Who are the shootingest SxS folks???

[Andrew Sacco]

I have three friends who have 21s they NEVER shoot them because "They only made 33,000 of them...very rare...too rare to shoot." No joke. Just wondering which AMERICAN SxS is the most often shot/hunted/used gun out there? I have a half dozen Parkers, damn are they just FUN to shoot whether I hit or not. Shot a 21 Duck two weeks ago...meh. Sold two LC Smiths, but nothing against the gun, they didn't fit. So the question, without offending anyone, which US made SxS "collector" guns get in the dirt and powder most often? I am proud of my meager Parker "field" collection because they're just damn fun.

[charlie cleveland]

I would say parkers first then fox thenlefeverand then the lowly stevens...charlie

[Andrew Sacco]

LC?? Lots of them out there.

[CraigThompson]

I like and have owned a veritable pile of O/U’s , still own a couple . But about all I shoot anymore are Parker’s and an IJ . Have some Smith’s and Fox’s but rarely touch them other than to wipe them off with a silicone rag . Same can be said for the Brit and euro guns in my saves .

[Garry L Gordon]

Great question, but I'm not sure that beyond conducting a comprehensive survey, a reliable answer could be found. Frankly, I have some representative samples from most American makers, and I shoot them all. (I've never been tempted by the 21, though.) They were all made to be shot.

[Richard Flanders]

Nothing but Parkers for me these days.

[CraigThompson]

Great question, but I'm not sure that beyond conducting a comprehensive survey, a reliable answer could be found. Frankly, I have some representative samples from most American makers, and I shoot them all. (I've never been tempted by the 21, though.) They were all made to be shot.

I’ve never owned a 21 either . But as of last Saturday I’ve seen two that tempted me . The first was a pre war I think 16 gauge skeet . The second I saw this past Saturday at a shoot , it was a very sharp looking 28 gauge Model 21 !

[Dave Noreen]

While I started wingshooting with my Mother's RANGER double (a J. Stevens) and then in 1960 got a Winchester Model 50, since 1963, the great bulk of my hunting has been with Ansley H. Fox doubles. But I have used them all -- Ithaca, Parker Bros., Tobin, CSMC RBLs, Remingtons (including pumps, autoloaders and over/unders as well as their doubles), Husqvarna, Browning Superposed and A5, Winchester Model 12/42s and even a bit with an L.C. Smith. I can't remember ever hunting with any of my Lefevers or Winchester Model 21s. Opps just remembered two more -- Eusebeo Arizaga H & H sidelock and I won a 12-gauge Beretta A-303 Sporting Clays with an extra 3-inch barrel which I used on a Sea Duck adventure in the pouring rain on the Chesapeake Bay.

[Stan Hillis]

Brands of S X Ss on hand are Fox, Remington, San Georgio, Parker, L C Smith, BSS, FAIR, Dickinson, Yildiz, Montgomery Ward, and Isaac Hollis. I use the Foxes the most because I have more of them, and have used them for many years. My go to mallard gun is my Fox HE and my go to quail gun is my 20 ga. Fox Sterly Ejector. The DHE 16 ga. Parker with the 32" barrels, in 16 and in 20, may become my go to dove gun. If it does it will be the vintage gun that gets used the most, as I shoot doves much more than anything else.

But, if this shell shortage doesn't ease up in another year I may be forced to use whichever gauge/make gun I have shells for.

[Mark Britton]

I don't own a 21 but I got 4 Brownings big ol bulkey box lock action , Whats the difference ?

[Brett Hoop]

Interesting question. I paid a bit of attention at the Southern this year, that being the largest shoot I attend. The crew I hang around with mostly shoot Parkers, and I suppose due to the challenge you do see plenty of Smith’s. But making the loop of the sub bore course several times I noticed a lot of Winchester Model 21 guns getting used. I had a 21 along, but never got it out.
At Ernie’s I did get the 21 out and a AH Fox both 20ga, but didn’t shoot a Parker 20ga. I shot my highest with the 21, anytime my score starts with a 4 instead of a 3 that’s a good round for me. At the Rock I will shoot a bit tighter choked Parker 20ga than the fore mentioned because I think I need just that there, and I need all the help I can get. In the end it’s nice to have choices.

[Garry L Gordon]

In the end it’s nice to have choices.

:bowdown:

[Phillip Carr]

This might be the difference.
Winchester 21 3 barrel set 410, 28, and 20 gauge all 28” barrels. Enjoy taking this one to the dairy.
That said. I try to take 5 or so guns with me each time I go.
Parker’s, Francotte, Remingtons, LC Smiths I love them all.

[Bruce Hering]

Lefever, Parker, Meriden and some English and Euro stuff. I enjoy em all.

[Craig Larter]

I hang out with about 2 dozen guys that shoot and hunt with sxs's. Parkers number 1 by a wide margin, followed by Fox. The bottom tier 21's, Lefever, LC Smith and German. Most of my buddies own more than one brand but Parkers dominate.

[Dean Romig]

Parkers by a VERY wide margin.
I have a 42, a cheap Spanish .410 sxs and a 20 ga. Stevens copy of a 37.





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[Andrew Sacco]

Thank you everyone. I'm partial to Parker and deathly afraid of venturing into other makers because then I know the disease has spread within me. However, I have an itch for a light weight 12 g English game gun. Just because.

[Michael Kitterman]

Here in Oklahoma I use my Parker 16 the most for dove and quail, my second choice is one of my Lefever's.

