New CZ shotguns

[pastorp]

Anyone here use a CZ sxs or O/U in 410 or 28ga. I handled one in 410bore it sure felt light and whippy. Any user reports would be appreciated. Thanks, Byron

[Graybeard]

Huglu in Turkey makes these guns for both CZ and DeHaan to import. I like them really I do but they are all made on frames sized to the round and for me at least that makes the .410 and 28 both a bit too small and light. They are down right petite and I'm a big ol fat boy and they just don't fit me. I love them don't get me wrong but they just don't feel right in my hands. I've had their SxS guns in ..410, 28 and 20 and it took getting the 20 to find one that felt right in my hands.

I've not owned or held their O/Us except the 20 which really feels nice to me but I'm sure that like the SxS the 28 and .410 would likely feel too petite to me. Still I've not seen or held the smaller O/Us so cannot say for sure.

[pastorp]

Bill, did you shoot them enough to form and opinion on reliability? Did the barrels seam well regulated?

I handled a 410 once and it was petite. Is the 28 as small? thanks, Byron

[Graybeard]

The 28 is slightly larger than the .410. Each frame is sized to the gauge of the shell it chambers. So each time you step up in gauge you also step up in frame size and weight of the gun.

No honestly I didn't shoot either of them long enough to make an comment on how reliable or long lasting they might be. I don't think I fired a full box thru the little .410 as it was just so small I couldn't get used to it. The 28 I shot more perhaps a couple rounds of skeet or so with it and it worked OK for me but was still a bit too petite for my hands. I had no malfunctions of any type in the limited use I put them to. The 20 gauge was the DeHaan rather than CZ but still made by Huglu and thus other than cosmetics was the same as the CZ.

I shot it still more and kept it a year or so I guess. Again it never malfunctioned in any way and I shot it about as well as I shoot SxS guns which on skeet is definitely NOT as well as I do O/Us but my scores were respectable with it. I never took it hunting and used it only on skeet.

The shop I traded my DeHaan back into might still have it. The last time I looked it was there. I think they were asking a bit over $800 for it but I'd not wanna bet on that being the right price.

[pastorp]

Thanks Bill, I have a stevens 410 double but want something a little nicer: but not too nice or I won't use it. Byron

[Graybeard]

The Huglus are nice guns. Those imported by DeHaan a bit nicer than the ones imported by CZ in my opinion but both are well finished and good looking guns. I guess I've never understood the mentality that it's "too nice to use" personally. That's what they are made for is to use well with the exception of some few perhaps made only for looks that no one really expected to ever see real world use in the field.

I'm not a collector of anything really (well unless you count this fat that seems to collect around my waist) so if I buy one I fully expect to use it and accept that if/when I use a gun it's likely to get some minor nicks and dings from that use. It's not something I worry about. Oh sure I'll wince when it happens but ten minutes later I'm over and it moving on. I was far less concerned about such in using my $12,500 Krieghoff than my cousin is over his $1200 Browning but then that's just the way some folks are.

As nice as the Huglus are they are certainly NOT in a class that you'd need to feel concerned about taking them afield and giving them honest use.

[pastorp]

Some guns I buy are for investments. I believe they will appreciate. I may shoot them occasionally but not carry in a holster.

If you have never lived in Alaska it is hard to believe how harsh the climate is and how hard on good guns. I love blue and good looking wood but it sure takes a beating up here. I've never owned a gun that cost much over $2000.00 let alone $12000.00. You can believe though your Krieghoff would not look very pretty if you used it to hunt up here.

I really want a drilling but so far haven't been able to spend what they cost to get one. Thanks for the info. Byron

[Graybeard]

The Krieghoff wasn't a hunting gun it was a skeet gun tho it certainly could have been used for hunting and had I kept it the gun might have eventually seen use as such. It was a 12 gauge with 20, 28 and .410 Briley tube sets for use in skeet shooting. I used it mostly with the 28 gauge tubes since the 28 gauge was at the time my primary choice as a skeet gun. These days I split the duty between 28 and .410 mostly. I seldom ever shot it as a 12 gauge or 20 either.

The gun with tubes was so heavy tho that after a couple of rounds it had my back hurting so bad it just wasn't worth the effort. It was however the single most beautiful gun I've ever owned. The wood had 100% fancy grain in both stock and fore end. I've never seen higher grade wood on any gun of any type any where and those who saw it all agreed.

I sold it to get my money back since I had to stop shooting it due to the pain it caused in my back. I've gone now to shooting much lighter weight Browning Lightning guns in .410 and 28 gauge and the back no longer gives me trouble after a few rounds of shooting. The gun was stolen from the fellow who bought it within a few months of me selling it. He and some friends put their guns in the trunk of one of their cars and took a different one to go for lunch at a big skeet shoot. When they returned all their high grade guns had been stolen. That gun is likely no longer even in the US as it was a truly beautiful gun any lover of fine guns would appreciate.