In O/Us your best bet would be a Browning Citori or Beretta Silver Pigeon. If 12 gauge you should be able to find them in very good condition used for around $1500.

 

I think you'd be happier with a new Beretta A300 over a 40+ year old Silver Pigeon in that price range. Citori's and Silver Pigeon's really hold their value well and you have to get a really old (or beat up) one for $1500.

 

Ive seen some citori’s go for around $1500

 

Are those sold prices or current bid prices. Seems low to me as well.

 

I’ve seen some citori’s go for around 1500 as well as berettas. I’m not super familiar with the specific models though so maybe they aren’t the highest valued model

 

How much are you planning to shoot? Hundreds or thousands?
How much have you already shot? Experience level, types of courses, types of guns?
What type of shooting are you planning? SC, 5 stand, trap, skeet?

My advise is buy something you LIKE that you can also afford.

This likely won't be your only purchase.
If you continue shooting and a lot, you will probably want something else in less than a year if you continue shooting.

 

Currently my experience is very limited but I would like to get into it more. I’ve really only shot a cheap Stoeger OU. Ideally I would like to shoot all clay disciplines.

 

Beretta semiauto or a used Beretta or Browning o/u for clays shooting.

 

Go to your shooting club and look on the used equipment board. What someone will REALLY sell a nice 12 gauge Citori or 686 for, when you have cash in hand and are a club member, is much less than the nonsense at auction sites where you must deal with fake bidders, commission fees, the real hassle of shipping, and risk of some scam. Plus you get to handle what you buy before handing over cash.

Don't turn up your nose at a well cared for used Beretta or CG semi-auto, but talk to the original owner about how many rounds he has through it and consider where your closest quality gunsmith is. Many people start out this way and move "up" ... and you can get years of service out of that nice gun until YOU move 'up'.

As much as I like semi-autos, when you buy a used $1500 citori or 686, you will get that much back or more in a few years if you lose interest or the bug hits you and you absolutely must upgrade for fancier wood or all your friends are shooting 16 or 28 gauge. Your semi-auto will most likely depreciate.

 

The answer 5 years ago to this question was an A400.

Now thanks to inflation the answer is still... A400... but probably a used one. I would spring the extra $150 for a new one though, but times have changed and unless you find a guy who doesn't know how to use the internet you're getting a clapped out pile of parts for a $1,500 Citori/686.

 

I would suggest CZ red premier O/U for under 1k and money left over for plenty of ammo, which isn’t cheap anymore.

 

These are Turkish made guns sold by CZ. They are actually pretty good guns for the money. I have a Bobwhite G2 side by side and really like it, despite the chokes being marked incorrectly. It's my "I don't care if I drop it in the mud" gun.

It would be a gun to consider, but the quality (and resale value) is not in the "B" gun territory.

 

If you want to be a “cool kid”, buy a used Beretta or Browning O/U. If you are serious about shooting, buy an Beretta A300 and use your savings for ammo and lessons. An A300 offers more flexibility in fit, can be weighted to your preference, has minimal recoil, and are just a superior option for most.

 

You should be able to buy a suitable B-gun on the used market for $1,500. Look for a Browning CX, CXS, XS, Sporting Clays, 325, 425, 525, etc or a Beretta 686 Sporting. I've seen a number of them offered in the classifieds section of this forum that were priced at $1,500.

 

Clay target shooting will put a lot of rounds through your gun. Get a used gun that can be rebuild over time. The Browning Citori's are good, as are the Beretta's. But they fit most shooters very differently. If a Browning fits you, ignore the Beretta's and vice versa... (Few years ago I wanted a Browning real bad, but I just couldn't mount it properly. Bought the Beretta 686 SP1 - because it fit me best.)

But that is your first task - find which company/brand/model fits you best. The second task is to then watch the marketplaces very closely for that one to come up for sale.

