New Bird Gun

[Spurshot]

I couldn't resist this little .410 at Griffin & Howe in NJ. It should make a sweet quail smacker.

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[SteveBBB]

Very nice!!

[iDominate]

I prefer over under but that looks really sweet.

 

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[Spurshot]

I prefer over under but that looks really sweet.

 

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Thanks ID. I haven't checked in a while, but I think I've gotten rid of all but one O/U, which I haven't shot in several years. I believe it's a Browning 525 20ga with 32" bbls. I'm a dyed in the wool side by side shooter. But, I have a couple old Winchester pumps from yesteryear. Some of my regular hunting guns are nearly 90 years old. When I hunt, I like to play 'old man, old gun, with his old dog' . It's getting to where there's more truth in that.

[Spurshot]

I did some research on the 410. It's an Italian Ferlib. The company is in the Gardone region, famous for gunmakers. They are a small maker of custom ordered guns, making about 30 guns a year. They contract engravers from around Europe, including some work I've seen on one of their guns by Creative Arts, a guild of well known engravers in Europe who have made a famous reputation. They aren't widely known outside of doublegun enthusiasts, but within that circle they are very well respected as having quality well beyond their cost.

http://www.ferlib.com/

 

I don't know when this gun was made, but from other sources, I've bracketed the approximate period. It looks like possibly the late 90s. I plan to write to the maker and find out who the gun was contracted with originally.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/ferlib-shotguns/ferlib-baby-frame-best-ble-410-ga.cfm?gun_id=100557579

[Z71hayss]

That's a beaut. I shot competitive skeet and trap for 8 years but just recently haven't had time so I can appreciate a good scattergun. My favorite gun I own is a 1954 Belgium made browning A5 with a steel shot full choke barrel. I still duck hunt with it regularly. Quail gun is a stoeger o/u. Been looking for a side by side though

 

 

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[Spurshot]

SP

My first shotgun was a Belgian A-5. Shot it for everything from the time I was 18 till I was in my late twenties. I traded it with some money for a Remington 3200 Competition skeet with a tube set. I shot that gun a couple years and it went down the road for another. I still have a soft spot for A-5s. But I'm getting where I like carrying a lighter gun these days. A subgauge sxs around 6 lbs or less is a sweet gun to hunt over a dog.

[Spurshot]

The gun came in and I got a first hand look at it. Tiny framed gun with full size stock dimensions. I can't get over how small it is....and I have 4 other sxs 410 shotguns.

 

 

 

 

[66nova]

Beautiful gun!

 

I have not spent much time behind a side by side. Really not much behind an over and under either. Can't beat the looks.

[Spurshot]

Beautiful gun!

 

I have not spent much time behind a side by side. Really not much behind an over and under either. Can't beat the looks.

 

It's my first Italian sxs gun. I've had a couple Beretta's. One 20g AL391 Technys Sporting Clays model and a 12ga 32" 682 Gold E Sporting. Both were when I shot clay targets much more seriously. They're gone now. I shoot clays 2-3 times a month on average for the year, but not for blood. I use a hunting gun for it these days. Mostly my side by sides.

 

If you get a chance to shoot a fine side by side that fits you, it gets in your blood. I started with the 12ga sxs guns and have been working my way down to 410s over the years. I hunt all my upland birds with a 410 now. It's just such a kick to take all the birds with one. But I sometimes pick up one of my other larger gauges like a favorite 20ga I saved from being destroyed. It's a late 1920s Ithaca NID model 3E (grade 3, Ejector) with a factory single trigger (rare in those days). It had a broken stock, bent trigger that didn't work, all the metal finish was gone and it had a brown color. It was headed for the scrap heap. I saw the potential and had it restocked and all the mechanicals taken care of, along with new metal finishes in the technically correct types. The stock was custom made to fit my dimensions. It is a real blast to shoot on the weekends at the clays range or hunting in the field. It gets lots of complements. That's the original 1920s engraving.

