Milsurp After Hours

Just took delivery yesterday of new Browning 525 multi choke sporter with 30 inch barrels The primary use is for clays also have an old medalist [must be 25-30 years old that I used for every thing clay small game and wildfowl . What Shotguns do you prefer and why

I'm not much of a shotgun person I have a stevens double barrel that i hunt rabbits and turkey with, it hits where i point it and then I have a mossberg pump which is for house protection as the double just feels better for hunting.

.............that got me thinking.

I have only ever owned 5 shotguns, all 12g, since I started shooting in 1976.

First one was a Spanish S/S which was OK for shooting your foot but not much else!

I then bought a Franchi 630 lightweight O/U which had an alloy action and SST. It was beautiful but hard on the shoulder.

Can't remember why I sold it but I then bought a Baikal O/U with 2 triggers which spat fire and brimstone!! I also owned an ORIGINAL Greener GP which could break clays miles away. My wallet fell on hard times and I sold them, just keeping a very old damascus barreled S/S hammer gun which was in a dreadful state. I only kept it to justify my shotgun certificate.

When we moved to France I got rid of it to a friend who was also a dealer.

Now I am in the market again for something to shoot BP and Nitro with so I am walking the gun shops of Bordeaux looking for an O/U that will do both.

something to shoot BP and Nitro with

You are talking about 2 guns ? Aren't you Duncan ?

My clay shooting shotguns are a Miroku 3800 30 inch trap gun that I bought new in 1977. I bought a new Miroku 3800 26 inch skeet gun in 1980. For game, I have a AYA number 4 26 inch s/s 12 bore that I bought new in 1975. Short barrels were the fashion in the 70s, I would have bought 28 inchers now. I never bought another shotgun for 25 years until I saw a Browning Double Automatic and fancied having it. It has the steel action. I subsequently bought an alloy action Twelvette model to go with it. A local shop had a Twentyweight model and I went to buy it. They had had it for months but I didn't know it was the Twentyweight model and it was a bit overpriced. When they dropped the price and advertised it as a Twentyweight, I went to buy it but they had sold it the day before I got there. I have always fancied a 16 bore and was in a local shop and mentioned it to the owner. He brought out a Lincoln Premier 16 bore 28 inch o/u that someone had traded to upgrade their shotgun. It was almost as new and half new price so I got that. I have a hankering for a Benelli Montefeltro but that will have to wait.

I like all the shotguns I have and have had no problems with any of them. I am in danger of developing shotgun collecting syndrome as well as milsurp collecting syndrome.

Regards

Peter.

Not too many folks are familiar with the Browning Double Auto anymore.Interesting pieces.Had one in the shop;took forever to move it 'til a guy came in and jumped on it!

One Browning I've always liked is the BPS 20 gauge with the straight wrist Upland Stock and 22 inch bbl.Just a sweetie! :

John

Field & Stream lists it at number 39 of the 50 best shotguns of all time. Looks from the magazine that they went out of production in 1971, having been made since 1952.

The anodized aluminum frame Double Auto could even be had in different colours.

Shocking Pink no Less!!

Good for conversation at the Club House,no doubt!

John

You are talking about 2 guns ? Aren't you Duncan ?

No, I want to be able to shoot both BP & Smokeless Cartridges with the same gun because there is a BP Clay layout at the range in Bordeaux and in the summer there are various 'Balltrap' (Sporting Clays) competitions run by the local hunt organisations.

If there was a permanent clay setup in the area then that would be different but there isn't.

A very kind member of another forum that I frequent sent me some Brass cases over from the States and I am going to try them out. Might also buy some paper ones. There is a guy in the UK who sells them at £6.75 per 25 + p&p.

Am off to Bordeaux after lunch to get some primers for the Magtech Brass so I MIGHT just see what there is lying about s/h

I really do have lots of shotguns and probably will get more, sect 1 I own an Ithaca 37 DS Police Special 8 shot, a .410 side by side hammer pistol. sect 2 I own an Investarm o/u folding .410, a 9mm Voure rimfire garden gun, an Anschutz sigle shot bolt action .410, a 28 bore beretta 686, a 20 bore Mundial BLE side by side, a 12 bore AYA Yeoman BLE s/s, a model 23 Winchester s/s in 12 bore, a Sjorgen 12 bore semi and finally a stevens 79VR in 12 bore that needs some reassembly.

I thinks thats all but with a growing family I tend to buy and stash away for later.

I obviously have more rifles, especially since I sold my sect 7 pistols to buy more!

I bought a Laporte auto trap to save time recocking the manual trap, costs me a cheap car battery every year!