doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com European doubles: any cast neutral?

I just read L. Brown's "European Economy Doubles" (DGJ, Winter 1999) and wondered if such guns are hard to find for a south-paw like me. Of the J.P. Sauer and BRNO guns I've seen close up, all were cast off and often with cheek pieces. Were any continental makers more likely than others to have offered neutral stocks?

Take a look at some of the Spanish used guns. If the buyer doesn't specify cast or pitch the gun maker typically leaves both at zero.

You won't find cheek pieces on many guns other than German. That was their specialty. As a group, if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive double that's cast neutral, the Japanese imports (SKB and Browning BSS) are probably your most likely candidates. Also guns that were imported some time ago. Most American classic doubles were cast neutral unless ordered otherwise, so until relatively recently, European imports were that way as well. Pretty sure the older Beretta sxs (409 series, including the old Silver Hawk; also 424 series and GR series) were cast neutral, and I think Bernardellis were as well. You're more likely to find cast on newer Spanish guns than you are on older imports, like the AyA Matador.

I have seen, a number of very nicely made, pre-war (II) Belgian guild guns, all neutral. Own one, too. Typically they are light weight, all-day-carry field guns. As to being economy guns, I am usually shocked at the prices - if you buy for quality, I suppose they are reasonable, but if you are after a name, they just don't have one.

The rugged old Beretta Silver Hawks, as LBrown noted, are neutral.

Japan is already well-represented in my cabinet by ambassadors Miroku and SKB.

Since its a 16ga. field gun that I'm now hankering for, I'm thinking continental or American classics. So far it appears to me that, other than perhaps the Mediterranean, much of continental Europe resorted to forcing their left-handed children into conformity

The Germans were really big into 16's, no question. But there are a lot of French 16's out there as well, and quite a few Belgian. The Italians and the Spanish (until recently in the latter case) haven't seemed to favor the 16 as much.