Miroku mk38 vs ££££

[Tom b]

Sorry about this ladies and gents but it's another what gun post.

I had an mk38 when i started out shooting and shot well with the gun but sold it because it was beating me up. Now looking back I think it was a mistake and should have had the gun fitted to me. I seem to get it in my head that I need a premium gun when this is clearly untrue and just want one.

So are there any real world disadvantages to shooting a miroku mk38 against a full blown competition clay buster like a dt10/11, perazzi or krieghoff?

I understand that the trigger pulls are a bit heavy etc but I'm guessing this is something a good gun smith can fix. I'm seriously thinking about picking up a new mk38 or is a second hand dt10 the way to go? Also am I the only one to suffer these mind games with what gun you should have? X[

 

[westley]

In a word NO. We are all in search of the magic gun and it costs us thousands of pounds along the way. My first O/U clay shooting gun, which was used for countless competitions in the 1970/80's was a Miroku 3750, which had Teague chokes. I then went down the road it seems you are about to travel. I bought 2 Winchester Grand Europeans,  1 Trap and 1 Game and humped the 2 guns around many sporting shoots. By now the shoots had gone from 50 birders to the now accepted 100 birders and those guns were HEAVY. So they went and were replaced by a Beretta 686s 30" sporter. That lasted 12 months and along came a Miroku 9000, a lovely gun that I shot well with. However that was replaced by a superb Beretta SO4, with Teague chokes. I used that for clays and game, but not very well. Then I noticed the start of a crack in the stock, so that went and was replaced by a lovely Perazzi 2000s sporter. I could not hit a damned thing with that, so that went. I then found a lovely Miroku MK10, grade 3, with which,  I seemed to hit most things. That is still my usual clay gun and although pushing 70 and having had a couple of minor strokes, I still manage over 75% on sporting clays. So, be prepared to spend a load of cash in your quest, stock up on Vallium, as you will need them. Get a few thousand cartridges on tap, because you will use them and be prepared to lose your sanity. Of course, you could always buy a good second hand Miroku grade 5 and then spend some money on having it fitted correctly, add some after sales chokes and a good recoil pad and then just shoot it and enjoy. The choice is yours, Good Luck and remember it is a long road to travel, if that is your choice.   

 

[Ashley]

Go get yourself a brierley bloxham special from brierley guns, it's a pimped mk38 in grades 1-5. Lengthened forcing cones, Teague chokes, ported barrels, tuned triggers, and a danuser recoil pad, they are very, very smooth to shoot and you get a fantastic competition gun that in my book is as good as anything beretta do, or anyone else, for half the money. Give Brett or James a call at brierley guns, they are really nice people and give advice freely. They know what they are talking about as they have both shot sporting for the England team

 

[westley]

Ported barrels are not everyones choice and can affect resale values.

 

[Ashley]

Yes I know ported barrels are not everyone's cup of tea, I was just listing the options, basically you buy the gun and then choose what you have done to it, you can have all I listed or cherry pick the options to suit yourself, the whole lot of work takes about 3weeks, depending on how busy the proof house is after being Teagued

 

[Tom b]

The brierley guns sound very interesting. I intended to buy a brand new mk38 and take it straight to Nigel Teague as his work shop is 10 minutes from where I live, I was going to ask him to improve the trigger, I dint realise it was possible to extend the forcing cones on a gun. Would extending the forcing cones make much difference to the gun?

 

[westley]

I have had 2 Miroku guns where the forcing cones had been extended, I did not find any appreciable difference to recoil (as was suggested). I have found the best thing to control recoil and bounce was the Isis green recoil pad. Yes, I have tried all of the alternative pads too. Most people that shoot my MK10 comment about the lack of recoil and bounce they experience during shooting. It is a standard MK10 Trap, the Isis pad is the only stock mod.

 

[Hamster]

I have had 2 Miroku guns where the forcing cones had been extended, I did not find any appreciable difference to recoil (as was suggested). I have found the best thing to control recoil and bounce was the Isis green recoil pad. Yes, I have tried all of the alternative pads too. Most people that shoot my MK10 comment about the lack of recoil and bounce they experience during shooting. It is a standard MK10 Trap, the Isis pad is the only stock mod.

I had the forcing cones of my old 682 done while I watched at some 90's British Open   , this was as a result of several adverts & articles I'd read at the time from eminent writers who praised the practice as a must in the quest for lowering recoil :mosking:  . I tell you the truth it made zero difference but something like £35 was missing from my wallet on the way home. 

I've been had a few times over the years hence my proof seeking character.

 

[Les53]

I've owned or shot most of the well known makes and you really will not go wrong with a Miroku, no matter how much you spend! As for triggers, well a good trigger man can transform those for you! You simply cannot get better! Well that's my opnion anyway!!

