doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Cheap Thrills

I own a couple of pretty good shotguns, not FEDs (Fine English Doubles). However, I've discovered there's a pride of ownership when you buy a perfectly shootable shotgun for very little money. In other words, getting a good deal on a shotgun has its own glory and a deep sense of satisfaction. Not fine wood and engraving, which I'd like to be able to afford, but a blue-collar gun that you can set in the corner and not worry too much about.

I've got two such guns in which I have less than $450 total, and they're perfectly good shotguns. One is a hundred + year old Husky, outside hammers, tight lockup, barrels a bit pitted but not all that bad. It's definitely not a concours gun, but good for rabbits and would probably be good for birds. It's a 16 ga. which is rapidly becoming my favorite bore.

The other is a J.C. Higgins (Yes, a J.C. Higgins) 101.7, a catalog version of a Savage 311. It's almost mint, if that matters in a cheap shotgun, which it doesn't. But it has a decent straight grain walnut stock, uncheckered (which I plan to checker) and is also a 16 ga.

And it's not just shotguns, I bought an 8mm rifle for $225 with an ugly stock that shoots ~1 MOA. I LOVE it!

Anyone else get this comfortable feeling in a cheap shotgun? Or any brands of shotguns that are underpriced or underappreciated?

Hello
Fun post

First you must check this out

http://www.16ga.com/

Second, yes, I got an Ithaca 20 gauge Flues for $200, it is perfectly functional, a little messy in the stock, and shoots well, has short chambers with radical forcing cone.

Also got a nice Krieghoff Semper Drilling in 16x16x8x57R for $1000 with a repaired stock. The 16 gauge chambers are 65MM and I load 2 1/2 inch ammo for it. Shoots well.

What fun, what fun
Mike

Those are great deals!

For my definition (personal, that is) a "Cheap Thrill" has to be under an arbitrary $300 limit. Or close to that. I'd consider the drilling a GREAT deal, but not a cheap thrill.

I started hunting when I was 14, uncle let me borrow his Stevens 311 in .410. Shot some squirrels, maybe a bunny or two. When I had to give it back, my father took me down to Sears and he bought a 12 ga pump, ventilated rib, ajustable choke but not a poly choke. Gun had to weigh 8 lbs. Carrying this hunting when your 15 all day got to be tiring, so the following year, now 16, I had a part time job and talked my parents into buying me another Sears gun, a 20 ga. double with a ventilated rib, beavertail for-end, single non-selective trigger, model 101.540, which I found out much later was a Fox model B I believe.I think this gun was $89.00 on sale. Gun had 28" barrels and weighed 7 lbs., much better. I shot this gun until I went into the service in 1966 and in 1967 went to Germany and joined the local Rod and Gun Club and ordered a Winchester 101 in 20 ga. for $166.85. Still have those 3 guns and only shoot the Winchester 101 sometimes at skeet.
I don't know if they qualify as "cheap" guns, back then that was a lot of money for me.

Well, you can't replace it for what you paid for it. So it's a cheap thrill, not a cheap gun.

In 1970, while in the Army, I bought a Beretta BL 3 for $200. I was suprised that I can get that gun today for about $600-700, used, at least that's what I priced one at. Surprised that the value didn't increase a whole lot more.

Your Sears now is worth probably $300. Which I guess makes it a about the same, real-money wise, as my BL 3.

Also, when I got married in 1970 my wife tried skeet shooting and shot my 101, said it kicked too much. For Christmas that year I bought her a Berettta BL-4 in 28 ga. for $289.00 I believe then. Still have that to. Kids were born and she didn't shoot it, I did and every once in a while will take it for skeet.

The botton feeders thread! I've had some wonderful chaep thrills. I usually buy guns that need some cheap cosmetic work and simple repairs. Guns in the $300 or less range that have come and gone have been:
20 gauge flues
20 gauge Nitro Special
12 gauge Crescent Hammer Gun (a true POS)
12 gauge guild gun with lafechou(sp) break action (I had JABC engraved on the lock plates)
12 gauge Pedersoli ML (a nice light weight upland gun)
10/9 gauge Manton ML
12 gauge Nitro Special (actually had very pretty wood)
12 gauge Utica Arms Hammer Gun (currently for sale)
There may be more, this is what I can remember. I get real pleasure out of making them look presenteable and putting them back to work
Steve

Steve
THANKS the post,
Yes make them serviceable
Mike

My 400 buck French MAS 16 Ga. SxS comes to mind.

Just a plain well built utility shotgun, but fun and usefull, handles good too.

You got me here, Cheap Thrills is a favourite game of mine.
My best buy this year must be a pre-WWII German combination gun (BBF) for $300; 16g over 8x57IR, Zeiss Zielvier in claw mounts.
My latest one is a scoped prewar Mannlicher Schoenauer 7x64 for $400.
My cheapest buy is a 16g J.P. Sauer hammer double for $10.
That is all recent, from this year. From old times I like to remember a retired police chief who offered me his Ferlach hammer shotgun for free if I do all the red tape and come to get it in his remote residence. I did and he not only gave me the gun but served me lunch and wine in his summer house in the hills.
With kind regards,
Jani