doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com "Who Killed the Side-by-Side Shotgun?"

Published in Outdoor Life November 1972
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/carmichel-side-by-side-shotguns/

"a secondhand 20-gauge A. H. Fox...would fetch $200 or so on today’s market."
That's about $1650 today which is not far off for a well used but not abused 20g Sterlingworth
https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...rlingworth-20-gauge.cfm?gun_id=103075175

There is interesting topic by Randy Wakeman on ShotgunWorld forum entitled: "The Death of Tungsten and Bismuth Shot?" I believe tightening laws on use of lead shot in EU resulted in dumping of old shotguns onto US market. Do you think buying such Sterlingworth is a good move?

I'm not a collector, just a shooter that loves SxS's, with hammers on them even more so. None of mine are very expensive $200-500. But I shoot them well. I reload for all my hunting and have enough Bismuth for a few years. I wouldn't have a problem opening the chokes on a new of my old Husqvarna and run a mild load of steel through it, I just have to wait for them to get a little closer. My go-to load for waterfowl 7/8 oz of 6's out of my 12ga.

We can always melt down pennies and make shot. People don't even bend over to pick them up any longer.

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What is it about hammerguns? The more I use them the better I like them. I now have a fairly light one (used for hunting) and a very heavy one (used for targets). My middleweight one isn't entirely settled just yet but will likely be Parker (unless an interesting Brit guns shows up somewhere).

American sxs, with the exception of a few inexpensive ones, cost too much in the post-WWII market. Pumps and autos were a good bit less. And of course the war introduced a lot of Americans to semi-auto rifles. So why not semi-auto shotguns? then less expensive ou's began to appear from places like Japan and Italy. But that was not all bad because the Japanese and the Italians also began sending reasonably priced sxs as well.

"The more I use 'em the better I like 'em " - Agreed. Even better when using them in 16, 12, 10....8... and 4. Oops ! I , forgot the 20/16 . !

I'm still trying to figure out the motivation for this Thread on a topic that comes up several times a year.

So who killed the Side-by-Side Shotgun? Whoever did that dastardly deed sure did a piss-poor job. For something that has been declared dead so many times, SxS's or doubles keep showing up. alive and well.

The Preacher even provided some proof with the excerpt from Jim Carmichael's article that stated a 20 ga. Fox Sterlingworth would sell for around $200.00 in 1972, and the same gun today would sell for somewhere around $1650.00.

Consider the resale value of some of the guns that supposedly drove the SxS into extinction. In 1972, a brand new 20 ga. Remington 870 pump retailed for about $140.00, and their Model 1100 semi-auto started at about $185.00 retail. The only way those two guns would even approach the same percentage appreciation in value as the used 20 ga, Fox Sterlingworth would be if they were stored in a safe and never fired.

I find it odd that so many double shotgun owners stress out so much about their guns possibly becoming worthless, when there is so much evidence that they continue to hold a significant percentage of purchase price, as long as they were bought intelligently.

So maybe they didn't appreciate in inflation adjusted value as much as certain art works, precious metals, or the S&P 500. The vast majority of consumer goods bought in 1972, from cars, TV sets, stereos, cameras, golf clubs, etc. are pretty much near worthless.. if they are even still functional. It's typically much cheaper and easier to keep a Fox Sterlingworth running than a 1972 Chevelle.


Yes Jagermeister, buying that Sterlingworth is still a good move if you like it and can shoot it. Ammunition will still be available for a long time, unless we roll over and allow the anti-gunners to take it away, as happened in the EU. And one day, when you are on your death bed, you won't give a damn whether it lost value or not. Buy what you like, and enjoy it while you still can.

Just remember, the greatest threat to Side-by-Side shotguns... and every other firearm... is anti-gun Democrats.

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