The end of the side-by-side fad?

[Questor]

I had the day off yesterday and drove past a Cabelas. Having some time on my hands, I thought I'd do a little browsing because I had not been in one for at least a year. Lots of used side-by-side shotguns were for sale. Are people tiring of the side by sides as a fad gun? Or are they just coming out of the woodwork because people are selling their least favorite guns?

[Dustyvance]

Don't know if this is what ur lookin for but here goes. I have a over/under and its great but I would love to have a side b side. I had 1 in 16 Ga. and liked it pretty good but its was horribly expensive to feed cuz it is not that common around here. Eventully I will own another but the good ones are kinda scarce around here and my budget will not allow me to go out and buy a new one.

[Questor]

Keep your eyes open for an opportunity when the funds allow. Most of the ones I saw were European guns that were in decent shape, but were old. Looked serviceable for modern ammo. Prices on several was around 500 to 600 dollars.

I prefer the O/Us. and I'm really happy with the one I've got.

One thing about these guns is I saw was that fit on some was better than on others. Some looked nice but I figured you had to be about three feet tall to shoot it well.

[pastorp]

Double barrel shotguns are not a fad. IMO  I have 4 at the moment.

Regards,

[Warhawk]

You don't suppose that Cabela's bought a collection?

They do it all the time.

[Questor]

Warhawk:

That's probably exactly right. None of the guns were fancy or expensive, but they could very well have belonged to somebody who liked guns like that.

Pastorp:

I like side by sides too, I just don't own any because I don't like a multiplicity of shotguns. I have one that I use for hunting. One thing I like about my Beretta O/U is that it fits my hands so well and is so easy to carry. It's a 20. I've never found a side by side that fit my hands that well, except in 28 gauge. I like those European game guns. Nice light practical guns. What's your preferene in a side by side?

[pastorp]

I have 2 410s, 1 16ga, & 1 12ga. The 12s are too bulky. I really liked the 20s I've owned. Don't have a 20 double at the moment.

Regards,

[squirrellluck]

Love my L.C. Smith but my 20 ga 311 is good too. If I ever get finished with the 20 ga Fulton special I want to take squirrel hunting too. Gotta love the doubles!

[JPShelton]

I bought a Parker Hale (Made by Ugartechea) 20 bore side by side back in the early 80s when I turned 18.  I bought it because two uncles, who happened to be the two most serious upland hunters I knew personally at the time, shot 50s vintage A y A doubles.  In chasing quail and chukar across California's High Desert, I could see some advanatges to that type of gun for the hunting that we were doing.

I still think that a subgauge side by side with splinter fore-end, straight grip stock, and double triggers is the right tool for that kind of hunting.

Now that I'm living in eastern Oklahoma, I don't do much quail hunting.  We don't seem to have populations of them out here that I remember seeing when visiting as a kid.  We do get a poo-load of doves around my hometown, though.  So, where I wasn't as much in to dove shooting in California, I am much more in to dove shooting now, because that's the best wingshooting I've got locally.

And for this shooting, I don't see much of an advantage to a light (my Parker Hale was 5.5 pounds) side by side,  but I really appreciate being able to go "bang, bang, bang" with my 20 bore pump gun instead of "bang, bang" with the side by side. 

I've been wanting to sell the Parker Hale for many years.  Now that I don't perceive the same need for it that I once did, parting with it was easy.  I don't have much of a use for a side by side locally, but the local scene isn't the limit of my wingshooting horizon, either.  I simply wanted to upgrade to a better quality gun and I don't need to keep two side by sides around.

And I've noticed some pretty good deals on better quality side by side guns on the current market, which is kind of depressed.  I got lucky and sold mine for fair value, and I am hoping to be even luckier and pick up an nice A y A 4/53 in 28 gauge for LESS than former pre-recession fair market value.

I don't think the "fad" has passed, and thanks to the Intermess, where guys like me who know why we prefer the side by side for certain kinds of shooting have a place to stroke our mutal egos for our mutual refined good taste, I don't think the side by side will dissappear. 

Rather, I think the deals were seeing on side by sides has more to do with the state of the economy, and not a sudden fall from favor for this style of gun.

JP

[Questor]

I don't think it'll disappear either. What we have is a bunch of enabling technologies that allow the manufacture of decent side by sides at reasonable costs, with reasonable being about $2000 to $2500 for a very nice gun. This makes them price competitive with O/Us. I think the O/Us in that price range tend to be more refined and have better cosmetics, but they're still comparable.

[bobg]

  In the very early 60s my fathers boss had a Fox s/s he said he would sell for 50 bucks. I just happen to have $50 stuffed away from my little after school job. I hunted with it for four or five years. The guy told the old man he would like it back. He had a Remington 700 in 222mag. he would trade me even for it. I took the trade. Sure wish i had that shot gun back. I haven't seen a side by side in the gun shops around here in years. At last count over the years i have owned 35 shot guns. . Nothing fits the way that Fox did.
                bobg

[JBlk]

If you can buy good quality side by side doubles, you should fill up a barn with them.They will pay for your childrens and grandchildrens college education.If I had done that with two cylinder John Deere tractors I would be writing this from a much warmer climate.

