A major outdoor publication recently named the
“50 Best Shotguns Ever Made.” Fifty guns? When has anyone ever asked
you to name your top 50 anything? If you’re going to choose the best
in any genre, it seems you should take a stand and do it. My list,
on the other hand, is no “everyone plays” affair. Players will be
cut and feelings therefore hurt. Inevitably, the letters calling
into question my choices, literacy and ability to reason will soon
follow. That, however, is part of the fun.
With substantial
agony, I narrowed my list based on function, innovation, value, classiness
and subjective personal fancies. Here are my top 10 shotguns of all
time:
Remington 870
The 870 is like a turn-of-the-century coal miner—it takes a lot of
punishment and barely costs a dime. Toss it in the mud and it’ll
continue hurling lead shot with uber reliability. The biggest reasons
it’s on my list? Longevity and sheer sales volume. To cut costs,
Remington used cast parts, stamped checkering and parts already commonly
produced for the 11-48 semi-auto. In doing so, the 870 undercut the
competition—the first sold for $69.95—and sales exploded. With nearly
10 million made since 1950, it is the best-selling shotgun of all
time.
Browning A-5
I find the A-5’s receiver about as attractive as a powder-puff cheerleader, but
what a gun! Under recoil, the barrel and bolt move rearward, ejecting the shell
and cocking the hammer. The “humpback” sold well worldwide, but Americans especially
embraced it. Remington, in an agreement with Browning, sold over 270,000 Model
11s (A-5s) from 1905 to 1923. FN’s Belgian A-5s remain the most collectible.
Winchester Model 12
The slide on a hand-tooled, pre-’64 Model 12 is a work of smooth,
unrivaled slickness. For a pump, the design is downright gorgeous
and exceedingly pointable. At a price of $30 in 1912, it was also
affordable, and sportsmen snatched them up. When production ceased
in 1980, Winchester had sold 2 million.
Purdey Over/Under
If I were a Saudi Prince rather than a field-trial junkie with the
credit card debt to prove it, I’d buy a Purdey over/under. Just because
I can’t afford this sleek, lightweight slice of heaven, however,
doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate its exactness. Fit to every customer,
it is an extension of self, with the inner workings of a Swiss watch
and the balance of Mary Lou Retton.
Benelli Super Black Eagle
The SBE gets the nod for its Inertia Driven recoil system, the first
semi-auto design to cycle everything from target loads to 3½-inch
mags without adjustment. It also handles like a gem despite its light
weight. I’ve found it approaches the handling characteristics of
a double gun more closely than any automatic sold today.
Browning Superposed
Some gun writers have accused the Superposed of excessive weight.
I accuse them of weak arms. More than anything else, John Browning’s
last design afforded post-War Americans a taste of class at a mass-production
price. In doing so, it kindled a lasting love affair between Americans
and over/unders.
Remington 1100
Thirteen years after the 870, Big Green unveiled its second blue-collar
masterpiece, the 1100. Other gas-operated autos came first, but their
designs were better suited to anchoring the blind than cycling shells.
The 1100’s gas system not only proved dependable, but softened kick.
Remington sold 3 million in the first 20 years.
Beretta 682 Gold Sporting
All Beretta 600s are light, balance between the hands and have low-profile
receivers for an uninterrupted line of sight. The 682 Gold Sporting
is my favorite for its versatility and aesthetics. It evolved into
the 682 Gold E (shown above) five years ago, but I find the new gun’s
engraving and wood finish unsightly.
Pre-1913 L.C. Smith
Yes, I’ve specified a pre-1913 L.C.—is that the epitome of snobbery
or what? The engraving on the “Sweet Elsies” made by Hunter Arms
from 1890-1913 rivals that of any shotgun ever made.
Winchester 21
Jack O’Connor’s favorite shotgun was as easy on the eyes as it was
strong. The action and locking mechanism received nine patents.
John Taylor’s Top 10
1. Browning Auto-5
Perhaps no other shotgun brought so much to the
hunter as the venerable hump-backed Automatic-5. In 1903, it heralded
the way for every semi-automatic shotgun to follow. Although gas-operation
overtook this recoil-operated classic five years short of its centenary,
much of the operation is common to both type guns.
