Last updated August 2026 · By Nick Hall, who has shot doubles from $400 coach guns to Italian sidelocks and owns two of the guns on this list
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Quick Answer: The CZ Redhead Premier is the best double barrel shotgun for most buyers in 2026. It is an over/under with real walnut, 28-inch barrels and five chokes at around $970 street, and little else under a thousand dollars matches it for all-round build and equipment. If you want a side-by-side instead, the Stoeger Coach Gun does the job for under $400.
“Double barrel” covers two different guns. Over/under stacks the barrels vertically and dominates clays and modern upland shooting. Side-by-side puts them horizontally, carries flatter and swings faster in thick cover. We have picked the best of both here, and gone deeper on each in our over/under shotgun guide and side-by-side shotgun guide.
Best Double Barrel Shotguns in 2026 at a Glance
| Shotgun | Action | Gauge | Weight | Street Price | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEST OVERALL CZ Redhead Premier | Over/Under | 12, 16, 20, 28, .410 | 7.4 lb | $970-$1,230 | Price ↓ |
| BEST BUDGET Stoeger Coach Gun | Side-by-Side | 12, 20, .410 | 6.5 lb | $397-$600 | Price ↓ |
| BEST BUDGET O/U Mossberg Silver Reserve | Over/Under | 12, 20, 28, .410 | 7.5 lb | $610-$870 | Price ↓ |
| BEST TRADITIONAL CZ Bobwhite G2 | Side-by-Side | 12, 20, 28 | 6.5 lb | $683-$750 | Price ↓ |
| LIGHTEST Stevens 555 | Over/Under | 12, 20, 28, .410 | 6.2 lb | $656-$937 | Price ↓ |
| BEST SXS ALL-ROUND CZ Sharp-Tail | Side-by-Side | 12, 20, 28, .410 | 7.3 lb | $826-$1,255 | Price ↓ |
| BEST HOME DEFENSE Stoeger Double Defense | Side-by-Side | 12, 20 | 7.1 lb | $442-$599 | Price ↓ |
| BEST LOOKING TriStar Bristol | Side-by-Side | 12, 20, 28, .410 | 6.5 lb | $863-$1,080 | Price ↓ |
| BEST MID-PREMIUM Franchi Instinct | Over/Under | 12, 20, 28 | 6.5 lb | $1,100-$1,980 | Price ↓ |
| BEST PREMIUM Browning Citori CX | Over/Under | 12 | 7.5 lb | $2,010-$2,420 | Price ↓ |
| BEST HEIRLOOM Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon | Over/Under | 12, 20, 28, .410 | 6.8 lb (12ga) | $2,384-$3,300 | Price ↓ |
Over/Under or Side-by-Side? Decide This First
Everything else on this page is downstream of this one choice, so make it before you look at prices.
An over/under gives you a single sighting plane. You look down one barrel, exactly as you would with a pump or a semi-auto, and the transition is effortless. It is also the format that competition has settled on, which means the aftermarket, the chokes and the used market are all deeper. If you shoot clays, or you want one gun that does clays and birds, buy an over/under.
A side-by-side gives you a wider, shallower receiver, which means the gun carries flatter against your body and points faster at close range. Traditional upland shooters walking hedgerows and grouse woods swear by them for exactly that reason. The wide sighting plane takes some getting used to, and most people shoot one slightly worse than an over/under for the first few hundred rounds.
The honest summary: an over/under is the better first double for almost everyone, and a side-by-side is the better second one. Both are covered here, and both get deeper treatment in our dedicated guides.
