Author Topic: Stoeger Over/Under Shotguns VS Sparten VS any other (Read 1238 times)

rickweed · « **on:** March 04, 2006, 12:08:08 PM »

I am interested in buying and over and under shotgun that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I have looked at the Stoeger and Remington Sparten. I kind of like the Stoeger since you can get a combo that has both the 12 and 20 gage set of barrels. Do any of you have experiences with either of these two guns or can anyone recommend another not so expensive over/under?? :roll:

nasem · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2006, 01:34:22 PM »

Im in the process of trying to figure out which of the over-unders I can afford, and honestly I don't want to pay thousands of dollars for one, so I had my eyes set on the Spartan 310 with nickle reciever, so far, I have heard nothing but GREAT things about it, with a 28" barrel, 12-ga and chromed lined barrel...... from what I know, it shoots just like any other over-under (including those 2000 dollar once) only difference is: it looks "almost" as good as the expensive once.....

Some guy I talked to over the internet has one, he says it sits on his shoulder nicly, and shoots like a dream..... He sold both of his expensive brownings becuase of the Spartan.

-hope this helps

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2006, 06:56:06 PM »

Quote

He sold both of his expensive brownings becuase of the Spartan.

I really find that hard....OK IMPOSSIBLE to believe. I find it pretty difficult to believe anyone who owned a pair of Browning O/Us would even pick up much less buy a Spartan but for sure it wouldn't inspire him to dump fine guns like those for that Russian hunka junk.

Shotgunning is all about feel and being one with the gun. If a gun doesn't fit you all the embellishments in the world are of no use, found that out the hard way when I finally went and bought that super duper gold enlayed O/U I'd always thought I wanted. Couldn't hit a bull in the butt with it. Dumped it for a Browning skeet gun.

The Russian made guns are clunky in the extreme or at least all of them I've seen are. If you just want a rough gun for shooting rabbits and squirrels it might do fine. BUT folks who buy O/Us most of the time are clays shooters and have or should have an appreciation for fit and feel and how a gun comes to shoulder and hits the targets. Clunky guns don't.

Rogmatt · « **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2006, 01:18:09 AM »

Letter to me from Keith B., President of EAA, just before EAA turned distribution over to Remington. I have seen every major Gun magazine sing the praises of the SPR shotguns by Remington. I have listened to many many people who own and have actually shot the SPR/Baikal who are excited about the value of them. Most folk I find who are critical of the SPR/Baikal are those who do not own one and have not shot one:

Dear Roger

I am not the best letter writer and as you can see many times you get answers from my Black Berry since I am on the road some where in the world.

Baikal - correct would be Izhevsk Mechanisky Zavod or for short IMZ. This is the company that owns the trade mark Baikal after the fall of the USSR. Durring the USSR times all guns exported from Russia were called Baikal and they were made by different factories. A factory in Russia in the USSR times was called a Zavod (or home of the people). Literally they were the home of the people they supplied: work, social events, housing, income, medicial, cultural events, supported universities, etc. Today this is gone. The Zavod is like in the USA a place to work and some social things like volly ball games or contests.

You may ask how did EAA come to work with IMZ? Simple, as an engineer I saw products with a foundation that were correct. The first meetings were hard and I could write a book on the experiences. Today Baikal products are technically correct and configured mostly correct for USA taste and are safe or safer than most products in the industy. Yes, we are not as pretty as some, but we say looks are only skin deep.

Want a gun to hunt or use, buy a Baikal, want a gun to hang on the wall and look at, buy the competition.

As you know today Baikal (IMZ) is working with Remington to build the Spartan line. This working relationship complements IMZ and Remington and further proves my origial thoughts that the IMZ product was techinally correct. To be approved to carry the Remington logo each model must go through a series of destructive and nondestructive test. The IMZ products passed the test and in some cases surprised the testors and IMZ engineers.

An example of how far IMZ has come is the MP153. A reasonable price semi auto that runs 3.5 to 2.75 12ga. Let's just say we did this project in record time and used engineers around the world. Had we not had e-mail we could of never acomplished this project in such a short time.

