Cheap vs expensive shotgun

chris888

chris888

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Hello. After reading Jay kays post about cheap first time shotgun it got me asking what is the difference between a cheap and expensive shotgun? Would most people even be able to tell the difference.
 
Flinty said:
1 Nice bit of wood 2 Nice bit of engraving 3 A better finish on the gun
That's about it, it's all about making you feel good
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Yeah I'd agree with that, but would also say fit is more important than make, too

Back when I had SG, I was partial to Winchester O/U mainly because they fitted me properly. Loved Berettas but they just didn't quite feel as good to shoulder and shoot
 
Its not just visual. The working parts will be machined to a closer tolerance and the parts will be finished off better by some degree of polishing.
The quality of the materials used will be, I suspect, better quality as well which is why a good make usually lasts long time.
 
The difference you will find to be as chalk & cheese, quality in perfection is the best - mass produced with a wide tolerance is the worst!
With the safety on & loaded shake the gun, Cheap guns often sound like a bag of bolts. Can you hear the cartridge rattle, yes = a serious shoulder kicker. No = a may bee! Then take the single selective, how does it feel? Cheap often means rotten! Take the finish, examine it in minute detail, including the blueing. Cheapo firms can make Balsa look like quality.
The moment I took the plunge and bought a Browning, my shooting improved, I also had it fitted. One may well jump into an old Fiat 500 and declare it better than walking. But for goodness sake also take a ride in a Rolls for an educated decision.
A quality gun is an investment, a cheap one is just that, second best!! Happy new year
 
Watch the TGS Beretta/Browning & Blazer factory tour videos and that will answer a lot of your question.

Metal spec, wood quality, machining practices, R&D, the list goes on.
When I pick up something like a Yildiz I can just feel it's cheap let alone see it, when you hold a 40yr old Browning or Beretta they're still quality bits of kit even with four decades of use.
It's not badge snobbery that makes a gun good, it has to earn that reputation with performance & longevity.
 
Having just gone through this in the past 6/8 months I came to this conclusion.

Fit is the most important part of getting a shotgun, after that, get one for the discipline your shooting, so for me doing clays for example, I went for an o/u with 30" barrels, multi choke, manual safety, ejector, adjustable comb and steel proofed barrels. It's imoostant to get steel proofed ones as this is the way the sport is going and lead will soon be a thing of the past, and you don't want an old gun not capable of steel shot or it will go in the bin.

Good guns are available pretty cheaply, but a more expensive one is generally a little smoother, better finished and handles a bit better - but don't confuse this with the massive increase in price due to specialist woods or fancy engraving, none of that makes you a better shot!

I'd personally avoid anything too cheap unless it's going to be chucked in the back of a Land Rover with the dogs!

You should get something nice and functional from £1000/2000 depending how deep your pockets are, and obviously new is a lot more than second hand.
 
Ratman72 said:
Buying an expensive shotgun will not make you a better clay shot
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Absolutely agree, but it will make the whole experience more pleasurable so you are more likely to stick with it and become a better shot.

A long time ago my father in law started to take me clay shooting. He lent me an old battered Biakal. It never fit me and kicked like a mule every time you took a shot. I couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo using it and found the whole thing really frustrating and very nearly gave up.

Just before I did tried a few second hand "better" shotguns, bought a Beretta that actually fit, didn't actually hurt to shoot and the whole experience changed. Because of that, I carried on and became a reasonable shot at both clay and game and had a hobby that I've enjoyed for years and took my sons to rather than walking away.

So, yes, I agree, you won't instantly become an awesome shot because you spent a bit more, but you will smile every time you pick the gun up.
 
chris888 said:
Hello. After reading Jay kays post about cheap first time shotgun it got me asking what is the difference between a cheap and expensive shotgun? Would most people even be able to tell the difference.
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Clay gun or field gun?
 
I bought my first Browning to have the multi-choke facility, but dispensed with the pretty wood and fancy engraving, just a grade1 B325. After patterning I could see the chokes on my Winchester 91 were far too tight for most sporting targets and in competition you can't afford to handicap yourself. My scores took a big jump immediately, which meant winning my class at all the shoots and being graded up. Then the hard work started.
 
P8X said:
Yeah I'd agree with that, but would also say fit is more important than make, too

Back when I had SG, I was partial to Winchester O/U mainly because they fitted me properly. Loved Berettas but they just didn't quite feel as good to shoulder and shoot
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Yes fully agree it doesn't matter what quality the materials are or how well it been machined,( they all have to meet Proof )or what name is on the side, if it doesn't fit it doesn't fit, and that's the most important aspect if you want to shoot to the best of your ability.
Once again you're right about Berettas. They make some fantastic guns at very high standards with top-quality materials, sadly all of the ones I have tried and I have tried many over the years, they all give me a bang under my eye, because they just don't fit me.
C S W said:
A quality gun is an investment, a cheap one is just that, second best!! Happy new year
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That is something you need to consider these days. Just try selling a quality gun these days, you will be very lucky to see a return on your investment, that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy one if that's what you want, it's your money, spend it as you like, 25 odd years back I did just that and bought a new Browning 425 for around £900 a lot of money back then, still got it and have no intention of selling it. my son has just sold a Dan Arms that I gave him around that time, still working after all that time not too bad considering I only gave £20 ? for it back then, after auction fees, we didn't make a profit :)
 
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Whilst the thing will look good, feel good and last it will not make you any more accurate a shot

I’ve got a Mk1 Hatsan semi auto that’s been used frequently and ragged around fields, its still working, still knocking over bunnies and pigeons.

Is it a nice specimen, no, will it last forever, probably not, does it rattle yes, has it outshot several 1k / 2k guns - all the time

I went into a shop many years ago with about £1500 to spend, shouldered Browning & Beretta’s, settled on the £500 Hatsan

Why…..because it fitted me better than the better looking, better built, more expensive options did
 
I’m a pretty firm believer in you get what you pay for, but above all certain point you are just paying for aesthetics rather than performance.
At the cheap end I was very surprised how nice the Kofs I’ve just bought for my son is. It’s certainly a million miles from the Baikal I had the misfortune to use on occasions when I was more or less his age!
 
I started out with a Baikal single barrel, then progressing to Mirkou then Holland and Holland, but Paramount is the fit,tbh a little Miruko Skeet gun fitted me better than anything, my performance was highlighted by the confidence I had in the gun, Good luck 🤞 mitch21
 
Cheap shotguns are ok ---As long as if fits you ie stock length --but also in the coming lead free wold a multi chokes will be needed ---there is plenty of cheap guns that outshoot expansive guns in the right hands --many moons back i outshot a chap that was this so called top shot--he had a 3k UO gun and i had a £60 SS none ejc!!!!! it how the gun fits and known how to use it
 
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