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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167 |
Those 30" BSS 12's aren't all that common. I expect they'd make good guns for sxs Sporting events, with a little choke surgery. There are also 30" Ithaca SKB's out there, also pretty uncommon like the long-nosed BSS. They'd be good choices as well if you don't want to spend a bundle on a sxs for targets. A good bit lighter than the BSS.
Last edited by L. Brown; 04/06/16 07:06 AM.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,023 Likes: 1824
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,023 Likes: 1824 |
Most any modern, shootable S x S is okay if you just want to shoot a round of skeet every now and then with 3/4 or 7/8 oz. loads, I guess. But, for a full round of 100 birds on a sporting course, the weight of the BSS gives it the edge, IMO. More weight is exactly what I want in a clays gun. The 30" barrels smooth it out, too. I really struggle with my lightweight S x Ss when I shoot the sub gauge S x S events. New shooters are behind most of the birds they miss, if they're not offline. Most experienced shooters miss ahead more than they do behind. Weight and barrel length help that.
I'm shooting a S x S event this Saturday. The BSS will get the nod for the 12 ga. event, the Ithaca SKB for the 20 ga. event, and the Dickinson .410 for the lil' gun event. I am sure I will struggle with not getting ahead of everything on the last two.
SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,020 Likes: 71
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,020 Likes: 71 |
I had a 30" 2-triggered Miroku that I tweaked a little for clays. Nice gun with really good barrels. Both chokes started a long taper a full 9" up the bore. At the end of the day I found I shot my field SxS's just as well and that's what I stick with now at the range. That said, I'm not an ace who can win the big shoots like Jeff!
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,023 Likes: 1824
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,023 Likes: 1824 |
Stan
I hefted the 30" SKB 12 g HR200 the othe day. Very similar feel. It's an option. Took a few for your post to sink in, Chuck, 😀, guess I needed another cup of "Eight O'clock" before sitting down at the computer this a.m. That would be the new, Turkish made SKB, right? I would really like the opportunity to shoot one of them. If it is the quality of the Dickinsons it should work well. I still have this idea in the back of my mind of sleeving a set of 32" tubes onto a set of bad BSS barrels, but if I could find a suitable 32" gun already, it would save a lot of work. SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 205 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 205 Likes: 1 |
Stan,
That is the Akus gun. If I'm not mistaken, SKB guns typically get higher grade wood than the standard Dickinsons.
They seem to offer a lot for a clays SXS right out of the box.
-Leverhead
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167 |
I've played with a couple of the new Turkish SKB's in gunshops. Have yet to field test one. All are single trigger guns. Triggers on the ones I tried were good.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,023 Likes: 1824
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,023 Likes: 1824 |
At $2300 it darn well better have a good single trigger. If buyers have to have a trigger job done on a brand new gun of that price it will be a killer for sales, IMO. I can stand having to do a little work on a $500 gun's trigger, but not at that price level. For $250 more than that I bought a 31 1/2" used MX8, about 8-9 years ago, in 90% condition. And it has a trigger all others aspire to.
There is a new 12 ga. SKB 200HR on GI with 32" tubes. Now, that's interesting.
SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,409 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,409 Likes: 4 |
Thanks for the replies. I have to say that for years I kind of looked down on the BSS, but after coddling and fiddling with older guns I wanted a SxS I could just pick up and shoot. My friends mostly shoot M21s, but they are a lot more money than a BSS and I kind of like being a little different. Have to say that other than my $750 Merkel 200E 16 gauge this is the most gun I have bought for the money. So far I have $1335 invested. I am impressed with the quality of design and build. Very few parts, they're large and well machined. Big recoil shield at the back of the receiver, rebated frame and bushed firing pins. It's 8lb 2 oz, but balances okay. With more recoil pad for length it should balance even better. If I go whole hog I'll have to restock it as the factory stock is too short and low. I'd also put Briley thin walls in it. The trigger pulls are actually quite good, so I think I'll just leave it a reliable single trigger. All my other SxS guns are DT and I did once try pulling the trigger guard for the left barrel. Most likely sell my Fox AE to fund this. There is something to say for a big, solid dependable gun. Owning this for several days has definitely improved my opinion of these guns. Might even have to pick up a 20 gauge!
Regards,
Jeff
I would look at second-hand 0/U version called the Citori. You can pick up one with fixed chokes in very good shape for $1000 or less. The ones with Invector or Invector Plus choke system will be more. You can even find 12ga 3.5" one with Invector Plus chokes for not whole lot of money. It handles same as BSS and is better more versatile gun. Sorry, but paying premium for BLE BSS doesn't make all that much sense.
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 373 Likes: 7
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 373 Likes: 7 |
Jagermeister,
It makes sense if you want a SxS to shoot targets with. I already have a 12 ga o/u target gun. There are 3 well made, reliable SxS guns you can put tens of thousands of rounds through. The BSS, which usually goes for around $1500, a Model 21 that will be 50 to 80 years old and cost $5000 to $7000 ($15,000 plus for a new one) or a Perazzi DC12 for $16,500. I can completely customize a BSS and still be well under the cost of a 21 that won't fit me. It may not make a lot of sense to others, but it keeps me off the streets. We won't even talk about the things I've done with 16 gauge guns to make them work for me.
Regards,
Jeff
Last edited by JNW; 04/07/16 01:35 AM.
"We are men of action. Lies do not become us."
Wesley
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167 |
At $2300 it darn well better have a good single trigger. If buyers have to have a trigger job done on a brand new gun of that price it will be a killer for sales, IMO. I can stand having to do a little work on a $500 gun's trigger, but not at that price level. For $250 more than that I bought a 31 1/2" used MX8, about 8-9 years ago, in 90% condition. And it has a trigger all others aspire to.
Stan, the S&W side by sides were initially offered for about the same price--and the early ones didn't have very good triggers. That seems to have been remedied on the later ones, especially the double trigger models. (The one that I initially field tested was ST, as was the one Bruce Buck field tested--and we both found heavy triggers.) I've also encountered that issue on some Dickinsons, although they're priced more like mid-$1K range rather than mid-$2K. Agree, given the price of good trigger work--and the fact that you never know whether a trigger adjustment will work until the gunsmith has the parts in his hand to look over and work on--that either of those guns ought to come from the maker with acceptable pulls. Crisp, and at least no heavier than the weight of the gun in question.
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