2. Manton Side-by-Side
Joseph Manton (1766–1835) is the British gunmaker who established
the final form of the side-by-side. Over the years, ignition systems
changed, and mechanical refinements followed, but the form of the
double from Manton’s shotguns remains.
3. Winchester Model 1897
The exposed-hammer Winchester 1897 spawned
all the pumps that followed. Although Christopher Spencer’s Model
1890 pump was first, it was the Browning-designed 1897 that was the
first truly successful repeating shotgun; it remained in inventory
until 1957.
4. Browning Superposed
Compared with today’s too-light over/unders,
the Superposed had the right heft to shoot heavy field loads and
help complete the swing, not to mention durability. It was the first
over/under to be truly affordable.
5. A.H. Fox Super Fox
Built with heavy barrels on an equally heavy
action, the Super Fox was the first true waterfowl shotgun. Patterns
with Western Cartridge’s then-new Super-X ammo were a guaranteed
80 percent at 40 yards. Today backboring is touted as new, but the
Super Fox was first back in 1922.
6. Boss Over/Under
The Purdey is but a pallid approximation of the
Boss. Why not have the first? It incorporated trunnion-pivoted barrels
with low-mounted locking lugs, ejectors mounted on the barrels and
sleek lines.
7. Remington 870
They’ve sold 10 million, but the stock dimensions
are mired in the 1950s. The 870 is a hard worker, and the ability
to make it in a variety of models from dirt cheap to exquisite is
genius.
8. Remington Sportsman 58
I guess if you’ve only shot Remington 1100s you wouldn’t know any
better, but anyone who has shot an S-58 will agree it’s the very
best pointing and handling semi-auto ever made.
9. Winchester Model 21
The Winchester 21 is a tough, well-designed
gun. From its truly selective single trigger to its fabulously strong
barrel steel, it’s a tank.
10. Galazan
If I had a sheik’s ransom to spend, it would be on one
of Tony Galazan’s made-in-America over/unders or side-by-sides.
Karen Mehall’s Top 10
1. Remington 870
With nearly 10 million and counting in the hands of
American hunters, has anything taken more game with the mere swap of
an indestructible barrel? This multi-purpose American classic is reliable,
affordable and so versatile it’s also a top choice for home defense
and even holds its own with clay targets, as the legendary Rudy Etchen
proved.
2. Browning Auto-5
Revolutionary as the first mass-produced, recoil-operated
shotgun, John Browning’s uniquely recognizable design was the gun of
choice for notables from World War II flying ace and former NRA President
Joe Foss to General George S. Patton.
3. Beretta 680 Series
Kyle was two for two, but his No. 8 is my No.
3. Since launching this innovative, lightweight line in the 1980s,
Beretta has been churning out models in various grades ever since.
Elegant, easy to swing and not as costly as some finer options, these
may be the best mass-produced over/unders available, from the 682 to
the simple-but-elegant 686.
4. Browning Superposed
Though heavy for some, the first affordable over/under
turned enough heads to pull more than a few American hunters away from
their prized pumps.
5. Winchester Model 12
Dubbed the “perfect repeater” in 1912, this classic
is the most famous American pump of all time, raising the bar for what
was to come.
6. Benelli Super Black Eagle
Based on the M1 Super 90, this gun was
the first 31/2-inch option for semi-autos.
7. Winchester Model 21
Production of this gun even outlasted that of
the Parker. And how unique that it’s loaded by lifting the barrel to
insert shells at the breech.
8. Purdey Game Gun
More sophisticated and of better quality than Holland & Holland,
Purdey represents all British side-by-sides. The name set the standard
by which all other British guns were judged and will hold its place
in time.
9. Parker Invincible
Clark Gable may have owned an L.C. Smith, but he
cherished his Parkers. And what a following this vintage American double
maintains. Though Parkers came in more grades and sizes than any other
American double, they’re a challenge to collect.
10. Fabbri Ornamental 8SQS
If I were covering the top 10 musical instruments
I’d include a Stradavarius, so here I’ll include a gun in a class of
its own. A Fabbri shotgun melds ancient artisan skills with modern
technology. It will hold its position over time, thanks to state-of-the-art,
precision parts of stainless steel and titanium alloy. This gun is
not only the best fitting or most finely engraved, but the most reliable
and durable—it will never break. Says Ivo Fabbri: “Rome lasted 1,000
years. Shouldn’t a Fabbri?”
