16ga.com ~ View topic

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

[quote="XVI'er"

A SxS is a demanding mistress, but she get into your blood! Right, guys?[/i][/quote]

I agree but I'd consider the screw ins. It's made the new Merk a very diversified shootin iron. Clays, trap, upland, 5 stand, what ever.

Instead of changing ammo I just change tubes. Very Happy

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

Tubes indeed! We are speaking of a hunting arm are we not? Tubes on a SXS! Heresy! Burn the infidel!!!!

Sorry, I just had to write that, never had the opportunity! Wink

Actually My new BSA ( Zabala Hermanos) 16 bore has tubes and shuddera single trigger heresy at the highest level.I don't especially care for them, but for the one gun owner that shoots everything (including Waterfowl), it's probably more practical.

I put the tubes in like 10 years ago, it was a mistake, before I knew better Very Happy

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

Mi brother, britgun. How could you bear to circumcise your lovely Yvette? May you burn in 'ell for your transgression!

Sorry Duncan, but you should NEVER admit you sobaltered her.

I just had to write that! Laughing

I've always had a thing for Yvette's. Is she Ideal or Darne'd? Is she slim at the waist and weighs but a feather? Pics? MMmmm....Yvette.

Lovely 16 gauges: Modern man's gun porn. Laughing

Wow, a 5 lb. sixteen. Do you have to shoot low pressure loads in her? I bet she kicks a bit, but who cares. She must be a veritable wand to carry all day. I have to admit, I have never heard of a Helios gun before. The only other 16's I've seen that weigh near 5 lbs were euros, mostly French.

If I run across such a gun someday I may have to give that a serious look. I saw a heavily engraved Ideal recently online that blew my socks off.

Joined: 06 Apr 2007 Posts: 50

A lot of good info here. My 2 cents is this: My Sweet 16 and my LC are equally comfortable in the field. I don't have an OU in 16ga but I would imagine they weigh in a little heavy compared to SxS or the Sweet 16.

My 16ga LC's are late model guns with the solid rib. I find that the rib eliminates the broad SxS visual that you usually get on a SxS with no rib. ( I have an LC with no raised rib in one of those 'faddish' 12 ga's.....probably never catch on with the real shooters, and it has a much braoder sight picture.) If you get a SxS with a rib I think you will not notice the SxS barrels configuration as much, if at all.

My personal choice in your shoes would be a SxS LC. They fit me correctly and I prefere the feel and look of the side lock doubles. I think they hold their value better also.

As for as maintenance goes, there is always a source of parts somewhere for almost any gun. The more of them that were sold, the better the availibility of parts. With the advent of the internt you can probably find a forum such as this one for almost any popular firearm, no matter what the age, and the people that cater to those forums will most likely have info on maintenance and parts availibility.. You may find that you can do some things yourself if your gun has a problem? Many of us are tinkerers, with our older treasures.

I recently picked up a 16ga LC for around $700. A well used gun but still tight, on face with pristeen bores. I did a little cosmetic clean up and am quite happy with the piece. It's not 'mint' but it's not 40 miles of bad road either. Most importantly, I really enjoy shooting it!

Good luck with your quest!

It's a lot easier to get a well regulated, straight shooting 16 ga O/U for under 2 grand than a SxS in the same gauge in my experience. The grade one Citori is just plain hard to beat for pure accuracy, reliablity, reasonably light weight, and durability than any other 16 ga double made. That is why they are so widely popular among 16 ga fans.

Another alternative is either a good clean light weight used pump like an Ithaca 37, a Model 12, or a Remington 31. My 24" or 26" barreled 37 weighs in at just a tad under 7 pounds. It points and carrys about as well as my 28 inch Citori. I had no problems wacking birds with it last fall. I practiced with it all summer is why. Now, I can pump and shoot it about as fast and accurately as I need to for any situation including double targets.

Fast enough is plenty fast enough--period. A double gun might be faster to shoot twice with in theory and in practice, but I've yet to have a pair of birds fly out of range because my 37 was too slow to pump and shoot. Either type of gun works well if you are well practiced with it. Pick the one that fits you and your wallet, then shoot it until you can hit any target you see.

Let your shooting speak for you, not how expensive of fancy your gun is. A guy with a fancy gun who can't hit with it is a dude that probably should have spent more time and money on ammo and target practice rather than on the gun. You can't buy proficiency with money in the real world.

Joined: 06 Apr 2007 Posts: 50

I agree that the Citori is a fine gun. I have one myself. In all honesty however, I see more people asking for help with Citori problems than I do people asking for help with SxS problems. I had a problem with my Citori, right out of the box. It didn't lock up tight "on face" and there was a felt movement, albiet very slight, when the barrels were closed. That is on a NEW gun. Should never happen!

It was taken care of at no charge but the point is that any gun can and does have problems. I don't think Browning is any better at CC than anyone else and in todays world maybe not as good as in the past.

I paid around $1500 for my Citori a couple years ago......I can show you several SxS's that went for auction or are listed currently for auction that are that price range or under.

As I said in my initial post I picked a 16ga Smith up for around $700, a few weeks ago.....not mint by any means. In fact quite well used but solid and clean. If a person is going for 'beauty' or collector value and wants a pristeen firearm that will certainly drive the cost to the high teens or over 2K. A 16ga Merkle will run you around 5K I'd guess at todays prices. But you would be paying for the Fu Fu engraving and quality of wood as much as the quality of the action and barrels

I like OU's, don't get me wrong, but have had more experience with SxS's and as far as the initial question goes I (personal opinoin here) would be much more comfortable with a SxS in the crook of my arm on a day in the field than I would with an OU.

Maybe it's an "age" thing? Dogs, Quail, and SxS's just seem to go together.

OU's and the Skeet range seem to go together too.

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

Give me a SxS every time if we're talking hunting. If we're talking busting clays ,I'm a O/U man! Razz

Unless it's a Boss or Woodward 28 bore O/U with that nasty bulino on it! Embarassed

I really dig those O/U's! Embarassed

rollcrimp: I absolutely concur! Lately, I have also seen a lot of complaints with the Citori (right here on this site, like 3-4 of 'em all in a row), and my side by sides just keep goin and goin.... if it were one or t'other, I would hands down get a side by, and the Smith suggestion is an excellent one.....

brit

Life is too short to have to hunt with an o/u. Just kidding. Laughing

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