 

[clarkeyk80]

I have shot a miroku 3800 and mk38 shotguns listen to all above advice. you cant get better for the money!!!!!  Ashley wishes he still had his instead of that italian rubbish he is waving around now!!! (wait for the abuse) get a nice gd 5 32" have it teagued get stock fitted and you will be sorted.i have a k gun but shot just aswell with a old mirook.....

 

[Paul120]

If Miroku/Browning spent an hour longer adjusting the triggers. Put the price up to 5 times the current price.spent the difference on getting top shooters to use them I think everyone would have one.

by the way the last OT Euro champs was won with a gd 5 mk38.

 

[wylye]

Tom, you are an innocent and a gun shops dream. Don't be led down the path of spending lots of your hard-earned cash on some exotic piece of kit hoping it will be the solution to all your shooting problems. Believe me, it doesn't work. Buy a basic, fixed choke gun, second-hand so you miss the VAT-trap. Miroku will do just fine - as will most other things. Go up the road and get some good, honest tuition then start shooting some decent competitions and measure your performance against other shooters. A two grand gun doesn't shoot twice as good as one costing a grand.

 

[no.1topdog]

Tom, you are an innocent and a gun shops dream. Don't be led down the path of spending lots of your hard-earned cash on some exotic piece of kit hoping it will be the solution to all your shooting problems. Believe me, it doesn't work. Buy a basic, fixed choke gun, second-hand so you miss the VAT-trap. Miroku will do just fine - as will most other things. Go up the road and get some good, honest tuition then start shooting some decent competitions and measure your performance against other shooters. A two grand gun doesn't shoot twice as good as one costing a grand.

Tom, don't read any more after this. That's all you need to know.

The best advice you will ever get on this forum.

Big +1 to Wylie.

 

[Ashley]

I have shot a miroku 3800 and mk38 shotguns listen to all above advice. you cant get better for the money!!!!! Ashley wishes he still had his instead of that italian rubbish he is waving around now!!! (wait for the abuse) get a nice gd 5 32" have it teagued get stock fitted and you will be sorted.i have a k gun but shot just aswell with a old mirook.....

Clarkey is right , yes I like my beretta, but I would have my mk38 bloxham special back tomorrow, when I've had enough of the beretta It will be back to a new one of these. Give brierley a call, they sometimes have 2nd hand bloxhams for sale, then you really can't go wrong, as Wylie said, your not paying the vat then. For the time being I will be sticking to the beretta, it cost me £1200 in February and I've won £950 with it up to date, so cheap gun I'd say,( clarkey)

Let us all know what you decide

Cheers Ashley

 

[Oldblaster]

My Browning 725 has lovely trigger pulls and a fast lock time, as good as my old Perazzi of years ago. I love it!

 

[Jonny English]

The brierley guns sound very interesting. I intended to buy a brand new mk38 and take it straight to Nigel Teague as his work shop is 10 minutes from where I live, I was going to ask him to improve the trigger, I dint realise it was possible to extend the forcing cones on a gun. Would extending the forcing cones make much difference to the gun?

Be carefull altering a brand new gun, Browning have started refusing warrenty work on any gun that has been altered in any shape or form. I've just sent my 525 away to have a loose forend pin fixed, the dealer even took off my Isis pad and put a Browning one back on incase it got turned away. They had a brand new MK38 turned away with a problem because it had teauge chokes retro fitted.

 

[Hamster]

Be carefull altering a brand new gun, Browning have started refusing warrenty work on any gun that has been altered in any shape or form. I've just sent my 525 away to have a loose forend pin fixed, the dealer even took off my Isis pad and put a Browning one back on incase it got turned away. They had a brand new MK38 turned away with a problem because it had teauge chokes retro fitted.

I don't disbelieve any of this but if they tried a stunt like that with me they would know about it, I wouldn't hesitate to send them a stern solicitors letter demanding that the warranty work be done plus reimbursements for cost of said letter.

 

[Jonny English]

I don't disbelieve any of this but if they tried a stunt like that with me they would know about it, I wouldn't hesitate to send them a stern solicitors letter demanding that the warranty work be done plus reimbursements for cost of said letter.

It's not on really, the gun apparently had never been fired, it was bought new, sent to Nigel for chokes, then they found a problem with the trigger, wouldn't cover it because of the chokes. Like you say a solicitors letter should sort it out, but you shouldn't have to go down that route in the first place. The chokes haven't had any effect on the trigger mechanism, any excuse not to do the warranty work.

 

[Bryn12]

Really not sure I'd go down the expensive as 'fook' off the peg gun as it'll need fitted anyway, as for engraving &etc, I'm after a tool to break clays not work of art but that's just personal preference and we're all different.

Way I'll be going (probably next year) with gun no.3, is to buy a basic B525 and have it heavily modified which will cost more than the donor gun but I will end up with exactly what I'm after for under 3k.