doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Stoeger 12ga coachgun

If I were looking to arm my offspring with a short light double, I'd skip the Stoeger and opt in stead for one of the Russian Remington's, the one they called the Spartan. Not pretty, but very reliable. I used to jump shoot ducks with an 18" barreled 20 ga, and I never had any issues with it. Most of the ones I've seen for sale on line run about $400. Having handled both, I'd choose the Russian Remington everytime.

Mergus

Just to let everyone know on the final decision. I went over to Cabela's and handled both the Stoeger and a Remington 870 tactical pump w/18.5" barrel, 4+1 load capacity, black synthetic stock. There was no comparison. The 870 won hands down.

The Stoeger felt heavy, clumsy; its thick stock seemed like a club. It was difficult to break open (that can be cleaned up according to a video on the net). The 870 (I have one which I've shot for 35 years) was light, familiar, easy to handle, and with the synthetic stock already having a place for the rear strap swivel; and it cost $200 less. I would have liked a nickel version but a small can of oil is not heavy. So firepower wins again.

Thanks for the opinions and information.

Cameron, if he doesn't know or is unfamiliar with a pump shouldn't a double be the next choice?

Tre, I had him put about 300 rounds through my 870 this Spring...included shooting slugs and sporting clays.. And I emphasized shooting when the first step was to put the safety off; nothing worse than to pull the trigger and nothing happens. So he is familiar with the 870.

This was not combat training. I didn't have him practice bringing the gun to bear from a slung position...but it's enough for this summer. I've asked him to put some boxes through the 870 once he gets to Haines. I'll have more time with him this Fall.

It would just seem to me that a double would be the simplest to learn and operate in a highly stressful situation, but I've never been in that situation so I defer.

An interesting example I read concerns a hunter in Africa while looking for a wounded buffalo in high grass was charged and when he shouldered his double grabbed the back trigger. When his first shot failed to drop or stop the charge he kept reaching backwards with his index (trigger) finger looking for the second trigger.

His training and muscle memory had always been centered on the sequence of placing his index (trigger) finger on the front trigger then moving backwards to the back trigger but under this stress his motor skills failed him and they were not honed enough or keen enough to realize he had initially grabbed the back trigger. The PH dropped the buffalo with two shots from his double. A Westley Richards I believe.

Forget the buckshot and stick with slugs. Buckshot doesn't stop a large angry animal. I have dug plenty of 00 shot out of injured African lions that turned into stock killers; sometimes the pellets are just under the skin. I have never needed it, but when darting lions at night I carry a short barreled 11-87 with a Surefire light and loaded with 3" Brenneke's. However, I have used slugs on zebras and similar sized animals for bait and they drop like a rock. As I recall, the standard weapon for Alaskan biologists in bear country is an 870 loaded with slugs.