Wanted Thinking About A Very Nice O/U For Skeet (Details Below)

[SAFARIKIDD]

These are a Must..m
12ga...26" barrels..
NICE TO GREAT WOOD!!
Price under 10k but much lower is preferred...I will pay when the Wood is Amazing!
Brownings...Beretta..Winchester..Etc...Chokes can be fixed as I can honestly them to Skeet Skeet or IC
Thanks!
(Below is some of my present or past ones)

 

[Green Chile]

I'm surprised that you want 26" barrels on a O/U. No this isn't sporting clays but that's short. 28-30" is pretty standard in skeet. Will you get tubes also or focus on 12 ga?

 

[WAB]

I'm surprised that you want 26" barrels on a O/U. No this isn't sporting clays but that's short. 28-30" is pretty standard in skeet. Will you get tubes also or focus on 12 ga?

Agreed. Go with 29” or 30” tubes with a European proofed gun. These guns have much lighter tubes than those sold in NA. The improvement in dynamic handling with the lighter tubes is worth it. When I shot competitively, I sourced my gun in the UK, stocked to fit me. The same gun, marketed in the US, handles like a club by comparison.

 

[SAFARIKIDD]

Way back 26" was the thing and yes you both right longer has become more prevalent ....I have 32s on Krieghoff and Perazzi..Plus my Trap guns MUST have 32 or 34...
Just thought I would go 26 but I guess if the right one showed up I would consider...
I liked Skeet with .410 also but on the 12ga don't need tubes if I dedicate it for Skeet Only..
Sporting Clay's of course lots of choke tubes and 32s for me...
Appreciate the feedback gents!

 

[WAB]

Way back 26" was the thing and yes you both right longer has become more prevalent ....I have 32s on Krieghoff and Perazzi..Plus my Trap guns MUST have 32 or 34...
Just thought I would go 26 but I guess if the right one showed up I would consider...
I liked Skeet with .410 also but on the 12ga don't need tubes if I dedicate it for Skeet Only..
Sporting Clay's of course lots of choke tubes and 32s for me...
Appreciate the feedback gents!

Good luck sourcing the right gun for your needs! I believe it may have been Gary Phillips who won worlds without changing a tube. A pair of IC’s will break any target ever thrown. I had an eye opening lesson in this shooting the high tower at H&H.

 

[rookhawk]

@SAFARIKIDD I have two options for you that meet the quality/price ratio you’re seeking.

Option 1, a Side By Side. - Pre64 Winchester Model 21 12 bore skeet model, choked WS1 and WS2. The single trigger models can be found for $4k ish. Wonderful guns. They appreciate in value. People have won State and national championships with these. The 26” skeet models are affordable because we live in a “must be 30“ or better barrels“ era for collector 12 bores.

Option 2, an Over Under Orvis 12 bore Beretta Uplander/Waterfowler. These are 682 berettas under the cover, only without the tacky engraving. Easily serviced. They usually have exhibition wood. They often have the unsaleable 26” barrels with BRiley or Optima chokes. You can get one of these for less than $2000, about the cost of the wood and leather recoil pad in modern dollars.

 

[sureshot375]

With that budget I would look for a used Krieghoff.

I would also go with 28 or 30 on the barrel length.

 

[Whit]

I've got a Merkel 2001 in 12/70... if you're looking for a high-quality, European shotgun with really beautiful wood for the stock, you've got to take a look at this gun.

 

[rookhawk]

I've got a Merkel 2001 in 12/70... if you're looking for a high-quality, European shotgun with really beautiful wood for the stock, you've got to take a look at this gun.

Nice gun. From the example in the original post I think he was looking for 10x finer wood. (Meaning no insult to your nice gun)

 

[HankBuck]

Way back 26" was the thing and yes you both right longer has become more prevalent ....I have 32s on Krieghoff and Perazzi..Plus my Trap guns MUST have 32 or 34...
Just thought I would go 26 but I guess if the right one showed up I would consider...
I liked Skeet with .410 also but on the 12ga don't need tubes if I dedicate it for Skeet Only..
Sporting Clay's of course lots of choke tubes and 32s for me...
Appreciate the feedback gents!

