MK38 as first gun - advice please!!

[Hamster]

Thanks everybody for all of the replies and comments...

Because of the conflicting views, I'm not really sure if I am any further forward in my quest!!

Cheers

Andy

You've had excellent feedback so far, I have to agree with those who mention barrel weight as a factor as in my opinion all things such as fit/balance/grip/etc being equal, weight of barrels is prolly the most important factor of whether you reach your and the guns full potential. It isn't always just a matter of sticking lumps of lead in the stock in the hope of getting the balance neutral or in the hands so to speak. 

In ESP and Skeet terms t's usually better to start off with barrels which aren't unduly heavy, I'm no Miroku expert but I think the earlier 3800 had less of a tendency to be nose heavy, as a rough rule of thumb 32" tubes are best in the region of 1450-1550 grams, the weight becomes noticeable if not cumbersome after that. 

 

[Salopian]

Andyc2,

             I always go for a trap gun, mainly because the comb height suits me, as said true sporters, teague choked,  are a totally different animal, lower comb height , shorter choke tubes wood not as dense.

I think the barrel weight could be an issue for some .My Teague choked barrels weigh 1.55 Kg

My latest gun, fixed choke, short midrib weigh 1.4 Kg .

But at the end of the day we all have to see a gun we like , try it, shoot it often , get used to it , enjoy it ,

Then change it for something 'better'.

No matter how much advise we give it is down to you to make the purchase, hopefully it will be a good one.

 

[andyc2]

Thanks again to all!

 

[John Wick]

John, 

I notice your comments with lots of interest !

It is fair to say that I like Miroku !

I was very surprised by your comments and weight figures.

Here are my comments for comparison.

All 32" Grade 5 MK38

32" Fixed choke 8.4 lbs balance on hinge with no additional weight added.

3 more absolutely identical in every respect.

Another one

32" Teagued LONG (80mm) multichokes  8.6 lbs inclusive of  3 ozs in stock to balance on hinge pin

Ceasar Guerini Summit 8.5 lbs

Now I do not think that 8.5 lbs is personally too heavy for a Trap or Sporter. I am not particularly big and have no difficulty at all managing the ergonomics.

I was absolutely astonished when you said that you have 9ozs of lead to balance. Grade 5s usually have very dense wood .

Peter, your liking for Miroku is well documented and reaches far and wide.  :smile: I like this gun of mine and do not want to sell it, but if it proves unusable then there is no point persevering with it.

I had not weighed it before I started adding weight, but with the 9oz inserted it comes out at 9lbs 4oz which is a hefty old lump (for a sporter) in my book. (My Beretta 682 comes in at 7 3/4 libs). Admittedly I only have a basic set of kitchen scales to play with of the counterbalance type, and can only weigh each piece and add together as I do not have enough weights to do the whole thing in one piece. I do know I have added 9oz as I played with various fishing leads until I got the balance between my hands as I like it, and the feeling of the barrels correct.. I'm not an advocate of balancing "on the hinge pin", as you know the hinge pin can be fore or aft depending on the gun (Your favourite Kreighoff for instance - a hinge pin half way up the barrels for goodness sake!! What are they thinking??). The feel in the hands is everything to me, but for the record, it does balance, with my weights fitted, about 1 1/12" behind the centre of the pivot. It really does need this to bring the weight of the barrels backwards between my hands.(I am of normal proportions in case you ask, and hold the gun in the conventional way without shortening or lengthening the grip in some sort of contorted fashion like so many do).

One of the reasons I bought the gun was because I shot my friend's identical model when my Beretta was being serviced. It handled well, and I shot like a demon with it. I got my dealer to get me one "just like that" and he duly obliged (although mine has much better figure to the wood). Now when we put out 2 guns side by side they are so dissimilar in the weight and balance stakes its almost untrue. With the weight added it's like I've got another gun strapped to it in comparison, just to get the balance point the same.

I suspect the barrels are over heavy of course, but there is no weight stamping on them like on the Berettas, and I haven't weighed the barrels in isolation as it's the gun balance as a whole which matters at the end of the day.

I do like Mirokus, just not the one I have, but they will always come second to my old Beretta.

Not sure why you mentioned Caesar Guerini's. I'm as likely to replace it for one of those as I am to take up knitting!!  :wink:

 

[Geordieboy]

Buy an Mk38 Trap with adjustable stock.  You can get it set up to shoot where you look!

If you can get it with Teagues, all the better.

I learned how to shoot with My MK38 Grade V and it is still with me.  My son started with an Mk38 Sporter and now shoots a grade 1 Trap with teagues.

They work.  They don't break, and there is always a market for a gun with an adjustable comb.  

Great Great guns made with Japanese Steel.

However, if Beretta is your thing.............

 

[brett1985]

i'll keep my answer short.

I have one massive regret with mine, and that is I regret not buying it sooner.

lost count of the amount of money I squandered on different guns until I bought my first MK38. especially considering I nearly bought one as my first gun...

 

[maddmatt]

MK38's are work horses, get the right one and have it set up properly and it wont let you down. Currently have a multi choked MK38 sporter, it is a little nose heavy so might balance it or I might get another one that is fixed choked and set them up identically. 

 

[schmokinn]

just buy a 32" mk38 with an adjustable stock...i have a grade one trap amongst many guns some 3 or 4 times the price.

my hand always reaches for it,i believe the fixed choke ones have the best balance.

just buy one!!

 

[andyc2]

Thanks again folks - the votes seem to be coming down in favour of the trap gun over the sporter - and several suggestions for the adjustable comb. On that basis maybe my question re: chokes becomes irrelevant and i live to accept that 3/4 and full is the way to go! A number of people I've spoken to in the real world (as schmokinn above) have also recommended the 32" barrel version... does this not noticeably slow down the swing speed when shooting sporting?

 

[maddmatt]

Just to add some points, all my fixed choked MK38's were taken out to 22 thou both barrels (slightly tight half choke) Bill Blacker did the work and he also lengthened the forcing cones. Ask ShaunMK38 what the kills were like, most people thought I was shooting 3/4 to full choke. My multi choke set of barrels doesn't even come close using teagues, they are good but not as good. Just remember, the MK38 has a good resell value and they always sell, unless they have been right royally buggered about with? 

 

[Hamster]

Just to add some points, all my fixed choked MK38's were taken out to 22 thou both barrels (slightly tight half choke) Bill Blacker did the work and he also lengthened the forcing cones. Ask ShaunMK38 what the kills were like, most people thought I was shooting 3/4 to full choke. My multi choke set of barrels doesn't even come close using teagues, they are good but not as good. Just remember, the MK38 has a good resell value and they always sell, unless they have been right royally buggered about with? 

Big believer in 1/2  B)  but a tight half kinda IS 3/4 so the breaks would be similar.  :lol:

 

[maddmatt]

Tight half is in between a half and 3/4 and yes there is a difference

 

[Hamster]

 

[maddmatt]

Behave...

 

[Hamster]

 

[Doctor Lecter]

ive recently had my mk38 opened out to 1/2 1/2  fixed choke  , cant fault the kills  at decent ranges too ,   3/4 full was a bit unforgiving  for my skill level .   play with shells see what suits  ,  I don't regret having it done . 

 

[schmokinn]

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