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I've enjoyed the looks and handling of my 20 gauge basic Condor. For the less than $300 I paid for it I consider it a good investment. It gets limited use because I favor my 12 gauge Remington 11-87 Premier, but for quail hunts it is my scattergun of choice.

Mike
 
I shot over 2000 rounds through my father-n-laws condor in 3 days of shooting and it never failed. It got extremely hot but it never failed.

I actually think it is a great starter O/U especially the combo model that has 12 and 20g barrells. The Condor sport looks kind of Interesting and is under $700.

It will be find. Look it over well before walking out the store with it. I could see it having more flaws then normal but it is under the Benelli family and I think their quality is ok especially all of them I have looked at. Stoeger, Franchi, A-Uberti and Benelli are all fine guns.

Good luck.
CR

CR
 
Check out DeHaans. The Turkish factory that makes Huglu also makes DeHaans. Mark DeHaan has them use his specs to produce a very nice, high quality product at a great price.

There is a DeHaan forum here on SGW as well. Lots of happy owners. You might hear some bad bits about firing pins. That bug was worked out a few years ago.

I've had a .410 and 28ga for about a year. Thousands of rounds through each with no problem. I shoot between 300 and 600 rounds a week, so they get a workout.

http://www.dhshotguns.com/
 
I have a friend that just bought the condor 2 barrel set and the .410. I can't speak for the longevity of the gun yet. But so far so good. We both shot the gun with the 20 and the 12 barrels on it. We both shot good. You pull the trigger and it hits what you are shooting. For 300 dollars or 500 dollars for the combo set I don't really see how you can go wrong even if it only lasted for a few years. You could replace it several times before you reach the price of the more expensive over-and-unders.
 
I've had mine about 4 years, been my duck gun, beat on it pretty hard, have only had one problem with it, while goose hunting a week or two ago- It double fired, hasn't done it again. So for the 299 I paid for it I have got my money worth out of it if it falls apart today. Good luck
 
Most people that talk down a Condor are spoiled. If I could afford an expensive shotgun I'd have one too, but I love my Stoeger. Not a work of art by any means, just a Pheasant killing machine. Works great. Not everyone is wealthy.
 
I was looking for a cheap over and under a few years ago and found the Condor to fit the bill.

The wood grain is not the best on most of them, but if you look at a few you will find a nice one.

I found the fit of the gun to be nice. My better half usually uses it when we go out or shoot a round a sporting clays.

I have the 26" 20ga model and I find the weight and balance to be very nice. I personally felt the 28" 12 was a little more than I wanted to carry around, but thats a personal fit choice.

I put numerous cases (not boxs, actually cases) of shells through mine last year since a few of my buddies got into shooting clays and many did not have guns. And for some reason everyone IDOLIZES a O/V. LOL So it got its fair share of use.

If mine broke today and was unfixable, I would go out and buy another one. Its that simple. Its a nice start O/V, GREAT FIELD O/V, and leaves more money in your pocket.
 
drsfmd said:
Yes, you get what you pay for. My suggest would be to save up $1000 or so and get a used Browning or Beretta if you really want an O/U.
If the Stoeger Condor could fetch more money they'd be priced a lot higher. In general you get what you pay for when buying new. Used can be a different story. I'd rather look around and find something more appealing, but some folks like to shoot ugly. The rule of thumb in buying is to get as much worth for the money and the low end O/U's fail to deliver at the price point. You'd be better off purchasing a used 870.

Do I own a Conder? Lord, NO!!! My last cheapy O/U was a Verona LX-502. It was a good shooting gun and was traded off at a loss to afford some piece of eye candy that's a keeper.
 
You generally get what you pay for but the relevant question is whether the differences between the lower priced O/U and the higher priced O/U really matter to how you intend to use the gun.

If you need a gun you don't mind beating on for limited seasonal hunting use; if you shoot just a few round of clays on the weekends; then a lower priced gun like the Stoeger is fine. But if you intend high use competitive shooting then you'll likely be happier with a better made gun. Stoegers and Baikals have been around long enough their strengths and weaknesses are well known. I love my Baikal but I don't know if the new versions sold as Spartans are the same value they once were. Personally, the various Turkish imports still seem a bit too hit or miss for my taste but there are many who seem happy enough with them.

People looking at low cost guns are either occasional shooters by nature, can afford to buy an extra disposable gun, or have limited funds to begin with. Which almost ensures they can only afford to be low-moderate use shooters. People who aren't sure they even like shooting yet are better off going to a range and renting a variety of guns or seeing if other shooters will let them try theirs. People who want to shoot but can't afford a lot will not be discouraged by a low cost gun, they'll adjust, use it and get as much as they can from it. People getting a disposable gun already recognize the limitations and appreciate the low cost gun for what it is.

The question of whether it's better to buy a low cost gun new or a better grade gun used is legitimate and generally boils down to personal preference and opportunity. I also question the current fashion of insisting on an O/U for a first gun over say a 870 or a 500, durable and much more versatile guns IMO.
 
