doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Opinion(s) on the Marlin L.C. Smith gun........

Gentleman,

Well, I took the wife hunting for the very first time and the unthinkable happened, she actually LIKED it. I think she really enjoyed watching the wirehaired pup work.

Now she wants her "own" shotgun. I offered her one of my 16 gauge guns and she said it "kicked" too hard.

What are the opinions of the new, Marlin L.C. Smith 20 gauge SXS? I know that it's not a real Elsie, but the price seems right. Is it a quality gun for the spouse? A 28 gauge is out, due to duck hunting requirements as well. Thanks in advance.

Gun Plumber

You deserve at least an attempted answer here. "Kick" is a function of a lot of things. I gather she tried one or more of your 16s? Were these double guns and what was their approximate weight? And I assume one ounce field loads?

How does the Marlin-Smith 20 measure up, weight-wise, to the 16s?
-A lighter 20 may kick as much as slightly heavier 16, other factors being equal to the gauge.

At the clear risk of being called a heretic, I would at least experiment with one of the better Benelli or Beretta 20 gauge semi-autos, say with IC or Mod. I'd take her and wirehaired pup to a nice safe place with a carton of two of claybirds and a handtrap. I'd take along a borrowed 20 double, and maybe your lightest 16 with 7/8 oz. light field loads. I'd just have fun in a relaxed atmosphere and let her try all offerings.

Right now, GP, I think you need personal data about her comfort level with a shotgun. What's at stake is a lifetime shooting companion. Consider doing some research.

And best of luck!

Start her out with a 20 auto. You can switch her to a proper double later. You need a sfot shooting gun that does not weigh too much. The weight make the 12 bad. Be careful to buy her a gun with enough weigh that it is comfortable to shoot but not too heavy to carry. You may be willing to carry her books but carring her gun and yours will suck by the third hill.

GP,
If stiff duck loads are in the future, take a look at a Beretta 391 Techneys. It weighs in around 7lbs and has recoil like a .410 when running target/light field loads thru it. I found out it has a pretty heavy, active damper "recoil reducer" in the butt that probably is around a three quarter pound or more if removing it is preferable for light load shooting. Sure, it's no double, but it'll be comfortable for her and maybe she'll progress to a double later. The field version of the 20g 391 doesn't have this damper.

You're one lucky guy, Chuck. As the others, I think fit and soft-recoil is the ticket at this stage. Don't even think of an other-purposes gun. It's game-over when you take the fun out of it; the fire can be taken out but never put back in. You know more than I about this but would an o/u be better than a sxs, say an SKB 20ga. Model 500. It's all she would ever need.

King,
It's my opinion, and I'll surely pay for it, but I think the o/u is a superior design for nearly all uses. And yes, I feel lucky...not the kind of 'lucky' Clint Eastwood asks about, but the kind of lucky to have a smile about life...a wife that loves me well enough to let me have a dog that doesn't bite me. LOL.

GP - Find her an 1100LT Youth 20 gauge. They have 21" barrels and appropriate LOP. My 9 year old boy is shooting one now and loves it. He has become a clays nut because he can hit with this little gun. Naturally, Remington does not make the LT model (all 3" now), so it would be a used gun.

More heresy. I'm completely on board with King and the others here. My absolute preferred design is a side-by-side, but it is probably the worst of all choices as a starter gun. I started my boy with a 5.5 lb. Franchi 20-ga. auto for comfort reasons, and have never regretted the decision. He's now hooked on shooting (got his first duck, and then his first limit, one day earlier this month) and recoil is no longer the issue it had been. You know this, of course, but be sure to let your bride pick the specific gun after you've laid out the choices (Benelli, Franchi, Beretta, etc.). Have fun, you lucky man ... I'll bet she's a great cook, too! TT

Why not be really adventurous and get her one of the new Remington 105CTi titanium/carbon-fiber gas gun wonders? A 12ga. weighs 7# and is alledged to recoil less than an 1100/11-87. Shoots anything from 2-3/4 pop-gun loads to 3" mags. Might be the answer to the "universal" shotgun question.

OB

What a particular gun looks like to the lady counts, too. My wife. who hated flying and the time and treasure I was spending on it. commented while walking through a hangar one day that she liked the upholstery and "curtains on the window" of an Apache. I was looking for a Cessna 180. When I later saw one I liked I asked her to design and arrange for a new interior to her liking. Well, I got the plane and she happily started to fly with me and went on to her pilot's license.