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English SxS shotguns

7K views 28 replies 9 participants last post by  brentflyfish 
#1 ·
Have a budget of 2000-5000 dollars. Looking for shotgun for quail hunting, protection of our home, and just general use. My wife and I are tall, 6'2 and 5'11. We are in our 60s. looking for a english shotgun that our son would be proud to inherit when we are gone, any sugestions for sites that can be trusted and gun makers that are of good quality and worth? Thanks in advance.
 
#4 ·
I would say most certainly. If its merely an English STYLE shotfun that you desire, I'd suggest a Grulla or a nice Merkel. If it's true English you want a nice Webley and Scott like the one for sale in our classifieds section would suit nicely. Now those are all suggestions for new guns. If you don't mind a vintage gun, look around for a nice Boswell, or a Cogswell and Harrison, CG Bonehill, or WW Greener.

Make sure that the chambers are 2.75" FROM the factory and that the gun is in proof before you buy it. A nice 1950's WC Scott would be nice too.

Look on gunsinternational.com, and gunsamerica.com.

Good luck and tell us what you get!
 
#8 ·
2.5" chambers are no problem if you reload and 2.5" factory loads are available from several sources at about $11 - $12 a box delivered (in 10 box flats). I reload so 2.5" chambers are a non-issue for me. My 2.5" chambered gun is a 16 gauge Joseph Lang built in 1866 which was rebarreled in damascus by James Woodward in or before 1872. I've put around 2,900 cartridges through this old hammer gun since I bought it 2 1/2 years ago.

Just this year I bought a 12 gauge J & W Tolley with damascus barrels which was built between 1887 and 1894. The chambers were let out to 2.75" on this gun and it was reproofed with the longer chambers. It is still a low pressure gun and should not be shot with standard American ammuntion (SAAMI standard). Again I reload so it is a non-issue but shooting 2.5" shells would be advisable is you do not reload.

Also, even if a British gun has factory 2.75" chambers if it is an older gun its proof may be for lower pressure cartridges than the current SAAMI standard. But this also true of most American guns of the same vintage.

You did not show your location in your profile so I don't know how far these are located from you but at the Vintagers shoot September 23-26 at Pintail Point near Easton, MD there will be thousands of good old guns to look at. Also, at the Fall Southern SxS shoot October 22-24 at Backwoods Quail Club near Georgetown, SC there will be plenty to see.
 
#10 ·
A 2 1/2" chamber with the cones lengthened to 1 1/4-1 1/2" and polished should have no problem shooting low pressure RSTs or Polywad 2 3/4" shells or even Winchester AA light.
 
#13 ·
oldtiger said:
Bad link.

You need to come to Georgetown in October so that you can see what's at the Fall SxS. You can never know for sure which dealers will be there but Steve Barnett, Patrick Willough-McCabe, Kirby Hoyt from Vintage Doubles, and Phil Futrell from Mid-South Guns were there last year.

Here's a link to the Fall SxS http://www.deepriver.net/SouthernSideby ... fault.aspx - you can link to more info at the top of this page.
 
#21 ·
You are on a noble quest! You will find many shotguns in your price range. Couple observations: The 2 1/2-inch chambers are not a problem. The ammo is marginally more expensive that good 2 3/4-inch shells and readily available. If you get an Englsih gun with 2 3/4-inch chambers make certain that's the original length the gun was proofed for or that it has been reproofed.

You can get a nice Birmingham maker, boxlock, extractors fairly new in very good condition for your price range. Where you get it is immaterial - you might find it in a pawn shop.

Find yourself a gunsmith who works on these guns and when you find one buy it on the condition that it passes your smith's inspection. He will measure the bores, determine wall thickness, wear, how well it locks up and determine whether or not the barrels have been "tightened" on the action. This is a real consideration - I recently turned down a nice matched pair because owner wouldn't let my guy take the locks off to inspect them. No deal.

Don't be in a hurry - deals come along.

Check out Holt's auctions (in London) - they have an illustrated website and their catalogue is spectacular. That will give you some idea of going, real prices. They have a vast number of excellent mid-grade guns that will let you see what they look like and price them.

Personally I would not get a very old gun (ca 1900) but that's just a personal bias. There are plent of guns from the 30s, 40s and 50s that come in your price range.

Look at what Robin Hollow has to offer. Even Cabellas! See if you can't get a copy of The Field - that's an English shooting magazine and it has pages of illustrated ads from British gun dealers. Their racks are full - I just came from a visit and there are a lot of guns out there!

Enjoy your search - you will find something that speaks to you like magic!
 
#23 ·
oldtiger said:
Such great advice thanks. Looking at a 1930s Churchill.
A great classic name in English guns! I have tremendous respect for them - I almost bought a matched pair, also from the 30s. The Churchill boxlock is very reasonably priced and should be in your price range.

If it is a XXV you may get it at a discount since many people do not want 25-inch barrels. Churchill developed this style to compliment his shooting style. It is a superb upland gun.
 
#24 ·
Having purchased a couple of English SxS over the last year, both from the U.K., here are a couple of my observations/experiences.

A lot of the older English SxS that are currently in the USA that come up for sale, have at some point in time had alterations done to them. Be it, re-stocked, sleeved, stock extensions, chamber length altered, chokes altered, so on and so forth. It's not all bad workmanship but the guns have been altered..

I have had better luck locating unaltered English SxS's in the U.K., and by and large the prices there are cheaper than what you would find in the USA for the same gun. That said no matter what you hear about getting a gun imported it's still a big pain in the ***. You also need to be careful who you are dealing with as there are a few unsavory characters in the used English gun trade. I have had one such bad experience.

Find what you like and/or want but also have someone check out the gun for you that knows and understands English SxS's. A lot of nuances that a novice will miss.

Here is a link to a really good used U.K. gun dealer that I would recommend:
http://www.matchedpairs.com/index.htm
 
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