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?

Two reasons the first pull fires the bottom barrel with a non-selective trigger: (1) The bottom barrel is usually the more open choked of the two, so the first pull of the trigger gives you a wider pattern, presumably for birds that have been flushed and are going away. The second pull gives you a tighter pattern for the further birds. (2) The recoil from the bottom barrel is more in a straight line due to its being closer to the gun's center of gravity, thus slightly less muzzle rise and quicker recovery for the second shot.

The Browning Citori is a well-made O/U which meets your trigger and ejector criteria, and has a selective trigger and changable choke tubes to boot. It is also a very durable gun and very few "good" O/U's are priced any lower. I would guess that Browning has an importer in S.A., whereas other makes I might mention may not.

+1 on a Browning and depending upon how much your going to shoot it, take a look at the Franchi Renaissance. They are priced just under the browning and are comparable.

My first choice would be a Browning Belgium made Superposed. If cost's a factor, get the Japanese made Browning Citori.

If cost is really a factor, get an older used Japanese O/U. Some better ones besides the Citori are the Winchester Model 101 (that would be my next choice) and the Ithaca (I had a Model 500), and I think the Charles Daly was made there as well.

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The Browning Citori is a well-made O/U which meets your trigger and ejector criteria, and has a selective trigger and changable choke tubes to boot. It is also a very durable gun and very few "good" O/U's are priced any lower.

This is a good gun for sure....however the SKB 505 field in 12 Ga is 3" and a bit less costly......and a very fine gun!

In the older and nice guns would be the previously mentioned Browning Superposed or the Winchester 101's.

I had Superposeds - good guns just keep the chambers oiled a bit.

I have been on a Winchester kick for a few years so now I have Win 101's in OU. Good guns and a touch lighter - all Japanese made by Kodensha.

"The" shotgun maker in todays market is Beretta. They have what you want no matter what it is and at all price points. The broad selection of field, clays, lightweights all the way to competition and their service is OK by todays standards at least here in the US, as well as other upgrades- makes them the one to have. While I cant say for sure, I bet they service South Africa - but at the least they service Europe.

I do believe this strongly enough to do it myself too by the way. While I have and truly like my older Winchesters in 101, Model 12's etc and the great Super X 1's , for my son I bought Berettas. And I carry a Beretta Extrema 2 every day duck hunting as does my son, the shotguns I bought my wife are Beretta's. When guys ask me "What to get for ...." I say Beretta. There are now a lot of Berettas around me. They work.

I'd buy a beretta SIlver Pigeon II with the 28 inch barrels. I personaly like 26 but I think you'd like the 28's on the geese. I dont think there is a better shotgun for the money than the Berreta.