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After purchasing a Browning BPS 16 gauge Upland Special last year, I thought that I was pretty well set. No need to look any further for a suitable upland bird-getter. No sir. I was all set to go. Then, at some point late last winter, I began to feel an itch for a classic double gun - a side-by-side - to compliment the BPS and lend a bit of class to the gun safe. After all, a photo of a bird or two lying across the broken breech of a snazzy double gun is pretty tough to beat from an artistic standpoint.

Guns aren't getting any cheaper, and with two boys in the house I hope will someday eagerly hunt with their dear old dad, I almost felt it my duty last month to pick up a nifty Huglu 20 gauge side-by-side (pronounced "hoo-loo") with 26-inch barrels, five chokes and a single selective trigger. In addition to those requisite specifications, it was a pleasant surprise to find this reputable Turkish gun maker willing to build their smaller gauge guns on matching frames, offer hand-checkered Turkish walnut stocks and hand-engraved, case-hardened steel.

Simply put, the significance of a frame-to-gauge match means that my Huglu weighs in at just less than six pounds. Sticking 20-gauge barrels on a heavy 12-gauge frame would put my gun well within the seven-pound range. That is indeed an important consideration (and ultimately unacceptable) when you're carrying your shotgun in a muzzle up position stomping through heavy cover and walking the woods for hours on end.

I should mention that the side-by-side I chose to purchase is one of a number of double guns out there on the market that are, in my opinion, very reasonably priced. By affordable, I mean between $500 and $1,000 and a need on my part to sell some assorted stuff in order to offset the cost.

There is of course an entire fraternity of side-by-side manufacturers out there offering guns with price tags that would momentarily stop your heart and wish you had a defibrillator close at hand. If you mention makers such as Grulla, AyA and Arietta to a "Joe Six-Pack" hunter (I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself), you might fully expect to receive a look of incomprehension in return. After all, folks like you and me don't typically own and carry $10,000 guns. Pay for a wingshooting trip to Argentina for Cordoba Doves and Perdiz and you'll definitely bump into a bunch of tweedy pipe smokers that'll know exactly what you're referring to. I can't speak for you, but I certainly don't breathe that type of rarified and aromatic air.

I did put that Huglu of mine through the paces this past weekend in northern Wisconsin and I must say that I'm pleased as punch with its performance. It may sound weird to any of you non-hunters out there, but shooting this gun actually causes me to smile; it's quick to the shoulder and my eye finds the sight plane instantaneously. From a shot to kill ratio, my personal performance last weekend left something to be desired. However, I have a brother-in-law that's willing to swear in a court of law that the birds we put up flushed well ahead and to the sides of our positions.

If you've always dreamed of owning and carrying an affordable side-by-side shotgun, now just might be the time to make that purchase. There are plenty of reputable gun makers out there offering double guns that won't break the bank, yet still offer quality workmanship and appointments you'd expect to see on guns costing thousands of dollars. In today's economy, it's important to buy smart and steer clear of quickly depreciating assets. Like my grandpa used to say, a good shotgun is always a good investment.

Dan Brown's weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie's Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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