Sadowski - Gun traders guide to shotguns : a comprehensive, fully illustrated reference for modern shotguns with current market values

Copyright 2015 by Robert A. Sadowski

A version of Short Hairs, Long Barrels and Fast Feathers is reprinted from the November 2011 issue of GunHunter Magazine courtesy of Buckmasters LTD.

A version of Spring Turkey Circa 1887 is reprinted from the October 2012 issue of GunHunter Magazine courtesy of Buckmasters LTD.

A version of Stoeger Condor is reprinted from the November 2012 issue of GunHunter Magazine courtesy of Buckmasters LTD.

A version of Inertia Driven Operator: Benelli M2 Tactical is reprinted from the July 2013 issue of Tactical Weapons magazine courtesy of Harris Tactical Group.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover photographs courtesy Beretta and Caesar Guerini.

Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-586-4

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450-965-7

Printed in China

Contents

Introduction

This is the first edition of the Gun Traders Guide to Shotguns or GTG Shotguns for short. In the tradition of the Gun Traders Guide , GTG Shotguns gives professional and private shotgun collectors a complete reference guide to identifying and determining the value of modern shotguns made between the late nineteenth through to the twenty-first century.

SPECS AND PHOTOS

Included are specifications and illustrations or photographs for thousands of different shotguns. The easy-to-use format is simple and straightforward. All shotguns are listed in alphabetical order by manufacturer or importer name, and the models are also in alpha-numeric order so you can find a specific model fast. The index also makes it easy to find a specific model by a manufacturer. Entries are alphabetized by manufacturer and model and further divided by action type if applicable. Full specifications include:

Manufacturer

Model Name

Model Number

Gauge

Barrel Length

Overall Length

Weight

Distinguishing Features

Variations of Different Models

Grades

Dates of Manufacture (when they can be accurately determined)

Date of Discontinuation (if applicable)

Current Value (by condition)

PHOTOS OR ILLUSTRATIONS

A full-color section, Featured Shotguns, with detailed information on more than thirty collectible shotguns contains detailed photos to help aid in identifying shotguns. Also included in GTG Shotguns is information on how to grade firearms, buying and selling shotguns in online auctions, what to expect at gun shows, the AFT definition of curios and relics, state by state firearm purchase permit requirements, how to identify old and new shotgun types, shotgun collector organizations, online auctions, and more.

ACCURATE SHOTGUN VALUES

We have made every effort to ensure the information listed here is current and up to date. Not every shotgun ever manufactured can be listed in a reference book of this size, but we have made every effort to include the makes and models most popular with American owners and collectors. Please note GTG Shotguns does not include antique or recently manufactured black powder firearms. Values shown are based on national averages obtained by conferring with knowledgeable gun dealers, traders, collectors, and auctioneers around the country. The values listed accurately reflect the nationwide average at the time of publication. Keep in mind that the stated values are averages based on a wide spectrum of variables. No price given in any such reference book should be considered the only value for a particular shotgun. Value is ultimately determined by the buyer and seller.

In the case of rare or one-of-a-kind items, such as the Parker Brothers Invincible or the Parker Brother AA1 Special shotgun in 28 gauge, where very little trading takes place, active gun collectors were consulted to obtain current market values. In researching data, some manufacturers records were unavailable, and at times information was unobtainable. Some early firearms manufacturers production records have been destroyed in fires, lost, or were simply not accurately maintained. These circumstances resulted in minor deviations in the presentation format of certain model listings. For example, production dates may not be listed when manufacturing records are unclear or unavailable.

As an alternative, approximate dates of manufacture may be listed to reflect the availability of guns from a manufacturer or distributor. These figures may represent disposition dates indicating when that particular model was shipped to a distributor or importer. Frequently, and especially with foreign manufacturers, production records are unavailable. Therefore, availability information is often based on importation records that reflect domestic distribution only. This is meant to explain the procedures and policies used for these published dates and to establish the distinction between production dates, which are based on manufacturers records, and availability dates, which are based on distribution records in the absence of recorded production data.

To ensure GTG Shotguns has the most accurate information available, we encourage users to contact the research staff at Skyhorse Publishing to forward any verifiable information they may have, especially about older out-of-production models.

In addition to shotgun identification and values, GTG Shotguns features Shotgun Testing & Evaluation, a testing and evaluation section with a hands-on review of a variety of shotguns from a pair of reproductions (CZ Hammer Classic Side-By-Side and Puma M-87) to an inexpensive over-and-under (Stoeger Condor) and a best-in-class tactical shotgun (Benelli M2 Tactical).

The Shotgun Provenance section looks in detail at one of John M. Brownings personal shotguns, a Model 1893 pump. Brownings influence on firearm design was wide and far-reaching. By 1900, more than 75 percent of the repeating sporting arms in the United States were John Brownings designs. Even today, many firearms manufacturers use a modified version of a John Browning design.

Finally, all shotgunnersfrom die-hard collectors to hunters to competitive shootershave a bucket list. Let us know if weve included your must-do items in the Shotgun Collectors Bucket List.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The editor and publisher wish to express special thanks to the many collectors, dealers, manufacturers, shooting editors, firearm firms, distributors public relations and production personnel, research personnel, and other industry professionals who provided us with specifications and updates throughout the year. We are especially grateful for assistance and cooperation in compiling information for GTG Shotguns and to reproduce photographs and illustrations of collectible firearms. Special thanks to Mike Bishop of Bishops Fine Guns in Fitzgerald, Georgia, (bishopsfineguns.com) for many of the detailed color photographs; the Union Station for access to the John Browning collection in the John M. Browning Firearms Museum (theunionstation.org); the John F. Kennedy Library (jfklibrary.org); and the help received from J. David Williamson, Journal Editor and Technical Advisor at the L.C. Smith Collectors Association.