Where to look for new and used trap shotguns?

I'm looking to get more into trap shooting and looking to shop around for what fits me in a decent trap gun. Where can I find good selections of new and used O/U and semi shotguns not too far from the White Marsh (MD) area? I'm swinging by Freestate this afternoon. Do people post used gun ads at the club at Loch Raven? Do any of the Dicks or SA's around here actually carry decent shotguns? Any of the gun/pawn shops around have much selection beyond riot guns?

Input/guidance is appreciated!

As much as i dislike Bart's in Glen Burnie in general, I will say that they have a very nice selection of gaming guns if none of our Industry Partners have something suitable.

We'll probably be going to Bart's for our trap guns. Just haven't gotten around to it yet. Too busy hoarding ammo.

Thanks! I'll have to swing by Bart's on my way home from work one day next week. I went to Freestate today - they have next to nothing in the way of semi-auto or O/U shotguns. Also swung by Dick's in White Marsh who did have a surprisingly decent selection. Only one or two very cheap O/Us (would have liked to have held a 12g Condor, but they only had it in 20). Did get my hands on the Beretta A300 and the Benelli Montefeltro. I really liked how the Benelli felt.

PG Trap & Skeet has a for sale board. Never been to Loch Raven but I would think they would also. Angler's in Annapolis might be a good place to look.

You might try Gun Bunker in Shrewsbury. They usually have a nice selection of used shotguns when I drop by.

What are you looking for?
Single barrel trap?
I have a BT-99 Plus with Briley's and extra parts I may sell.
In the 1.2k range

HotWheelsUMD said:

I'm looking to get more into trap shooting and looking to shop around for what fits me in a decent trap gun. Where can I find good selections of new and used O/U and semi shotguns not too far from the White Marsh (MD) area? I'm swinging by Freestate this afternoon. Do people post used gun ads at the club at Loch Raven? Do any of the Dicks or SA's around here actually carry decent shotguns? Any of the gun/pawn shops around have much selection beyond riot guns?

Input/guidance is appreciated!

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Head over to PG Trap & Skeet, many to rent, test them out on the trap and or skeet line.

Gun Bunker didn't have any trap type guns yesterday. I'd say Barts. Loch Raven has a board people post on. I bought a Beretta 391 Sporting off it a few years ago.

Jack Bart will not only sell you a gun he will help fit it to you. Definitely a full service place to by a gun. Jack just worked with my son on Thursday and I have nothing but good things to say about the experience!!!

Unfortunately, you aren't going to find many trap guns for sale at the local shops in Maryland. Barts will have a couple handfuls of used ones, but most are very high end and all are way over priced.

I would suggest the following. Try figuring out what type of gun you want and shop for that specific model online. Trapshooters.com is a great place to find used Trap guns. You can also make a trip up to Shydas in Lebanon, Pa as they always stock the most popular models.

Before you do any of that, head out to your local club on the day that they have open trap. Take a few boxes of shells and start talking to the guys who look like they know what they are doing. Tell them what you are up to and before you know it you will be trying out some guns.

If you want to make things real easy on yourself, then I would suggest buying the most popular trap gun on the planet, Browning BT99. Trapshooters at all levels shoot this as both their primary and back up. They are relatively inexpensive (I say relatively as there is no such tthing as a inexpensive trap gun), they are bullet proof, and the resale on one you buy used is virtually 100% .

It is important to note that the BT99 is a single shot. I remember being in the exact same position as you a few years back. I thought I wanted an O/U until an old timer sat me down and asked me why. You see, you only need an O/U if you plan to shoot doubles or if you are going to use your trap gun to shoot skeet or sporting clays. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you really want to become serious about shooting trap singles and handicap, then just get yourself a single shot BT99. It is really tough to even find a place to shoot doubles because it is so expensive and most guys would rather shoot two rounds of singles for the same money.

As far as semi autos are concerned, you may consider staying away from them if this is going to be a dedicated trap gun. Not to start a debate here, but trapshooters can be a very whiney bunch. We like to blame of our lack of performance on anyone/anything other than ourselves. One of those things is being distracted by shooter with semi autos who eject shells in our general direction and/or bounce the occasional one off of our high dollar barrel. Just something to keep in mind.

I would be happy to let you shoot mt BT99 if you would like. I sometimes shoot at AGC on the weekends and could meet you up there. Let me know. By the way, $1200 for a BT99 special is not a bad deal depending on its overall condition.

Good luck

Re the BT 99, how's the recoil on those compared to the newer designed guns? I seem to run across one from time to time in the $1000-$1200 range. Some have adjustable stocks and combs, are they factory?

rico903 said:

Re the BT 99, how's the recoil on those compared to the newer designed guns? I seem to run across one from time to time in the $1000-$1200 range. Some have adjustable stocks and combs, are they factory?

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I would have to answer your question with a question and then I will make a general statement in reference to recoil.

Which "newer" designed guns are you referring to and when were they introduced? I imagine you are talking about the low recoil semi automatic sporting guns such as the Browning Maxus, etc.

General Statement:

Semi auto shotguns generally have a little less recoil than break open and pump actions due to the nature of their gas operated systems. That being said, this is nothing new and really dates back 40 or 50 years.

