I live in South Africa where owning multiple guns is the exception rather than the norm, so please consider when you answer that this purchase is practically a "purchase of a lifetime".

I currently own a Marocchi 12gg O/U with double triggers, 28 inch barrels 1/4 and 3/4 chokes and ejectors. My shooting is mainly Upland style wingshooting of Guineafowl, Francolin etc and usually involves a lot of walking. I also shoot a bit of waterfowl, generally flighted geese and some clays/trap but that is only as practice for upcoming bird shoots.

I am looking for a replacement for my current O/U, has to have a single trigger and ejectors but other than that i am open minded - this is a gun that is going to hunt, climb through fences etc so as nice as it would be to have a sidelock Boss that is not what i am looking for and neither is it in my budget!

Please fire away with advice, opinions, warnings. Also does anyone know why the first trigger of most O/U's fires the bottom barrel?

You don't mention your budget? Benneli, Berrreta or on the low end Browning. They all make a product that will fill your needs. Also Caesar Guerini.

Dear Manyathelo:

I have been hunting with a Savage 444 O/U 12 gauge bored Improved Cylinder and Modified with 26 inch barrels for 33 years. It was made in Brescia, Italy, it has ejectors and a single trigger.

They are cheap, and pretty much indestructable. I don't know if you can find one on the used rack.

On the other hand, I bought my wife a Beretta 20 gauge O/U Model 686, single trigger, ejectors.

Recently, I found a Browning Superposed identical in configuration to my old Savage.

Those are three alternatives you might try. All three shotguns work great.

By the way, the Browning Citori is a winner, too.

Just keep an eye on the lever that opens the action. If it is left of center when viewed from the rear, then the action has had it. Right of center is best, or close to center, but still to the right is acceptable.

The nice thing about the Beretta's is the hinge pins are replaceable, and you theoretically could return a worn gun to almost new condition by replacing both hinge pins.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

Somebody correct me if they think I'm wrong but wouldn't the Browning Citori be about the most popular/ easiest to buy spare parts or accessories for?

I use a Ruger Redlabel and like it very much but Ruger seems to be a little more proprietary or stingy with permission to make aftermarket parts or accessories.

Were an African to travel to the US or be able to purchase on line parts and ship to Africa you'd be able to get any darn Browning part or accessory you want.

Manyathelo,

For a 12 gauge gun that you would like to walk a lot with I would recommend something under 7 lbs in weight. Problem with light 12 gauge O/U is that they will kick a bit more.

Now you did not mention your price range...so say if the gun will be heavily used in the brush and you are not worried about scratches and other dings on the stock and barrel then say an entry level O/U like the Ruger Red Label will fit your bill....they make the O/U with Synthetic stock with Camo as well which is ideal because you can take it waterfowling, use it in pouring down rain, use it in salt marshes etc. and the coating is rust proof...very low maintenance.

Now if you want something a bit more fancy then you cannot beat the Browning Citoris...they make a light version 12 GA which is ideal for walking (although it kicks a bit). Beretta has some entry level to mid-range pricing as well.

So to start with here is what I would recommend (price incremental):
1) Ruger Red Label
2) Browning Citori (light model)
3) Beretta

WHY THE BOTTOM BARREL ?
In an o/u when you fire the bottom barrel first, the weight of the top barrel reduces muzzle jump, hence you can acquire the target for your second shot couple of milliseconds faster.

Most modern O/U now come with selective trigger and you can switch between firing the bottom first or top first...the idea behind that is that you can have a tight choke in the bottom and open choke in the top and depending upon which presentation you get, you can quickly decide which choke to use first.

So say you have a Cylinder in the bottom barrel and a Modified in the top barrel. You are set to shoot with bottom barrel first for decoying ducks in front of the blind. Now someone sees a duck crossing in front of you at 38 yards, I would switch to the top barrel and take the shot with Mod with full confidence. Cylinder at 38 yard crossing shot will probably have too many holes through which a duck can fly through.

Here are some links to entry level O/U that will last you a long time.

RUGER RED LABEL
http://www.ruger.com/products/...l12Gauge/models.html


BROWNING CITORI LIGHT
http://www.browning.com/produc...ght-feather-firearms


BERETTA
http://www.berettausa.com/prod...87-ultralight-matte/



Hope this helps...feel free to ask any shotgun related questions.

I have tried several o/u shotguns but the one I use now and like a lot is the Ruger red label with the synthetic Realtree camo stock.

It fits well and has had no issues, doesnt clog up if it gets dirty and is reliable.

It drops open with just the push of the lever and the safety is also the barrel selector. At 8 lbs. it is just right in 12 GA.

It is also a good upland bird or turkey gun and comes with 5 screw in choke tubes.

^he SKB 505 field is among the finer O/U shotguns in the lower cost arena. They are an excellent gun and I can get one for about $1,200 out the door!

Hard to beat a Citori for quality and looks if it fits you. That's really the key though, the most expensive shotgun in the world isn't worth a penny in the field if it doesn't fit you properly. Just makes you look worse cause you can't hit with such an expensive shotgun! Good luck with it.