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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ Churchill xxv the English one |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2023 7:57 am
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Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 225
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I have seen a couple on different sites recently and was wondering about handling and balance. |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2023 12:22 pm
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Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 1128
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I've got an SKB 100 20 ga that is on the Churchill pattern of 25" barrels and weighs a scant 5 pounds 14 ounces. It is my favorite Mearnes quail gun for sidehilling up and down those scrub oak draws chasing those hard holding hard flushing birds. The gun seems to handle very well in those conditions using the instinctive method with a well-fitting gun. I don't even notice the length of the barrels when hunting with the gun. |
_________________ An elderly gentleman, his faithful dogs, and a 16 ga SXS. All is right with the world. |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2023 1:03 pm
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Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2877
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa
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AC,
Great gun for actual bird hunting, Riflemeister is absolutely correct!
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man |
_________________ "L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:18 pm
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Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1395
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia
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I own several XXV pattern guns. One in 16 and a couple of 12bores. They are my favorite bird guns. All about 6.25lbs, which is a sweet spot for me.
Carry and point well enough to get the job done. Always on the lookout for a exact match to my Ugartechea 16 XXV… |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:22 pm
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Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 225
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Thanks for the info will be on the lookout for a 16 or 20 with 3/8 castoff and open chokes. |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2023 5:29 pm
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Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 1128
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Aurelio Corso wrote: |
Thanks for the info will be on the lookout for a 16 or 20 with 3/8 castoff and open chokes.
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If you find the right gun in every other respect, cast off is negotiable. I require 3/8" cast off on most guns depending on the thickness of the butt stock and ended up building my own stock bending jig to fix those cast issues. If your experience is anything like mine, it is unlikely you will find a gun with enough cast off to suit you, but you'll pass up some very nice guns suitable in every other aspect quite easily. The picture below is one of my bending jobs in progress. It is easier than you would think.
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_________________ An elderly gentleman, his faithful dogs, and a 16 ga SXS. All is right with the world. |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2023 5:57 pm
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Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 225
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I just sent a grade 3 uggie ble back and the 3/8 cast off was perfect for me the problem was the ic although was centered had big holes in the pattern but the mod was more even and it balanced to far in front of the hinge pin for me.This is tough in the last 2 months I have bought and sent back 5 guns ,the only one I kept was the Fausti dea because it was balanced so good and went up quick but had to send that one to Briley for eccentric chokes cause of a regulation problem now I will be using it for sporting clays and hunting. |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 05, 2023 5:38 am
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Joined: 30 Jul 2018
Posts: 59
Location: Dayton Wa.
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Riflemeister, nice set up, I do the same except I use a vise with a clamp and portable heat lamps. Works good. |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:47 am
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Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 225
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Riflemeister how much do you charge, I have a savage 440 that has some cast but I need a little more.......and do you also use oil in your process? |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:47 am
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Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 225
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Riflemeister how much do you charge, I have a savage 440 that has some cast but I need a little more.......and do you also use oil in your process? |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 05, 2023 11:00 am
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Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 1128
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Aurelio Corso wrote: |
Riflemeister how much do you charge, I have a savage 440 that has some cast but I need a little more.......and do you also use oil in your process?
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I'm a rifle building gunsmith and have never used my bending jig commercially. I have bent a few for my shooting buddies, but offering the bending service to customers, especially with shipping involved is not something I want to get into. There is also the small risk of damaging a stock either in bending or shipping that is more liability than I want to assume. Back before I built my jig, I had a few stocks bent by Michael Orlen and was pleased with his work and short turnaround time. If you lived locally, I would be available to have you come over and we'd do it as a show and tell project like I do with my shooting buddies.
I use canola cooking oil to wet the stock at the heating/bending point and GE heat lamps. The Sylvania heat lamps are too hot and will damage a stock. |
_________________ An elderly gentleman, his faithful dogs, and a 16 ga SXS. All is right with the world. |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 05, 2023 11:10 am
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Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3200
Location: NCWa
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Doggai hasn't posted on here for a few years, but I recall that he owned several quality doubles and was offering them for sale- all but one that he refused to sell: a Churchill. |
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Posted:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:15 am
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Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 691
Location: Ontario
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My Purdey has 25 1/2” barrels and open chokes. It’s hard to imagine a better handling gun for grouse and woodcock. It’s a 12 ga that weights 6 pounds 3 oz and I typically shoot 7/8 oz loads through it. I’ve got a Lindner made Charles Daly 20 ga with 26” barrels that’s about 5 3/4 pounds that is the Purdey’s equal for fast handling. I stayed away from short barrels guns for a long time but those two have shown me they have their place.
I don’t mention them much here because they aren’t 16 ga. |
_________________ 1921 Pieper 29" 6 lbs 10 oz
2003 Citori White Lightning 26" 6 lbs 10 oz
1932 Husqvarna 310AS 29.5" 6 lbs 7 oz
1925 Ferlach 29" 6 lbs 7 oz
1923 Greifelt 29" 6 lbs 1 oz
1928 Simson 29.5" 6 lbs
1893 Lindner Daly FW 28” 5 lb 11oz |
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Posted:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 7:24 am
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Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2877
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa
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canvasback,
Very nice guns sir. On another forum I interface with another Vet who likes short barreled guns, and uses them often. He spurred me on to finally find and original L.C. Smith 20 gauge gun with 24" barrels, great gun for Grouse & Woodcock hunting, I truly enjoy the short barreled double gun, and have killed more than a few Grouse & Woodcock with it already. I always wanted one of these 24" L.C. Smith double guns, however very few were actually made, especially in 20 gauge. Now that I own one, I am looking for an original 24" barreled L.C. Smith in 16 gauge, to go with it. The 20 is a real nice addition to my Grouse gun collection, hoping to find a 16 also.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
Original Special Order 1914 L.C. Smith Field Grade 20 gauge with 24" Barrels.
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_________________ "L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers |
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