Shotgun for wife?

[bopper4]

Looking for a shotgun for the wife for her birthday. I know she would like a double barrel 20 gauge and I don't want to break the bank. I am looking at spending around 500. Any suggestions?

[Tator2k]

What is her intended use? Hunting and/or shooting sports?

[Gordie]

b4 check out the classifieds as I saw an o/u 20 ga in there a week or so ago for around the price range your looking also I seen a couple of o/u 28 ga shotguns at Marv's Minnows in Zimmerman for that price range also

Hope this helps

[bopper4]

Her intended use is for hunting grouse and the occasional pheasant. When we first started dating she told me she could never kill a bird. It took about ten minutes of walking with the dogs on a game farm last year to change her mind. When we were leaving that day she asked when we could go again! I think I created a monster, now I just need to get her into deer hunting.

[DitchPickle13]

Good job on introducing her to shooting/outdoors!

As for the gun, the bad news is there are very few options in the over/under 20ga category within that price range. The good news is Stoeger makes a nice one that seems to be a perfect fit for what you're describing. It's the Stoeger Condor and you should be able to find one easily. There's even one listed on gunbroker by a dealer in MN right now.

Hope that helps.

[Tator2k]

That's what I was going to say. The upper end models of the Condors. All the options of a bunch of the other in that price range. I have on of their M2000 semi-autos and a Condor Competition. I just recently saw the price of this model jumped to $649. retail.

[swamptiger]

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought maybe the guy was interested in making a trade. I have an old Stevens 3" 20ga. side by side double, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[rich4walleyes]

If you want a quality O/U for $500 you should look at a CZ Canvasback. They are a very good quality gun and you are able to get one for $500 now. I have one of these in a 12 ga and am very happy with it. I have not had any problems with it and have put several thousand rounds through it. If and when I am going to buy another gun, I will be getting another CZ.

[TooTallTom]

I think I created a monster, now I just need to get her into deer hunting.

+1 Good job adding a shooter/ hunter to the ranks!

You might want to look at gun or pawn shops for something older and used. If you can take your time, you might find something unique in your price range that she'll really like.

Or, you could skip the "gift" route and just take her out shopping for her new shotgun. (Fit is very important, and it would help if she was actually there.) You can add accessories later for the actual gift.

[gunmunky]

If you're not in a big hurry you might want to go to a shooting range and see what some of the guns are that the women shooters prefer. When I was a member of a large shooting club we welcomed anyone to shoot with us and were always willing to let them shoot our guns. Try the NSSA dot com and find a range in your area.

[Ufatz]

Look for an old Stevens 311. Pretty they ain't-durable they are. And a little heavy but they really ARE what she might like.

[Tom7227]

It's a long haul for you but Ahlman's in Morristown has hundreds of doubles on the floor. I was browsing last fall and there was an incredible variety of guns. You could find out which make or model she like the best, which fits her well, and still have a pretty wide price selection. An important point would be having a knowledgeable person help with the fit of the gun for her. I had a heck of a time getting the stock to fit for my wife and ended up having someone butcher the first one terribly. Had to buy a new one.

[bustumup]

If it's not working out for the two of you, why not go to counseling or just get a divorce? This is not the way to end things? Let me know if you need someone to talk to.

[Polarisx54r]

Not a double barrel, but my wife LOVES her ithaca M37 featherweight. Ducks and geese are often on our plate so we went with a 12 (very hard to find), but they are most commonly found in 16ga or 20. A decent gunshow will have several in the 200-359 price range. Very fine shotgun for your purpose. Carries light, points fast and usually come fixed IC choke. A dandy shotgun if she decides to hunt deer someday also. We shortened the stock about an inch and fitted a slip over leather recoil pad. Sanded down the sharp point that bites your cheek (weve both got those high Scandinavian cheekbones that gunmakers don't know about)to an english style buttstock and oil finished the works. Sometimes I joke about trading it. "out of my cold dead hands" she says. That was my first shotguns. I still find some of my old purple shells around Ely or my Grandmas old farm in W MN and smile about the the good memories it brought me. Finally wore the thing out and sold it for parts.

[troutned]

A couple of suggestions. Look for a Ruger red label, as they tend to be a bit less pricey than some of their competitors, and they're well-made and very safe. Also, search for "Miroku" or "Charles Daly". Charles Daly guns were made by Miroku for a long time, and you'll sometimes find them at decent prices. (Miroku has made the Citori for Browning, as well as Wichester 101s, and they are quality guns.) On the Charles Daly searches, beware that Charles Dalys were more recently made by a Spanish manufacturer. I don't know if the design is the same as the Mirokus, but the overall quality is thought to be lower, and they don't look as nice. BTW, I've been shooting a Miroku (same as early Charles Daly) 20 gauge for years. My dad bought it for my mom in the 1960s, and its never had any real trouble. The rib did come loose, but I know that was because it was exposed to saltwater in the aleutians in the 60s. Mechanically, it's never had a problem.