|
As a sxs guy I’ve owned the Schwing book for years. I appreciate the photos as much as the information.
I went thru a big American Classic period and owned a few of the major brands - Ithaca, L.C. Smith and Fox. I shoot my guns, but never shot them hard like I would a modern o/u. They all broke. I got sick of fixing them so I bought a pair of BSS shotguns, a 12 and a 20. Incredibly well built and the 20 handles well, but that 30” 12 gauge is like driving a bus without power steering. I shot it well, but it didn’t give me that feeling that a well balanced sxs can. Just over a year ago I test drove a 32” M21 Duck. Oh, my. 7lb 13oz of long, svelte lovely shotgun. The first time I shot it I won the sporting clays event at the Duluth Double gun. It’s a 2 barrel set with the 32s having Briley thin walls and the 26” barrels are IC/Mod. I can run the skeet field easily with either set of barrels. I had it restocked to fit me with exhibition black walnut and it’s stunning. Just got it all done 2 weeks before the Duluth shoot this year. I shot it even better and won the whole shoot! A long barreled Duck is a delightful 12 gauge with fabulous handling qualities. A 32” Trap with a vent rib and a proper trap stock feels like a big American gun and will go 8.5lb - an entirely different feeling gun.
21s tend to affect many people strongly. I wasn’t a big fan until I started handling the lighter weight 12s with long barrels. A double trigger/extractor 16 or 20 gauge with light barrels does have game gun handling, but these are not common nor are they what collectors want. They are well built guns that you can shoot hard and they hold their value. I’m not giving mine up!
| 
