Many shotgunners either own an over/under or aspire to. Beyond the cachet, there’s the reliability of a break-action and the advantage of two chokes. While entry-level models from established makers start at around $2,000, some of the newest imports cost less than half of that. Even better, these affordable guns are improving. The four models I recently tested all functioned as intended out of the box. They had much better triggers than I’ve seen on previous imports, and all four shot to point of aim with the top and bottom barrels. I tested 12 gauge models, but each comes in 20 gauge, too.
The Test
Over the course of a week, at home and at the range, I evaluated all four guns for the following:
• Barrel Regulation and Point of Impact. Shooting each gun from a solid rest at a steel pattern plate 25 yards away, I checked point of impact relative to point of aim, and whether the top and bottom barrels shot to the same spot.
• Fit and Finish. I closely inspected wood-to-metal fit, wood quality and finish, checkering, barrel bluing, and receiver finish.
• Trigger Pull. Using a Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge, I measured the pull weight for both the first and the second shot. I also evaluated the pull quality.
• Handling. To approximate handling in a field situation, I shot low-gun skeet with each gun.
Stevens 555
$536 at budsgunshop.com
Bargain Rating: Excellent
List Price: $692; savagearms.com
Specs: 3-inch, 12-gauge • 6 lb. • 28-inch barrels • 14 1⁄8 inch length of pull (LOP) • 1 5⁄8-inch drop at comb (DAC) • 2 1⁄4-inch drop at heel (DAH)
Fit and Finish: Very good
Point of Impact and Regulation: Very good
Trigger Pull: Very good (4 lb. 4 oz. and 4 lb. 6 oz.)
Handling: Very good
Extras: Five chokes, trigger lock, foam earplugs
Comments: The 555 is surprisingly lightweight and lithe for a Turkish-made gun. Like any alloy-framed o/u, this one feels slightly muzzle-heavy, but in a way that makes it easy to swing through targets. The attractive, straight-grained wood has a tasteful satin finish, and the checkering is neat and sharp. This would make a great grouse hunting gun.
CZ Upland Sterling
$777 at hinterlandoutfitters.com
Bargain Rating: Very good
List Price: $999; czusa.com
Specs: 3-inch 12-gauge • 7 1⁄2 lb. • 28-inch barrels • 14 1⁄2-inch LOP • 1 1⁄2-inch DAC • 2 3⁄8-inch DAH
Fit and Finish: Very good
Point of Impact and Regulation: Very good
Trigger Pull: Very good (5 lb. 1 oz. each)
Handling: Excellent
Extras: Five chokes
Comments: My test gun's walnut stock had better grain than I've seen on o/u's costing twice as much. Although I didn't care for the laser-cut stippling in place of checkering, it is a distinctive, modern look that matches the two-tone silver receiver. The Turkish-made Sterling has a slightly weight-forward balance that makes smashing clays a snap. At 7 1⁄2 pounds, it's a little heavy for an upland-hunting shotgun, but that's the end of its shortcomings.
Franchi Instinct L
$999 at doubleshotguns.com
Bargain Rating: Good
List Price: $1,149; franchiusa.com
Specs: 3-inch 12-gauge • 7 1⁄4 lb. • 28-inch barrels • 14 1⁄2-inch LOP • 1 1⁄2-inch DAC • 2 3⁄8-inch DAH
Fit and Finish: Good
Point of Impact and Regulation: Very good
Trigger Pull: Very good (4 lb. 11 oz. and 5 lb. 12 oz.)
Handling: Very good
Extras: Hard case, three choke tubes, fiber-optic bead, lengthened forcing cones
Comments: An Italian-made o/u at a Turkish-made price, the Instinct L has a classic look, although the wood is plain. I didn't like the small, deeply inletted fore-end latch, either. But the gun is a shooter. It balances over the hinge pin, as many bird hunters prefer. The 12-gauge specs are just right for a pheasant gun, too.
Stoeger Condor Supreme
$499 at impactguns.com
Bargain Rating: Fair
List Price: $599; stoegerindustries.com
Specs: 3-inch 12-gauge • 8 lb. • 28-inch barrels • 14 3⁄8 inch LOP • 1 1⁄2-inch DAC • 2 1⁄2" DAH
Fit and Finish: Poor
Point of Impact and Regulation: Very good
Trigger Pull: Good (4 lb. 13 oz. and 5 lb. 6 oz.)
Handling: Fair
Extras: Two chokes, middle bead
Comments: The lowest-priced model I tried, the Brazilian-made Condor had the worst fit and finish. But you don't buy a $500 o/u for looks; you buy it as a practical break-action shooter. The gun functioned well, and at 8 pounds it had a weight-forward balance that would make it a good choice for waterfowl or light clay-target shooting. If you want an o/u as your truck gun, the Condor Supreme might be for you.
