Thanks to those who responded to my question about fitted shotgun stocks. I contacted Wenig and, for what they do, the price sounds reasonable. Now I just need to find the time to go to MO and I need to select a shotgun for restocking.

The shotgun will be a double barreled 12 gauge; either O/U or side by side. It would be what I would take to Africa (so light would be nice) or use for pheasant hunting. Conceivably it could be used for turkey, dove or waterfowl hunting.

I would go for a new or a quality used shotgun. I don't know if a double or a single trigger would be better. The brands I'm considering are Beretta, Browning, Weatherby and Ruger. If I've missed a decent brand, it's just because of my ignorance. Advice on brand/model from you shotgun gurus would be welcomed.

I would skip the Weatherby in favor of the other three. Never had one, but I've heard of quality issues.

Rugers run heavy. A 20 ga will weigh 7 lb, the 12 ga 8 lb. For you purpose, you probably prefer a Browning or Beretta. Both companies make light-weight models for hunters.

I like Beretta because it fits me better than the others, but that's not a problem for you. My 12 ga weighs 7 lb with 30" bbls, so they're light enough for most of us. Plus, my gun is 30 years old. Some newer models are even lighter.

Beretta or Browning, whichever you can get a better deal on.

Just when you've narrowed down your choices I'm going to muddy the waters and suggest you try to find a used side by side. I think you should Google, borrow and steal until you can find one of the following shotguns:

Bernardelli Hemingway
Bernardelli Gamecock
Beretta Silver Hawk
Browning B-SS
Ithaca NID
SKB Model 200

Some of these, I am convinced, can be found used for under $1,000 and there is just so much more class in a side by side.

I own a Browning B325 (O/U) a Chapuis S X S and a Darne S X S. The Browning is my clays gun and it is a great gun, but in the field I love my lightweight side by sides.

Far be it from me to suggest a shotgun (Winchester 101 Pigeon Grade with tubes ) but I want to point out a couple of details that casual shotgunner shooters often overlook.

One, if you're going to shoot any kind of high volume (a hot dove field even in the US can qualify, a good day duck/goose hunting or rockies/doves in South Africa) then a light shotgun will not be your friend. Your shoulder will confirm this and it won't take long. This problem can be somewhat offset by a proper selection of lighter loads BUT these are often not available when you need them or are not suitable for, say, ducks or geese or even late season pheasants. I well recall the day when we pulled up to the Argentine dove field and the outfitter handed us what he had left which was high brass 1 1/4 ounce loads. Thanks to my heavier gun, I shot a case or two of them with minimal long term damage.

Two, if you're going to be carrying the gun much more than shooting it, such as quail hunting or other upland hunting requiring walking, then a lighter weight gun should given heavier weight in your considerations, if not, then I'd lean towards a medium wt gun of whatever type you choose.

Three, that wandy, light side by side or O//U feels great in the hand when you're waving it around in the gun shop or trying someone else's gun for "feel" at the range, but that "wandiness" is NOT conducive to good shooting or recoil control. Again, if carrying the gun is your goal, then "wandiness" is a fine quality, if shooting it well or often is more important then it is a negative.

Four, lean towards longer than shorter barrels in whatever you choose. Not clays lengths, but in the 27 to even as long as 30 inch range will help your swing and thus your shooting. Longer is not handier tho, especially in heavy cover.

The current nostalgia for side by sides is fine, and if you like them by all means get one. I'd recommend an over and under myself, but to each his own. It is harder to find a good O/U in a decent price range.

There is a lot to be said for double triggers (simplicity, instant barrel choice) but if you're not used to them, you may not like the switch (in both senses of the word). I'd think about it or try one for a bit before I chose double triggers. Most single triggers are reliable these days, what you have to consider is how well the selector works and how easy it would be to find with wet or sweaty hands. This, a poor selector system, is the main fault of many single triggers.

I don't recall if I recommended Wenig's to you or not, but Fred is a fine person to do business with, good choice. I've got a couple of guns stocked by his shop. I don't know how to post pics but I'll try to do so later today or this weekend.

In the end you'll probably do what we all do, buy several shotguns. Gatogordo is right because the different hunting situations really call for different guns to be optimal in that particular situation. I wouldn't shoot my S X S's at a long day at sporting clays but I wouldn't drag my longer heavier over and under through the woods after woodcock either.

Ugartachea SXS's are very nice, well made, light weight also.

I have 2 bereta o/u , I liked them more than the brownings. Though I liked shooting a browning lightening 20 ga o/u.

Upland game, grouse, chuckar, dove . . . you want a light gun. That's generally a S x S in 12, 16, or even 20 gauge. You're carrying it and walking. You want a "field gun." The S x S tends to be lighter than an O/U.

For duck/geese, you want a heavier gun, for longer ranges. O/U is the choice.

You can find "light" O/U. But you need to understand the basic difference between a hunting gun and a "trap/skeet/clays" gun.

The hunt gun gets fired maybe 15 times during the day.

The "trap/skeet/clays" gun gets fired 100, 150 rounds every week. Practice, and volume shooting.

The "trap/clays/skeet" gun is heavy to manage the shooting volume, but also heavy to aid in swinging and shooting at clay birds. Barrels in trap guns run 30" to 34". I expect to see a 36" any day now.

Beretta and Browning make great guns, but the O/U like the Citori, or XT are intended more or less for trap/skeet/clays. They're heavy to pack around in the field.

You can find "light" O/U in Browning and Beretta. But trap/skeet/clays guns are like target rifles. They're not for hunting.

So you can spend $4,000 on a Browning or Beretta and end up with a gun dedicated to trap/skeet/clays. One hell of a gun, but not for ducks and geese.

For a field gun, Ducks/Geese, the Remington Spartan is getting rave reviews. Durable, made by Baikal for Remington, it's well made, well finished, shoots well and runs under $300.

Stoeger and Stevens both offer S x S guns in the $300 range for upland game, 12 and 20 gauge.

You can go $18,000 on a Kreighoff or Parazzi, but it ain't no duck gun.