[Frank Srebro]

For me it's Fox first and Syracuse Lefever second. Third (in order) are Parker Hammerless, Model 21, Ithaca NID, Remington and LC Smith. Regarding "shootingest" ..... mine is an Ansley era CE Fox with >18k rounds through her since coming to me and she's still tight as a drum, ejectors in time and with only one broken trigger sear spring leaf over all that firing. Her barrels have settled down only .001" as measured at the back end of their flats and with .006-7" to go before bottomed out on the frame bar = a little recognized but excellent Fox design feature to counter springing of the frame over long and heavy use. She also toured with a Fox factory tournament shooter starting in 1914 and who knows how many rounds he fired. A H Fox guns were well engineered with a minimum of working parts to include the ejectors, and they endure with a modicum of care. First choice for this guy who likes to shoot often.

[Mike Koneski]

Parker and Lefever guns for me. I have a Browning BSS with a custom stock and ISIS system for waterfowl and crows, and an Ithaca 37 12g which I occasionally use for nostalgia reasons as it was my first shotgun. I have one Darne and a 16g Stevens that was my Pappy's favorite meat gun.

[Bill Murphy]

I own them all and I shoot them all. As I have explained before, about 95% of my guns are shooters in field used condition. The rest are collector guns that I also shoot.

[Daryl Corona]

My focus has been since my first Parker the 20ga. I have way too many and can't give them all enough court time. Still I shot them at targets and birds for many years. I am a reformed Parker snob now that my eyes have been opened.

That is until I got my first Fox 20. What a game changer. Rita and Fentress are their names.
Then a Lefever 20 came along. Now the slope is getting slippery.
Had to have a British gun so along came a Wm. Ford 20, 30" hammer.
Recently acquired Ithaca NID 20 with 30" tubes was added to the fold. How could I have overlooked Ithaca for so long?

Mod12 20 with a solid rib. Just reeks of nostalgia.

I can trace this smallbore addiction back to my first gun my father gave me. A Stevens 311 which I still have. I hunted everything with that gun and never felt undergunned.

I'll leave the 12 and 28 gauges for another discussion.

Yes, it is nice to have choices Brett. :bowdown:

[Tom Pellegrini]

Like I have said here before. I have handled and shot other side by sides. When I handle a Parker there is just something very different from the others. I may only have three Parkers but I shoot and enjoy all three.

[Phil Yearout]

Foxes far and away; my little 16ga A grade is the go-to. However, it ain't hunting season now, so Orphan Annie the Parker SBT is getting the most attention.

[Keith Doty]

Parkers and 21s, shoot'em all, different guns for different days.

[Andrew Sacco]

Maybe I should rephrase the question. If you have 1,000 of each of the following who belong to their respective collector associations:

Winchester M21 Collectors
LC Smith Collectors
Parker Collectors
Fox Collectors
Baker Collectors
LeFever Collectors
Ithaca Collectors
...etc

...which GROUP of folks SHOOT and HUNT their guns the most often? This question came from a comment Mike made in the lobby of Rock Mountain a month ago to another member here and it made me chuckle ever since.

[Russell E. Cleary]

Andy:

Now you've lit the fuse.

Russell

[Andrew Sacco]

Andy:

Now you've lit the fuse.

Russell

Not lighting a fuse, I'm merely curious. I know a number of M21 dudes will NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER pull them out to shoot. I'm just curious who shoots their guns more. No other thing than my own fact finding. I have NO agenda. I'm just not that smart.

[John Davis]

Parker

[tom tutwiler]

I'm thinking the Fox Sterlingworth has to be way up there. Cheaper then the Parker graded guns and they made over a 100,000 of them just in 12 gauge.

[Jay Oliver]

I am Parker guy when it comes to most types of shooting these days. Like many here, I obsessed and addicted to Parkers. I don't have a Parker in my collection I won't shoot.
However, I do like and respect other makers.

I did recently buy a 16 gauge Model 21 with 28" barrels that had been refinished, chokes opened to IC/M and had the butt stock replaced(not sure of the original configuration, but it is a straight stock with a 14 1/2 LOP now). I was drawn to it because it had a splinter forend and double triggers which you don't always see on a 21. I look forward to wearing down the refinish on this one...

[charlie cleveland]

I too shoot all my guns from my stevens double 410 my lc smiths 10 ga and 12 ga and 16 ga my parker 8 ga -10 ga-12ga -11 ga 20 ga and eastern arms 12 ga....all good shooter condition....

[bob lyons]

I will usually take a Parker when hunting mostly habit and pride of ownership except for duck hunting which is a move to model 12 heavy duck.
I also shoot all the guns I get at this time.
So a few years ago I started to take a different shotgun each time I went target shooting. I don’t always shoot the highest scores but I always have a good time.
I always wanted a model 21 and this year one just happened to come my way. It is a 20 gauge skeet gun and it is fast becoming my go to shot gun IC and Mod.
Rating them most used over the years
Parker
WC Scott
Model 12’s
Beretta
Benelli
Model 21

[CraigThompson]

Not lighting a fuse, I'm merely curious. I know a number of M21 dudes will NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER pull them out to shoot. I'm just curious who shoots their guns more. No other thing than my own fact finding. I have NO agenda. I'm just not that smart.

Twenty years ago I’d buy stuff to keep in the safe and not use and most of that stuffs been liquidated . If I buy it now I have all intentions of shooting/using it . Now there’s one monkey wrench in the equation I’ve got about thirty I’d like to shoot regularly and that many more that aren’t used much if at all .

[henderson Marriott]

The Foxes, including an XE and HE Super Fox -all are straight stocks and get used.
Slain turkeys complain that the LC Smith Long Range Water Fowl is a disguised market
hunter punt gun.
The Parker has not been regularly shot since the 1940s-by my grandfather.
A Greener for birds along with a 2-barrel set LC Smith Specialty Grade- 20 gauge
st stock.

Nash Buckingham shot more ducks than most do now. He used a 34 in Parker before receiving his Becker-bored Super Fox.