1. CZ Redhead Premier – Best Double Barrel Shotgun Overall
- Action: Over/under, boxlock
- Gauge: 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410
- Barrel: 28 inches
- Weight: 7.4 lb (12 gauge)
- MSRP: $999 · Street: $970-$1,230
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Ejectors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- Turkish walnut and genuine hand-checkering at a price where most rivals give you plain birch
- Five interchangeable chokes in the box, so it goes from skeet to waterfowl without buying anything
- Available in five gauges including a current-production 16 and a proper 28, the widest choice at this price
- Chrome-lined barrels handle steel shot, which matters for waterfowl
Cons
- At 7.4 lb in 12 gauge it is still on the heavy side for all-day walking
- The 28-inch fixed barrel length is the only option, no 26-inch for tighter cover
The Redhead Premier is the gun that makes the sub-thousand over/under market look crowded. You get real walnut, real checkering, a polished receiver and five chokes, and the whole package feels like it should cost half again as much.
The weight is the honest complaint. At 7.4 lb in 12 gauge it soaks up recoil beautifully on a clays station and becomes a chore on a long walk. The 20 gauge sheds most of that and is the version we would buy for mixed use.
Best For: The buyer who wants one double gun for clays and birds and has about a thousand dollars.
2. Stoeger Coach Gun – Best Budget Double Barrel
- Action: Side-by-side, boxlock
- Gauge: 12, 20 and .410
- Barrel: 20 inches
- Weight: 5.9 lb (20 ga, 26in) to 6.5 lb
- Street: $397-$600
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Extractors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- The cheapest honest route into a side-by-side, and it has been in production long enough to prove itself
- Short 20-inch barrels make it fast in tight cover and easy to store
- Light at around 6.5 lb, so it carries all day without complaint
- Genuinely useful as a truck, barn or home defence gun as well as a range piece
Cons
- Fit and finish is functional rather than pretty, the wood is plain
- Fixed chokes on most configurations, so no choke tuning
The Coach Gun is the best-selling side-by-side in America and it is not close. Short barrels, simple boxlock action, plain wood and a price that hovers around four hundred dollars. It is the gun people buy when they want a double and cannot justify a thousand.
What surprises people is how well it handles. Twenty-inch barrels between the hands make it extraordinarily quick, and at 6.5 lb it is the sort of gun you carry without thinking about it.
Best For: First-time double buyers, .410 shooters, and anyone who wants a short, simple, cheap two-shot shotgun.
3. Mossberg Silver Reserve – Best Budget Over/Under
- Action: Over/under, boxlock
- Gauge: 12, 20, 28 and .410
- Barrel: 28 inches
- Weight: 7.5 lb
- MSRP: $820 · Street: $610-$870
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Extractors on the field models, ejectors on the Sport
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- Frequently found around $610-$650 street, which undercuts every comparable over/under
- All four gauges available, including a light .410 that is superb for teaching
- Chrome-lined barrels and included choke tubes
- Mossberg’s service network is one of the best in the business if something goes wrong
Cons
- Wood-to-metal fit is visibly a step below the CZ
- Trigger is heavier and less crisp than the price-adjacent competition
The Silver Reserve is the answer when the CZ is out of budget. It does the same job for a couple of hundred dollars less, and the compromises are cosmetic rather than mechanical. The barrels are chrome-lined, the chokes are included and the action locks up properly.
The .410 version deserves a specific mention as a youth and teaching gun. A light over/under in .410 lets a new shooter learn barrel discipline and the break-action safety routine with almost no recoil.
Best For: Budget-conscious clays shooters, and families wanting a first shotgun in a small gauge.
4. CZ Bobwhite G2 – Best Traditional Side-by-Side
- Action: Side-by-side, colour case-hardened boxlock
- Gauge: 12, 20 and 28
- Barrel: 28 inches
- Weight: ~6.5 lb (20 gauge)
- Street: $683-$750
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Extractors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- Straight English stock and splinter forend, the genuinely traditional configuration
- Colour case-hardened receiver looks far more expensive than it is
- Double triggers give instant choke selection, which is the real argument for a traditional double
- Light and beautifully balanced between the hands in 20 gauge
Cons
- Double triggers are an acquired skill and some shooters never get on with them
- No 12-gauge-heavy loads recommended, this is an upland gun not a waterfowl gun
The Bobwhite G2 is what most people picture when they say side-by-side: straight English grip, splinter forend, case-hardened receiver and two triggers. CZ builds it in Turkey and sells it for a fraction of what the look implies.
