if yiu shooting strait out front at a bird most any style will do to a certain extent. But if the bird is crossing left to right or vise versa there's a huge difference in stocks and forends. The typical pistal grip stock with the typical forend tends to lock up your hands while swinging. Where as a typical English strait stock with a splinter forend will aloow you a constant swing. That's why better upland bird guns have the English style stocks with a splinter forend. Then there's the issue of cast on and cast off in the butt end of the stocks. Pumps and low cost O/U's are typically generic in this nature. Never ralized how impotant all this was till I used an Aya in 16 gauge one fall. Been ruined ever since. Pumps and autos typically don't balance well (there are a couple that do from Italy). A gun that balances well tends to shoulder much better, and the front bead tends to become an extention of your forearm. One of the best point shotguns I've ever owned cost be the ghastly sum of $160 thirty years ago. It was ugly, but patterned everything from fives to nines extremely well. Tends to center the pattern about 1.5" high at fifty feet. But my all time favorite shot without even the slightest after thought is a Bernadelli Hemingway in either 28 gauge or 16 gauge with the nickel coined finish and hand rubbed oil finished stock with a leather butt pad. Weighs 5.75 lb. with a 25.5" barrel and English stock and splinter forend. Nothing is better period.
Somebody mentioned Charles Daly shotguns in this thread. If it's an Italian made one, then it's built by Sabatinni. That's probably equale to a Browning O/U in quality with a better barrel. I had a Leige and one of those guns. Got rid of the Browning as the other had a better sense of balance and neither swung very well. Another to look for is from Angelo Zoli. Little better than a Browning in quality and shoots a lot better.
gary
