Cheapest Trap Gun

No pumps for Trap? That's sacrilege!

I personally do not prefer either pumps or autos for Trap for various reasons, but I see absolutely no reason for baning a pump and not an auto. Probably been more trap shoots won up untill say 25 years ago with a Model 12 Winchester than all other guns combined. A Model 12 IS a pump, as is the '97 and 870. 3 very common much used Trap guns. I used to shoot Trap with a guy that had an old single shot, the brand escapes me this second, keyboard amnesia, you know. :roll: Anyway, one of the old timers. He ran a few straights with it. A Model 37 Winchester, but they are getting to be a collectors item, or something similar would get you shooting and it would be a hinge gun to boot. A field 870 is no more of a Trap gun than that either. Yup, it was an Iver Johnson. I can't imagine one costing over a couple hundred bucks tops. Another idea, and this is cheapo to the max. My son once had a single shot Baikal that he gave $69 for brand new. It wasn't anything to write home about, but shoot it did. Unless you just luck into something, $300 isn't going to get you much of a Trap gun today.

BP

Stormtrooper30 said:

Alright, I called my coach and she says that pumps arnt allowed because they "throw off your aim."

Click to expand...

Ask her if she knows Tom Knapp;

http://www.benelliusa.com/player.tpl?t= ... ecord2.flv

Or has seen videos of the late Herb Parons, shooting a Win M12 pump in the 1950's.

She probably likes semiautos, herself, due to the reduced felt recoil. Many women shooters do, my wife did when she was shooting trap. At 55 and being prone to headaches, I like shooting my 1100 Classic Trap for the same reason.

I can still shoot a pump, not as well as Tom Knapp but the last time I shot in a winter skeet league for entertainment, I held a 97 average, most of the misses weren't the doubles and skeet is not my main game. I was using an old 870SA Skeet pump.

You don't say if you are shooting only singles or doubles as well. On doubles, the pump will introduce an unwelcome challenge to a new shooter, but if all you shoot are singles, there should not be an issue.

The o/u can be very reliable but they will have their issues too. I mention this from experience owning several Citori trap guns and a SKB over the years as well as 37 years of obseving these guns at many clubs. Broken firing pins, weak firing pin strikes on the bottom barrel, some have different points of impact for each barrel (never had one like that myself). When they are working fine, which the good ones will most of the time, they will get two shots away nicely and let a reloader like me save both fire shells.

Absolutely crazy, your coach that is. Hope those autos have shell catchers, knock down pins or a rubber band on them. I watched my son shoot at State a couple of years ago and the older gentleman to his left had an 1100 throwing shells against my sons head the whole time. Didn't seem to bother him a bit he ended up with a 193, but I would have asked him to put a rubber band on it or be resquaded. Most people would have.

Rudy Etchen seemed to do OK with an 870 pump, even shooting a perfect 100 in doubles at the Grand American with one. I used an 870 in skeet and trap for a long time and a 37 before that. But I'm no Rudy Etchen LOL. A used 870 trap is the first thing I thought of in or near your price range.

Charles Daly is an importer and the name has changed hands many times over the years. At one time they were fairly decent guns especially when they imported from Miroku. Parts are getting harder to find but an older Miroku trap wouldn't be too bad if it fit and is in good shape. Not sure if that is the same one you are talking about?