Anyone have feedback on the Smith and Wesson Elite Gold? Any reliability issues? Tks

I think Larry Brown may have reviewed these guns a couple yrs ago. Other than that, I've never seen nor heard of anyone using them. There are two of these display guns at our local range shop. I haven't heard of any sales.

I took mine to Argentina a year ago- about 2600 rounds with no troubles at all. Seems to shoot and handle well.

That seems to be a pretty good recommendation, Tom.

Crosnoe has a couple of them in pristine shape for half price.

Thanks for the feedback. I saw one at what looked like a good buy, but didn't know much about the gun. I was thinking it was a Huglu as it was Turkish, but I don't think that is correct. Always room for one more quail gun!!

From Wichita......

Mark's Outdoors in Birmingham, AL had a blowout sale on these recently @ $599.99. I walked in the door as the last one was being written up. Talk about missing out; I would have bought two at that price.
JR

I've shot them and I like them. I'd put them closer to an RBL than a Huglu on the quality scale. I considered buying on at writer price and I'm still not sure I did the right thing by not buying one.

By the way, the company that made them makes guns that make them look plain. Beautiful sidelocks with hand detachable locks that look like jewels inside.

Dick

I did review one, as part of a broader scope article on guns from Turkey. My major complaint (which Bruce Buck also noted in a review in Shooting Sportsman) is that the SNST had a pull of about 10#. About a year later, I shot one with DT's, and the pulls were fine. Recently spoke with a gunsmith who had one apart to work on the trigger pull. He said it was pretty rough inside. They did make them look good on the outside, and you can find them pretty deeply discounted--although the $600 quoted above is lower than I've seen.

Some new sxs--and not just guns from Turkey--have not sold all that well. I recently saw a new Franchi Destino 20ga in a shop at $1500. Very nice wood, light, choke tubes. That's about half the original retail. Don't think I've ever seen a review on that gun.

That is great feedback. Looks like this a a gun to pass on. It just seems hard to decide on a solid quail gun in the under 3K range. Guess the answer is to move to the 3-4k range and start all over. Thanks for the help-

For $1500 ish you can find a 20g BSS. They are much better built guns and I'd put their reliability up there with about anything you can buy at any price for a 20g sxs. Their innards are extremely well made. They do run about a half pound heavy for a 20g. Also, the SKB sxs 20g guns are good reliable guns.

The two I've taken apart have been very well-made, with all due respect to Chuck, finished nicely on the inside; as good or better than a BSS. The HUGLU/CZ is rough internally and not in the same league. As Chuck remarked, they are about 6.5 lbs. (and well-balanced in my opinion). That said, one was choked full/full instead of full/mod as marked. Both had very good trigger pulls and the only reliabilty problem I had over 1.5K rounds was two or three failures to detonate primers with one brand of promotional loads, which I attribute to the cheap ammunition, not the gun. One thing I don't like about the gun is a small step between the top of the breech in front of the toplever and the top rib; it makes me want to file it down flush.

Best,

C.

My test gun weighed 6/6 with 28" barrels. Looking back on the review I wrote, I see that they indicated the guns would eventually have choke tubes. Are they all still fixed choke? And all the ones I see are ST guns, although the 2nd one I shot had DT.

Did you look at the KomandoAV guns at Shot Show? They make the S&W Elite look like a Fox Model B.

I'm trying to get them to bring a few guns to the Southern Side by Side. Best Turkish guns I've seen...Period.

They're making guns for Webley and Scott but those are their lower grade guns.

After reviewing the gun for Shooting Sportsman in 2007, I was impressed at the level of workmanship for the price. Like Clair Kofoed, the review gun I disassembled was very clean inside and rather cleverly designed with its trigger plate action.

I recently saw that CDNN had the Elite Golds on sale at about half price ($1200), so I bought a 28" English stock, Double Trigger model. I've not disassembled this particular gun, but all the exterior work is very nice indeed. Far closer to the Kimber Valier in execution than to the basic Huglus. The Elite Gold doesn't have the detailing or action of the Valier, but what there is is of good quality.

My only complaints about the gun I received is that it is a touch barrel heavy and I am not a fan of raised ribs. Other than that, I think that this is a surprisingly nice gun for the price.

Bruce Buck

You can pick up a Ugartechea from LCS without changing budgets - Grade III boxlock for $2300 or Grade IV sidelock for $3200. The 16 or 20 should make a nice quail gun. There are others on this forum who have more direct experience with those guns.

Here is a link to a recent discussion on Ugartecheas

shotgunworld.com/bbs