The double triggers are the thing to think hard about. Front trigger fires the more open barrel, back trigger the tighter one, and you select instantly by which finger you use. Once it clicks, single-trigger guns feel slow. Until it clicks, you will fire the wrong barrel regularly.
Best For: Upland hunters who want the classic look and are willing to learn double triggers.
5. Stevens 555 – Lightest Double Barrel Shotgun
- Action: Over/under, alloy receiver
- Gauge: 12, 20, 28 and .410
- Barrel: 28 inches (12 ga), 26 inches (others)
- Weight: 6.2 lb
- MSRP: $769 · Street: $656-$937
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Extractors, ejectors on the 555 Enhanced
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Pros
- 6.2 lb makes it the easiest gun here to carry for a full day in the hills
- Aluminium alloy receiver with a steel insert at the breech, so the wear surface is still steel
- Five chokes included
- The 28 gauge version is a genuinely delightful upland gun
Cons
- Light weight means noticeably more felt recoil with heavy 12-gauge loads
- Alloy receivers do not wear as well as steel over decades of hard use
The 555 solves the problem every other over/under here has, which is weight. At 6.2 lb it is more than a pound lighter than the CZ Redhead, and after four hours of walking that difference is the only thing you will think about.
The trade is recoil and long-term wear. An alloy receiver with a steel breech insert is a sensible engineering compromise, but it is a compromise. If you shoot thousands of rounds a year at clays, buy something steel.
Best For: Walked-up upland hunting where every ounce is carried, not shouldered.
6. CZ Sharp-Tail – Best All-Round Side-by-Side
- Action: Side-by-side, single selective trigger
- Gauge: 12, 20, 28 and .410
- Barrel: 28 inches
- Weight: 7.3 lb
- MSRP: $1,100-$1,350 depending on gauge · Street: $826-$1,255
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Auto ejectors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- Single selective trigger, so it shoots like a modern gun with a traditional silhouette
- Pistol grip and beavertail forend suit shooters coming from an over/under
- Five chokes included, unusual on a side-by-side at this price
- Available in all four gauges
Cons
- Heavier than the Bobwhite at 7.3 lb, losing some of the side-by-side carry advantage
- Purists will tell you a pistol grip belongs on an over/under, and they are not entirely wrong
The Sharp-Tail is the side-by-side for people who do not want to relearn anything. Single trigger, pistol grip, beavertail forend and choke tubes, all in a horizontal-barrel package. It is the least intimidating route into the format.
Best For: Over/under shooters who want a side-by-side without giving up the single trigger and choke tubes.
7. Stoeger Double Defense – Best Home Defense Double Barrel
- Action: Side-by-side, tactical configuration
- Gauge: 12 gauge (the CXS is the 12/20 sporting variant)
- Barrel: 20 inches, fixed improved cylinder
- Weight: 7.1 lb (12 ga), 6.4 lb (20 ga) · OAL: 36.5″
- Street: $442-$599
- Chamber: 2.75 inches
- Shell handling: Extractors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- 36.5 inches overall makes it genuinely manoeuvrable indoors
- Fibre optic front sight and accessory rails, unusual on a break-action
- Two shots with no cycling to fumble, and the manual of arms is about as simple as a firearm gets
- The 20 gauge at 6.4 lb suits smaller-framed shooters defending a home
Cons
- Two rounds, then a manual reload, which is the whole argument against it
- Fixed improved cylinder chokes only, so no pattern tuning
The Double Defense takes the Coach Gun and gives it a fibre optic front sight, accessory rails and a matte finish. The result is the only double barrel on this list built specifically for home defence rather than adapted to it.
Be clear about the trade. Two rounds is two rounds, and a pump gun holds five or six. What the double gives you in exchange is absolute simplicity, no cycling to short-stroke under stress, and a 36-inch overall length that turns corners a longer gun will not.
