joyoge Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 I went to my local gunshop today to have a look at my potential first gun. I am a small 5ft4" female and was advised by the salesman that a Beretta Silver Pigeon 20 Bore, 26.5" would be a good match for me. It felt comfortable but wondered if there might be any drawbacks? I would be using it for clay shooting mainly but may go onto game. I would need to have the stock made shorter and also wondered if a gun like this would be hard to sell on if I ever had to? it isnt cheap you see! any help much appreciated thanks Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Wow, that's quite some paint job! First of all I must say that your dealer should't sell you anything that doesn't fit you or is not suitable for what you want1 I shoot a 26" auto with an extended choke for clays, which is ok most of the time except for the longer, faster birds. I tend to struggle a bit then. Its really a matter of personal preference but in this case I'd be thinking more about a 28" minimum, 30" better still. As for re-saleability with a shortened stock, if you like the gun and you shoot well with it you may not want to part with it anyway. Even so, its fairly easy to extend a stock these days, I've even done my own! Perhaps a bridge to cross when you get there. Good luck with whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewey Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 (edited) Hi Jogage, They may well be right, just depends on the Salesman expertise and experience. How many guns did they give you to see what fit best? If it was only one or two then it may be worth getting a second opinion, also how wide a range of guns did they have? a 26.5" Beretta 20bore I would say is quite unusual/unpopular, they may have been just trying to get rid of it. I'm no expert but you need to go to someone that know's their stuff, especially if your spending a reasonable amount of money. I was after a new gun earlier this year, visited loads of local and some not so local gun shops, I live in Essex and eventually bought one from the Oxford Gun Company, they were really good let me try lots of different guns until I got the correct one. The strange thing was the salesperson that asssited me was a women and she really knew what she was talking about, I've been shooting for over 20 years but she really put me right on a few things that have really helped my shooting. In all I think I was there for about 2.5 hours choosing and trying my new gun from a wide variety or makes and models, then they sent one of their coaches out with me on their clay ground to see if I got on with it, which turned into more of a lesson than anything else. If your in Borehamwood I would recommend a trip up there. Good Luck with whatever you choose. Hewey Edited November 23, 2008 by Hewey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 In my collection I’ve got an older 686s sporting special with 26 inch barrels, fixed chokes, cylinder bottom and improved cylinder top barrel and I love it. All this fashion for long barrels is another passing fad. OK some find that longer barrels are more pointable but they aren’t necessary from a ballistic point of view. I’ve used mine very well on sporting clays and it has taken a lot of very good quality game birds with no problem at all. I’ve never felt under gunned with it. Two of my younger daughters have used it with the standard stock without any problems and they are about your height. So give the gun a good few outings before you have it cut down. You might find that it doesn’t need to be cut down. The comments about trying different guns are very valid as they are like people. They’re all different. If you have the stock shortened it may change the balance and therefore the hand / brain feel of the gun. It might need a small piece of lead put into the stock to re balance the gun as a whole. If you do go ahead and buy the gun ask that they return the off cut end of the stock ( it is yours after all) so that if in the future you or someone else wants to lengthen the stock you will have the original piece of matching wood to have doweled and pinned back in place rather than some horrendous rubber butt pad or a piece of totally different wood in colour and grain grafted onto the stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyoge Posted November 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 thanks very much everyone for the advice...I will take a look at the Oxford gun shop as not too far...great that you can actually try the guns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Joy, I have two Silver Pigeon 20-bores in the cabinet. My girlfriend has one with 28" barrels, which she uses to good effect on clays, game and vermin. I have a 26.5" barrelled one myself, which I use for partridge shooting (I prefer the snappy handling of short-barrelled guns myself). We use Hull Cartridge Sterling Game 25g #6s for almost everything. Do make sure you get it fitted properly and be mindful of the shape of the recoil pad. The smith put a Pachmyr Decelerator recoil pad on my other half's gun, rounding the toe right down. Don't worry about resale value. It is never hard to sell this particular gun, even if the stock has been shortened. For what it's worth, I reckon the 20-bore Silver Pigeon is the most elegant factory gun made today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Jo Been new to this I would also recommend a visit to The Oxford Gun Co, I got a Browning 525 from them last week and the service was exceptional. They really went out of their way to understand what I needed and time is not an issue. I thought I wanted a Beretta but found the Browning fitted the best, trying the gun help reassure me that it was the right choice. Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyoge Posted November 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 thank you all so much, this place sounds fantastic....I am very much on my on where the shooting is concerned as my fella is not keen so need people who have my best interests at heart...would the 26.5 beretta not be suitable for clay shooting as salesman said it would be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 The 26.5"-barrelled SP is excellent for clays, talking from my own positive experience. You don't need long barrels to break clays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 I was in Francis Lovel & Co. Ltd on Thursday and they had a good choice of Berreta 20 bores for sale - good blokes to deal with and also know their stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windknot Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Try to shoot as many different guns as possible before you make a decision. My wife tried a variety of guns- Beretta, Miroku, Browning, Bettinsoli to name a few, and tried both O/U and Semi-auto guns before deciding on a Browning Ultra XS with 30" barrels and an adjustable comb. I'd never have thought that'd be the gun she'd go for, but she was very comfortable with it, and shot very well with it. The stock was shortened for her, and the pitch cut to accomodate her chest, and a good quality recoil pad fitted. But you need to shoot a gun to really get the measure of it- a few dry mounts and practice swings in the shop won't cut it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJH Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 I shoot a 26.5 inch 20 bore and had the gun 15 years. It does snipe to fox. Weighs 5.25 lbs and a delight to shoot. Great to carry all day (working a dog). Even took a woodcock at 70 yards once ! I use RC20 T3 #6 and the pattern is excellent. Best gun I have ever owned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 Great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 11 year old topic. 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 Oh dear 🤫 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 Damn. I didn't spot the 2008 and replied. Don't mind about that, but I did think for a moment that Baldrick was back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 (edited) Now Wymberly is doing it! Time travel next. Edited October 8, 2019 by TIGHTCHOKE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 Ii does make you wonder what Joy ended up with 11 years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted October 8, 2019 Report Share Posted October 8, 2019 Just now, Old Boggy said: Ii does make you wonder what Joy ended up with 11 years ago 26 inches it seems ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted October 10, 2019 Report Share Posted October 10, 2019 (edited) . Edited October 10, 2019 by welshwarrior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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