Double-barrel shotguns are stinking sweet long guns — classics that span the world and are beloved by about everyone.
I do mean everyone.
No one ever talks smack about double-barreled shotguns. Double-barrel shotguns have retained their appeal for centuries, maintaining their popularity even now.
So, let’s talk about these shotguns some more! We’ll look at why you might want one and give you a rundown on a few of our favorite models.
By the end, we’re sure you’ll agree these are some seriously cool guns.
THE QUICK LIST
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Best Budget Side-by-Side
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Best Value
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Best Over-Under
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Best Budget Over-Under
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Best for Pests
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Best Tactical Double Barrel
Table of Contents
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How We Chose the Best Double-Barrel Shotguns
Though I served as a Marine machine gunner and now teach pistol and concealed carry classes as an NRA-certified instructor, there’s just something about shotguns that speaks to me.
I have written many articles about shotguns and their accessories for Pew Pew Tactical and other publications. I spend countless hours researching and testing firearms and gear to ensure I bring the best to the PPT audience. Every shotgun on this list has spent hands-on time with someone on our staff, undergoing testing at various distances.
The guns on this list were chosen based on their performance, reliability, fit and feel, and overall value.
Best Side-by-Side Shotguns
1. CZ Bobwhite G2 – Best Budget Side-by-Side
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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CZ Bobwhite G2 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Simpe design
- Super reliable
- CNC machined receiver
- Affordable
Cons
- A little barrel-heavy
Specs
Features
My favorite SxS shotguns are simple, efficient in design, field useable, and ultimately a working man’s shotgun.
CZ’s Bobwhite G2 meets all those requirements.
Though CZ receives acclaim for its pistols and rifles, their shotguns also prove worthy contenders.
Like many affordable double-barrel shotguns, these are Turkish-built guns. Unlike some inexpensive double-barrels produced overseas, though, craftsmen build all CZ shotguns, bringing experience and attention to detail.
The Bobwhite G2 offers a hammerless shotgun design with a straight stock, brown walnut furniture, and blued finish.
It’s not fancy and doesn’t need to be. A deer, a rabbit, or a bird isn’t much concerned about how fancy the shotgun that you’re using to take it.
CZ moved to CNC receivers for all their O/Us, and the G2 gets the same treatment. G2 shotguns come in 12, 20, and the cult-favorite 28 gauge.
It is worth noting that while most 28 gauge guns are just 20 gauge guns with 28 gauge barrels, CZ makes a true version. A purpose-built 28 gauge shotgun provides a very light and svelte platform, perfect for long hunts or smaller shooters.
In general, the Bobwhite G2 is a lightweight and easy-wielding shotgun.
It fulfills that classic American need for an SxS shotgun, easy to shoot and simple. Not to mention, dual triggers make putting a load or two of lead in the air trouble-free.
Best Over-Under Shotguns
2. Mossberg Silver Reserve II – Best Value
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Mossberg Silver Reserve II Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very affordable
- Handsome design
- Well balanced
Cons
- Long LOP
Specs
Features
I know enough about double-barrel shotguns to enjoy them. I shoot them well and can be picky about things like stock fitment, cast, and drop.
That said, I don’t understand naming conventions, and Mossberg Silver Reserve II sounds like some kind of scotch.
In reality, it’s an O/U shotgun produced in Turkey for Mossberg. Bonus, it’s available at a rather excellent price point!
Turkish-made shotguns run a gamut from terrible to surprisingly good. Thankfully, Mossberg imports run the latter.
The Silver Reserve II is one of the most popular options at my local gun club. My favorite is the Sport model with shell ejectors.
It flings shells fiercely from the gun and never fails to amuse me.
Shooters can choose between 12, 20, and 28 gauge as well as .410. A special package includes both 12 and 20 gauge barrels.
Barrels range between 26 to 32 inches.
I find 28 inches to be the sweet spot. It makes the gun a little more balanced at the cost of a longer sight radius.
A 14-inch length of pull will be a turn-off for some, though.
Sport shooters use a bladed stance, so it’s not as big of a deal if that’s your style.
Prefer a shorter LOP? The Bantam model offers a 13.25-inch LOP (but only comes in 20 gauge).
These sweet little Mossbergs bring an affordable option complete with all the finely tuned features you’d see in a standard O/U shotgun.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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We get fancy wood, an engraved receiver, a vent rib, and a dual-bead fiber optic sight that allows this shotgun to compete with much more expensive models.
Do you like the Mossberg Silver Reserve II? Give it a rating below!
