doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Budget vintage SxS for shooting trap?

Are there any vintage SxS trap guns with a reputation as being safe, fun and reliable for a trap shooter on a budget?

What kind of budget?
What general flavour of gun - hammer / hammerless, English/US/European, capable of digesting modern factory nitro loads or happy to handload the glorious stinky, noisy stuff?
RG

Budget under $1,000.

Off the shelf 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shells. Standard pressure.

Want U.S. made.

Winchester 21 would fit the bill but I do not want to pay for collectability at this time.

I get great enjoyment out of my Remington 31 TC pump and was wondering if there are any comparable sxs trap guns.

Safety and reliability would be biggest factors.

Lou

The 'trap' SxS guns I've seen have the trap type rib and a high comb. Even the vintage guns. LC Smith made quite a few. But they're pricey. Probably start at double your $1000. I just shoot a F/F or M/F vintage SxS and got used to not seeing the bird on straight aways. You'll need to stay away from pre WWI manufactured dates to shoot todays 'budget ammunition' offerings I would suggest.

Any thoughts on a Stevens 311?

I think we have to differentiate between "Vintage Trap Sxs" and a "Vintage double to shoot trap with". Vintage guns made as trap guns tend to be spendy, good vintage doubles to shoot trap with dont have to be. I just sold two, one I wish I'd kept, and Amarillo Mike wished he'd bought. They were both "Western Field" Ithacas, one 32 and one 30 inch bbls. The 32 had ejectors and was a dandy trap gun. I sold them for 400 and 425. If I have a chance to buy back the ejector gun, I'm gonna do it. Sold it to my hunting partner, our Lutheran Minister...A Stevens would work fine, and give you longevity and lots of fun...Enjoy

You should also be able to find a nice Ithaca NID within that budget. Also the Ithaca built Lefever Nitro Special.
LD; Were those Western Fields the NS sold by Western Auto? I know that Ithace built a version of the NS on a mallable iron cast frame rather than the forged steel one of the NS which they called the Western Arms.

If your looking for a vintage sxs with "modern" dim's for a trap gun, your probably not going to find one. All of the vintage trap guns that I have shot have dim's closer to current field gun spec's, even those with ribs and Monte's. There probably are exceptions, I've just not seen any.

A.H. Fox Sterlingworth, Utica made

Brian probably recommended "Utica made" because they're more likely to have higher dims and maybe 2 3/4" chambers.

IMO, it's a slam dunk. No better opportunity/value exists than a Fox Sterlingworth:

Tens of thousands were made in 12ga. The most common configuration would likely have 30" barrels, choked IM/Full and weigh 7 1/4-7 3/4 lb. The can still be found with honest cosmetic wear and mechanically virtually as new for < $1,000.

Add one of these Beartooth comb risers for $25 and you can shoot any game you like. My 12ga Fox is stocked for sporting clays, but I slip on one of these with a 1/8" insert and shoot bunker trap as well as I do with my O/U. Not only do they give you a custom fit, the soft comb is a real blessing to shooting comfort. It's possible to shift the inserts over to avoid altering the cast.



The only issue, which would apply to any SxS, is the lack of a cheap practice load that won't loosen your fillings. If I had to shoot factories, it would be a Remington promo 1 ounce, but even they are nasty. I prefer a 7/8 ounce reload for $3/box. Do that, and you can ignore the chamber length. Pessure is really of no concern since it's self-limiting in a way. You'll want to keep the velocity down so it doesn't pound the snot out of you; the side beneift is that it won't be pounding the old stock either. If it's gentle on the shoulder, it'll be gentle on the gun too, whether the pressure is 6K or 10K.