So, shouldering and swinging to the target were noticeably slower. We considered this Stoeger to be well-balanced, but it weighed about a pound more than the other scattergun tested. But, the Condor I’s weight and size were like those of the larger gauge guns. Many wingshooters favor 20 gauge shotguns because they generally are lighter and slimmer than a 12 gauge model, making them easier to carry and faster handling. The action opened and closed with only a modest amount of effort on the shooter’s part. The extractors pushed spent or live rounds backward 1/4 inch, which was far enough for us to grasp and remove them from the chambers. Ignition was positive with the kinds of commercial shotshells we tried. On the skeet range, this shotgun functioned as it should. The removable forend locked securely in place. In wood-to-metal mating, no shortcomings were found. The vented 1-inch-thick black rubber recoil pad was slightly oversized. Its hand-rubbed oil finish was evenly done, but the checkering had several overcuts. The action was equipped with a two-piece stock made of Brazilian hardwood. The barrels were joined only at the front and rear, leaving the middle area open and unsupported. Shallow tool marks were noted on the sides of the block at the rear of the barrels. All of its steel parts had a uniformly blued finish with a medium polish. Our Condor I wasn’t what we would call good looking, but its overall workmanship was acceptable for an over/under shotgun in this price range. Its barrels, which are available in lengths of 26 or 28 inches, have 3-inch chambers and screw-in choke tubes. The $559 20 gauge version of this model is equipped with extractors, instead of ejectors, and a single non-selective trigger. The Condor I is a no-frills over/under shotgun. Stoeger’s line of double-barrel shotguns is made by IGA of Brazil. Most firing was done on a Skeet range from the usual shooting positions. 8 Small Game Hunter shotshells and Fiocchi No. The ammunition used was Winchester Super-X No. We felt the less expensive Condor I was a better buy.ĭuring this head-to-head test, each over/under was fed 100 rounds of commercial hunting loads. They were the Stoeger Condor I and the American Arms Silver I. There aren’t many over/under shotguns that retail for under $630, but we did manage to find two such imported hunting models. They hold the promise of the advantages of an over/under shotgun at a cost many shooters will find manageable. This basic rationale governed our selection of the guns we included in the examination that follows. So the challenge to the shooter is to find the over/under shotgun that delivers a quality shooting experience at a reasonable cost. And top of the line imports, such as Beretta, don’t offer the pocketbook any relief. Less expensive by tens of thousands of dollars than a Purdy shotgun for certain, but still pricey enough to eliminate anyone mucking along with minimal, or fixed, disposable income. A sporting clays version of the Peerless lists at $2,500 a Woodside Red Label with Circassian walnut stock: $1,675. The lowest cost Ruger retails at about $900, the Remington about $1,000. All of which you know and prove by crafting such guns with exquisite precision.ĭespite those and other advantages, the only American-made over/unders on the market are Ruger’s Red Label and Remington’s Peerless. It’s because the over/under gets a second round off quicker than a pump and with less disturbance to the sight picture-be the target clay, feathered, or four-footed. It’s because of that sighting plane down the upper barrel and quick target acquisition. It’s because the side-by-side double has vanished, sadly, from the production lines of the major American manufacturers. “I say, it’s not as though you chaps had eyes placed one above the other.” No, gentle-men. The makers of Britain’s best side-by-sides have been known to wonder aloud why American shooters lean toward the over and under configuration.
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