Matched pair shotguns

[bradaz11]

so what exactly is the difference in the guns? remember I don't shoot clays or birds at all. what makes one a no1 and how is it different from the 2?

Tends to only be the choking - or sometimes not. It was a sign of success/wealth to have a matching pair of SxS, you would have one and your loader the second and you quickly switch between you and it allows you to shoot are a greater number of birds with no need to relaod your self. Some people would have one gun with "open chokes" and the other with "tight chokes" giving a choice on which they wanted for specific targets/birds.

A good gunsmith will have made both to be exactly the same weight, point of balance, aim, pull weight &c - on a high quality pair, for lessser quality you would find variation.

thank you

[Mattnall]

Many years ago my father won a skeet comp and the first prize was a Purdey side-by-side game gun. He was offered other to make the pair (they were sequential and identical in other regards but whether a matched pair I couldn't say) but at the time Purdeys weren't the name they are today and certainly not as desirable and as a young new father with a sprog (me) and wife to look after he declined.
It wasn't much money and he still kicks himself for not taking up the offer - I'm sure he still blames me.

[Alpha1]

I don't know anything about shot guns but last Saturday my local RFD opened up his shop for me to collect some stuff. He is shutting down his business the shop is basically empty except for a pile of side by side shotguns in the middle of the floor that he is sending for auction because no body has any interest in them. Sad really.

[Mattnall]

I don't know anything about shot guns but last Saturday my local RFD opened up his shop for me to collect some stuff. He is shutting down his business the shop is basically empty except for a pile of side by side shotguns in the middle of the floor that he is sending for auction because no body has any interest in them. Sad really.

This is so true and very sad.

My son just bought five 12ga side by sides for £120 including postage. These are for farm guns so he wanted cheap and not have to worry about the knocks and scrapes they'll get bumping around in the back of the mule or tractor.

They are actually great guns and we had a clay day using them (all have double triggers and non ejectors). To say it was great fun was an understatement and they can still shoot.

[Graham M]

The myth going around is that S/S's will become useless because you won't be able to shoot steel through them. This has been perpetuated by some unscrupulous dealers who have used this to get guns off people for next to nothing and then sell them on at auctions. I wanted to trade in a nice T. Wild English S/S for a Beretta O/U for clays and the dealer told me that he wouldn't take it because he couldn't sell it on; He would take it off my hands for nothing though!!! Yeh right he would.
I can't believe it, because I see lots of S/S shotguns out in the game field. A side-by-side will be able to use normal steel shot as long as the chokes have been opened up, and a game gun will be able to use steel with 1/4 and 1/4 to good effect.
I feel that a dealer would rather sell an expensive new O/U or semi Auto rather than a second-hand S/S. And so it has become a catch 22 situation in which dealers refuse to buy in second hand S/S's (because no-one wants them) and now, because they have told everybody that no-one wants them................... no-one wants them.

[Polchraine]

The myth going around is that S/S's will become useless because you won't be able to shoot steel through them. This has been perpetuated by some unscrupulous dealers who have used this to get guns off people for next to nothing and then sell them on at auctions. I wanted to trade in a nice T. Wild English S/S for a Beretta O/U for clays and the dealer told me that he wouldn't take it because he couldn't sell it on; He would take it off my hands for nothing though!!! Yeh right he would.
I can't believe it, because I see lots of S/S shotguns out in the game field. A side-by-side will be able to use normal steel shot as long as the chokes have been opened up, and a game gun will be able to use steel with 1/4 and 1/4 to good effect.
I feel that a dealer would rather sell an expensive new O/U or semi Auto rather than a second-hand S/S. And so it has become a catch 22 situation in which dealers refuse to buy in second hand S/S's (because no-one wants them) and now, because they have told everybody that no-one wants them................... no-one wants them.

Have to agree ...

I had a 16G SxS given a rough valuation a few years back - £5-10k which I though could be a little high but it gave me an insight. About a year back, I went to a local dealer, and more out of curiosity asked what he woudl give me for it "maybe up to £250" was the reply. This was from a dealer with several SxS guns in cabinets for sale from £5k upwards.

[Graham M]

Yup!! at the CLA game fair earlier this year I saw a couple of old BSA shotguns going for £250. When I tried to sell my BSA last year I was told that it wasn't worth anything but again if I needed to get rid of it........................... I sold it to a member of our syndicate for £100 and he is over the moon with it.
My Thomas Wild was valued at around the £400 mark 3 years ago, and now all of a sudden it's worth bugger-all. I would rather scrap it than give it to a dealer.