Looking for feed back on DeHaan shotguns

[r nickell]

I decided I really needed a 16ga over and under but not enough to spring for a Citori. Ran across a DeHaan 16ga 28" barrel for around the 600.00 dallor mark and was wanting some feedback on them. Did some research on the internet but not alot out there on this brand so figured I would do some more digging before I bought it.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

R Nickell,
I will give you the advise I give my clients as they purchase a gun for themselves or their family members. I do not recommend the newer lower quality double guns,
no matter if they are stack BBL or SxS. Save your money and purchase a better quality weapon that will last many life times, especially if you are both hunting and shooting clays. Some weapons are just not high enough quality to repeatedly fire, a quality weapon will stand up to both hunting and line shooting and will be safe no matter how many rounds are run thru the weapon. You might have to spend slightly more money for a used Browning, but you are purchasing the engineering, both the
trigger and safety (SST) alone are will worth the money expended, add on the Browning Chrome lined BBLs with the 3" Chambers and some decent wood in the stocks and you see what you are paying for. If you want to get something for a little less money, you can also look for a used Ruger O/U, the quality is there also. Remember you want to own weapons that have enough quality built into them to hand down for generations, never purchase a one generation weapon.
RGD/Dave

[mcbosco]

DeHaan guns are turkish-made Huglus, just like the CZ and Huglu guns sold here. They are a little fancier looking but the same underneath.

You can probably get a brand new Huglu for that money. TR Imports carries Huglus you may wanna check with them.

[Mountaineer]

In the higher priced guns you often pay for the name, design, craftmanship, wood, scratching, and other intangibles peculiar to each of us while receiving little more on a practical need-to-bang level.
On the middle level guns, an informed buyer will usually come out ok on a purchase from an honest seller.
But it's not rocket science...you get what you pay for....especially in the lower priced scatterguns.
And, of course, any gun can be a lemon...Browning, Purdey or LC Smith.
I would expect the mentioned gun to hold up under light duty field shooting; I would expect the trigger pulls to be only fair and may exhibit heat-treating issues down the line; and I would expect fit and finish to be less than acceptable to many.
If the gun fits both your billfold and your physical self then you will likely find some satisfaction along with little resale value other than to another with the same needs or opinions on scatterguns.
Personally, I'd pass and look for a used 16 Citori were it I.....and if I had to pay a tad more for the pre-owned Citori, I would consider it money well spent.

[r nickell]

Thanks for the feed back. In the case of both the 20 and 12 ga's I own I went with better quality o/u's (Franchi) and am happy I did but with the 16 I know it will probley never be used that often. But as it turns out when talking to my brother he told me that he had our grandfathers old 16 ga. SxS. Becuase of a break in years ago I had figured that the gun had been stolen but seems the burglers didn't want it LOL. Kind of make me wonder what I am getting myself into. Guess I will find out this weekend when I run by and get the gun.

[apachecadillac]

This may be more than you want to know about Mark DeHaan and Huglu shotguns.

First, Mark DeHaan. The guy is a class act. I say this from personal experience. I was considering buying a 16 ga light game gun from him (directly). He listened to me describe what I wanted, then discouraged me from buying, explaining why I wouldn't be satisfied with what he offered. I was very impressed. Call me a satisfied non-customer. (If you are curious, I wanted a light game gun, and the 16 ga Huglu's are on a 16 ga frame but the barrels are underbored 12 ga stock, so that the overall weight of the 16 isn't appreciably different from the 12 ga. model).

About second hand DeHaan shotguns. The older ones come in a variety of grades but more recently he restricts himself to selling stuff not directly competitive with the CZ price point. The difference between his products and CZ are stock figure, engraving and his own personal QA. I suspect it is a bit like the difference between Ugartechea shotguns imported by Aspen Outfitters vs. the Uggies imported by Lion Country.

About Huglu. There is a real stigma associated with Turkish shotguns. For some of the older stuff, and the cheaper stuff, it is deserved. In 2006-07 the Huglu system was reorganized into a factory from a shop/coop model, and the quality of the output improved significantly. I am sure the continuing stigma impacts market value, and for second hand older guns it is a real issue. For new stuff, as a buyer I would not be deterred by it.

I have no association with Mark DeHaan or Huglu. I do own a 20 ga. Smith & Wesson Gold Elite S x S, made for S&W by Utas in Turkey. I am exceedingly pleased with it and it is not for sale. You'll have to pry it out of my cold . . . never mind.

[JKP]

I have only handled a few. They seemed heavy to me...clunky...a bit of a boat oar. The 20 gauge I saw must have weighed near 7 lbs. Seemed to me to be more "flash and dash" than good engineering...JMHO