Hi All,

I'm looking for a good, reliable, well built coach gun more for HomeDef usage than Cowboy Action Shooting.  But from my experiences in action shooting, I know that the whatever holds up well in competition is going to a good choice for my purposes and whatever doesn't do well in competition isn't going to work for me.

I'm looking for 12ga. ~20" barrel(18.5 would be OK), SxS, changeable chokes would be nice, but I could live with just IC.  Single trigger would be nice as well.

I was looking at the Remington(Baikal) which seems to have mixed reviews.  Another manufactuer I was looking at is Stoeger which seems to have a very interest line of coach guns.

TIA for all advice, opinions and recommendations.

-Frank

FWIW I have a Stoeger 2" 12ga with the double trigger, have put a good amount of ammunition through it and have not experienced any problems. One barrel is IC if I remember right the other is Mod.

cimarron makes a damn nice coach gun!!



http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=148135160

Just picked this off the internet:  Remington/Baikal





The Stoegers I held at the shop looked and felt cheap compared to the Cimarron 1878 and the Remington.  This Remington coach is the nicest looking coach I've seen.  Fiddleback walnut stock and nice bluing.  Though the Cimarron 1878 color case hardened coach is a sex machine!

What I've gathered is the Cimarron 1878 is the race gun for cowboy action shooting (CAS) due to smoothness and close hammer placement for double cocking.  "Rabbit ears".  If you are not CAS inclined then the stiffer, less racier Remington/Baikal coaches get the nod.  "play around gun"

Stoeger

Stoeger Hammerless. Most of the top guns and competitors at CAS shoot hammerless SxS shotguns.

Stoegers hold up well and lots of guys use them.  You could do a lot worse than a Stoeger.

A number of smiths are selling the Remington with slick-up work already done.  I think Evil Roy offers one that way.  It is a great gun IF the gun smithing is done before you use it in a match.