I've been looking at and watching drillings for a year or two now, and would like to get the opinions of those of you that are knowledgeable and familiar with drillings, as I am not.

I'm looking for something definitely under 5k and preferably 2 or under. This will be a gun that sees quite a bit of use. I am very unfamiliar with the different makers and would like to know a couple that offer good quality at a decent price. It goes without saying that I am NOT looking for a new gun.

My thought is to use the gun primarily while black bear/wild hog/deer hunting where in many cases I encounter grouse and vice versa. Assuming that it will be a European gun with a European chambering this leads me to my next question - What rifle chambering is most desirable for the game described above?

Again, I am looking for a shooter that is well balanced, comparatively light/easy to carry, offers good quality and nice lines. I appreciate input that any of you can offer and I'm sure I've neglected to mention some details so I'll fill those in as they come up.

Tnwestes,

my bet would be a 16x16x7x57R or a 20x20x7x57R drilling, both configurations make an easy to carry and effective gun for your purposes, the rifle calibre being a rather easy to find cartridge in the US. Once one of this crossed my path and I am still sorry for not buying it. EJ

Auctions in the UK are a fair place to start looking and getting prices. Go to http://www.holtandcompany.co.uk, click on "online catalogue," click on the "on-line catalogue" button, click "view," scroll to the bottom of the page and go to lots starting around 1100 or so. scroll down the pages and page to higher numbers until you find some drillings. If you come to shotgun pairs before finding drillings, page below lot 1100. They are there. Read through them. The sale is tomorrow, so you are unlikely to get one off this auction, but this will start your research. The estimates are usually in range of hammer price. However, multiply the estimates by 2.8 to account for exchange rate, buyer's premium, and shipping.

Get back with questions about what you are looking at.

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Try Joe Montgomery at 500 Guns. As of a week or two ago he had one that would suit your needs well. 16x16x whatever metric numbers they use for a common 8m. Don't recall the maker, but one I'd heard of. Some fairly heavy pitting near the rear site, the rest, in and out, very nice. Wood in good shape, etc. I blacked the barrels for him, so got a very good look at the bores,rifling was near perfect.
Jim

There is a nice one for sale in our guns for sale section 12X12X30-30 and in your price range.

I seen something like this few years ago. It had dull blackened finish and plain blond wood stock. It was made for one of them large outfits Frankonia, or Kettner you know Cabela's of Europe. Quality wise it was equal to Czech Combi 'Brunner', but it was 3-barrel gun made in Germnay. The gun show guy wanted $1800 for it which was a fair price for modern post-wwII dril with rifle barrel in caliber one can actually use. They're out there.

Keep looking, you will find one in your price range. A hammer gun with only iron sights can sometimes be a few dollars cheaper. If you require a scope, be sure the used gun comes with scope and the mounts. Fitting a scope on a driling can be very expensive.

You might want to check Bob Jones. He usually has a variety of guns in various price ranges: http://www.bobjonesguns.com/inventory.asp#DRILLINGS

You can get adapters that will allow you to shot 70mm 20ga from a 65mm 16g: http://www.drillinghotline.com/accessories.shtml

Pete

If you're going to expecting bear and boar I'd want at least an 8mm. 16x16x8mm are fairly common, it's a rimmed cartridge which is nice in a break open gun. Mine has a J bore (.318) but ammo is still easy enough to get.

I paid $200 for my exposed hammer J.P.Sauer, 16X16X11.15X65. The nice thing about this caliber is that 2 1/2" .410 shells fit perfectly. I haven't gotten around to finding what brass to use for the rifle barrel. It is really a nice little gun with streaky English Walnut buttstock and a thick horn buttplate. The Sauer hammer drillings are often priced below their utility value.

Thanks guys for all the responses. I looked over the auction offerings at Holt's and checked out Bob's inventory, but I have not contacted Mr. Montgomery as of yet. Found a couple that look to be of interest. I had also been watching the Charles Daly Sauer on this board but the barrels worried me a bit for my uses so I've been trying to ignore it.

I should have been more clear in my first post. It is not that I have had trouble finding any in this price range - the problem has been comparing what is available in this range and knowing what is the best for the money as well as specific characteristics that I should look for and some that I should run from. I do not plan to use a scope.

Thanks again for your help thus far.

Eightbore - anywhere in particular I should look for a $200 Sauer?

Also, I would prefer something 16 gauge or smaller.

To really get the most out of drilling, you need a good rifle caliber and a removable telescopic sight. It is fairly easy to find a 8x57R or 7x57R in shootable condition with claw bases on the barrels. German hunters would store their guns with the telescopic sights in an individual carrier, and GIs had a habbit of missing them when they "liberated" the guns during WWII. Also why I am sure there are far more quality pre-war drillings in this country than there are in Germany. The vast majority of these guns will be 16's.

J.J. Perodeau at Champlin Arms can make you a set of rings to fit those bases in 1" or 30mm. The little straight tubed Vari-X II or III leupold works great in them. You can also find a gun with a period german glass attached that is still in shootable condition. Modern guns with a modern scope bring a really big premium.

None of this is really cheap of course. But you can likely find a solid 16x16x8x57R in nice shape with claw bases for 2500 or so. JJ will charge you something over $600 for the rings and the scope will be whatever you decide to invest. You could have great combination gun in a very useful caliber with excellent glass for under $3500. Not too bad.

tnwestes, my $200 Sauer was a gift from a long time fellow gun collector and friend. Some of these project guns just clean up better than others. Good luck.