Description
The Charles Daly 601 Field 20 Gauge is a straightforward hunting gun that arrives ready to go. Twenty six inch vent rib barrel, a 3 inch chamber, four in the tube and one in the chamber, and TrueTimber Strata camo over the whole gun including the stock. It ships with two choke tubes, a wrench and a carrying case, which is more than most shotguns at this price include. Charles Daly builds it through Chiappa under part number 930408, UPC 8053800948142.
What the Charles Daly 601 Field 20 Gauge is set up to do
Twenty six inches is the sensible barrel length for a walking gun. It swings faster than a 28 inch barrel through brush and in a blind, and it gives up very little on longer crossing shots. Paired with a 3 inch chamber the Charles Daly 601 Field 20 Gauge handles everything from light upland loads through heavy 3 inch turkey and waterfowl shells.
The receiver on the Charles Daly 601 Field 20 Gauge is grooved aluminum, and the grooves are the part worth noticing. They let you clamp a rail or rings directly to the receiver for a red dot, which is genuinely useful if you plan to shoot turkey with this gun rather than only flushing birds. Most field shotguns at this price make you drill and tap for that.
The front sight is a fiber optic bead on the 601 Field 26 inch vent rib. Quick to pick up in low light at dawn, which is when most of the shooting this gun is built for actually happens.
Chokes, camo and the honest notes
The choke system on the Charles Daly 601 Field 20 Gauge is the Beretta and Benelli Mobil pattern, which is the best news on the spec sheet. Tubes in that thread are cheap, everywhere, and made by everyone, so if you want a dedicated turkey choke or an extended waterfowl tube you are not hunting for a proprietary part through one importer. Improved Cylinder and Full tubes come in the box along with the wrench.
A TrueTimber Strata camo shotgun like this one wears a dipped finish rather than a molded pattern, and like every dipped finish it will eventually show wear at the contact points, the forend where your hand sits and the receiver edges where it rubs a case or a blind. That is normal on hunting guns and not a defect, but it is worth knowing before you see the first scuff.
As with any 20 gauge semi-auto field shotgun at this end of the market, run a box of your intended load through it before you rely on it. Light 20 gauge target loads are what tends to be marginal in budget semi-autos, and 20 gauge gives the action less to work with than 12 does. Heavier field loads are rarely a problem.
Charles Daly 601 Field 20 Gauge specifications
- Gauge: 20
- Chamber: 3 in
- Barrel: 26 in vent rib, TrueTimber Strata camo
- Capacity: 4+1
- Action: semi-automatic
- Receiver: grooved aluminum, TrueTimber Strata camo
- Stock: fixed synthetic with pistol grip, TrueTimber Strata camo
- Chokes: Beretta and Benelli Mobil pattern, Improved Cylinder and Full included
- Sights: front fiber optic bead on vent rib
- Recoil pad: rubber
- Sling studs: fitted front and rear
- Included: two choke tubes, choke wrench, carrying case
- Part number: 930408
- UPC: 8053800948142
One ordering note. Charles Daly also builds a 601 Turkey in the same 20 gauge, the same 26 inch barrel and the same TrueTimber Strata camo, and the two are easy to confuse on a shelf or a spec sheet. Quote Charles Daly 930408 and you will get the Field version described here rather than the turkey configuration. Charles Daly is imported and supported in the United States by Chiappa, which is who handles warranty and parts. You can compare the rest of our shotguns or browse the wider in stock firearms list.
Why it is worth considering
- Mobil pattern chokes mean replacement and specialty tubes are cheap and easy to find.
- A grooved receiver takes optic mounts without drilling, which matters for turkey.
- Two chokes, a wrench and a hard case are included rather than sold separately.
- Full camo coverage on a 20 gauge that most people can carry comfortably all day.
Who it suits
This suits an upland or turkey hunter who wants one camo gun that covers most of the season without spending a thousand dollars, and it is a sensible choice for a smaller framed or younger shooter who finds a 12 gauge punishing. If you already own a good 12 gauge and want a lighter companion for walking birds, the Charles Daly 601 Field 20 Gauge is an easy addition. If you shoot enough to wear a gun out, spend the extra on a Beretta A300 and be done.
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