doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 28 Gauge Shotguns

I hadn’t ever considered a 28 gauge as I am overloaded with all sorts of guns, but recently I decided to try a 28 gauge. I had the Winchester 101 3 barrel skeet set until I found a pigeon grade featherweight at the show in Las Vegas. For whatever reason the 28 gauge was way more expensive than both of my others in 12 and 20.

Needless to say, I bought the pigeon grade to go with the others. I guess I have to see if they ever made one in .410…

You will love shooting that 28 gauge. They really are a joy to shoot.

Agreed, but they are so much joy to shoot that my wife has adopted my 28 gauge Ugartechea SxS. Don't let your wife shoot your 28 gauge or she may, like mine, claim it as her own.

My joy is that my great-grandmother wife shoots clays and quail with me.

I inherited a 28/.410 Pigeon Grade Lightwieght 101 that my father had. 27" barrels. 2 3/4" chamber on the 28 and 3" chamber on the .410. The 28 ga. has choke tubes and the .410 is choked mod. and full. It's basically a 28 gauge Winchester 101 Pigeon grade with an extra set of .410 barrels. It's the smallest frame they made in the 101 I believe.

This is from the Winchester 101 25th anniversary catalog.



It looks like there is a 410 quail special, but not a feather weight 410.

Ken

I had to buy a couple Francotte 28 gauge as part of a larger deal. My intention was to immediately flip the two 28 gauge. I sold one before the guns arrived. But then I opened the box and immediately fell in love with the wee things. I had to move the one gun alimg but had I not sold it, would have kept both of them.

Never thought I’d get a 28 until I did. Lol.

I bought a Parker VH 28 ga. with 28 in barrels on an 0(20 ga) frame because it appeared like an apparition on a back table at an out of the way local gun show and the price was what I believed to be at least 30% off the going rate. I loved the gun. It weighed right at 6 lbs, and the drops were 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 which were perfect for me. I broke hand thrown clays left and right with it after I could locate some ammo and enlarged the rim recesses. Then, folks, I put it in the safe intending to hunt pheasants with it, but when the time came, I reached for my 16 ga on a 1 frame. Half a pound heavier, but with an extra 3/8 oz of 6 shot, I just felt more secure with it. Same thing, repeat 3 or 4 times over two years, and I realized I was just not confident enough in my shooting to take the baby gun out for the hardy wild pheasant. So, I sold it for what I paid for it and never looked back. At least now when I miss a bird I am not tempted to blame the size of the gun. That was a sweet gun, though.

12's, 20's and 16's sit i the safe these day.

For me its 80 percent 28ga and 20 percent .410.
Enjoy!!

My 28 O/U is an excellent gun for pointed quail and woodcock. Although I prefer to carry my 20 Fox Sterlingworth Ejector, some of my best shooting has been with the 28 FAIR Verona.

Here's hoping you enjoy your "newbie".

SRH

During woodcock season, I carried my FAIR Rizzini Iside 28 ga. about 3/4 the times I hunted. Light and I shoot it good enough. Gil

When I shot a lot of Skeet the 28 was the gun most seniors shot. Low recoil, light weight, with more than enough payload to break every target. Reloading was fairly cheap, once you had your empties. I still shoot mostly .410, but can see a day when I will shoot more and more 28. It works for old, young, ladies and wrinkled old fellows. A gun for all.

Wrinkled old fellows.

I resemble that!

Wrinkle this...

I've been saving up for a .410 and 28 gauge Citori guns. I bought a new 12 gauge Citori hunter model that has been my everyday duck gun since 1987. I use it in the rain, the marsh, and sea duck hunting outside the breakers. It looks used but is still functions perfectly. At first I tried to work a private deal with a guy who has both the .410 and 28 gauge made about the same time as my 12 gauge but when that fell through, I just started looking around. I don't know why it took so long but I finally looked at Cabelas. I found a near perfect .410 Citori that I plan to use for rail. It's a "Davidson" gun so it's not straight out of the Browning catalog but still qualified for Browning's "tax day" rebate. After the rebate it was $1530. I couldn't find a 28 gauge that I liked but I discovered Browning's 2024 Shot Show Special called the "Citori Hunter Deluxe" that came as a limited edition and only in 16 gauge...I wasn't looking for a Sixteen gauge...but I had to have it...after rebate it was just under $2k...

After spending the 28 gauge money on the 16, I need to start saving up again because I'm not going to not have a 28 gauge eventually. I might have swerved into doing something smart, though, because there's a real push to start selling 3" 28 gauge guns and shells. Matter of fact, there are 3" 28 gauge shells in stock at several on-line ammo sellers. I don't believe it's necessary to load up a 28 gauge to 20 gauge specs, but with alternative (non-toxic) shot being required in more and more places and for more and more species, the longer chamber might future-proof the 28 gauge a little more while still leaving it as a lighter cousin to the light 20.

The Citori Hunter Deluxe...





Here's the .410...

I have a WC Scott Chatsworth 28ga. Nice little gun.

They have their place.

I have the Pacific Sporting Arms Dickinson Plantation Sporters in 12, 16 and 20. When John finally got in a shipment of 30" 28 ga. Sporters last Fall I was obligated to finally pick up my first 28 ga. after more than 50 years of shotgunning. Who are you calling old and wrinkled?!



Choke tube constrictions are not even close to markings so seeing how AKUS makes both the Dickinson and SKB 200HR series I ordered several pairs of SKB extended tubes for it from SKB. The IC is only .003 and wasn't happy with the breaks in skeet so sent a pair of Mod .008 to Briley to have them opened to .005. .008 is OK for sporting but prefer a bit tighter and the IM at .013 is just a touch too much for me so they also have a pair of IM getting opened to .010. Choke constriction seems a bit sensitive on the 28 much like reloading for it, small adjustments make a big change. Overall very pleased with it so far.

Still sorting what is going to work best going forward from the eye injury, but, hey, maybe it will be a 28 gauge, or, it will work well enough to hunt with just a bit:





It is a tiny little thing. I doubt it will replace my 12, I shoot at late season pheasants too often to contemplate that.
It came from a late friend who lived right down the road who bought it and left it on a shelf for about 50 years.

Early Stoeger import Darne V19 28 gauge. Geoffroy Gournet, RIP, saw to the Bretelle Darne and the checkered ebony butt plate being added, as the original had shrunk over the years.

Best,
Ted

The 28ga lineup

WC Scott Orvis best 28ga Upland
Bill Hanus Uggy bird gun 28ga Upland/skeet
Dickinson Estate 28/410 Skeet

For upland, the preserve where I shoot pheasants has gone non-tox. It works well for the 28ga as I can use 7/8oz bismuth in my 3/4oz low pressure load and it kills like lightning.
The 12's and 20's collect dust these days. I'm also enjoying the 410 Dickinson for skeet.

Everyone needs at least one 28ga.

I sure enjoy my 28’s.