[66nova]

 

It's my first Italian sxs gun. I've had a couple Beretta's. One 20g AL391 Technys Sporting Clays model and a 12ga 32" 682 Gold E Sporting. Both were when I shot clay targets much more seriously. They're gone now. I shoot clays 2-3 times a month on average for the year, but not for blood. I use a hunting gun for it these days. Mostly my side by sides.

 

If you get a chance to shoot a fine side by side that fits you, it gets in your blood. I started with the 12ga sxs guns and have been working my way down to 410s over the years. I hunt all my upland birds with a 410 now. It's just such a kick to take all the birds with one. But I sometimes pick up one of my other larger gauges like a favorite 20ga I saved from being destroyed. It's a late 1920s Ithaca NID model 3E (grade 3, Ejector) with a factory single trigger (rare in those days). It had a broken stock, bent trigger that didn't work, all the metal finish was gone and it had a brown color. It was headed for the scrap heap. I saw the potential and had it restocked and all the mechanicals taken care of, along with new metal finishes in the technically correct types. The stock was custom made to fit my dimensions. It is a real blast to shoot on the weekends at the clays range or hunting in the field. It gets lots of complements. That's the original 1920s engraving.

I would love to shoot one.

 

We do a combination of pheasant and quail hunting. My dad and I both shoot 20g. I have a franchi 20g 48al and he shoots a benelli 20g semi auto.

[crafferty]

Beautiful engraving! I'm currently addicted to O/U's right now. I love my Browning 725 sporting 30" for birds and sporting clays. What is it about SXS that you prefer over O/U?

 

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[Spurshot]

Beautiful engraving! I'm currently addicted to O/U's right now. I love my Browning 725 sporting 30" for birds and sporting clays. What is it about SXS that you prefer over O/U?

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I'm not sure I can explain it. Maybe it's kinda like driving a pickup truck when you know you could drive a sedan that will handle better, accelerate quicker,etc., but you still want the truck even though it costs more.

 

The o/u is a superior design, no question. But a sxs, especially a vintage sxs, has nostalgia and character, much like that 66 Nova has and no Toyota will ever have.

 

If I wanted to break more clays, kill more birds (not many more) I'd shoot a gas bumper jack 12 ga. But, as a friend once said: 'When you drove past the The KFC on the way out of town to hunt birds, you've lost all practicality, reason, and logic.' I agree. I hunt because I enjoy it. If wearing pink undies while I hunt made it more enjoyable, I'd do it. But it doesn't. Shooting a sxs does. Shooting an old sxs is better. Shooting an old small gauge sxs is even better.

[Spurshot]

I would love to shoot one.

We do a combination of pheasant and quail hunting. My dad and I both shoot 20g. I have a franchi 20g 48al and he shoots a benelli 20g semi auto.

I believe there's at least one fine gun shop in your state, probably more. They seem to have a good inventory of sxs guns. This one also has shooting grounds. They have a gun fitter to help you learn about the importance of gun fit and to adjust guns to fit you. They also have shooting instructors. They may have sxs guns to teach with or allow you to shoot guns you may be interested in. Worth a call.

http://www.fieldsportltd.com/wingshootingschool/wingschool.php

 

There are a number of sxs forums to learn about all kinds of sxs guns.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/index.php

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm

http://www.lcsmith.org

http://www.foxcollectors.com/ah_fox/content/

[crafferty]

I'm not sure I can explain it. Maybe it's kinda like driving a pickup truck when you know you could drive a sedan that will handle better, accelerate quicker,etc., but you still want the truck even though it costs more.

 

The o/u is a superior design, no question. But a sxs, especially a vintage sxs, has nostalgia and character, much like that 66 Nova has and no Toyota will ever have.

 

If I wanted to break more clays, kill more birds (not many more) I'd shoot a gas bumper jack 12 ga. But, as a friend once said: 'When you drove past the The KFC on the way out of town to hunt birds, you've lost all pacticality, reason, and logic.' I agree. I hunt because I enjoy it. If wearing pink undies while I hunt made it more enjoyable, I'd do it. But it doesn't. Shooting a sxs does. Shooting an old sxs is better. Shooting an old small gauge sxs is even better.

Haha you know under armour does have a female hunting line with pink underwear! I completely understand what you are saying though.