countless money and time in advising what make and model would suit your build best, and you can go on from there. 
Note: No one, NO ONE, no matter who it is,  can fit a gun to someone with an inconsistent mount, and as a beginner, you will have an inconsistent mount unless you start gun up. A good coach can help point you in the right direction in more ways than one. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Scully

[Tonka54]

42 minutes ago, Andrew1874 said:

Going to a clay ground is something i would definitely consider, however i have called a couple close to where i live and i have to say that the response has been underwhelming.

I am considering giving the oxford gun company a call and booking an appointment with them, even though it would entail driving from Birmingham to Oxford, as they have been the only clayground that i have contacted that have shown any real interest

As a beginner I would say that a clay ground or an rfd with access to one is ALL you should consider.

As Scully so rightly says, until your gun mount is established your initial gun fit will be a temporary one, but if your buying a gun "off the peg" it needs to be a fairly close fit right from the get go. The best way to check a close fit is to see if the gun shoots where you are looking. To shoot it you will need a clay ground.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Tonka54

[Andrew1874]

This is the Lanber that has taken my interest

 

https://www.airgunspares.com/210519003-pre-owned-lanber-sporting-gold.html

[Newbie to this]

9 minutes ago, Andrew1874 said:

This is the Lanber that has taken my interest

 

https://www.airgunspares.com/210519003-pre-owned-lanber-sporting-gold.html

Seems expensive,

 

https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/search/?&q=Lanber&type=forums_topic&nodes=31,42&search_and_or=or

Have a look on here, should give you a rough guide of what a Lanber should be going for.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

That is far too much for what it is, contact Wabbitbosher in here and buy something safe and cheap from him to learn with.

£250 should buy you something worthwhile.

Then when you know a bit more consider parting with more money for a keeper.

And of course. welcome to Pigeon Watch

Edited December 29, 2021 by TIGHTCHOKE
CAPITALISATION!

[Mr grumpy]

3 hours ago, Andrew1874 said:

Going to a clay ground is something i would definitely consider, however i have called a couple close to where i live and i have to say that the response has been underwhelming.

I am considering giving the oxford gun company a call and booking an appointment with them, even though it would entail driving from Birmingham to Oxford, as they have been the only clayground that i have contacted that have shown any real interest

Drive in the other direction,to premier guns.they are at doveridge shooting ground and ,from personal experience,far nicer and knowledgable to deal with.

[Gordon R]

Much as Lanber are a decent make, I would not spend £600 on one. For that money, you can get a better quality Beretta, Miroku, Browning or Winchester.

[Charliedog]

4 hours ago, Wylye said:

My advice would be to buy an older Beretta 686. They are virtually bombproof and will do everything you want to do very easily. The KOFS/Yildiz stuff looks quite attractive but there are pitfalls and you would do well to avoid them.

I can already hear the claims of thousands of rounds being fired from the KOFS/Yildiz crowd with no problems whatsoever. I can find an equal number who have had problems and an even bigger number who have lost a fortune when they went to p/x.

Sorry but utter nonsense, how can you lose a fortune on a gun that only costs £500 new, dont be afraid of turkish guns more than any other, plenty of satisfied customers and a very reputable local gunsmith has told me they are fine

[oldypigeonpopper]

2 hours ago, Andrew1874 said:

This is the Lanber that has taken my interest

 

https://www.airgunspares.com/210519003-pre-owned-lanber-sporting-gold.html

Hello, try it an see, if a good fit buy it but get a warranty , if the gun shop are right on the description then they can put one on so you can get out and shoot for a few months, failing that the Turkish guns you mention will all do the same but have many years warranty,

[Wylye]

1 hour ago, Charliedog said:

Sorry but utter nonsense, how can you lose a fortune on a gun that only costs £500 new, dont be afraid of turkish guns more than any other, plenty of satisfied customers and a very reputable local gunsmith has told me they are fine

No need to be sorry. Its only your opinion and although I disagree with you its still only your opinion.

[vmaxphil]

16 hours ago, Andrew1874 said:

This is the Lanber that has taken my interest

 

https://www.airgunspares.com/210519003-pre-owned-lanber-sporting-gold.html

Premier guns did a YouTube video on lambers recently worth a look 

[Demonic69]

I started with a Lanber, great gun for £220 but wouldn't pay over £400 for one. They seem to have shot up in price recently. (badum-tss)

I moved onto a 1970s Miroku and it's been an amazing gun for the money. I was lucky to get a Teague-choked model that was in decent nick overall. It has a Monte Carlo stock so shoots a bit high.

Went to Park Lodge a while ago nd they had an ATA SP laminate adjustable in, I'd been eyeing them up for a while. They let me test it out and it felt and shot great. I ended up getting that for £550 and it's now my main gun. I still enjoy the Miroku, especially the weight (the ATA is a bit on the heavier side) but the ATA feels more natural to me.

I tried out the FiL's Silver Pigeon and couldn't get on with it at all, felt too skinny for me. But he shoots well with it and he can't get on with mine.

As above, I'd suggest checking out Doveridge, Park Lodge, Nottingham District, Lakeside etc and seeing if you can try a few to see what suits you best.

[Smudger687]

I own a Yildiz Wildfowler Extreme over and under. Non-ejector 3.5 inch over/under and it's had several thousand rounds through it with no issues. It has an all-steel receiver, lovely wood and balances well. It cost me 750 new for a do-everything gun.

Whilst it performs fine with 2.75 inch plaswads, 2.75 inch fibres feel very underpowered, possibly from all the blow-by that occurs from such a large chamber mismatch. 

My 2 cents would be that the Turkish guns are fine, provided you go for a model with an all-steel receiver. Additionally, if you're only interested in clay shooting, then get a gun with a 2.75 inch chamber and a bore size of 18.3 or 18.4mm, as these will perform much better with fibre wads. 

 

[cardigun]

Smudger 687.  The chamber nissmatch in a 3 1/2" chamber, can be overcome if you use Hull Superfast Pigeon. They have two felt wads between the powder and the shot, which easily overcomes the blow- by.

[claydodger]

On 29/12/2021 at 14:27, Scully said:

It would be worth investing in a few lessons with a GOOD coach; if Ben Husthwaite is anywhere near you, or one of many top shots, give them a call, or anyone with a good reputation. 
They will be able to save you countless money and time in advising what make and model would suit your build best, and you can go on from there. 
Note: No one, NO ONE, no matter who it is,  can fit a gun to someone with an inconsistent mount, and as a beginner, you will have an inconsistent mount unless you start gun up. A good coach can help point you in the right direction in more ways than one. 

Totally agree, get as much advice and try as many different guns and disciplines as you can before you even consider buying a gun.