Sporting gun

[westley]

Ah !  I see the difference between 30's and 32's now

 

[bonne]

Sporters arriving in June, I think Churchills will be having them as club guns.  I'll have a play and put a review on here when they have them.

I wish i lived in the UK, you are ahead of us here in Sweden?

Sporters arriving in June, I think Churchills will be having them as club guns.  I'll have a play and put a review on here when they have them.

Guns balance where you want or need them to, barrel length is immaterial in that regard.

I do not understand what you mean? Please explain.

 

[westley]

I do not understand what you mean? Please explain.

I think Hammie means that weight can be added or taken away from any gun, to move the point of balance, regardless of the length of the barrels.

 

[bonne]

Ok, great know i get it?

 

[Hamster]

Ok, great know i get it?

There's a misconception that long barrelled guns are nose heavy making them harder to handle, I was just saying even if that were the case (which it isn't) it would be easy enough to alter. 

 

[Geordieboy]

My Mk38 trap has a 2oz Sea fishing Sinker 1" from the recoil pad in the stock and it balances 5mm behind the pin!

Thats northern gunsmithing for you! 

 

[bonne]

My Mk38 trap has a 2oz Sea fishing Sinker 1" from the recoil pad in the stock and it balances 5mm behind the pin!

Thats northern gunsmithing for you! 

Are you happy with that gun? I have seen some test and it get great resultat! And with a great price!

 

[Geordieboy]

I once bought a Browning 525 Grade 5 Sporter 32" just because under all of that Laquer the wood was awesome.  When I got it.....it was so Barrel heavy as to be cumbersome to the extreme.  In order to get it to balance I had to add 10ozs to the stock and that just killed the gun.  I oiled it up and the first guy to see it bought it.  No questions asked, it was that nice.  Not...however, to shoot though!

I love my Mk38 and will never part with it.  Low recoil, great patterns, Utterly reliable, tight and easy to learn how to shoot.  I shoot with 4 AAA class shots that shoot them now and have shot them for years.  They have had all of the 'nice' guns, but seem to come back to the Mk38 time and again.  Shooting 10's of thousands of rounds every year, reliability is large attribute for these chaps

As with all of these things.  Shoot what you can, and definitely do not let your head be swayed by beauty.  As has been said above, I'd start with looking at Beretta's and Mirokus and Brownings.  Find something that fits (find a reliable gunsmith or AA class shot or a coach and they will give you a good opinion), and then shoot them.  Grade 1 or 5 doesn't matter.  Shooting it you will find out what doesn't kick, but moves good FOR YOU.  Beretta DT10's are fairly bombproof and have been (and still are) shot by really good shots.  Mk38's are the same and if you can find a good Browning you will be on good territory.  Gunsmiths can fit pins easily and cost effectively enough and a stock can be altered (or a comb raiser added), to make the gun fit.  Sort that out and then spend the rest of your money on a good coach and cheap shells...Fiocchi Top Ones, Eley Blues etc until you find one you like.

 

[DolphinCTC]

I once bought a Browning 525 Grade 5 Sporter 32" just because under all of that Laquer the wood was awesome.  When I got it.....it was so Barrel heavy as to be cumbersome to the extreme.  In order to get it to balance I had to add 10ozs to the stock and that just killed the gun.  I oiled it up and the first guy to see it bought it.  No questions asked, it was that nice.  Not...however, to shoot though!

I love my Mk38 and will never part with it.  Low recoil, great patterns, Utterly reliable, tight and easy to learn how to shoot.  I shoot with 4 AAA class shots that shoot them now and have shot them for years.  They have had all of the 'nice' guns, but seem to come back to the Mk38 time and again.  Shooting 10's of thousands of rounds every year, reliability is large attribute for these chaps

As with all of these things.  Shoot what you can, and definitely do not let your head be swayed by beauty.  As has been said above, I'd start with looking at Beretta's and Mirokus and Brownings.  Find something that fits (find a reliable gunsmith or AA class shot or a coach and they will give you a good opinion), and then shoot them.  Grade 1 or 5 doesn't matter.  Shooting it you will find out what doesn't kick, but moves good FOR YOU.  Beretta DT10's are fairly bombproof and have been (and still are) shot by really good shots.  Mk38's are the same and if you can find a good Browning you will be on good territory.  Gunsmiths can fit pins easily and cost effectively enough and a stock can be altered (or a comb raiser added), to make the gun fit.  Sort that out and then spend the rest of your money on a good coach and cheap shells...Fiocchi Top Ones, Eley Blues etc until you find one you like.

