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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 131
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 131 |
I know this will be very subjective, but I would like to hear what you have to say.
I would like to see what you think are the top five American SxSs in order starting with the best.
Lets make it two categories. One for fit and finish, engraving, appearance, Exhibition quality. The other for reliability, and function.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,038
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,038 |
I have thought of this in the past and then many things come to mind. What time period? The Colts always looked nice to me for the around 1880's period. The the Win. 21 seems to be top notch in the much later period.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 680
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 680 |
Fox - Simple, Strong and elegant
DM Lefever- Innovative, well made and nicely balanced
Parker - Nice guns especially in the higher grades, well made but complicated and the large bores are a bit clumsy.
All the rest are also rans.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 127
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 127 |
Reliability and function:
Winchester Model 21: big and strong. Guaranteed to eat up proof loads that caused other guns to fail.
Engraving, appearance, and exhibiton quality. Again, the Model 21. Grand Americans from the Winchester Custom Shop displayed fantastic engraving and gold inlay. Stock work was fantastic.
Colin L. Kendall
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,449 Likes: 278
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,449 Likes: 278 |
Yup, those eight bore Parkers are a bit clumsy, but what do we compare them to?
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 385
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 385 |
you have got to be kidding about winchester m21 engraving.you need eye glasses or less glasses.look at pre 13 lc. lefever and early Ithaca engraving.also Hoffman for fit finish checkering engraving.as always just my opinion.. mc
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 384
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 384 |
There arent any ! best, (running for the hills), Mike
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,768 Likes: 115
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,768 Likes: 115 |
Good job you are out of range Mike! Don't see many American doubles here in the U.K. but I have owned a Parker G grade, a L.C.Smith Featherweight Field; both in 12 bore, but the nicest I have seen was a A.H.Fox for line and style. Looking at the illustrations I think that any Parker higher in grade than a D or possibly a C is a bit too fussy and looses something. Just a bit too much embellishment. The earlier Winchester 21's have a nice line but I have never had the chance to handle one. Lagopus.....
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021 |
The Parker and LC Smith are tied at the top with the Lefever coming in a distant second. The reason, the Parker and LC Smith were put to the test early and often. See Drews great posts for verification.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 56 Likes: 8
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 56 Likes: 8 |
Hmmmm....
Fit, Finish, Engraving, Appearance
1. Lefever Arms Co.
2. L.C. Smith
3. Baker Gun & Forging Co. (specifically the Baker sidelock doubles)
4. DM Lefever Co.
5. Ithaca
Reliability and Function
1. Baker Gun & Forging Co. (some will argue, but I have yet to handle one that doesn't function as designed and I can't say that for many other makers)
2. AH Fox
3. Winchester (specifically the Model 21)
4. Remington (specifically the model 1894)
5. Lefever Arms Co.
Where's Parker? The game engraving on Parkers just doesn't thrill me much and the 2 Parker guns I have owned have both been cracked in the head of the stock due to the action acting almost like a wedge over time and causing a split.
Last edited by BPFischer; 03/29/11 02:48 PM.
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