r/canadaguns • u/Medical_Banana1586 • Apr 08 '26
Buy recommendations Second purchase advice
Looking for some opinions as I contemplate a second rifle or shotgun! Currently I only own a 1301 Tactical…. Uses are mainly range/targets and sporting clays.
I’ve been eyeing these few, would appreciate any opinions on any of these, or any other suggestions!
-590a1 class III (14”): I figure i might as well get the king of pumps, tried, tested, and indestructible. The 14” model is quite hard to find but I see them available currently at a couple retailers.
-Intersurplus shotgun for clays: I’ve been eyeing the Baikal O/U but I have no experience on the durability of these. Ideally I want something that will last me a while and can be fixed if needed.
-SKS. I’ve been wanting a French tickler but all that seems available now are the normal Chinese or the Russian models
-10/22 or TM22… I know I need a .22 but they are just less exciting overall to me compared to the above models
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u/therowdyirishman Apr 09 '26
590A1 14" aka Class lll is not necessary. You're further ahead to snag a Shockwave and spend the savings kitting it out exactly to your liking. EG stock, metal safety(S&J hardware is great), MLOK forend, etc. I would pass on this as you already have the 1301, unless you would utilize/appreciate a more packable wilderness defense shotty. Even if you do desire a compact bear cannon, I'd steer you towards a guide gun or stocked mares leg instead. This would diversify your collection my much more as well.
Baikal has a reputation for being tough as nails old USSR break barrel. I doubt you'd be disappointed with the durability or service life. You'll want to research chokes (interchangeability too) as well as ejectors vs extractors, and also how important fit is with wing shooting shotguns.
Definitely grab an SKS but don't get lost in the ban sauce and spend too much. Go handle one (or ideally a few) in person and score one with a bright bore and good stock fitment. Save the rest of the budget for a Canadian made rear sight mount and throw a decent micro dot on there. Keep running stripper clips and don't try to make it an AK/AR. You'll never get there and resent yourself for trying eventually. If you really need to you can add a white light or sling with plumbing hardware, or even a gasp aftermarket forend.
Lastly, 22LR modern semis - TM22, kitted 10/22, etc. offer a unique opportunity to shoot more complicated drills with round counts higher than 5+1 before reloading. People who say they can't be challenged by 22LR obviously aren't trying hard enough. With advanced drills, shot timers, barricades, etc. shooting the TM with your boys can be a competitive/fun/cheap/quiet way to put a lot of rounds down range to evaluate your skill development. Given you started with the Gucci gauge (bravo, I highly endorse this) my honest recommendation on what to get next is a 22 semi to try some Ben Stoeger, Milspec Mojo, Baer Solutions style shooting with.
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u/Medical_Banana1586 Apr 11 '26
Thank you very much for this detailed response! After reading a few recommendations I think the SKS would fit the bill best- a full power rifle and one of the last semi auto center fire’s available.
Do you think something like this is overkill? Should I just get an OG Chinese SKS instead (I see some for 750-800 in my area)? Unfortunately none of the local retailers seem to have one so going in to handle one in person might not be possible unfortunately…
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u/therowdyirishman Apr 12 '26
Happy to help!
A lot of fun can be had with an SKS. It's a shame the prices have been artificially inflated here. I wouldn't pay for someone else's custom build, people overestimate their abilities and can have made mistakes that aren't visible in the ad photos. I'd encourage you to take a road trip to handle a few SKS in person. Don't get too hung up on the country of origin. Personally all I added to my SKS was a red dot and a slip on pad to increase LOP. You can practice all the fundamentals of marksmanship with an SKS in the traditional config. It's never going to be a platform that's well suited for improving your accuracy or tactical drills (tac reloads from pouches). If that's your goal you really are better off with a TM22. I say that as someone who's owned everything on your potential buy list, plus now prohibited rifles and tons of 22 semis.
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u/NEUMANN-METALWORKS Neumann Metalworks Apr 09 '26
Don't buy a .22 if it doesn't excite you. It doesn't excite me either, bought a few and nothing stuck, just a big ol waste of money imo. You'll go out to shoot and it just think damn man, should have brought my SKS instead...
SKS is the obvious choice, there's nothing wrong with getting a "normal" Chinese one, and the prices are only going up. There will always be dirt cheap .22LRs around, and we even have a some more competitors/options entering this market soon.
