I just love my Browning XS featherlight 12ga, for all a round, but for water a Beretta Extrema.

Under $2500? A Ruger Gold Label. But if we're going to dream . . . David McKay Brown ALL KNEEL with Celtic engraving. Not a pair, this is a walking up gun to be used over springers or my own breeding of out of a vizla by a hunting Jack Russell that take their size, color and intensity from dad but still point like mother. But right now I'm dreaming of dinner.

Chasseur:

You are an elitist! A Purdey? Yes, Sir! and may I please have a Boss? (An uncle of mine had a hammer Greener, a hammer Boss,Damascus barrels, of course and not fired in years but lovingly maintained.The stocks alone were things of beauty. His widow, totally unaware of the value of perhaps 40 or so firearms called in an "antiques" dealer and sold him the entire contents of the house, including, of course, all the guns. My father and I forgave her but deep down, I think we agreed with my mother's assessment that she was a "dumb blonde".

Cold Bore:

I'm an old man now and don't shoot anymore and don't deal in shotguns either but I almost laughed out loud reading your post. The 21 was expensive when it came out and I was dumbfounded to read about getting one under $2500 today. I enjoyed your sense of humor. Let me add that he definitely should keep it a secret. (although, you never know. Maybe people looking for gun deals should hire him! I was always a pigeon in gun deals. Where the heck was he when it mattered?)

I just bought a Verona (Rizzini) O/U combo gun with a set of 20 gauge barrels and a set of 28 gauge barrels. The "engraving" is rolled on and the gold "inlays" are plated like most of them today. But the wood is relatively presentable and I love the 28 gauge. I did not get this free but retail is around $2240 so it meets the criteria.

I really like the 20 ga Citori Feather in my safe. But the truth is, I hit a lot more clays with the 28ga Red Label sitting next to it. I just picked up a Superposed Lightning in 12 ga that is very nice, but I haven't even shot it yet. I'd love to have a 20 ga Superposed, but they will barely fit under that $2,500 ceiling.

True story about a M21. My ex-nephew-in-law works at an auto plant in Toledo, OH. One of his co-workers does roofing on the side. He had roofed an old man's house who ended up not having enough money for the job, so offered an old shotgun for the last $150 owed. The roofer took it and told Mike (the nephew-in-law) the next day at work the story and asked if Mike wanted the shotgun for $150. Mike said yes, not knowing what it was, just that he thought it should be worth at least that much. When he got it home, he called a local gunshop to ask how much a M-21 was worth, that he had a nice one. The gunshop folks put him on hold for about 10 minutes, and when they came back on line, told him they would give him $3,000 for it, sight unseen. Needless to say, Mike nearly stained himself. He ended up trading it (at a different gunshop) for a new 20 ga Beretta Silver Pidgeon and $1600 cash. Not a bad deal, at all......

MKane160 aka BigDogMK