In 2005 you will see many new items from IMZ including the MP221 or MR221 and the IZH18MH or IZH18MN. These two guns took a treaty amendent between the USA and Russia.

Roger I am writing this on my hand held so it needs to be cleaned up before it can be printed. So if you could do this and pass it back for my final approval. I am a product of Florida schools and we were the guys that could not determine what a chad was.

Thanks

Keith

nasem · « **Reply #4 on:** March 09, 2006, 04:12:41 AM »

I don't know whats all the negative talk about the spartans, my opinion is it shouldn't matter how it looks AS LONG AS IT CAN SHOOT and shoot well.... I do not have any experience with them, but again, I NEVER had any experience with my bushmaster / browning bar / remington 700 police or any other gun I bought, I simply bought them BASED on some reviews, and found out they are great guns.....

Just in the past 4 weeks I blew over $2000 dollars on a new bushmaster and browning BAR, once I recover from that hit, I will buy a spartan let everyone know how it shoots / fits, and I'll be 100% honest about it.

Bullseye · « **Reply #5 on:** March 09, 2006, 07:00:16 AM »

Well I had a Savage about two years ago, which was made by Baikal. You could not squirrel or rabbit hunt with it since the pattern had so many holes it you could sit some animals out there and not even touch them. It did not shoot anywhere close to point of aim either. It did better at skeet since there was a chance that the skeet would fly into some of the shot. I almost forgot, the thing would rust on a dry day, spent a lot of time de-rusting the outside of the barrel. Then there was the 9.5 lb trigger pulls.

I bought a CZ to replace mine (SxS). They also make a O/U you might you want to check out. They are a little more money, but much better guns.

Questor · « **Reply #6 on:** March 09, 2006, 08:14:33 AM »

My buddy the trap nut has some really fine over under shotguns, but he says he likes the IZH best because he shoots best with it. Go figure.

The only thing I can add to this thread is that you need to beware of excessively heavy guns. Some of the lower cost O/Us weigh like an engine block and I know I wouldn't like them as field guns. Of course, that's true for some really fine O/U's too. If it weighs much over 7.5 pounds in 12 gauge or much over 6.5 pounds in 20 gauge you may want to consider if you want a heavy gun.

NimrodRx · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2006, 06:34:22 PM »

Simply amazing... Ad print and a manufacturer singing the praises of their gun... Ya just never see that... :roll:

If you truly like the fit, finish, handeling, and feel of these Russian guns, do yourself a favor... Buy a couple and never spend any time around a fine double gun. Ignorance is bliss.

I mean come on... Really.

For the amount that most guys shoot, these guns will last. They will kill game and they will go "boom" most of the time when you pull the trigger. They are what they are. A fine double gun they are not.

If you're looking for an inexpensive shotgun that will last, pick up a used 870 or a BPS. They will most likely outlast your children's children.

Two tubes doesn't make it better. In most cases, it is worse. That is, unless you pony up and pay for the craftsmanship of what makes a double gun a double gun.

Questor · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2006, 03:42:32 AM »

It looks like we've got a new class of O/U: O/U's for the sake of being O/Us. I say if you like them, then go for it. After all, there's a good market for Taurus pistols and Handi-Rifles too. I personally don't like them. The real attraction of a "traditional" O/U is that they are among the best designed and made guns ever. If I wanted a low grade O/U at the price of a high grade pump, I'd get the pump instead.

Bullseye · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2006, 06:53:38 AM »

I guess what I am saying is that the cheap Russian gun I had was not even good enough for hunting. I shot a squirrel one day with a modified choke at 15 yards and it ran off. Went and found it and shot again with a full choke at about 10 yards. The were 3-5 pellets in the squirrel when I skinned it.

The next weekend my father in law used that gun and shot at a squirrel 3 times and it never even moved, just sit there laughing. After that was when we patterned the gun and found out there really was no pattern.

So sometimes cheap is not even good enough to hunt with.