I just saw an incredible Kemen SxS at NECG. But it was single-trigger

Does Kemen make a DT SxS?

Gnomon,

Yes they do make a double trigger version. I have only seen a few Paralelas offered for sale and they have being the single drop out, you can specify DT's on your order.

I saw that same gun several months ago and barely avoided the temptation to buy it on the spot. Not inexpensive but a nice gun for the money.

Spanish sxs have a shaky reputation when it comes to SSTs - does that extend to Kemen, who obviously has a lot of experience with making reliable single triggers for their target OUs?

Hi Ham - Yeah, I sort of thought it was you - they mentioned doing some work on a Merkel stock for a guy who had an Orvis Arrieta and who looked at the Kemen.

The Kemen is real nice - but I simply don't want ST. Period.

I also sensed that they had some problems with the STs - just a "feeling"

I really like the gun but even if they can put DTs into it that would probably make it a deal-breaker pricewise.

Kemen SxSs must be very scarce - haven't seen one for sale ever before this one.

The Keman is just a refined version of the perazzi clone built by the firm arramberri in Spain. It was first here in this country as a pederson 1500. They all shot well and the trigger was just a simple perazzi copy. I had about 200 of these. I got them when pederson was closing down. It was the only way I could get parts. Had to buy them by the box full. The majority of them were returns for broken ejecters or split forends and a few broken firing pins. But none of them had trigger problems. The pigeon shooters from the imperial valley loved them for the patterns and the way they handled.The firing pin problem, I machined new ones out of grade 5 bolts. or used perazzi ones if the client was in a hurry. I used the ejecters from Perazzi as there was never any parts support. I made new forends and solved the poor fit and bad wood problem. I really learned a lot about barrel fitting, timing etc., from making them work and function better. But that was long ago and far away and I do not know if the part situation ever got better. There was also a interm model that was imported somewhere in the midwest MO?? I did get a note from them about parts but told them that none were available. No trigger problems unless someone had been in it to refine it oh my the messes I have seen.
More than you want to know. AND I HAVE NO MORE PARTS FOR THEM sorry
Regards
John Mc

Opps! the SxS were a simple boxlock usually marked Star guage or something like that.They were also imported by interarms briefly. All the ones I saw were single trigger. Again the trigger seemed OK it was the other stuff. Pederson played with several diffrent makes including bernadelli (sp) and of course beretta O&U i never saw a beretta SxS though.
John Mc

The idea of owning a utilitarian shooting gun that is the only one anyone has seen and no support network exists, would probably be fine for someone that is an accomplished gunsmith that can make his own parts. Beyond that, I would think it would be all about the ability/willingness of the owner to throw money at it for support, when making a determination to buy it.

1. The gun I saw is a SxS sidelock, not a boxlock
2. Beretta SxSs are common guns
3. The fit and workmanship on this gun was incredibly fine - it was definitely not some low-end job
4. Kemen has just responded to my enquiry and it can be converted to a DT with a new trigger assembly, but that's a deal-breaker costwise
5. This is the first Kemen SxS that I've seen, it's clearly not the only one in existence. The gun handles extremely well and the fit and finish is incredible for an under-10K shotgun. It's just too bad about the silly single trigger.
6. I think there are available parts in this country - there is a Kemen USA in Texas. But in all the years, I've only need a few shotgun parts - one was a broken "V" spring that I broke myself on a 30-yr old Spanish sidelock; a mushroomed firing pin on an AyA. I only have pretty decent DT SxSs and they are very reliable guns if cared for.
7. I still lust after this Kemen