If Money is No Object, How Much to Spend on an O/U?

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  • dreadpirate

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 7, 2010
    5,521
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    I was curious what was available for those with the means to get the very best new manufacture O/U shotgun money can buy. How much can you spend? $100,000? $250,00? Certainly $500,000 could get you the best O/U shotgun money can buy, right?

    How about $705,000? That's what a Peter Hofer O/U can go for, depending on what you get!

    Makes an $11,000 Caesar Guerini look like something from a WalMart bargain bin.

    For me, I'd be happy with a $2,200 Beretta.

    ref: https://successstory.com/spendit/most-expensive-shotguns
     

    IX-3

    Active Member
    Aug 21, 2018
    424
    Eastern Shore, MD
    I'm not a hunter so any over/under would be purely just to have and maybe shoot every once in a while. If money wasn't an issue I would probably go with one of the Beretta's in the $9,000 to $20,000 range.
     

    44man

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 19, 2013
    10,129
    southern md
    Man I hate even the idea of an over under so even if I hit the mega millions I wouldn’t get one

    So I am no help
     

    dreadpirate

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 7, 2010
    5,521
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    I'm not a hunter so any over/under would be purely just to have and maybe shoot every once in a while. If money wasn't an issue I would probably go with one of the Beretta's in the $9,000 to $20,000 range.

    I'm with you. Even if I had a spare hundred million dollars, I would not waste $100,000 let alone $700,000 for ANY shot gun; well, perhaps if it was owned by Teddy Roosevelt. O/W that's just crazy! I was really surprised when I read that.
     

    sxs

    Senior Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2009
    3,377
    Anne Arundel County, MD
    Frankly, many of the very expensive guns have large premiums based on how rare they are, how extensive the engraving is, and what kind of rare quality wood they have. It would often not be difficult to get an equivalent quality firearm for a lot less money. Use the Guerini's for example. All are excellent quality guns and much of what you pay extra for on the higher end models is the 'gingerbread'. Even extra high grade wood is merely eye candy when compare to less highly figured but still very nice grade wood and doesn't necessarily make the firearm 'better' except in the eyes of the beholder.

    All that said, some very nice firearms are scarce simply because there is a ton of hand work done on them which restricts the number available for sale.
     

    Occam

    Not Even ONE Indictment
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 24, 2018
    20,239
    Montgomery County
    Never thought I'd own an O/U, but it eventually happened. Wanted a 20ga for gunning at upland bird dog hunt tests, and while perusing endless side by side guns, a Browning Citori White Lightning in 20 jumped off the rack almost by accident (a sales person, actually doing their job!). Sold as used, but I suspect it had never been fired outside the factory. I'd cut my teeth shooting autoloaders, but needed a breeching gun for hunt tests, and an O/U required zero brain adjustment for me. Just worked. That Browning has been used over hundreds of dogs, and I can't imagine another style gun for that task. Now... if money was literally no object, would I get a prettier one? Sure, maybe a bit. But field guns are meant to be beat up, and I hate abusing art. Endless money might put a couple of beauties in a showcase gun vault room, but the whole "endless money" part seems unlikely (this week, anyway).
     

    Aamdskeetshooter

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 19, 2013
    1,744
    Moco
    People spend $40,000+ on cars, motorcycles, boats, motor homes, vacation homes. No one bats an eye. These guns are extremely reliable and durable. My friends that own these can afford them. Some have many of them. All of them are competitive shooters that travel around the state and country competing. At a certain point it does become more about the engraving and nice wood than the mechanical aspects of the gun. But then the gun should be compared to art and not a standard gun. The art of hand engraving is ridiculously time consuming. Also, the skill takes years to master. So my answer is yes I could easily spend $30,000+ on a shotgun if money wasn’t an issue.
     

    nedsurf

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 8, 2013
    2,204
    I guess if I found myself in a Brewser's Millions type situation, I'd indulge in a real nice one as a collector/art piece. If I can bust clays just as well with a pawn shop pump action then I'll just go with that. Shooting trap and skeet is just an occasional past time for me and I am not very good at it. I consider the rest just a form of peacocking in front of other peacocks. The people that matter in my life don't care what shotgun I use.
     

