Columbia Scott
Well-Known Member
I have seen nice offerings from Stoeger, Baikal and Mossberg in the under 600.00 range. I'd love to have one. Any other manufacturers making a nice over/under 12 gauge? Are any of these worth a second look?
Looking for an inexpensive but dependable o/u 12ga
- Thread starter Columbia Scott
- Start date
I've got the Stoeger Condor Combo... interchangeable 12 and 20 ga. barrels. I was attracted by the combo feature... two guns in one.
It is not the most well made gun... functions great, but some cosmetic issues with it. But I don't care... it's a hunting gun and I'm going to beat it up anyway.
It is not the most well made gun... functions great, but some cosmetic issues with it. But I don't care... it's a hunting gun and I'm going to beat it up anyway.
DCA-DEER
Well-Known Member
Ive used a stoeger for two years and have no complaints. Good gun for the money.
Save your money and buy a used higher quality shotgun. You might not be able to stay in the 600$ range, but 800$ will buy a used Browning Citori, Winchester 101, SKB or maybe a Beretta 686. If you want to sell it in a few years, it will still be worth close to what you have in it. The cheaper o/u will drop in value a lot more, and will not have the fit, finish, feel, or reliability that higher quality shotgun will have.
You can get a Yildiz at Sports Academy for around 400.00. They are light weight and very good shotguns. Several of my family members have these shotguns. My uncle carries one from sun up til sun down quail hunting at Fort Campbell. In order to do that you have to have a light weight but maneuverable shotgun. He really likes his. My brother and me use ours for mainly dove hunting. All of ours are in 20 gauge, but they offer it in 12 gauge also.
JimFromTN
Well-Known Member
I have both a Stoeger and an All Weather Ruger Red Label and to be honest, I'd like to get rid of the Red Label. The Stoeger is lighter and has never given me any trouble where as the Red Label has upset me to the point of almost giving it away. The Stoeger does not have the option to switch which barrel fires first and the metal is a cheap grade but if you keep it cleaned and oiled, it will never be an issue. I use mine duck hunting so I fixed the issue by paying $100 to have it parkerized. The Stoeger uses Mossberg chokes which are cheap and easy to find. One of the first times out with my Red Label, I experienced a known problem with Red Labels with regards to a firing pin issue. I had to send it back, wait 6 months, and pay shipping to and from the company. The fact that its a known issue is what really upsets me. Rather than preventing them from leaving the factory with the issue, they wait for the consumer to experience it out in the field and then have them send it back to be fixed. I guess its cheaper that way for them. Makes me never want to own another Ruger of any kind ever again.
As far as resale value, the Stoeger is a very inexpensive shotgun and the resale value won't be that great. You will lose 30 to 40 percent of its value but its a $350 shotgun when you can find it on sale. In other words, you buy it for $350 to $400 and sell it for $250. I bought my Red Label for $1300 and now I might be able to get $800 to $900 for it. You do the math on which was the better buy.
As far as resale value, the Stoeger is a very inexpensive shotgun and the resale value won't be that great. You will lose 30 to 40 percent of its value but its a $350 shotgun when you can find it on sale. In other words, you buy it for $350 to $400 and sell it for $250. I bought my Red Label for $1300 and now I might be able to get $800 to $900 for it. You do the math on which was the better buy.
Ruger Red Labels have had problems for years. My Dad had one in the late 80's that was a piece of junk. Notice I didn't list that model in my earlier recommendations. Ruger does most things very well, shotguns ain't one of them.
Columbia Scott, I have a brand new in the box never shot. Stoeger o/u with 2 chokes. 12ga. They are about $350 when you can find them on sale. In Tn that's close to 400 All said.
Will let it go for $340. FTF. If interested pm me I,m also working on a possible trade. I won it and don,t need it !
Oh. It's real wood , not synthetic, some pretty good looking walnut on it !cam email pics Only if you are seriously interested, there's lots of folks on here just like to waste your time .
Will let it go for $340. FTF. If interested pm me I,m also working on a possible trade. I won it and don,t need it !
Oh. It's real wood , not synthetic, some pretty good looking walnut on it !cam email pics Only if you are seriously interested, there's lots of folks on here just like to waste your time .
If you so choose, don't overlook the CZ's....a little more than $600, but not so much to make you wince...
Kimberman said:
Very wise words! But I will say if your just wanting an o/u for hunting, I guess any of those will do, but if you plan on volume shooting (skeet, trap, sporting clays) then you are wasting your time with a lower end o/u. They are just not made to withstand high volume shooting. Personally witnessed it on skeet fields several times. I'm not saying go out and buy a 5000+ dollar o/u, but like Kimberman said above, for a couple or 3 hundred more dollars, you can find a used, nice o/u.
pressfit
Well-Known Member
I have been a trap coach for about 5 years, I have seen countless numbers of the lesser priced o/u's show up at the range.. after a few hundred shots they fall apart.. I mean fall apart.. one kid shot at a target and the forearm flew off..lol.. the firing pins breaks, the ejectors break or bend.. buy a used browning and you will never wear it out..
AlabamaSwamper
Well-Known Member
Im not a big fan of cheap guns but, that being said, the cheapest gun I own is a Stoeger O/U .410 that I paid $299 for at Richard's for my wife to rabbit hunt with in 2006. It's my gun of choice rabbit hunting now and it's been through everything and works great.
Not expensive wood but the blueing on mine is good and has never failed to open, close or shoot.
Not expensive wood but the blueing on mine is good and has never failed to open, close or shoot.
AlabamaSwamper
Well-Known Member
If I just wanted one to bird hunt and shoot trap, I'd go ahead and buy a higher end O/U like a Citori. I sure hated to beat one of those up though.
AlabamaSwamper said:
Hey swamper, thats why you get a Browning like this!!
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