"Disadvantage" is hardly the word for it, Chuck. A 12 ga 1899 Francotte and 16ga 1914 Sauer, bought for well under $1,000 each, are demonstrably better guns than double and triple that price of many new guns today. I'm prejudiced about my old American doubles, as all here know, but I wouldn't trade any for those dandies above. Good as they are, they're hard to love.