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