3. Benelli 828U – Best Over-Under
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Benelli 828U Pros & Cons
Pros
- Slim, modern profile
- Highly adjustable stock
- Super durable design
- Recoil-reducing Progressive Comfort system
Cons
- Difficult to take down
Specs
Features
Benelli is well-known for its tactical and sporting semi-auto shotguns.
Identifying bias is important when reading gun reviews, so let me make this easy for you…I’m a Benelli fanboy.
Shotguns like the Benelli 828U make my heart melt.
Benelli’s first O/U, the company wasted no time innovating and breaking from tradition. If you look hard, the 828U even kind of looks like a sporting semi-auto in the receiver area.
But this slim and modern O/U is different than most in several ways.
The breechblock is part of the barrel instead of the receiver. A moving lock plate sits where the breechblock normally would. This yields a more durable shotgun that suffers from less wear on the hinge.
Do you like stock adjustments? Good. The 828U’s stock adjusts in 40 ways to change the cast and drop of the stock.
It’s the only O/U shotgun I know of that offers this many adjustments without swapping stocks.
The 828U’s stock also sports a recoil-reducing Progressive Comfort system. Benelli placed buffers in the stock that adjust to various sporting loads. Shooters will feel the difference.
Brilliant ergonomics and modern design make the 828U shoot and handle like a dream. It points and swings like it was designed for me.
The only awkward bit was taking it down due to its unique design.
The 828U will clip clays down birds and allow you to experience a modern, finely tuned Italian shotgun for the cost of a gently used Honda.
4. Stoeger Condor Field – Best Budget Over-Under
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Stoeger Condor Pros & Cons
Pros
- Beautiful wood stock
- Budget-friendly
- Auto Extractors make reloads quick
Cons
- Replacement parts are hard to come by
Specs
Features
A lot of these double-barrel shotguns come with high price tags, especially the over-under guns.
Unfortunately, the high price makes trying one somewhat difficult.
But if you want to experience the joy of how fast you can swing a gun and bust a clay, we have a budget model perfect for penny-pinchers.
Stoeger once again makes the list with their excellent Condor Field model.
It offers a traditional sporting O/U complete with a vent rib and beautiful wood stocks.
This isn’t the best “good enough” shotgun because it’s a budget shotgun. We get features that make it a desirable shotgun regardless of the budget.
Firstly, the 12 gauge model weighs a bit over 7 pounds. This makes it easy to carry and maneuver while still having enough heft to smoothly track a flying target.
The Condor is available in 12, 20, 28, and .410 gauge, with chambers up to 3 inches where applicable.
Auto Extractors make reloads quick and intuitive, and a simple brass bead works adequately for target acquisition.
The Condor even looks good, thanks to its A-grade satin walnut stock.
Just stepping into trap, skeet, or upland bird hunting? Then the Condor is a great place to start.
Be sure to check out our full review of the Stoeger Condor!
5. Beretta SO10
Beretta SO10 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Excellent craftsmanship
- Highly attractive
- Durable mechanics
Cons
- Expensive
Specs
Features
God tier is the best way to describe the Beretta SO10.
When it comes to fine European double guns, Beretta is the undisputed champ. And the SO10 is Beretta’s legendary and flagship double-barrel shotgun.
There are no cast or welded portions of the SO10’s receiver.
Skilled artisans craft the whole thing from a block of high-resistance tri-alloy steel, which gives the gun an unmistakable look that oozes quality.
Polish is applied painstakingly by hand to the receiver’s external and internal areas.
Beretta’s sidelocks pop off with ease so you can peer into the internals and gawk at your Italian stallion. They even custom engrave the side locks for you, which can take upwards of 200 hours.
There are no visible pins or screws to ruin the looks of pure craftsmanship or any potential engravings.
The SO10 locking system is superbly strong.
This gun is a true heirloom. You can put tens of thousands of rounds downrange with it and then pass it on to your kids. They can do the same over and over again.
Beretta makes the gun in 12-, 20-, .410, and 28-gauge. Each gun is scaled to the round it fires.
These beautiful guns are the Rolls-Royce of firearms and feature a similar price of over $100,000.
These are the guns Beretta doesn’t even let you handle at things like SHOT Show. If you are like me, you gawk and feel poor looking at them.
Best Tactical Shotguns
6. Stoeger Double Defense – Best for Pests
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Stoeger Double Defense Pros & Cons
Pros
- Short, light, and easy to maneuver
- Two optics rails
- Ported barrels
Cons
- Only available with a cylinder choke
Specs
Features
Am I sold on a double-barrel for home defense? No.
