Since there has been some discussion of various brands of guns, here are some comments, from shotgun world, from a man who has owned and shot most all of them. Mark was a top skeet shooter for many years. His comments below:
Comments courtesy of: Mark R_______
(Mark was two time Texas state skeet champion, was Texas high average leader several years, on several All American teams, Two 400X400, shot registered skeet tournaments from 1960's to 1995)
What makes a quality gun? Let's limit it to O/U skeet guns for now.
I have owned 3 Perazzis, one of which I shot a ton, like 6-700,000 shells in 8 years, 6 new and used Beretta o/u's of the 680 series, a couple of 3200 Remingtons, Kreighoff and 9 Browning o/u's of the Citori skeet variety. Had some Rugers too, 2 12 ga's , 2 in 20 ga. They were so junkie I will not go on about them. I will say I do not think they were made to be shot as much as a skeet shooter would shoot them.
My experiences:
The Perazzi was shot more than any other gun I have ever owned. As I stated before, it used a hammer spring that broke due to age, and one due to my stupidity of snapping it on an empty chamber when it was about 25 degrees. I eventually wore it out to the point the top lever was in the middle, but it still locked up tight and gave zero problems. Total cost of repairs while owning that gun, about $50.
I bought a used 682 from a local skeet shooter who had shot it for 10 years "on the circuit". It was really loose, but locked up as it should when closed. My wife shot it for 3-4 years, every time I shot, she shot. Never took a penny in repairs. All the Beretta's I have owned that were bought new, never cost us a penny to own. We have had to replace the rods which keep the hammer from falling too far on the bottom barrel of two of the used ones. That set us back $7.50 each and about twenty minutes to put them in.
The Remingtons.......After they got the, what used to be free, upgrade, for about $300 each, we tried to shoot skeet with them. Was great for a while, and then they nickle and dimed us for a few months for about $300 more apiece to keep them running, BYE-Bye to those puppies.
The Brownings..........All were new except one. It was 12 ga that would literally fall open if you touched the top lever, but stayed latched if you closed it. It did not open on it's own. One of the others was a barrel set that I shot exclusivley for 3-4 years. Never spent a penny on any of these, although I figure the one was ready to be redone. I sold it for more than I gave for it. Brwonings have one problem that bothers me, my sweat makes them rust like crazy. They have to drool oil or they rust if I'm going to handle them.
And the Kreighoff.........a money pit. It was bought used with a receipt included where it had just been gone through by Ottsville/Kreighoff and had all the springs replaced, etc.... an annual. My son shot it for about 2 months, 2-3 times a week, 6-15 rounds per trip. It was religiously cleaned and lubed per Kreighoff's instructions after every trip to the range. He is very gentle with it, never slams it shut or aything like that. That is not free, but I won't include it in cost of repairs, the bigger items are enough to raise the question to me. Decided to go to a 50 target shoot. Bought new ammo, Winchester was all we could find. About half the time the lower barrel would not fire the new ammo. Great, buy new ammo at the club, make it through the shoot. Call Kreighoff gunsmith, says maybe short or dirty firing pin, leads to trip to Dallas and another annual, total cost over $300. HMMMMM, no short firing pin though? Laid new firing pin next to old, looked the same. Measured the same. Maybe broken or weak spring in firing pin hole, replaced in annual. Better, but not fixed. My suspect is headspace. Dallas smith says no way. Gun would not close on NOGO gauge. Use reloaded or new Remingtons, no problem at all for the rest of the summer. Fall comes, at Mini, now gun has problem all the time. More than twice a round. Shooting backup Beretta a lot. Back to Kreighoff. $368 later, at RK, gun is better, but will have to have barrel reset in fall this year, headspace problem.......that will take 4-6 weeks and $600 or more dollars. Fixed in interim with nail polish. If my son did not just love that gun.........
And it's not just his gun.......We have a guy who comes out all the time to shoot at our place who has 3 K80's. He is meticulous about lubing and cleaning a gun. He has a beautiful Scroll grade that he has had for about 10 years. He will tell you that the best gun out there is a Beretta to shoot, but he just loves his K80, it is built to last. Then he gripes about how he has spent $3500 on annuals and last year an additional $2000 on having his barrels set back in PA. Why so high I asked? He said about $1000 for the work and another $1000 sending and insuring the gun both ways. Tell me how something you have to spend so much on to keep in operating condition is of such good, no strike that, great, quality?
I think the best quality skeet gun out there is probably a Beretta 680 series, certainly would have to look at a ASE 90 if they were still being made. Be interesting to see where the Blaser's wind up with a little age and use. Brownings are good too, I just like the feel of Beretta's better.
Sorry for being sooooo long.
Mark