There's a small handful of choices for semi-auto centerfire but nothing really makes sense over the SKS. I'd say get you your SKS THEN make your next choice if you want something else.
If you're like me and don't get out shooting too often .22LR can be really underwhelming. I see the appeal if you want to shoot on your own properly and shoot like 500 rounds a day or some crazy shit, but if you're a once or twice a month kinda guy I don't see the appeal.
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u/Medical_Banana1586 Apr 11 '26
Thank you, I think the SKS fits the bill the most…. Out of curiosity do you have any experience with the hush holsters chassis with folding stock? Or would you just recommend a plain OG Chinese or Russian model?
I see a modded one like below for sale locally and it does look really cool especially with the detachable mags, and the price seems to be reasonable considering the parts it comes with
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u/NEUMANN-METALWORKS Neumann Metalworks Apr 11 '26
I don't have personal experience with it. I make a lot of accessories for it, however as to if I'd recommend it.. some love it and some hate it, not worth a 600 dollar gamble IMO.
I will also be coming out with my own chassis system in the near future, a blend of wood and black metal. There's also a new all-aluminum chassis hitting the market soon.
But I'm a sucker for wood, and the standard wood stock is great.
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u/Spydude84 Apr 09 '26
If you get a 590 you probably won't shoot it much, since the 1301 is just better.
Either get an SKS or a .22lr rifle. .22lr is really fun when you're not worried about the cost of blasting through rounds and can use standard capacity magazines. SKS is a full power rifle.
My $0.02 would lean towards the .22lr rifle if you have access to a range or crown land that will let you blast rounds quickly and move around. Lane shooting is boring unless you're shooting longer distances, which you can flex a .22lr into in most cases but a centerfire rifle may be more fun for that.
The alternative is get an entry level O/U (Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon or Browning Citori, whichever fits you better) or A300/400 for clays. I love my A300 ultima for clays.
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u/pr0cyn1c Apr 09 '26
10/22. Cheap ammo and proven platform. Tm22 is gimmicky IMHO. 10/22 is very customizable with a shit tonne of aftermarket options.
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u/Vast_Horizon47 Apr 09 '26
Tm22 doesn’t have a mag limit like the 10/22 does I believe. That gives it quite an edge
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u/pr0cyn1c Apr 09 '26
Lots of extended mag options for 10/22 in canada…. And a rifle is more than its magazine
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u/Vast_Horizon47 Apr 09 '26
10/22 mags are limited to 10 rounds.
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u/pr0cyn1c Apr 09 '26
The bx10’s are, yes
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u/Vast_Horizon47 Apr 09 '26
All 10/22 mags are.
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u/pr0cyn1c Apr 09 '26
Butler creek 25rd, pinned to 10
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u/Vast_Horizon47 Apr 09 '26
Okay you’re just saying what I am saying. 10/22 mags are pinned to 10. TM-22 mags are not.
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u/pr0cyn1c Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
Gsg 50rd drum mags apparently work in 10/22 as well if memory serves.
Edit: Here we go - 110 rd drum - https://calibremag.ca/gsg-1022-110-round-magazine/
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u/Vast_Horizon47 Apr 09 '26
I really suggest you read the laws in Canada so you don’t get in trouble.
Any mag that can fit into the 10/22 is limited 10 rounds as there is the Ruger 22 Pistol that accepts 10/22 mags.
All pistol mags are limited to 10 rounds. Once the 22 mags were compatible with a pistol they all became pistol mags.
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Apr 09 '26
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u/Vast_Horizon47 Apr 09 '26
Shooting more bullets with out reloading lmfao.
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Apr 09 '26
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u/Vast_Horizon47 Apr 09 '26
You might as well be 12 if you’re still shooting a 10/22
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u/pr0cyn1c Apr 09 '26
Well if we’re being judgmental here then the Tm22 is for chads in full plate sporting paintball gear larping in the woods with their pretend m16.
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u/LongRoadNorth Apr 09 '26
If you want something that can be fixed it's not an old shotgun from intersurplus.
If you want something for clays, get an a400 or a300.
You have tactical shotgun covered, not as much of a need for another just because it's pump.
If you're interested in clays a dedicated clay gun seems the most logical.
Otherwise some rifle seems to make more sense.