An American Made SxS Shotgun...

[WAYNO]

And it's not Ruger.

https://www.savagearms.com/fox/

Savage is again releasing an American made double-gun. I'm surprised they think there is a market for such a gun. And if there is, it's too bad Ruger can't get back in the game with the Gold Label.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

I like it. I have always been a fan of the Side by side. I have owned a Browning SBS or two over the years. I owned a Lafever Nitro 20 special 20 years ago. I would break clays with it at the skeet range. Some old guy made fun of me once and asked if I was going to start wearing English riding boots to the range. I guess I drifted away from side by sides. I would want a 20 or 28.

Bill

 

[Jeepnik]

Always liked the look of a SXS. But they just never felt "right". Now, my Citori OU is a marvel. Shoulders effortlessly, swings with a grace and smoothness no SXS ever even came close to for me.

I hate to say this, but my 20 ga Browning is a better upland game bird gun than my old Franchi 48L 20. And I used that Franchi for thirty years and loved it every time I used it.

 

[Ray Newman]

The December 2017 issue of the American Rifleman has a review of it. Nice looking SxS, and for US$4995.00 it should be, but craftsmanship and a firearm appealing to a niche market will not be inexpensive.

Always liked a SxS as I grew up shooting them. 'Nevva' had the funds for a really fine one and so I still have my 1962 Stevens 16 gauge M311. I can still hear some of the then old timers say of the 16: "swings like a twenty, hits like a 12."

 

[gunman42782]

It's a beautiful gun, but hard to justify $5000!

 

[Dranrab]

I have never understood why recoil pads are so rare on doubles.

 

[22/45 Fan]

I have never understood why recoil pads are so rare on doubles.

Well, old chap, it's just not done, don't you know? (said with an upper crust English accent.)

 

[DGW1949]

Beautiful gun, but my vanity don't run deep enough for me to pay anything close to 4-digits for a shot gun...let alone 5K.
Myself, I'd rather have a new 311 and not have to worry about it getting scratched, dinged, or devalued the first time I shot it...

But that's just me. My wife say's that I'm way too practical for my own good.

DGW

 

[R77PA]

Saw one at last gun show. They are made by Connecticut shotgun company for Savage

 

[5of7]

Beautiful shotgun and I thought I wanted to buy one until I saw the price.

Just to be picky--are we allowed to be picky about a 5K shotgun?--I noticed that the ad mentioned a charcoal colored receiver. I would have been happier if I was assured that it was indeed charcoal case hardened, rather that just colored.

Also, I would have preferred a selective single trigger over double triggers, but perhaps they were shooting for something a little more retro, although selective single triggers have been around for a long time now. 8)

 

[WAYNO]

I have never understood why recoil pads are so rare on doubles.

Utility is second to artistry in a fine double gun. From the bead at one end, to the butt plate on the other end, everything is purposely designed to be pleasing to the cultured eye. A beautiful double gun with an awful recoil pad just is not cool. Remember too, a gentleman, when carrying his double gun afield, is wearing his shooting coat, with a recoil pad sewn into the shoulder of the coat. 8)

 

[22/45 Fan]

I would have been happier if I was assured that it was indeed charcoal case hardened, rather that just colored.

I'm not sure about this but perhaps modern Cr-Mo steels used for these receivers won't take the old case hardening heat treatment. They certainly don't need it for strength or wear resistance.

 

[WAYNO]

The article I read "said" it was real case hardening.

Cheapest I've seen these so far is $4295.

 

[Flyrod]

My first shotgun was a Savage Fox SBS, 20 ga, 26” barrels, choked IC/Mod, double triggers. It was perfect for rabbits and grouse in the northeast. That one was stolen, but nothing feels as natural in my hands. I have other doubles now, but I sure miss that one. $5k does seem a little steep for this new model, at least to my eye.

 

[Arky]

S X S lover here. I especially like the two trigger variety. I scratched that itch with the CZ made in Turkey. It is a 20 ga and a very sweet little gun. I am not likely to pay their price for an American made one although American Rifleman magazine called it an economy model!

 

[Tenbore]

At least it has double triggers. As to recoil pads on shotguns, I have never liked them. For quick snap shooting when birds are flushed, a smooth hard butt plate slides up into the shoulder much quicker (for me) without getting snagged on clothing. Five grand is a little out of my price range though.

 

[Rocdoc]

I was pretty excited to see this in American Rifleman, until I got to the MSRP. Georgeous gun, get what you pay for.