Don't waste your money.
I sold them for a large sporting goods shop before dove season started, thought we were in the clear with the 200 or so that were sold until after opening weekend. Then they started coming in very steady. All sorts of problems, save your money and dont be dissappointed. My .02
 
I have a Spartan thats held up great for the hunting I do. I even got some Carlson chokes which makes it pattern great. I dont shoot sporting clays. I also bought a Browning White Lightening a year later. My opinion is that if you are going to use a shotgun as much as clay shooters do youde be happier with a gun that can take all that constant pounding like a Browning or Beretta even a used one in good shape.
 
I fondled a Stoeger Condor in a gun shop a few months ago. Even took off the forend, the barrels, studied it good and hard.

The Brazilians are making better stuff. Lots better. Better finished, better looking, better wood, in general just a lot better.

The old Stogers were just a inch above the Chinese junk, and below even the Russian and Turkish guns, in overall quality. Somebody somewhere is listening, though, and they are using better materials with better quality control now.

I can't recomend a cheap over and under for anybody, especially not to somebody just starting out with shotguns, for whom money is tight. There's an old saying that Browning used for a while:

"A poor man can't afford anything but the best"

God alone knows how many different shotguns I've either owned or shot over the last twenty years. A bunch. I think I'm right when I say that a shooter needs to buy the best quality gun in the price range he can afford, rather than buy the cheapest gun of a certain type he may want. In other words, if you have four hundred bucks to spend, far better to get a nice used Remington Wingmaster 870 pump with Remchokes, or maybe even a used Remington 11-87 Premier than a new low end Brazilian, Russian, or Turkish double. If you have seven hundred bucks, then a fresh, low mileage Beretta 391 is a far, far better deal than the best of the cheap doubles. Around eight hundred and fifty and certainly at a thousand bucks, we are solidly in used Browning Citori and Beretta 686 range, and might even by a brand new Ruger Red Label or Weatherby SKB Orion.

A really good shot can take a cheap double gun and shoot it like a house afire. They will shoot. But, until you've owned or really compared the really good middle priced over and under shotguns, which are the Ruger Red Label, the Weatherby Orion(also SKB/Ithaca), the Browning Citori(also Miroku), the Winchester 101 (also Nikko), the Beretta 686/7, and the Valmet 412ST, I don't think you'll be able to appreciate just how much better those guns feel, point, and shoot. But that's not the main reason to wait, save up, and buy one of the middle priced over and unders.

The only good reason to shoot an over and under is pride of ownership. Yes, they have the choice of two chokes, but the bare, simple, sad truth is that no shotgun on earth really works, handles, points or shoots a whole lot better than a Remington 870. Even the Wal Mart cheapie 870 Express is all the gun anybody ever really needs, to do anything and everything with. Gas operated semis offer less felt recoil, but it's doubtful if they offer a quicker second shot. If double guns aren't a source of pride to the owner, there really isn't any good reason to shoot one. You can be proud of the guns I named, in any company, anywhere. They all handle, shoot, and point as well as shotguns can be made to.

Better guns are like jewelry for men. Our wives may have costume jewelry, cubic zirconia, and all that, but they aren't really proud of them. Real quality is what satisfies, lasts, and endures. Look for quality for the dollars you have to spend, and you get the real bargain.

With all my shotguns, I usually chose a Ithaca Model 37 Deluxe Vent Rib pump I paid $200 for, used, when I go bird hunting. I am as proud of that gun as anything I own. There isn't a scrap of plastic or aluminum in it, it handles and shoots like a fine British side by side, and I just love it dearly. Because it's a geniune high quality shotgun, regardless of how you shoot the second shot, or what it cost.
 
but the bare, simple, sad truth is that no shotgun on earth really works, handles, points or shoots a whole lot better than a Remington 870.
While I tend to agree with you, taken as a fact it sure puts a crimp in most of the discussions in this forum.

Guess passion over logic makes life interesting :wink: :wink:
 
One thing we can depend on: No one on this site is opinionated!!!! :p
 
I don't own any of the "budget" guns, but many people I know do. I shoot probably around 15,000 rounds a year and I know that the budget guns generally won't hold up to that. For a hunter firing a few rounds now and then, they are probably a good choice especially if money is a problem. I would much prefer a solid used Remington 870 or 1100 for the same money. I mostly own Brownings or Berretas and to this day after firing 1,000's of shots out of all of them, I have yet to need any repairs. A few people I know that have "budget" guns have had to take them in for service. Broken firing pins, failure to fires, locked up actions and in one case, 2 broken springs at one time. I am certainly not a gun snob, just buy the BEST you can and hope for the best.
 
I like mine for what i use it for. It is strictly a hunting gun. Maybe gets 500 rounds a year but i still don't expect it to last a lifetime. IMO it would not last long for a real trap shooter. It does work good for me and my upland hunting that i use it for.
 
Folks: I actually own 870-1100 now; In the past a side by.
My reasoning for the Condor?
I haven't ever had an O/U and bought this to see if I really wanted an O/U
I did look for something used [trade-bait at a latter date] but really didn't see anything that appeared any better.
I have a post in the 'smithy'; What makes the difference in the locks. [box/side/?]
I have a fairly strong understanding of how things work; my question is "why this is better than that"

Thanks, Craig
 
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