Best For: Simple, short home defence where two rounds and no manual of arms to forget is the priority. Compare it against our home defence shotgun picks before deciding.
8. TriStar Bristol – Best Looking Side-by-Side
- Action: Side-by-side, colour case-hardened sidelock-style receiver
- Gauge: 12, 20, 28 and .410
- Barrel: 28 inches
- Weight: ~6.5 lb (20 gauge)
- Street: $863-$1,080
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Auto ejectors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Pros
- The best-looking gun here under a thousand dollars, and it is not a close contest
- Engraved, case-hardened receiver with genuinely attractive colour
- Single selective trigger and choke tubes despite the classic styling
- Available in 28 gauge and .410 for small-gauge enthusiasts
Cons
- TriStar’s dealer and service network is thinner than CZ’s or Mossberg’s
- Turkish-built and quality control is a touch more variable than the CZ guns
If the reason you want a side-by-side is that side-by-sides are beautiful, the Bristol is the answer. The case colours are richer than anything else at this money and the engraving is real rather than laser-etched approximation.
Best For: Buyers who want an heirloom look without heirloom money, and who have a competent local gunsmith.
9. Franchi Instinct – Best Mid-Premium Over/Under
- Action: Over/under, aluminium alloy receiver
- Gauge: 12, 20 and 28
- Barrel: 26 or 28 inches
- Weight: 5.9 lb (20 ga, 26in) to 6.5 lb
- MSRP: $1,299 (Instinct L) · Street: $1,100-$1,980
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Auto ejectors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 3/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Pros
- Italian build quality and AA-grade walnut at well under Beretta money
- Light and exceptionally quick between the hands, a proper bird gun
- Colour case-hardened receiver option looks superb
- Franchi is part of the Beretta group, so parts and service are not a worry
Cons
- Aluminium receiver at a price where buyers start expecting steel
- Not the gun for high-volume clays, it is built for the field
The Instinct is where the Italian guns start, and the jump in handling from the sub-thousand tier is immediately obvious. It comes alive between the hands in a way the heavier budget guns simply do not.
Best For: Upland hunters stepping up from a budget double who want Italian handling without Beretta pricing.
10. Browning Citori CX – Best Premium Over/Under
- Action: Over/under, steel receiver, full-width hinge pin
- Gauge: 12 gauge (the CXS is the 12/20 sporting variant)
- Barrel: 26, 28 or 30 inches
- Weight: 7.5-7.6 lb
- MSRP: $2,180 · Street: $2,010-$2,420
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Auto ejectors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 3/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
Pros
- In continuous production since 1973, which is the strongest durability argument any gun here can make
- Full-width hinge pin and a steel receiver built for six-figure round counts
- The CX is stocked to suit both sporting clays and field work, unusual in a dedicated design
- Resale is exceptional, you will get most of your money back
Cons
- Over two thousand dollars, which is four Coach Guns
- At 7.5 lb it is a clays gun that hunts, not a hunting gun that shoots clays
The Citori has been in production for over fifty years, and that is the entire argument. Clubs are full of Citoris with round counts that would have destroyed most guns here twice over. The full-width hinge pin design simply does not shoot loose.
The CX variant is the one to buy if you cannot decide between sporting and field, because it is stocked to split the difference honestly rather than compromising both.
Best For: Serious clays shooters, and anyone buying one over/under to keep for thirty years.
11. Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon – Best Heirloom Double
- Action: Over/under, steel receiver, conical locking lugs
- Gauge: 12, 20, 28 and .410
- Barrel: 26, 28 or 30 inches
- Weight: 6.8 lb (12 gauge, 28in)
- Street: $2,384-$3,300
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Shell handling: Auto ejectors
| Value | Fit & Finish | Handling | Versatility | Durability |
| 3/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Pros
- The low-profile Beretta action is the slimmest and best-balanced receiver in mass production
- Available in all four gauges with genuinely scaled frames, not one frame with small barrels
- Beretta’s service and parts support is effectively permanent
- Holds value better than any other gun on this list
Cons
- The most expensive gun here by a clear margin
- The base Silver Pigeon’s engraving is roll-marked rather than hand-cut, which stings at the price
The 686 is the default answer to “what over/under should I buy if money is not the constraint but sanity still is”. The action is lower and slimmer than anything else in production, which is why the gun points the way it does.