    JoeRinMD

    Rifleman
    Jul 18, 2008
    2,014
    AA County
    Frankly, many of the very expensive guns have large premiums based on how rare they are, how extensive the engraving is, and what kind of rare quality wood they have. It would often not be difficult to get an equivalent quality firearm for a lot less money. Use the Guerini's for example. All are excellent quality guns and much of what you pay extra for on the higher end models is the 'gingerbread'. Even extra high grade wood is merely eye candy when compare to less highly figured but still very nice grade wood and doesn't necessarily make the firearm 'better' except in the eyes of the beholder.

    All that said, some very nice firearms are scarce simply because there is a ton of hand work done on them which restricts the number available for sale.

    From my observation, it appears that the "break point" between adding to the functional aspects of the shotgun, and where the engraving/ornamentation/wood quality takes over is between $5,000 and $10,000. Above that amount, it's purely for the additional aesthetics and rarity.

    JoeR
     

    antco

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 28, 2010
    7,044
    Calvert, MD
    I like nice things.
    I still have and have had some very expensive rifles.
    I could see myself spending a lot of money on some Beretta EELL's if I got into that hobby.

    I have intentionally ignored and avoided 1911's as I know what happens when I look at those rabbit holes...

    As said above, to those with the means, these are generally tools to be used and appreciated much more than trophy room relics to stare at and wipe the dust off of occasionally. They are a status symbol, intentional or not.
     

    Aamdskeetshooter

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 19, 2013
    1,744
    Moco
    From my observation, it appears that the "break point" between adding to the functional aspects of the shotgun, and where the engraving/ornamentation/wood quality takes over is between $5,000 and $10,000. Above that amount, it's purely for the additional aesthetics and rarity.



    JoeR

    The top 4 manufacturers for competition guns: Beretta, Krieghoff, Kolar and Perazzi run 10,000-15,000 for the base guns. Berettas cheaper lines include the 680 and 690 series of guns run $2000-$5000. There’s other smaller manufacturers between the two price points. These include Caesar Guerini, Zoli, Blaser. Below is a link to Krieghoff‘s price list showing the price of the base guns and the upgrades. You can buy the guns a little cheaper than the listed prices.

    https://www.krieghoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Competition-Shotgun-Price-Book-2018.pdf
     

    JoeRinMD

    Rifleman
    Jul 18, 2008
    2,014
    AA County
    The top 4 manufacturers for competition guns: Beretta, Krieghoff, Kolar and Perazzi run 10,000-15,000 for the base guns. Berettas cheaper lines include the 680 and 690 series of guns run $2000-$5000. There’s other smaller manufacturers between the two price points. These include Caesar Guerini, Zoli, Blaser. Below is a link to Krieghoff‘s price list showing the price of the base guns and the upgrades. You can buy the guns a little cheaper than the listed prices.

    https://www.krieghoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Competition-Shotgun-Price-Book-2018.pdf

    Actually, before I typed my initial posting, I was thinking of a gun like the Beretta DT-11 as the highest end of the "functional" line. Above that it's much more about the ornamentation (engraving, checkering and precious metal inlays). At that point, there's really nowhere to go to improve on the basic mechanics of the gun, just making it more "artistic" and with a limited production.

    JoeR
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    I will go with JoeR on this one. I think you can get something extremely functional for between $5,000 and $10,000 when it comes to an o/u. Now, the Beretta 686 at $2,000 will last a while, the Beretta 692 at $4,000 is even nicer and longer lasting with shoulders that can be replaced. However, if you want the tank of all Beretta o/u shotguns, it runs about $10,000 for a DT-11, which is the next one I want.

    Now, that does not mean I don't want a more expensive o/u. There are some really nice looking o/u shotguns out there that you are not buying for functionality, but for art. Kind of like buying the Mona Lisa or some other really expensive piece of art. Heck, a lot of us have a kitchen and bathroom that cost more for it to look pretty.

    I have always dreamed of a Beretta SO6 that looks something like this, and cost around $25,000 when I was looking at it:
     

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