But do I think the Stoeger Double Defense is a cool shotgun? Heck yeah, I do.
Short and light shotguns are the absolute best, and the Double Defense is about as short and light as it gets.
The Double Defense comes in both an SxS and O/U configuration, with the SxS acting as the lightest version. Both are available in 12 and 20 gauge, with the 20 gauge variant weighing only 6.4 pounds.
Stoeger’s Double Defense guns are “tactical” because they have added two rails positioned on the gun — one for an optic and one for a light.
This does make the double defense stand out among its peers. Plus, it makes it easy to toss on a red dot.
Red dots make guns handle faster and more intuitively. With the right red dot, like the Holosun 507C V2, you can pattern your load to the optic.
Both barrels on the Double Defense are ported. Porting reduces recoil by selectively milling holes near the end of the barrel.
The thinking around the gun is solid. Yet, having only two shots for home defense is a bet I’m not going to take.
As a lightweight field gun for hunting, the Double Defense would work okay.
Cylinder bore means being selective with your ammo to achieve max effectiveness. The right load in this gun can make it a nice and handy pest remover and, in general, a fun gun.
7. Standard Manufacturing DP-12 – Best Tactical Double Barrel
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Standard Manufacturing DP-12 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Holds 16 rounds
- Awesome looks
Cons
- Bulky and heavy
Specs
Features
I love including a wildcard on these lists, and I can’t help but include the living meme gun that is the DP-12.
This double-barrel pump action would make Moe from The Simpsons excited.
The DP-12 is utterly ridiculous and awesome. It holds 16 rounds in a dual-tube design.
Each barrel gets its own tube, and you can fire two shots before having to pump the gun once more.
This gun is huge, bulky, heavy, and brilliantly ridiculous.
It’s like the Doom guy designed a gun.
I can’t think of a practical reason for the DP-12’s existence other than being the only double-barrel, pump-action shotgun.
Well, that and for demon-slaying.
Why Buy a Double-Barrel Shotgun?
It’s a simple enough question, but I, as usual, have a not-so-simple answer.
Double-barrel shotguns are straight-up cool. But cool factor aside, these guns are just good overall.
C’mon, there’s a reason these things have been around for so long.
These shotguns offer incredible reliability with all types of ammo. They don’t jam, don’t double feed, and don’t suffer under poor weather.
They fire the lightest of loads and handle short mini shells without any issue. We like it when things just work.
The simple design of double-barrel shotguns also means they last forever. Not much here to wear out, so double-barrel shotguns get passed down from generation to generation.
Double-barrel shotguns also enjoy an ambidextrous design in controls and function. So, lefties don’t have to endure the uncomfortable experience of shooting right-handed.
Two barrels mean two chokes which allow you to tailor what each barrel is capable of doing.
You can hunt with buckshot in one and slugs in another. Or run various bird or sport loads for different ranges.
Finally, double-barrel shotguns tend to focus weight rearward. This presents a faster swinging, easier handling shotgun for taking moving targets.
O/U and SxS
You’ll see the terms O/U and SxS sprinkled throughout this article. So, let’s define those real quick.
O/U stands for over-under. These have shotgun barrels that run vertically. This gives you a top and bottom barrel with a narrow sight plane.
SxS stands for side-by-side. These have shotgun barrels that run horizontally. You get a broader sight plane, and SxS guns can come with double triggers and hammers.
Before jumping in, it’s worth noting that we chose production firearms. So, you won’t see expensive auction guns from the early 1900s here.
Final Thoughts
Double-barrel shotguns are classic firearms that transcend genres. Everyone knows a double-barrel shotgun is cool.
Even in countries with strict gun control, double-barrel shotguns still reign supreme. In backwaters like Afghanistan, I ran into double barrels from across the world being used by farmers to keep pests away.
This list brings some of my favorite double-barrels to you in the hopes that you’ll find one (or two) that you like.
What is your fave double-barrel design? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re looking for more shotgun content, check out all of our shotgun reviews in Everything Scattergun!
Latest Updates
- July 16, 2024: Added How We Chose section. Added supplemental information for each firearm.
- April 2024: Savage Fox A Grade removed.
15 Leave a Reply
Thank you for your service. Outstanding article; thoroughly enjoyed it. But my favorite - the Ithaca Model 37 20ga Pump - was not mentioned. I presently have both SxSs and O/Us, but miss my old Rem Model 1100s in 12 and 20ga. I have a 12ga O/U Dakin Ditta Davide Pedersoli that is 'bad-mouthed' on the web. Mine is a "beauty"; shoots great! If the price is right, I'd love to get a similar model in 16ga and/or 20ga. I'm an O/U lover; but unfortunately way too many of them are out of my reach. Retired Senior Master Sergeant/E8, US Air Force, 22 1/2 years. Wasn't ready to retire, but had an asshole Air Force Academy commander who 'red-lined' my promotion orders for Chief Master Sergeant/E9.