The real difference in recoil is realized when you compare field guns to sporting guns. Most of your Trap specific guns weigh between 8.5 lbs and 9.5 lbs which is significantly heavier than any field gun. The extra weight eats up a significant amount of the recoil. If you are used to using a field gun (870 express or Mossberg 500) to shoot trap, then you probably feel pretty banged up after 100 rounds. Shoot those same 100 rounds (or 300 rounds for that matter) with a heavier gun and you will likely not even feel it when you are done.

The recoil on both the newer and older style BT99's is about the same; very little and quite manageable. If you are recoil sensitive, then you can install recoil reducers in the butt stock. In general, most of the guys that I know who purchase these feel as if it was a waste of money down the road.

The BT-99 has several different grades ranging is price (new) from about $1,400 to $4,500. The lowest grade (which is what I have and paid $1,050 online a few years ago) has a satin finish and no adjustable comb or adjustable butt plate. For an extra $250 you can get a factory adjustable comb, but I took the advice of others and stayed away from the browning factory one. The word is that the factory hardware is inferior to aftermarket and that will come loose often. Therefore, I sent mine out and have an adjustable comb and butt plate installed for about $400. The highest grade has pigeon grade wood, adjustable comb, adjustable butt plate/recoil reducer.

$1200 is not a bad price for a BT99 that is in good condition and has an adjustable comb. You can probably find a new one online for that much and then add the comb and butt plate later on if you feel that you need it. Looking back, I didn't really need the adjustable comb, but the adjustable butt place has turned out to be priceless because I am able to mount the gun and bury the stock into the pocket of my shoulder without compromising anything.

Again, if you visit your local trap range, you will be hard pressed not to see a ton of BT-99's and surely be able to shoot one. I would say roughly 1 in 4 guns at any trap range will be a BT99 on any given day. If you dont feel comfortable asking a stranger send me a PM and you can shoot mine one day.

roger8918 said:

Jack Bart will not only sell you a gun he will help fit it to you. Definitely a full service place to by a gun. Jack just worked with my son on Thursday and I have nothing but good things to say about the experience!!!

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A friend of mine is going through the process with Bart's. I can't believe the level of service he's gotten.
My son just got his Winchester SX3 Sporting from Tuckahoe. Great selection and very nice people to deal with. Great gun, too...if you don't mind launching shells at your neighbor

MEGARMS-thanks for responding. Haven't shot in years(back surgeries). Want to get out and try again. My Wingmaster was always my go to gun but it is hard on me. Bought a Berreta 20ga field before the back issues but it is very light and beat me up pretty good, cheek and shoulder. Bought a 391 Trap for a great price but never got used to the high comb and rib-grew up with field guns-so I sold it. Probably should have tried a parallel stock or had it fitted but too late now. Think I'll go to LR and PG and try a few rentals before I jump in. About 12 years ago took my boss shopping and he bought a Franchi 12ga O/U but as I recall it didn't fit me very well and I didn't like the feel, so I felt the recoil in my cheek. Some of the BT-99s I have shouldered have felt pretty good. It's funny about what feels good. Bought an 11-87 Sporting as it was close in feel to my Wingmaster but still didn't shoot as well with it. Main reason for looking for a break open is because of the few, I don't know what to call them, that bitch about flying shells. You'd think they were in an Olympic competition for Christ's sake.

You could look for an older 1100 Trap with the non monte carlo stock, good shooting trap gun that softens the recoil. As far as slinging hulls with an auto,its a simple fix,you just use a T&S shell catcher that snaps on,10 dollar part.
I use my autos for trap and just use a shell catcher or a rubber band.
ww.tandsshellcatcher.com

@ rico903:

An option for you might be the Gracoil system. It's an adjustable butt plate with a built-in recoil tensioning system that's adjustable. Would cost a few hundred with installation but if it could get you out shooting again it might be worth it.

http://www.graco-corp.com/t/gracoil

Rico. If you are really recoil sensitive and want to stay under $1000, then a Remington 1100 or 1187 trap with a T&S shell catcher is what you should try to find. Even better than that would be a Beretta 302/303 Special Trap with a T&S, but those are harder to find and a bit more expensive. To give you an idea, I just sold a real nice Beretta 302 Special Trap for $750. You can find a nice 1100 trap for closer to $600. Both are real nice guns and have very little recoil.

If you don't mind going north of $1000, then a break open with the Graicoil system is definately an option, but be ready cause you can creep up to $2500 - $3000 real quick. As with anything else, the better resale value will be with the cheaper guns without all of the gadgets. Rarely does one ever recoup the investment for bells and whistles.

Augie said:

You could look for an older 1100 Trap with the non monte carlo stock, good shooting trap gun that softens the recoil. As far as slinging hulls with an auto,its a simple fix,you just use a T&S shell catcher that snaps on,10 dollar part.
I use my autos for trap and just use a shell catcher or a rubber band.
ww.tandsshellcatcher.com

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Angie, good looking 1100. Wanna sell it?

MEGARMS said:

Angie, good looking 1100. Wanna sell it?

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If I did it would be 800.00, it's an early 80's that I found new in box and has what most 1100 shooters consider the best barrel ever put on a 1100 Trap, stepped rib fixed full.