Wanted Thinking About A Very Nice O/U For Skeet (Details Below)

[Tanks]

I like Caeser Guerini ( https://www.caesarguerini.it/en/over-and-under-competition-shotguns ).

I have a case colored Invictus III with a 30" barrel for sporting clays.

I like the gargoyle engraving on it.

 

[Doug3006]

Check out Joel Etchen Guns in PA. He has an exclusive deal on Beretta 687s with EELL wood. There’s one version called the All Around that might meet you needs.

Here are a couple of shots of my Etchen 687.

 

[Green Chile]

The Etchen guns are very nice and you can sort through all the wood options and pick the exact gun. I sometimes just window shop their inventory. It's a great option. Another good option, specifically for nice skeet guns, is Paxton Arms online. Doesn't meet your budget but it's a great source.

 

[BeeMaa]

I agree with everyone above recommending 30" tubes for a sporting clays & skeet over your preference for 26", however it's your shotgun and you should get what you want.

I encourage you to take a look at the Blaser F3 Competition. The same stock/action can be fitted with multiple barrel sets so you can have several lengths and several chamberings. I found the 12 bore 30" tubes fit me very well, but I'm also looking at a set of 20 bore 28" tubes to take on a pheasant hunt.

Wood and engraving options abound, limited only by your imagination and wallet. Weights that can be added under the forend and put in the stock to help with the balance and swing. Adjustable stocks are also available. Chokes are available from Briley in every form. The triggers are mechanical, not inertia driven. Safety is not automatic. Top of the butt pad is sloped and hard, making it easy to slide over clothing. Barrel selector is in the trigger guard. Trigger is adjustable for LOP. I'm sure there's more as well.

I chose the plain black receiver with grade 4 (I'm guessing at the grade) wood that my wife picked out. Cost was just under $8K about 2 years ago. There are some on GI that are in your price range.

 

[Green Chile]

I had an F3 32" and loved it. It moved very quickly and had great triggers.

 

[BeeMaa]

I had an F3 32" and loved it. It moved very quickly and had great triggers.

Yes, the triggers are amazing. Why did you get rid of it?

 

[Green Chile]

That was a sad story…a clay thrower threw a broken clay, which hit the end of the barrel and broke the rib! By the time it was repaired, I had moved into Perazzi. That F3 was a great gun. I loved how smoothly it closed and swung. I like lighter longer guns not the heavy K guns.

 

[rookhawk]

I agree with everyone above recommending 30" tubes for a sporting clays & skeet over your preference for 26", however it's your shotgun and you should get what you want.

I encourage you to take a look at the Blaser F3 Competition. The same stock/action can be fitted with multiple barrel sets so you can have several lengths and several chamberings. I found the 12 bore 30" tubes fit me very well, but I'm also looking at a set of 20 bore 28" tubes to take on a pheasant hunt.

Wood and engraving options abound, limited only by your imagination and wallet. Weights that can be added under the forend and put in the stock to help with the balance and swing. Adjustable stocks are also available. Chokes are available from Briley in every form. The triggers are mechanical, not inertia driven. Safety is not automatic. Top of the butt pad is sloped and hard, making it easy to slide over clothing. Barrel selector is in the trigger guard. Trigger is adjustable for LOP. I'm sure there's more as well.

I chose the plain black receiver with grade 4 (I'm guessing at the grade) wood that my wife picked out. Cost was just under $8K about 2 years ago. There are some on GI that are in your price range.
View attachment 548112
View attachment 548113

Less is more. Really nice wood on an unengraved gun is always better than shoddy fake engraving. Classy shooting iron you've got there.

 

[Green Chile]

Less is more. Really nice wood on an unengraved gun is always better than shoddy fake engraving. Classy shooting iron you've got there.

That’s one of the things I loved about my F3…blacked out receiver with nice wood that handled like a Ferrari. Yea it’s German but more like Italian Perazzi! It’s not very German feeling to me and That’s ok…trim and light on its feet.

 

[BeeMaa]

Less is more. Really nice wood on an unengraved gun is always better than shoddy fake engraving. Classy shooting iron you've got there.

Thank you for the compliment. I really have no idea what grade Blaser calls this wood because I know the grading system is different depending on the manufacturer and where they are made. My wife fell in love with it so it's what I got. I'm glad I married a woman of such good taste.

 

[Challer]

F3 triggers are awesome. Great for the field if you take all the weights out.
I'm probably one of the few using 30" barrels for sporting and only 32 for trap/skeet. But for me that's best and with Blaser, you can try different barrels and there is a large used market.

In the field, all my guns are 27/28/29" - they just point better, weigh less. Shoot what's best for you, 32/34 is just it's own fad

 

[SAFARIKIDD]

The point of the OP in my mind is that @SAFARIKIDD has Ferrari tastes and Ford Festiva budget for this particular gun. I feel the same way when I buy guns, get all the gun you can get for your dollars.

26" skeet guns are just fine, but they are social pariahs. Their desirability is in the toilet which crushes their price compared to 28" (par), 30" (premium), 32" (2x cost premium).

He then stated he wanted really good wood too. Those Beretta / Orvis uplanders are real stunners that go for cheap money in 26" barrel lengths. Pre64 Model 21s have very nice wood as well. I'd certainly own either of these for less than a very fugly engraved base-model Zoli/Guerini/Beretta with the electro pencil or acid etched faux-graving.

Here's a pic of a couple for example:

View attachment 548104

I have 32's and love them ...
But now I just want pretty extra O/U with 26 or even 28"...to play with..I will spend the money for the right one..But this will be Strictly for Skeet or bird hunting..NOT Sporting Clay's or Trap..I have the "Tools" for that now[emoji95][emoji106][emoji1783]

 

[SAFARIKIDD]

Here are a couple of shots of my Etchen 687.

View attachment 548109View attachment 548111

Nice site he has but nothing jumped out at me yet..Thats really nice wood on yours!

 

[Green Chile]

Makes sense for sure on 28's. Trap is a whole other subject of 34's and I love my Alfermann trap gun and Ljutic bi-gun!

All this talk about F3's has made me itchy again! Resist...

 

[BeeMaa]

All this talk about F3's has made me itchy again! Resist...

And Blaser makes the 12 bore barrels in 28"...

 

[Green Chile]

I see a really nice 29.5" ASE 90 skeet with tubes, Briley thin wall chokes and case for sale for $7k on another forum. These ASE 90's are excellent hand-fitted guns that kind of blew the doors off the market. They are incredible used buys. No connection to seller but happy to point out the ad if needed.

 

[BeeMaa]

That is a beautiful shotgun but it looks to be a SxS, not an O/U.

Might be nice to have a SxS like that one. What do you say @SAFARIKIDD?

 

[Green Chile]

No, Beretta ASE 90 is a hand fitted competition O/U. Way ahead of its time and they made no money on it but it was excellent.

 

[SAFARIKIDD]

That is a beautiful shotgun but it looks to be a SxS, not an O/U.

Might be nice to have a SxS like that one. What do you say @SAFARIKIDD?

I love side by sides on the field hunting (esp 577 600 700!)[emoji13]
But on Clay's I do better with single plane O/U[emoji95][emoji95]

 

[BGHNTR416]

Nice wood on this Browning, chokes are a little tight and barrels are 28...

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/995226998