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WTB: 687 JE Silver Pigeon II EELL 32/34 combo

3K views 9 replies 2 participants last post by  Paulsgs 
#1 ·
Interested in a Joel E 12 gauge 687 Silver Pigeon II with EELL wood upgrade and 32" O/U and 34" Unsingle barrels

Paul C.
 
#3 ·
Do you think you want a trap combo? Trap guns are very specific to trap and don't work great for much else. A sporting clays or skeet gun does a better job at shooting a little of everything. I'll keep you in mind for a used combo should I get one. I don't know what your budget range is but you may want to look at our 687 SP3 all around guns. They are on the custom orders page of the website. You can get one of those with the adjustable comb for $3675 and we feel that gun does the best job as an "everything" gun.
 
#4 ·
Here is the thing. I agree with his general sentiment, BUT! The O/U in Trap Combos are nearly EXACTLY the same guns as they sell as "Sporting". They have the same raised ribs and general profile. If you look at other brands, Kolar, Krieghoff, Perazzi. The high rib "Sporting" guns are the same as the Trap O/Us but the combo also gives you the extra single barrel. Now that barrel is pretty much useless anywhere else besides trap so that he's right.
 
#5 ·
Actually, it's more difficult to shoot trap with a sporting gun than sporting with a trap gun. The biggest difference between sporting/skeet/field guns and trap guns is the stock dimensions. Sporting, skeet and field guns have drop to the stock and shoot flat while trap guns are built with higher combs that are parallel to the bore so they shoot above the point of aim as all trap targets are rising. The POI remains the same regardless of where you cheek the stock where it will be lower as you cheek a stock with drop farther back. I find it easier to hunt with a trap gun as 1)I'm used to that kind of sight picture (target just above the bead), 2)a hurried gun mount that isn't perfect won't lower my POI and 2)the target never has to be blocked out of view to be hit.

The only shotgun I own that wasn't born as a trap gun is a Remington Model 1100 Synthetic Field but I replaced the black synthetic forend and stock with a camo synthetic forend and Monte Carlo stock so my sight picture remains close to the same for hunting as for trap.

Now a single barrel is a trap-only proposition (unless you're good enough to only need one shot) but the extra cost for a Beretta combo over an O/U-only gun isn't hateful and if you go with an unsingle combo, you get an adjustable rib on the single barrel to boot. Shooting trap with an unaltered flat-shooting sporting/skeet/field gun is not something you see many good shooters doing.

Ed
 
#7 ·
If the extra cost of a combo is not an unbearable strain on your budget, it certainly makes sense to buy one from the start. Should the day ever come when you would want to make an O/U-only gun into combo, it will cost significantly more to do it then. And of course, a combo is worth more and has a broader appeal to buyers should you ever want to sell the gun.

I've written two gun reviews for Shotgun Sports Magazine on the Joel Etchen 687 SPII combos, one in 2005 on the top single combo and one in 2008 on the unsingle combo. If you'd like, I will attach them to an email for you.

Ed
 
#9 ·
Regardless, skeet barrels are generally shorter than trap barrels. That's because with skeet, and to a lesser extent sporties, there are much larger lateral swings. The long (32" or 34") barrels on a trap combo could make the proper swing a challenge for anyone but particularly for a newer shooter.

Trap targets OTOH require much smaller lateral moves. The longer siting plane of a 32 or 34" trap barrel can be an advantage for anyone regardless of experience.

You sound like an ethusiastic but relatively new clay target shooter. If so, you probably don't have enough experience to make an informed decision about investing a bunch of money in guns yet.

Here are my thoughts...

Get another 390 for your son that's similar to yours. It will work on whatever targets you and he wish to shoot.

390's hold their value well. If/when you are convinced another gun (like a trap combo) will better suit you, the 390's should be an easy sell.
 
#10 ·
Well I will say I've been having fun with the Beretta A390 ST as long as I stay on the Trap range. This will be my 5th time and getting between 16-20 regularly!
I am still in the hunt for a Trap combo and remain focused on the 687 as described . I see the Silver Pigeon III's are available on the JE site so maybe it will shake loose a II. I cannot afford the price of the III or anything new.

I missed a 682 combo that seemed to go for 2500-2700, that's kind of my price range

Anyway, still in the hunt. I have been selling some of my military stuff, just sold an AR-180, have a Colt SP1 and SP2 , both with Colt scopes that I may use as partial barter if anyone is interested
 
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