doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Why don't we like O/U shotgusn?

Too bad Elmer got old and died on us. That old man forgot more than we will ever know, he was the best.

While I agree with Joe Wood about enjoying the aura surrounding the old S x Ss, I can get an equal amount of pleasure out of a fine looking and handling O/U. Sure, there was no history in the box with my new Beretta 687 SP II Sporting 20 gauge when I bought it in '03, and very little accompanying my two used Perazzi MX-8 comp guns, for sporting. But, I'm of the apparent "super-minority" here who can really enjoy a double gun with superposed barrels.

Old doubles with a history are great, but I am creating history for my O/Us and my latter day manufactured S x Ss every time I take them to a sporting tournament and win, or place. And, I'm well along in creating a history for the 687 SP II on the bird field. Two trips to Cordoba shooting it exclusively, and eight dove seasons under the belt with it here has compiled some great memories, and bird counts, in my hunting journal.

The guns I buy new, however their (two) barrels are configured, will have a history just as meaningful to my grandsons, and hopefully great-grandsons, as any of my Foxes, L. C. Smiths or English doubles have for me. I've a sneaking feeling that they won't care one whit how the barrels are joined.

History is fun to think about, in the duck blind and in the field, but it's a WHOLE LOT more fun to make yourself! JMHO.

SRH

Although I've owned a few o/u's, I'm not keen on how deep their receivers are from a handling standpoint. The shallow receivers of sxs's fit my hands so much better, and feel great when walking in the field, in the crook of my arm. And they shoot great too.

If one's eyes are prone to crossfire--that is, for the off eye to pick up the barrel profile and become temporarily dominant, then the O/U would seem to be a liability in that there is more for it to focally latch onto. The SxS, from the side is a single barrel profile...just a thought...Steve

RB...Nice S3

RB, that's the gun I was referring to in my post. Wonderful gun and picture. My SO has a vent rib, but I accept it as "good enough". My favorite old Supers mostly have solid ribs and some have double triggers.

Gape is too big when in my duck boat.

Thanks, KDG J and eightbore. I tolerate it even though it is not a SxS. It helps that it has an extra set of barrels, too.

The argument boils down to "different horses for different courses". O/U dominates SxS in trap and skeet games while an English SxS sure feels nice when out for quail. Likewise, goose hunting on the coast during a storm favors (IMHO) a synthetic stocked auto.

I am fortunate that my wife understands my addiction and allows me to have appropriate tools for the job at hand.

Synthetic stocked autoloading waterfowl guns sell for several times what my Parker and Fox beater duck guns cost me. I will continue to use them as long as they show no sign of damage from the steel shot I use in them. So far so good.