Comments on rifle/shotgun O/U combo guns?

[JonF 79]

I have been researching these combo guns that have a over/under configuration of a rifle caliber (rimfire or centerfire) along with a shotgun barrel as a curiosity to play with. I see that Savage has made them as the model 24 and also IZH/Baikal makes them currently it seems. Both are available on GB for around $400 average it seems. I think a fin combo would be a 12/20ga with a .223 or 7.63x39 barrel for plinking and such combo's seem like they are available. Have any of you had one of these kind of guns and what are you thoughts on it? Again, its not for any specific purpose, just a fun gun.

 

Savage combo's.

.22LR/.410 .22LR/20 Gauge

.22WMR/20 Gauge .22 Hornet/20 Gauge

.222 Rem/20 Gauge .223 Rem/20 Gauge

.30-30/20 Gauge .357 Mag/20 Gauge

.22 Hornet/12 Gauge .222 Rem/12 Gauge

.223 Rem/12 Gauge .30-30/12 Gauge

 

 

IZH-94 Over&Under Rifle Combo

GA/BBL/CH-CAL

 

12/24" -3"-222R

12/24" -3"-223R

12/24"-3"-6.5x55

12/24"-3"-7.62x39

12/24" - 3-308

12/24"- 3"-30-06

20/24" - 3"-22 MAG

20/24" - 3"-22 LR

 

[farmerkd1 3]

I've had a few of them through the years and still have a couple (Savage, Stevens, Savage/Stevens). A 410/22 was my first gun, my dad's first gun, and my son's first gun. Perfect combo for a youngster to start out hunting with - you're instantly ready for whatever pops up. Shotgun for pheasant or quail or moving rabbit, and rifle for squirrel, sitting rabbit, or just whatever needs to be "plinked" at the moment.

 

So I think they're perfect for multiple roles like that, or if you can only have one gun, and yes, just to play around with.

 

Never played with the the larger centerfire calibers though. The .22 is pretty darn accurate and IMO as good as any stand-alone .22, but I imagine you'd give up some of that with a larger caliber, (barrel harmonics etc.) but probably still be good enough for most of us.

 

I also have an old device called a "Four-Tenner" that's a sleeve to turn any shotgun into a .410, (From back in the days when .410 was much, much cheaper than the other guages. Don't know if that's really true any more).

 

Another thing to look for is how you change between the barrels. Some have the switch on the hammer, (like the 24J in the picture) on some it's a sliding switch in front of the hammer, and others have the selector on the side. Just a matter of preference, but one you might think about ahead of time. On the one my dad had it's on the side, but that makes it a right-handed gun -- and I'm a lefty so it's about unusable to me.

 

Hope this helps you make up your mind on them.