Spandau Arms S2 20 GA 24" Wood Shotgun

The S2 is a 20 gauge semi auto with wood furniture and a blued barrel, which puts it in a shrinking category. Most autoloaders at this end of the rack come wrapped in black synthetic; Spandau Arms builds this one to look like the field guns people grew up with. The 24" barrel is short for a wingshooting gun and that is deliberate. It comes up fast, gets through thick cover without snagging, and suits a shooter working a grouse woods or a young hunter who does not need another two inches of muzzle to manage.

The chamber is cut for 3" shells, so heavier loads for late season birds are on the table alongside standard field loads. A 20 gauge on an autoloading action is about the easiest shooting combination in a shotgun. The gauge is mild to begin with, and running the action absorbs part of what is left, which is why 20 gauge semi autos have become the standard recommendation for new shooters and for anyone whose shoulder has had enough of a 12. Blued steel and wood keep the whole thing looking like a shotgun rather than a piece of equipment, and there is something to be said for that on a bird gun.