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I have long dreamed of getting a nice over/under shotgun. By long, I mean going on a quarter century or so now. For most of that time ?nice? meant something with a wood stock and engraving, say a Beretta 686 or Browning Citori or the like. However, now that I have entered a point in my life where I can finally acquire one of these beauts, I have realized two things:
1) My previous definition of ?nice? is only entry level. To get something really pretty I?ll need at least 8K, more like 10 or 12 and on up the cost of a new Porsche. For the time being (and until I can convince my wife otherwise) I am going to trick myself into believing that a 2K-3K Beretta or Browning is plenty nice.
2) Expecting a shotgun to fit off the rack is precisely like expecting a new suit to fit off the rack? it just does not happen.
Given the anticipation of finally fulfilling a years-long dream, I have been watching far too many YouTube videos and reading far too many articles about over/unders. From what I gather, fit is paramount. Well, I have tried on every over/under in a 70 mile radius of my house and none of them fit. Just like trying to buy a suit off the rack, the Brownings are either too heavy for my purposes or the length of pull is too short or they don?t have the requisite engraving to qualify as ?nice? in my book. The Berettas (and, admittedly, I really want a Silver Pigeon) don?t have enough cast to them for my eye to naturally look straight down the barrel. And getting one with an adjustable stock is beyond unicorn level from what I can tell.
So, it?s looking like I will have to buy one and then alter it to some degree or another. Hopefully it will fit well enough to get a couple points higher on the clays than I currently get with my 870. Or, at least, it will look good on the range and in my safe.
After that, it?s on to the next dream? traveling to London and getting a gun custom fitted, but I?m pretty sure that?s going to cost me more than a suit.
1) My previous definition of ?nice? is only entry level. To get something really pretty I?ll need at least 8K, more like 10 or 12 and on up the cost of a new Porsche. For the time being (and until I can convince my wife otherwise) I am going to trick myself into believing that a 2K-3K Beretta or Browning is plenty nice.
2) Expecting a shotgun to fit off the rack is precisely like expecting a new suit to fit off the rack? it just does not happen.
Given the anticipation of finally fulfilling a years-long dream, I have been watching far too many YouTube videos and reading far too many articles about over/unders. From what I gather, fit is paramount. Well, I have tried on every over/under in a 70 mile radius of my house and none of them fit. Just like trying to buy a suit off the rack, the Brownings are either too heavy for my purposes or the length of pull is too short or they don?t have the requisite engraving to qualify as ?nice? in my book. The Berettas (and, admittedly, I really want a Silver Pigeon) don?t have enough cast to them for my eye to naturally look straight down the barrel. And getting one with an adjustable stock is beyond unicorn level from what I can tell.
So, it?s looking like I will have to buy one and then alter it to some degree or another. Hopefully it will fit well enough to get a couple points higher on the clays than I currently get with my 870. Or, at least, it will look good on the range and in my safe.
After that, it?s on to the next dream? traveling to London and getting a gun custom fitted, but I?m pretty sure that?s going to cost me more than a suit.
) out there. (Joking). 
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