[Drilling Man]

  It's about the longest lasting "fad" i've ever seen, as it was going on when i was a kid using this one,



  and nearly 50 years later, the fad AND the shotgun are still going!   

  DM

[ebonitekid767]

actually I feel like the double barrels are coming back in a big way with the younger generation. I myself am 23 and I bought my first double a few months ago. its a near mint savage fox 16ga and i LOVEEEE it and would like a twin in 20ga. But I know alot of the guys my age and younger who sold their 870's and 500's and bought stoegers or stevens 311's. I have shot O/U's but there is just something about pulling that 16ga out of the case on a rabbit or grouse hunt that just puts a smile on my face!

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  I don't know if it is  fad, or hard times, or the demand for steel shot...I see lots of doubles on the shelves also...Having been that route, with both o/u's and sxs's. One day about seven years ago, I sold all the doubles I had at the moment (7 or except for my grandfathers Fox...it will go to my name sake, but he will also get a couple nice pumps to hunt with...All my life I have heard about doubles and the feel, handling etc...that may be true for some folks, but for me it is fall out from the snobs in Britian...for me nothing handles and shoots as well as a nice pump...the two choke deal for doubles is another con....If you have one very open and one very tight...you are good for close or far, but nothing in between with a mod and full, you can do the same with an IM in a pump...I have shot shotguns for more than 50 years, pumps, autos, singles o/u, and s x s. If it fits it will do well, but for me the double fad is kind of like fly fishing, some do it because they truely love it, most because it is the in thing...doubles were and maybe are the in thing...with groups who want to be cool...I am sure some still shoot them because they shoot them best, or that is what they grew up with...

[dukkillr]

Go to your closest sporting clays or skeet range when they are having an elite competition.  Count the number of SxS and OU you see.  You'll be able to count the SxSs on one finger, if there's an idiot in the group.

They are fine for messing around but they are more difficult to aim and shoot reliably.  There will always be some around but I do think there has been something of a fad, probably enhanced by the cowboy shooting guys.

[squirrellluck]

Maybe an idiot maybe they just know how shoot a double really well? Havent ever hunted them clay birds but hunted quail, dove, duck, rabbit and squirrel with my LC Smith. Always done a fine job. I have a couple autos and a 870 wingmaster but when I am serious I grab my doubles

[Swampman]

As long as they make 870s I'll never need a double barrel of either sort.

[LONGTOM]

They all have their place, pumps, O&Us, autos, singles and the good old double.
At the present time I have 5 doubles.
Two of them are Spanish 12s.
Really super nice guns for the money.
Engraved with case colored frames and double triggers.
I have smaller hands so they really fit me well in that department.
A little light for the full house loads but I still love them.

The other 3 are a 12, 16, 20ga Fox models.
The 12 & 16 are straight model Bs and the 20 is a BSE.
Would love to have a 410 in any of them but they have gotten way out of line price wise lately.
Same goes for the shells.

Nothing will ever take the place of my A5 Brownings in 12, Sweet 16 and 20 ga but I still love the look and feel of a classic old double!

I also have 3 Win 1300 pumps and 2 1200 pumps in 12ga along with 3 Win 1400s and 1 1500 autos in 12, 16 & 20ga.
Two Win O&Us.
A Supreme and a 101 XTR Light Weight Pigeon grade, both in 12ga.

Last but not least are my H&Rs.
A Pardner pump in 12ga camo and 1 each single in 12, 20 & 410.
Anybody have a 16ga they want to part with?
Yes, I do like shotguns of all types.

Just ain't nothing like the sound of a pump slide in a dark, dead quite house at night!  



LONGTOM

[Wynn]

Well, the S/S double fad has lasted 48 years for me with no end in sight. I have pumps, autos and singles but when it has come to takeing game, my doubles have account for the lions share. The short receiver, light weight and choice of chokes + the ability to chamber different loads for multiple types of game that may present themselves is what works for me. I killed my first buck by chance while squirrel hunting when I was a kid because I kept that modified barrel loaded with #3 buckshot. ( hand-me-down Fox B in 20 gauge )

[coyotejoe]

I'm with you there Wynn, I too appreciate having two barrels with different chokes and often two different loads. I like SxS and O&U about equally well but I much prefer two triggers and few O&U guns come that way. I've just never found sellective single triggers to be as natural and intuitive for me as twin triggers.  A couple of years ago I got a nice little 6 1/4 pound Fausti 20 gauge O&U with the barrel sellector built into the trigger, the absolutely worst place to put it. So I immediatly disassembled it and commenced to convert it to double trigger. I'm now much more happy with it. But it doesn't see much use since I got an old Zastava SxS 16 gauge from Century Arms for $139. That old Zastava is no thing of beauty but it handles and shoots very well and since it is already well used I don't worry about adding one more scratch or ding and it's only 3 ounces heavier than the 20 gauge Fausti. Of course it came with double triggers and even sling swivels.

