Advice on Buying My First Reproduction

[SXS OHIO]

The grain in this stock does not look like a issue to me. It is not croch wood or knotty wood, but normal grain. I like it...(-: If I needed this I would make a fair offer to the seller and see what hapens. SXS ohio

[Dean Romig]

Just to be forewarned, and in my HO, the 20 gauge Repros are a bit heavier than I like a twenty to be. 6 or 8 ounces less would be nice but unless you go for a twenty-eight you won't likely find a twenty that feels really good in your hands. Again, just my opinion.

[SXS OHIO]

Normily 20 gage Repro's come in at 6lbs-8oz on up to 6lbs 12 oz with PG-BTF and 28" tubes. I have one that is 6lbs-6oz SG-DT-SF in 20ga with 28" tubes. This is not bad for target shooting but a tad heavy for long day of walking. My go to hunting gun is a repro 16ga that comes in at 6lbs-4oz PG-DT-SF 28" barrels. I have a 28" factory set Q1/Q2 and a 16 ga. 28" Galazan/Merkel set IC/Full both guns are exactly alike... This gives me a great grouse or rooster guns in a great gauge! SXS ohio...(-:

[Mike Murphy]

I have to say that I'm somewhat amused by those who feel that a shotgun must be 6 1/2lbs or less to be acceptable for upland hunting. That somehow we all lack the stamina to carry a 7.0 lb shotgun all day and be effective with it. Those southern boys with their Browning Superposed's, Sweet-Sixteen Auto-5's and Model12's busting Quail must be wondering what they've been doing wrong all these years.
Goodness, how many 12 ga, DHE's with 28"-30" barrels served admirably in that capacity over the many years. It's about balance, fit and gun dynamics. In my uneducated youth (before side x sides) I swatted a trainload of Grouse (partridge in these parts) Pheasants, Ducks and the occasional Quail, along with thousands of Skeet targets, with a Remington 1100, with a Cutts on the end of the barrel. Ideal, of course not, except for Skeet. Effective, most assuredly.
Don't let a few ounces one side or the other sway your decision. Buy the gun YOU like.

[Dean Romig]

Hi there Mr. Murphy -

You will notice that in three sentences I twice said that this was simply "My opinion" not necessarily endorsed by everyone who shoots upland birds with a SXS, be it a Repro or anything else. I suspect you are either a lot bigger, stronger and quite possibly younger than I am. In any case, I still prefer a lighter twenty-gauge side-by-side shotgun for my flavor of upland shooting in the terrain I do it in.

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Just to be forewarned, and in my HO, the 20 gauge Repros are a bit heavier than I like a twenty to be. 6 or 8 ounces less would be nice but unless you go for a twenty-eight you won't likely find a twenty that feels really good in your hands. Again, just my opinion.

[Mike Murphy]

Dean,
You can call me Mike. Yes, I should have said, "In my opinion". Thought that was understood.

[Dean Romig]

Hi Mike!

Thanks.

[SXS OHIO]

I would think most upland bird hunters today prefer small gauge guns over 12ga. The reasons are many...weight is only one of them. Nothing wrong with a 2 frame parker at 7 1/2 lbs but when grouse huntin the thickets give me a 6lb gun! SXS ohio...(-:

[Mike Murphy]

SxS,
I obviously wasn't clear enough in my post. I don't recommend or feel that a 12ga is ideal for upland hunting. My preference, if you have only one upland game gun, is for a 20ga. My point is/was that the difference in weight of a few ounces one way or the other shouldn't determine your purchase. It is far more important that the weight distribution and stock dimensions work for you.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

I have a few 10 gauge Parkers and Elsies that come up like magic albeit their loaded weight is over 10 lbs! I will take them on an afternoon pheasant hunt but not a all day hunt. After a few hours of walking I do not shoulder those big guns as quickly as I desire.

The above as a reference at least for me, I can envision where a lighter gun will be a comfort after climbing hills all day. Luckily there are vintage SxS's in every gauge and configuration so it is easy to select the most desired guage and weight for the game, terrain, length of hunt, and one's physical abilities.