The scaled frames matter more than the price tag suggests. Beretta builds the 28 gauge and .410 on genuinely smaller receivers rather than hanging small barrels on a 20-gauge frame, which is why the small-gauge 686s handle so well.
Best For: The one-gun-for-life buyer, and anyone who wants a small gauge built on a properly scaled frame.
How to Choose a Double Barrel Shotgun
Extractors or ejectors
Extractors lift the shells partly out so you pull them by hand. Ejectors throw the fired cases clear. Ejectors are faster and are what you want for clays; extractors keep your brass off the ground and are quieter in a hide. Budget guns are usually extractor-only, and it is the single most common upgrade reason. Every pick above lists its shell handling in the spec block so you can check before you buy.
One trigger or two
A single selective trigger fires both barrels with a selector switch. Double triggers give you instant choke choice by finger position, which is faster once learned. Traditional side-by-sides use doubles; almost everything else uses a single.
Chamber length decides what you can feed it
Almost every modern double here is chambered 3 inches, which means it will safely fire 2.75-inch and 3-inch shells. The exception on this list is the Stoeger Double Defense at 2.75 inches, which is fine for its job but rules out 3-inch magnum loads entirely.
Two things people get wrong. A longer shell will physically chamber in a shorter chamber and it is genuinely dangerous, because the crimp has nowhere to open and pressure spikes. And nothing here is 3.5-inch, so if you want heavy waterfowl loads a double barrel is the wrong tool. Older guns are the real trap: pre-war and many mid-century doubles are 2.5 or 2.75 inch, and vintage side-by-sides are frequently 2.5. Check the barrel flats before you feed anything to an inherited gun.
Weight is the specification that decides whether you enjoy it
Heavy guns swing smoothly and absorb recoil, which suits clays. Light guns carry easily and kick harder, which suits walking. The spread here runs from 6.2 lb to 7.9 lb, and that pound and a half is the difference between loving and resenting a gun by mile four.
Steel or alloy receiver
Alloy saves weight and money, steel lasts longer under volume. If you shoot a few hundred rounds a year, alloy is fine. If you shoot a few hundred a month, buy steel and buy once.
How We Tested
Specifications here come from manufacturer data and published reviews, checked directly rather than lifted from other roundups. Street prices are pulled live from the retailers in each pricing block and move daily, which is why we quote bands rather than single figures. Where a figure is an approximation because the manufacturer publishes a range across gauges, we have said so. Read our full testing methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an over/under or a side-by-side better?
An over/under is better for most shooters because the single sighting plane transfers directly from a pump or semi-auto and the aftermarket is deeper. A side-by-side carries flatter and points faster in thick cover, which is why traditional upland hunters prefer them.
Why are double barrel shotguns so expensive?
You are paying for two barrels that must be regulated to shoot to the same point of aim, and for an action that locks up under pressure with no receiver behind it. That is fundamentally more machining and hand-fitting than a pump gun with one barrel and a tube.
Is a double barrel shotgun good for home defence?
It is workable but not optimal. Two rounds and a manual reload is the drawback; a short overall length and an extremely simple manual of arms are the advantages. The Stoeger Double Defense is the purpose-built option if you want one.
What is the cheapest decent double barrel shotgun?
The Stoeger Coach Gun at around $400 street. Below that you are into guns with questionable lockup and no service network, and a double barrel that shoots loose is not worth the saving.
Can you shoot steel shot through a double barrel?
Only through chrome-lined barrels with chokes rated for steel, and never through fixed full chokes on older guns. The CZ and Mossberg guns here are chrome-lined. Check the manual before putting steel through any double, particularly a vintage one.
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