[Rock Home Isle]

I had the day off yesterday and drove past a Cabelas. Having some time on my hands, I thought I'd do a little browsing because I had not been in one for at least a year. Lots of used side-by-side shotguns were for sale. Are people tiring of the side by sides as a fad gun? Or are they just coming out of the woodwork because people are selling their least favorite guns?

The market for side X sides is not as demanding as the other action types...Cowboy Action is the cuurent vertical market that driving the side X side market.

I would almost suspect that a private collection, heavy in side X sides,  had been purchased and the items put out on the floor.

[1marty]

Few years ago I bought a CZ bobwhite 20g sxs. It's a great field gun-light with a great swing. For a "fad" it certainly never seems to go away.

[His lordship.]

Two barrels to clean versus one with the pump and semi-auto? 

[huntswithdogs]

I've always shot a SxS better than most others and have owned all types. When shooting or owning one, I prefer one that has a smaller forearm. Never could get used to those real wide beavertail ones. Most SxS shotguns have a pretty narrow wrist area that suits me just fine and the English style or straight grips are even better.
Prices started up on SxSs when Cowboy shooting got big and it ain't stopped since.


HWD

[popplecop]

Just a passing fad, let's see SxSs, 3-12s, 4-16s, 2-20s, 1-24 and 2-28s, and the there are O/Us too.

[mcwoodduck]

Go to your closest sporting clays or skeet range when they are having an elite competition.  Count the number of SxS and OU you see.  You'll be able to count the SxSs on one finger, if there's an idiot in the group.

They are fine for messing around but they are more difficult to aim and shoot reliably.  There will always be some around but I do think there has been something of a fad, probably enhanced by the cowboy shooting guys.

Well I guess that Idoit would be me.
My first ATA (american Trap Assoc) shoot I went to shot a 96 out of 100,  Beating most of the guys on my squad that were shooting O/Us, droped the same bird, same statation, both houses with a pair of Urgathtecha M30's.
They were just plain old field guns Modified / Full double triggers, splinter foreneds, and strait wrists.
I bring two because the guns get hot in the Southern CA sun and it gives one a change to cool off while I shoot the other.
My grandmother does the same thing with her BT-99s.
I will bring out my SXS and not be the only one for Sporting clays.  Out of about 150 shooters at Rahages range you will see about 5 to 10 SXS on the range.  many are sub guage (410, 28, or 20)
But most stack barrels have large forends and will suck up the heat, but with the two barrels one over the other you will get heat distortion, even with a vented rib.  
I do have other SXS shotguns that have beaver tail forends, pistol grips and single triggers.
I even had a Damascus barreled Trap grade LC Smith that I made Black powder loads for.  (Pyrodex actually but they still made a huge cloud of white smoke on the range that smelled like BBQ)
I don't think the fad is over.  I think some people are cleaning out thier safes, with the economy the side by sides that were purchased for $20 to 300 are now worth 400 - 1,200 and with the Cowboy shooters wanting vintage and classic SXS the old quail gun ends up on the auction block.

[Justin10mm]

All I know is I'll never buy a double with a single trigger. Got to have two.

I've been dreaming of a cz bobwhite in 410.


The Buda Cabela's store has a lot of old doubles on the used rack. Good luck finding anything other than a 12 gauge though.

[manatee1947]

when I was young I had a couple of SXS, a 410 Stevens, and a 12 ga 311 savage. One I was an idiot and sold, the 2nd was stolen. I now have 2 870's. Why? Because they are so much better? No, because in more recent years (the 90's) I got a couple of deals, one slightly used for $150 and the other for 280$ For a long time I would have loved to have another double, but when I can buy a reliable pump for 1/3 or less of what a double cost, I could not justify it. I am always amused at the highbrow op eds I run across where they talk about "British" or "snobs", then go on to describe a "reasonable" priced gun as 2000-2500$. I don't know how many guys I know who are trying to unload an ATV or a Bass Boat now because everything is getting repossessed. The 311 Savage I bought new at a Western Auto store for $162.50 in the late '70s. They were plain, rock solid guns, which shoot as well now as then. I am working on a deal to trade one of my 870's (an Express) for a Stoeger Coach gun. That way I won't have a credit card bill for the next 3 years to remind me of it.   

[alleyyooper]

My brother is a SXS guy. It was some time in the mid 70's when he bought a SKB Ithaca 12ga..
I looked down the barrel and felt over whelmed to the point I told him nice looking culverts.
I stuck with my Ithaca model 37 12ga. till late in the 70's.
then one day I walk into a area gun shop where I was well knowen. The owner grabs a Breatta silver snipe 20ga. OU off the rack and says here is the shot gun you need for those early partrage you hunt. He was right it turned out in fact I found it ideal for nearly all upland hunting.
today My brother has that old SKB Ithaca still, along with a 311 savage in 20ga. I on the other hand have a safe full of OU's and my old Ithaca and a 20ga. I got from my dad after he stopped hunting at 89.


If ya like the SXS you should own at least one. If like me you feel over whelmed by the width stay away from them you will never be happy.

Cleaning any gun is not a chore at my house. It is an act of love to be done on a regular bascis even if the guns have sat in a safe for months. Guns are made to be fondled and cressed as much as shot. Well for us gun lovers any way.  Al