At my age, and given the number of guns I’ve a.) shot and b.) owned, you’d think that I’d be immune to gun lust by now. And to a large degree, I am. Certainly, I’m no longer seduced by a pretty gun like this vintage Purdey Hammer gun (because Purdey co$$$$t):
…and for purely cost:quality criteria, I would be more likely to go for something like this Chapuis Chapeur Classic (Classique?):
…which runs for under $5,000 and gives me a balance between looks and utility, rather than a super-budget CZ Bobwhite:
…which sells for under $800, still has all the features I want (splinter/English stock, double triggers, etc.) but would probably not provide the same stirring of the loins when I opened up Ye Olde Gunne Sayffe.
Leaving aside all mention of Purdeys and their ilk, one asks the question: is the Chapuis a better gun than the CZ? Answer: probably, and certainly in terms of workmanship (hand-built vs. Turkish assembly line), yes.
Next question: is the Chapuis six times better than the CZ? Answer: probably not.
The only time this becomes a more interesting question is if one wonders whether such a decision (upgrading to a more expensive gun) would improve one’s score / performance.
And here I turn again to Jonny Carter, who talks shotguns with ace shotgunner Anthony Matarese Jr., multiple-times world- and U.S. champion shooter.
Most of the things I once thought critical to shotgun shooting performance (e.g. locktime and trigger) turn out to be, well, not that critical, according to the (again:) multiple-times world- and U.S. champion shooter.
Go ahead and watch it (20-odd minutes), and prepare to be surprised.
How much would it cost for a local artist to add the scrollwork and silver plating to the CZ?
I worked for a shall remain unnamed firearm company for almost 7 years.
I do not speak on their behalf
In the past the company has an engraver who would put silver and gold on guns and engrave guns. That work back 16 years ago could be anywhere from hundreds to thousand of dollars depending on time and materials used.
Today in the post Covid world with inflation so bad that the US dollar is worth much less, I would imagine that they if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.
Can you even imagine living a life where you could think about guns, and anything else, in terms of aesthetics and performance and pesky things like price never enter into the equation?
Me neither.
signed;
Blue Collar Slave
Dear Peasant,
I know what’s best for you better than I do. We are the Democrats and we will be making arbitrary gun laws and then only people with money will be able to afford the training and licensing fees and high cost of guns due to regulation. This is a feature not a bug in our policies.
Only the police and Government should have guns.
Toe the line peasant. You are not paying your fair share yet. More taxes and gun laws to come.
Signed,
Ned Lamont and Maura Healey, the northeast crew. Massachusetts and Connecticut.
On a serious note – Ghost – a while back you mentioned in a previous post about possibly looking for a good 22 LR gun – did you ever get one? If so, what did you get? Are you happy with it? I know many people suggested the Ruger Single six, but I was always wondering if you ended up with a new gun?
I’m specifically looking for a full size .22 revolver and have not been successful.
I recently looked at a couple at Bass Pro in Louisville but they were NOT full size.
Don’t remember the brand but they seemed like kids guns and would be difficult for a full size person to shoot properly.
Thing is, I looked at these guns online first and they looked normal to me. But when I seen them in person they were considerably smaller than say, a Colt Peacemaker size.
Frustrating.
If the single six is not right for you size wise – check out the smith and Wesson 617. – they have 4 and 6 inch barrels available. There is a newer mountain gun config that comes with wood grips and NO internal lock. Pricey but one of the best double action revolvers you can get. Good luck.
That was a great video – nice to hear a pro who hasn’t been captured by the marketing machine.
Of those, I would prefer the CZ, because I know how badly I treat field guns. Used, preferably – I will feel better about it if it came to me with the first scratch or dent already installed.
I bought a CZ pump 12Ga which is much more mechanically complex than your side-x-side.
Its basically an 870 clone…..and it sucks ass. It double feeds, and jams up. Its a complete POS.
Because I got tied up and couldn’t take it out to shoot right away, I didn’t catch the issues in time to return it. So it was cheap, and is so worth it.
I’m not blanket condemning the Turkish built guns, but I think its hit or miss.
We’ll never agree on this Kim, but to each his own and more power to us for that. I MUCH prefer stack-barrels to SxS double barrels and I have my reasons, beginning with barrel regulation issues. Probably also because I’ve never shot side-by-sides anywhere near as well as I have O/Us, owing to swing, handling and point characteristics.
I have a Weatherby Orion Upland Field (SKB Japan built) that I shoot better than any shotgun I’ve ever fielded other than my beloved pre-WWII Winchester Model 12s, about which no further elaboration (I could hope) would ever be needed. The Weatherby isn’t spectacularly pretty, no question, but it works superbly for me, which in the final analysis is what for me all that matters.
I’m not interested in safe queens or barbecue guns and make no apologies therefor. If I own a gun, I shoot it and it better do what it’s supposed to do or it finds a new home. Doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t like looking at those drool-worthy wares from the likes of Messrs. Purdy or Holland & Holland.
I inherited my grandfather’s Stevens 311 double barrel as a teenager. It is the all-a-round hunting gun. It works for deer hunting, turkey, quail, rabbit, duck, dove, and squirrel along with varmint hunting. That was 40 years ago. The DB is my goto long gun.