E. R. Amantino Stoeger Coach Gun
E.R Amantino imported by Stoegler. Cowboy shooting has made the Stoeger Coach Gun one of the most popular side-by-sides in the market today. Shooters called for more refinement, and Stoeger answered.
The Stoeger Coach Gun is a double-barreled shotgun that is marketed and distributed by Stoeger Industries in Accokeek, Maryland. It is manufactured by E.R. Amantino (Boito) in Veranópolis, Brazil.
The Coach Gun is a side-by-side shotgun. While suitable for bird hunting, clay target shooting, or home defense, it is primarily designed for cowboy action shooting. As the name implies, it is a coach gun style shotgun, similar to those used to defend stagecoaches in the American Old West. All of these coach guns are ideal for Cowboy Action shooting and home defense.
Contents
Features
The Stoeger Coach Gun has been produced in 12 gauge, 20 gauge and .410 bore. The chambers are three inches long, to accommodate either 2-3/4 inch or 3 inch shells. Barrel lengths include 18, 20 and 24 inch. The gun has a raised center rib with a brass bead front sight. The Coach Gun has dual triggers, one for each barrel. The safety mechanism is located on the tang, on the upper rear part of the receiver.
Using your thumb, move the top lock lever to the right to open the action which will automatically engages the safety. Shells will be extracted by being raised so they can be easily removed by hand. They are raised for manual extraction rather than being ejected out as to make the gun more authentic to an old west shotgun. The lack of an ejector also allows for compliance with cowboy action shooting restrictions for competition.
Take down
The side by side double shot gun will take down into three pieces for compact stowage in a vehicle. After unloading you can press the forearm latch back and push the forearm in a down direction. It drops down easily and is removed. The barrel can then be removed by opening further past the point where it is normally loaded. The barrel hooks in an internal lock. By raising the barrel it is easy to remove from the frame.
Models
Coach Gun
The standard model has fixed chokes, one Improved Cylinder and one Modified, and does not have a recoil pad. Different variations have a hardwood or walnut stock and fore-end, and a blued, matte nickel, or polished nickel receiver and barrels.
Coach Gun Supreme
The Coach Gun Supreme has screw-in choke tubes, and is equipped with a recoil pad. It features an AA-grade walnut stock and fore-end. Different versions have blued, nickel plated, stainless steel receivers and barrels.
Double Defense
The recently introduced Double Defense is tactically designed for home defense. It has a black matte finish and two picatinny rails for add-on tactical accessories, such as a laser sight or flashlight. The gun has a single trigger, ported barrels, internal hammer design and a fixed Improved Cylinder choke.
Review
In 12 gauge, the lightweight double can be a handful and not recommended for women or children. Using less powerful low recoil shells is recommended for trap shooting. For home defense use a full 3" shell. The automatic safety is annoying. Although a safety is nice to have on a hammerless gun, having it engaged after reloading can cause a delay when convenient. If the shooter forgets to disengage the safety after a quick reload, the next clay is missed when the gun fails to fire. Also, in a tactical situation the safety automatically engaging can be a serious problem. A full star is deducted from the rating due to the automatic safety.
When used for trapshooting the Stoeger coachgun performs surprisingly well. Although distance is limited without a longer barrel or tight choke, for moderate distances clays are nailed with little effort. Two different chokes is a standard setup for double barrel shotguns. It is reported that the coachgun right barrel is a "cylinder choke," and the left barrel is a "modified choke." This will cause the right barrel to have a slightly wider pattern. The accuracy of one barrel compared to the other might differ to unnoticeable to problematic depending on luck of the draw. There are variances in the manufacturing process not uncommon for guns in this price range.
This sharp looking polished nickel model of the coach gun retails for $479.99 at Bass Pro Shop. A basic blued model can be purchased for in the mid $300's at similar retailers.
With its shorter barrels, light weight, and comfortable stock, this shotgun is easy to handle and quick to point and aim. Many trap shooters will find it a fun shotgun to use. It is suitable for sport and for home defense. For the price $300 - $400 for the basic model, it is an excellent value for those wanting to experience using a good old fashioned double barrel side by side shotgun at a reasonable price.
