There were some really fine guns made to both patterns, but the best O&U
ones I've seen were the fixed barrel types.

Side-by-sides only really started quite well into the flintlock period.

I think the prejudice was just snobbery because O-Us
_were_ actually cheaper and perhaps don't look so nice. I don't mind
snobbery about self-loading automatics, though, which is about
sportsmanship, not money.

The Captain of at least one of the local syndicates uses an
over-and-under - indeed, I've never seen him with a side-by-side...

Is it possible that the O&U prejudice started not just because they were
cheaper to make but because they actually *are* more accurate and
therefore
gave the birds less of a 'sporting chance'?
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

Somehow or other I suspect that the gun I used for poaching does not belong
in "this arena"....it was a .22 BSA airgun...H