Stoeger Condor...yay or nay?

[hans1911]

I have an opportunity to pick up a lightly used Stoeger Condor O/U from a friend very reasonable. It has the 26" bbls. and screw in chokes. I searched Condors on here, and it seems to be a mixed bag of reviews. I don't shoot trap or skeet, and would use it for hunting only. So, if you could get one for around $200 like new, what would you do?
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hans1911

 

[ArmedBear]

I'd buy it.

I've shot trap league with guys who use them, and they're not at all bad (they have the Supreme version).

Don't expect a Perazzi, but the guns seem to have served these guys quite well for clay and bird shooting, without any trouble.

 

[Oldnamvet]

I have one with about 3K rounds through it so far. It would take a while hunting to shoot it that much.

 

[ArmedBear]

Let me add...

I probably wouldn't buy one for $600 or whatever they cost new, although they're worth it from what I've seen. I'd want to apply the money towards an SKB or something, instead.

But for 200 bucks? I'd get it in a heartbeat.

 

[Pete409]

Since your friend owns the gun, ask to try it out before buying it. Be sure that it works well and fits you reasonably well.

An O/U with 26" barrels is a pretty short gun. Also, I don't generally favor buying the less expensive O/U because generally I don't consider them good buys. BUT, if this gun shoots well and you don't plan to do much target shooting with it, it would probably be worth $200.

 

[ArmedBear]

26" 12 Gauge or 20?

I don't particularly care for a heavy 26" gun myself, though the pheasantheads seem to like them allright.

I agree with Pete: inexpensive O/U's are generally not good buys. You end up wishing you had the money back, had saved up for a bit longer and bought one of the quality mainstream production guns.

But hell, I figure $200 is semi-disposable if the gun works and fits. Weight and fit are a lot like a Citori, as I recall. I can't stand 26" 12 Gauge Citoris, but some people like 'em.

 

[hans1911]

Its a 12ga. I am the opposite, since I don't target shoot with a shotgun, I prefer the shorter barrels. 26" is about as long as I like.

 

[ArmedBear]

I like my 26" 20 Gauge, but the balance is a lot different. The Citori, for example, likes to go up and down more than swing, in 12/26, IMO.

Of course, when you have upland birds rising and flying straight away, that's probably a good thing. The birds I hunt are smaller than pheasant. If I can get a hookup to some good pheasant fields east of here, I might be looking for a stubby 12.