Don't see my Century 20 ga SxS on the list. It might be out of production for all I know. Made a good quail gun. Though SxS isn't as good for hunting as an over under. You have to learn to favor which barrel your using. Sometimes that a problem with birds on the wing, and I know a few times I led with the wrong barrel, and missed the shot.
Welp, seeing's how Travis is getting beat up pretty good here. I might as well PILE-ON !!
How you or anyone can be a Broke-nelli fan boy is beyond me. Two of my old duck hunting buddies each owned a Benelli Semi, and BOTH were constantly dealing with busted parts, Jamming, FTF. And yes they were cleaned and well maintained. And yes, I know this article is about O/U.....They got ZERO help from Benelli. To this day, You couldn't pay me to own one.
Next on the agenda .......
The Only Beretta you mention is one that no one reading this article can afford ???
Really ?? My Beretta 682 Gold E was the FINEST O/U I have ever shot. Fit and finish was top notch. That gun swung like a dream. 6000+ rounds in one summer and not one issue.
Unfortunately I had to sell it back in 2006. Even though I no longer shoot ATA anymore, I still regret selling it to this day.
Other than that Travis, another Great article.
I'll join the, "Where's the Superposed?" crowd.
Are there any that are true takedown
shotguns like what an AR-7 can do as a rifle? Looking for a shotgun that can go into a day pack.
Thanks.
H & R used to make their "Pardner." I don't believe it's still in production (at least not under the H&R name), but you still see used ones pop up now and then.
They came in 12 and 20 gauge and .410 Bore.
Thank you! I could not find anything in my googling. I appreciate the camaraderie, I'm on the hunt at gunbroker now.
You're welcome..
Another single shot folder that is still made is the Khan Arms Stylox. It comes in 12 and 20 ga. Though it's Turkish made, reviews I've read were positive as to its build quality and function. Generally under $200, so it's not a big hit on the pocket.
Chiappa used to make the Double Badger, a folding. 22 S,L,LR/.410 bore, but I believe it's out of production too.
Good Luck in your search, and I hope you find something that meets your needs.
I can see where a shotgun would make a better survival/backpack gun, as it gives you a 3 load option. Birds hot for small game, 00 Buck for 2 legged Predators and slugs for bigger game inside 100 yards. Much better than just a .22 LR.
I'd love to hear what you find and decode to get.
Hate the stupid BuzzFeed memes and the fact that you're incapable of saying anything negative about these guns because their manufacturers are paying you.
Hear, hear! I appreciate your insight here.
I can't believe you didn't even give credit to the finest Double Barrel Made in America without question and arguably the finest double barrel ever made from 1930-1956
The Winchester Model 21
I have a 1948 Winchester Double barrel, Full/Mod 12 ga 26" Deluxe field gun that i regularly use for upland game, primarily pheasants.It is in excellent condition. beautiful and the very finest side by side ever made. An American Legend. It has never failed me or let me down and the barrels are w perfectly regulated
Shame on you for not mentioning the absolute finest (in any grade up to Grand American)
American double barrel shotgun ever made, bar none!
I have or had all kinds of doubles from cheap (worthless) Savage Stevens to Browning Superposed Grade V and I. My favorite is an old Beretta SO3 the predecessor of the above mentioned SO10. It is a 12 gauge field gun that weighs less than 7 pounds. The engraving is fabulous. The wood is...well old Beretta. Not much to look at but sturdy enough since the gun has been going for 75 years.
Nowadays the SO series all have great wood. The pinless side plates are nice for certain. Not even the far more expensive Fabbri has that. However, at over $100K I'll stick with my ancient SO3. Same basic action. Beretta has made great shotguns for a long time, the S/SO series being their flagship since 1933.
An article about double barreled shotguns, and no mention of the Browning Superposed? Inconceivable!
That's an over/Under, not a side by side double barrel...totally different gun than a SXS
Double barrel to Me and most upland hunters i know, a double barrel IS a side by side NOT an O/U
I have a Superposed and I love it, but it is far from a double barrel SXS
I also have a Browning BSS double barrel SXS that is an excellent SXS but nowhere near the extreme quality of a Winchester Model 21
That Beretta photo at the top...that's Photoshop, right? Why is the shotgun so ridiculously ginormous?