If you do go for an MK38, buy the trap version (I am firmly in the trap gun for sporting camp!) The sporter with multi chokes handles like a plank IMO!! The trap is one of the best clay guns ever, no matter what disciplin you shoot. If you are worried about the tight chokes you can get after market ones added such as Teague. Personally, the chokes don't bother me but they are a bit short in the stock for me off the peg.

 

[Geordieboy]

My Mk38 is Teagued.  I shoot game with it and clays.  These days I find I stick more and more to 2 x 3/4 chokes.  If you want to keep the cost down, I'd suggest either leaving the tight chokes in, or boring the 2nd barrel down to another 3/4.  It does everything then.   If you want to open up a pattern throw a few fibres in.  And I concur with DolphinCTC..........buy the trap (either adjustable or std).  That way your head is always on the same position on the stock for every shot!  

 

[bonne]

Okay! I did some shooting today, a couple of hundred shots with different guns.

First out was the Beretta 692, very nice guns, good balance i liked it, but not as i thought IT would be.

Second out was the Blaser F3, good gun, but not for  me, did not like the stock, and did not got that feeling for this gun.

Third out was the Browning 725 S1, this one i realy liked, good shooter, nice looking gun, a bit big handfilling. 

Fourth and final gun was the Browning 725 Sporter Black S3, beutiful wood, nice looking, great shooter and a bit different stock, a litle thinner hand filling. Different for end. 

They did not have any Miroku MK 38 in the shop, so i couldn't try it

So i bought the Browning 725 S3 Black Edition. I love this gun that now have a good place in my gun looker.

Thank you all for good input, and i think i found the gun for me! 

 

[postie]

Nice bit of wood on that bonne ,good luck with it if it shots as good as it looks you'll be ok 

 

[Geordieboy]

Awesome, and with the adjustable comb you can get it to fit you!

Enjoy and Good Luck.

 

[ips]

My Mk38 trap has a 2oz Sea fishing Sinker 1" from the recoil pad in the stock and it balances 5mm behind the pin!

Thats northern gunsmithing for you! 

692 is supplied with stock weights. That's posh northern smithing ?

 

[bonne]

Today is disapointment day, look at the picture and you understand.

very bad fitting Wood/steel

 

[Hamster]

Today is disapointment day, look at the picture and you understand.

very bad fitting Wood/steel



View attachment 5786

It's not good but you have to remember it is a mass produced gun and easy enough to rectify I'd have thought. 

 

[Damo]

Not good.

 

[Blackstar Ninja]

I have always been a die hard fan of Beretta shotguns I use a SV10 no issues at all and a 692 (not an early edition) which is great when it's working but unfortunately has had reliability issues in terms of the ejectors. once for timing and twice for the ejector retaining screw shearing off and another problem for which it has been back to GMK on 4 occasions in total. I also had a screw from the adj stock work loose which I'll accept is my fault and overall the service from GMK has been awful especially when trying to obtain the non standard screw I lost which I eventually got from somewhere else. It is no exaggeration when I say that every shooter I know with a 692 sporter or Skeet model has had issues with either the ejectors or double discharging! and although I was looking forward to the 692 black edition given the price difference and reliability I may well be looking at a 725.

 

[Jonny English]

It's not good, but its also not the end of the world, it should close the gap when clipped onto the gun. My previous grade 1 525 used to be like this and I never had any problems with it, just doesn't look great when it's off the gun.

 

[Skeet UK]

Are you sure the forend iron screws aren't a bit loose, or need further tightening?