 

[mac66]

There are lots of American made SXS out there but they are mostly all well used, made in 30, 40s and 50s and you have to look for them. I have 4 of them from those vintages. 2 -20 ga and 2 are 12 ga. My brother has an original Fox 12 ga. The funny thing is that many, many American made double barrels were budget grade guns made for and sold through Sears, Wards or hardware stores and were made by Crescent Arms, Stevens etc.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

I had to look to realize who's making the gun for Savage. Connecticut Firearms seems to enjoy a good reputation for such work, and I seriously doubt the guy interested in one of the Fox repros is gonna flinch at the price. In fact, where most of us would put such a gun in the safe, he's likely to have it out in the field several weekends every Fall...

It's been a long time since I did any serious trapshooting, but still drop in to a shoot once or twice a year to see if I recognize any old faces and make some noise trying to break those little clay birds. One of the biggest differences in the game from when I played it seriously and seeing it today is that it's become a "fashion show" for high dollar guns (even if they don't shoot any better than an off the shelf Remington 870.) There are fewer and fewer ranges and opportunities to shoot in this part of the world, so the social aspect is taking over from the simple shooting part.

As hunting access succumbs to urban sprawl thru more and more of the country, I can see a similar growing market in the not so distant future for "look at this" guns even in the field as our bird hunting migrates toward being a sport more for the well heeled than Joe the Working Stiff. Especially for the guys who can drop $1000s into a South Dakota pheasant hunt one week followed by a similarly priced duck hunt down in LA the next, and not think any more of the prices than if they were taking the kids to a movie on Saturday afternoon!

Hope this gun catches on! Mean time, my 1930 L.C. Smith will go on a couple more dove trips here in CA before we get stuck shooting "non-toxic" loads at them and its value has to be forever ruined by installing steel friendly choke tubes, or it's retired to a target field. Maybe by then I'll have enough saved up for a new Fox... ;)

Rick C

 

[winchester348]

I fingered one at the NRA show here in Atlanta. Nice but not $5k nice. I could buy a CZ or Ugartechea and still have enough money left over to buy a life time of shells.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I have never understood why recoil pads are so rare on doubles.

Well, old chap, it's just not done, don't you know? (said with an upper crust English accent.)

Yes, yes, poor form and all that.

 

[Sapo]

S&W, Ruger and Marlin tried to sell the SxS in recent years. None have succeeded to sustain production. Ruger was the only one produced in the US, IIRC. I would like to see the double gun survive, made here.

Sapo

 

[DGW1949]

S&W, Ruger and Marlin tried to sell the SxS in recent years. None have succeeded to sustain production. Ruger was the only one produced in the US, IIRC. I would like to see the double gun survive, made here.

Sapo

As I recall, the last US firm to try it was Remington, with theirs being made in Russia. Either way though, whether any certain brand was made here or imported from abroad, the fact of the matter seems to be that the market for a SXS SG has all but ceased to exist.
Yeah, I agree that there's a lot of us who "would like to see the double gun survive", but as history has shown, that's not an indicator of how many would actually be sold. Now, that's not say that you (or perhaps the next guy) wouldn't buy one, it's just saying that aside from the (dwindling) CAS-market, there's been an apparent difference in how many have said they 'would like to see more of 'em offered' and how many actually got around to the buying part...

Otherwise, at least 'some' of the now-defunct models would still be being offered by the same firms which once made them, eh?

DGW

 

[Coop]

My wife and I both shoot 20+ year old Stoeger 12 GA SxS 20" bbl coach shotguns for CAS/SASS matches. Both have over 5,000 shotshells thru them. Annie has harvested pheasants and chuckers with hers. Stoeger also makes 26" bbl SxS for upland game. They all retail for less than $600.00.

I saw the AR Savage article, and said "at that MSRP, now way will that ever get off the ground".

 

[SteelBlue]

Yes, I was recently in the market for a SXS and really wanted the Fox/Savage, but ultimately went with the Dickinson Estate (made in Turkey) at about 1/3 the price through Cabela's. I think the guns are about equal in quality, perhaps nicer scroll work on the Fox.

 

[BigBlue]

No $5000 shotguns for me. I wanted a SXS and settled for a Stoeger (Brazilian?) Uplander for less than a tenth of the cost.

 

[Joe in Fl]

Very Nice, I'll stick with my LC Smiths though. I can have several more LC's for that money and have a true Classic Doubles.