 

If you can find used Browning Citori or Beretta 686 in the configuration you want, that hasn't been beat to snot, in the $1500 range I would suggest that. For a new O/U in the $1500-$2000 range the best out there, in my opinion, is the Browning Cynergy. For a Semi-auto the Beretta A300 is tough to beat in the $1000 range. Might want take a look at this in the 30" also. Street price should be a couple of hundred less. Best of luck and enjoy the journey.

Citori Composite - Over & Under Shotgun - Browning

The legendary Browning Citori over and under shotgun trusted by hunters and target shooters for 50 years now with the advantages of a composite stock and forearm.

www.browning.com

 

Save some more money and buy a Citori CX or CXS. You can thank me later.

 

New…….I would say Yildiz 12/30 sporting if you can find one or Wetherby Orion sporting will be nice intro guns with adj comb and multi chokes. They don’t come in 32 in bbl as far as I know

Where are you seeming used Citoris or Beretta SP for 1,500? But a great way to go if you can find one

 

I scored a tight closing Browning 625 sporting with 32" barrels in a hard case for &1600 within the last 12 months. Good deals are available but it might not happen in the next week. Ask around the places you shoot at never know what will turn up. I just saw a Browning XT for $1800, had me thinking twice about the 625, but shotguns seem to be adding up in the safe and not thinning out.

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1021869396
Something up with the butt plate, but not much time left.
If you are patient, the deal will show up.
I got my CX 30" for $1300 but that was 4 years ago.


Jim

 

Another just out of price range, and a private seller too.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1036990170
Look on Gunbroker for any that may be local to you.

Jim

 

Browning Citori Trap 12 ga

Browning Citori Trap 12 ga for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

 

Avoid the bargain Turk O/U’s. A 30 year old Browning in good shape is heads and shoulders above all of them.
Browning Citori’s are lifetime guns with a strong legacy.
They have great barrel regulation and reliable triggers.
Bargain O/U’s have neither.
Look at this one.

Whoops! Someone else already linked it.
Agree with the one who linked it. All you need on it is a new butt plate and recoil pad.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1021869396

 

I worry that the length of pull is too long. I do not know what I need yet but that’s already up there and has no pad attached.

 

There's a Citori trap gun for sale on this forum right now $1,400. Maybe not perfect but Citoris are pretty tough guns and fairly easy to fix most issues like firing pins if necessary.

 

It is a little “rough” but I’m not overly concerned with beauty and more about function. I can’t reply to his post or send him a message. I assume because I’m too new

 

I was just eyeballing this

BROWNING 12 GA 30" PORTED BBLS SPECIAL SPORTING CLAYS O/U USED - Over Under Shotguns at GunBroker.com : 1034876298

Buy BROWNING 12 GA 30" PORTED BBLS SPECIAL SPORTING CLAYS O/U USED: GunBroker is the largest seller of Over Under Shotguns Shotguns Guns & Firearms All: 1034876298

www.gunbroker.com

 

I was just eyeballing this

BROWNING 12 GA 30" PORTED BBLS SPECIAL SPORTING CLAYS O/U USED - Over Under Shotguns at GunBroker.com : 1034876298

Buy BROWNING 12 GA 30" PORTED BBLS SPECIAL SPORTING CLAYS O/U USED: GunBroker is the largest seller of Over Under Shotguns Shotguns Guns & Firearms All: 1034876298

www.gunbroker.com

That’s a sweetheart.
A nice GU special model.

 

SKB 685 sporting made in Japan. Very strong, durable gun. Parts and service are still available. Pretty Guns that you can pick up reasonable, if you can find one. Many other good suggestions here also.

 

Darkhorse is correct, SKB (an older Japanese version) would be a great gun within budget. That Special Sporting Clays is a good deal also.

 

I think that Special Sporting is one of the older ones with that rock hard recoil pad. I have that exact same gun, have had it for many, many, many years. The new GU version is the same gun and they are fantastic shooters. 60/40 patterns and a pleasure to shoot.

 

Extra trigger shoes and a hard case also. That’s a deal.

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1034553106

 

I like that it’s new but that’s about $300 too much