Barrel length and womens skirts - will always be changing...whatever you like, shoot well, have confidence in matters most. I would think that because the current trend is towards longer barrels - you should get a good deal on 26”

 

[SAFARIKIDD]

I've got a Merkel 2001 in 12/70... if you're looking for a high-quality, European shotgun with really beautiful wood for the stock, you've got to take a look at this gun.

Thats interesting sir! Tell me more and some good photos to my pm ? I like the cheek piece too!
(LOP..Barrel length..chokes..etc)

 

[WAB]

I've got a Merkel 2001 in 12/70... if you're looking for a high-quality, European shotgun with really beautiful wood for the stock, you've got to take a look at this gun.

The Merkel is a fine handling weapon. If it has 2 3/4” chambers and a lighter proof it will handle like a wand. I’ve always coveted one of the older 16 ga merkel o/u’s. They are one of the finest handling o/u’s ever made.

 

[Doug3006]

Check out Joel Etchen Guns in PA. He has an exclusive deal on Beretta 687s with EELL wood. There’s one version called the All Around that might meet you needs.

 

[Triathlete3]

I would also look for a used K80. With 26" barrels falling out of favor inwould think you could find a nice one for way under $10k.

My .02 on barrel length....you just have to know your gun and be on target.

 

[rookhawk]

I would also look for a used K80. With 26" barrels falling out of favor inwould think you could find a nice one for way under $10k.

My .02 on barrel length....you just have to know your gun and be on target.

E.J. Churchill won the world championship in the pigeon ring at Monaco in the early 20th century with a 25" barreled gun. At the time 30-32" pigeon guns were deemed essential.

His win fueled the popularity of his XXV shotguns of which I've owned several. They carry like 28 gauges and point wicked fast. You'd never get off a shot on a live bird if you were hunting adjacent to my 12 year old that uses one of these.

 

[Green Chile]

Good points but Churchill could switch guns with you and still kick your ass. He was just a rock star and they can win with almost any gun.

 

[Doug3006]

I volunteered at an Olympic Festival shooting event years ago. I met Lloyd Woodhouse, who was Team USAs coach at the time. I noticed that for the events, our team members were using Mossberg shotguns. I believe they were a sponsor of Team USA at the time. I mentioned this to Mr. Woodhouse. He smiled and said that the high-level shooters on our team could break clays with anything! They’d all be back to using their own Perazzi’s and such at the Olympics.

 

[Green Chile]

Now when you match a gun that really fits a rock star with excellent patterns and reliability...that's magic. I have a Perazzi and couldn't beat Team USA with their Mossbergs!

 

[spike.t]

Way back 26" was the thing and yes you both right longer has become more prevalent ....I have 32s on Krieghoff and Perazzi..Plus my Trap guns MUST have 32 or 34...
Just thought I would go 26 but I guess if the right one showed up I would consider...
I liked Skeet with .410 also but on the 12ga don't need tubes if I dedicate it for Skeet Only..
Sporting Clay's of course lots of choke tubes and 32s for me...
Appreciate the feedback gents!

Yup was bout to say 26 inch was the length for Skeet barrels, as you say back in the day ....learned to shoot clays on ISU Skeet back in the 1970s....only type of clays shooting back then where I came from....and was bought a Browning A1 105 special Skeet gun....with 26 inch barrels....Still have it and can tell you the serial number...ends in S74.......everyones had 26 back then....Still like that length

 

[rookhawk]

Yup was bout to say 26 inch was the length for Skeet barrels, as you say back in the day ....learned to shoot clays on ISU Skeet back in the 1970s....only type of clays shooting back then where I came from....and was bought a Browning A1 105 special Skeet gun....with 26 inch barrels....Still have it and can tell you the serial number...ends in S74.......everyones had 26 back then....Still like that length

The point of the OP in my mind is that @SAFARIKIDD has Ferrari tastes and Ford Festiva budget for this particular gun. I feel the same way when I buy guns, get all the gun you can get for your dollars.

26" skeet guns are just fine, but they are social pariahs. Their desirability is in the toilet which crushes their price compared to 28" (par), 30" (premium), 32" (2x cost premium).

He then stated he wanted really good wood too. Those Beretta / Orvis uplanders are real stunners that go for cheap money in 26" barrel lengths. Pre64 Model 21s have very nice wood as well. I'd certainly own either of these for less than a very fugly engraved base-model Zoli/Guerini/Beretta with the electro pencil or acid etched faux-graving.

Here's a pic of a couple for example: