The Shooter’s Companion

Shotguns·makers·models·history

An independent reference on sporting shotguns, for shooters, collectors, buyers and sellers.

Krieghoff
K-20

A small-bore over-and-under for game and clays

K-20 Sporting · USK-20 Parcours · USK-20 Victoria · USK-20 ProSporter

Drawing of a Krieghoff K-20 from the right: two vertically stacked barrels with extended chokes, a pale action with a sliding top latch, one trigger, a walnut stock and a schnabel fore-end.
Drawing: 20-bore sporting, 30 in, right side

he K-20 is a small- for , and game shooting.1 Its receiver is the K-80 design scaled down for the smaller .2 The Sporting has a , while the Parcours and Victoria have soldered side ribs.1, 3, 4

The barrels lock beneath a top latch that slides forward as the gun closes.5 The mechanical can fire the second barrel after a misfire in the first.6 The selector sits ahead of the and chooses the bottom barrel at B or the top barrel at T.6

Specifications

20-bore · sporting

LockingA top latch slides forward over the 5, 6
TriggerSingle selective mechanical trigger; selector ahead of the trigger5, 6
Made inUlm, Germany7, 8
Introduced20009
Bore20-bore
Chambers76 mm (3 in)
Barrels30, 32 in
ChokesKrieghoff factory screw-in; removable; 5 tubes

1 Compare specifications

Specifications

ConfigurationBoreChambersBarrels, inFore-endGradeChoke systemMarketsStockFinish
Sporting
Sporting120-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32SchnabelSportingKrieghoff factory screw-in; removable; 5 tubesUSSchnabel fore-end; palm swellSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Sporting128-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32SchnabelSportingKrieghoff factory screw-in; removable; 5 tubesUSSchnabel fore-end; palm swellSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Sporting1.41076 mm (3 in)30, 32SchnabelSportingKrieghoff factory screw-in; removable; 5 tubesUSSchnabel fore-end; palm swellSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game
Game320-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32ParcoursParcoursfixedUSParcours fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game320-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32ParcoursParcoursKrieghoff Thin Wall; removableUSParcours fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game328-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32ParcoursParcoursfixedUSParcours fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game328-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32ParcoursParcoursKrieghoff Thin Wall; removableUSParcours fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game420-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32VictoriaVictoriafixedUSVictoria fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game420-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32VictoriaVictoriaKrieghoff Thin Wall; removableUSVictoria fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game428-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32VictoriaVictoriafixedUSVictoria fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action
Game428-bore76 mm (3 in)30, 32VictoriaVictoriaKrieghoff Thin Wall; removableUSVictoria fore-end; palm swell; adjustable combSatin grey nickel-plated steel action

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Identify and date

The serial number is on the left side beneath the barrel wing, and the barrel serial number under the right wing.10 The action number has six digits; the barrel number is A followed by five digits.11 Separate numbers are part of Krieghoff’s modular system.11 The German year mark gives the year of proof, not of manufacture.12

WhereMarkings
Left side of action beneath the barrel wingAction serial number10
Under the right barrel wingSeparate barrel serial number10
Ahead of the triggerB selects the bottom barrel; T selects the top6
Steel-proofed barrels with choke tubesLily mark13

Proof date

The year mark gives the year’s last two digits and may include the month. On application, the proof ordinance lets the letters below replace the digits, with either I or J for 8.14

Proof date codes

Krieghoff International answers enquiries about a gun’s age when given its model and serial number15 Contact the maker

Before you buy

  1. Read both serial numbers before assuming that a mismatch means replacement barrels; Krieghoff numbers the action and barrels separately.11
  2. Check the gap at the top latch and the position of its lever; as the gun wears, the lever moves left and the gap slowly closes.5
  3. Ask for service records; for guns shot in clay competition, Krieghoff recommends a service after 15,000–20,000 rounds or two to three years.16
  4. Match replacement tubes to the barrels: the Sporting takes factory screw-in tubes, and the Parcours has fixed or Krieghoff Thin Wall tubes.1, 3
  5. Inspect the tubes and threads for corrosion or damage; neglected tubes can seize, and damaged ones can obstruct the bore.17
  6. Check the fit if the gun has a different barrel set; a change in height may mean adjusting or replacing the stock.18

History

Krieghoff introduced the K-20 in 2000.9 The range includes the Sporting and the ProSporter, which has a higher adjustable rib and an adjustable .19 The Victoria, a model for women, followed in 2018, launched at the SCI Convention in the United States.20 Its stock has a shorter pull and a shaped for women.4

Compare

20-bore · sporting · 30 in · US

GunWeightBarrels, inChokesChambersAction
Krieghoff K-20130Krieghoff factory screw-in; removable; 5 tubes76 mm (3 in)
Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I2130Optima-Choke HP; removable76 mm (3 in)Trigger-plate action with coil springs22, 23, 24
Browning 72525, 26, 273.32 kg (7 lb 5 oz; catalogue, 30.0 in)30Invector-DS Extended; removable; 5 tubes70 mm (2¾ in)

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Sources

  1. Krieghoff K-20 Sporting US product page, configuration. Krieghoff International. maker website · Archive
  2. Krieghoff K-20 European model range, small-action. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website · Archive
  3. Krieghoff K-20 Parcours US product page, configuration. Krieghoff International. maker website · Archive
  4. Krieghoff K-20 Victoria US product page, configuration. Krieghoff International. maker website · Archive
  5. Krieghoff K-80 and K-20 instruction manual, February 2020, locking-and-safety. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2020-02. manual · Archive
  6. Krieghoff K-80 and K-20 instruction manual, February 2020, barrel-selector. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2020-02. manual · Archive
  7. Krieghoff company history, year-1960. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website · Archive
  8. Krieghoff Shotguns: Field & Competition, version 08/2023, ulm-address. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2023. maker catalogue · Archive
  9. Krieghoff company history, year-2000. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website · Archive
  10. Krieghoff UK: separate action and barrel serial numbers, serial-positions. Krieghoff UK & Ireland. maker website · Archive
  11. Krieghoff UK: separate action and barrel serial numbers, serial-format. Krieghoff UK & Ireland. maker website · Archive
  12. Waffensachkunde replacement pages — proof-mark guide, proof-year. Württembergischer Schützenverband 1850 e.V., 2016. manual · Archive
  13. Krieghoff K-80 and K-20 instruction manual, steel-shot-marking. H. Krieghoff GmbH. manual · Archive
  14. Beschussverordnung: consolidated German text, proof-mark-and-year-code. Bundesministerium der Justiz und Bundesamt für Justiz, 2006. proof house · Archive
  15. Krieghoff International FAQs, dating-service. Krieghoff International. maker website · Archive
  16. Krieghoff K-80 and K-20 instruction manual, February 2020, service-and-choke-marks. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2020-02. manual · Archive
  17. Krieghoff K-80 and K-20 instruction manual, February 2020, choke-care. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2020-02. manual · Archive
  18. Krieghoff K-20 Parcours US product page, barrel-fitting. Krieghoff International. maker website · Archive
  19. Krieghoff K-20 European model range, sporting-and-prosporter. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website · Archive
  20. Krieghoff company history, year-2018. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website · Archive
  21. Beretta USA 686 Silver Pigeon I Sporting product page, US configuration 5. Beretta USA. maker website · Archive
  22. Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I 2024 brochure, 2024 version. Beretta / GMK, 2024. maker catalogue · Archive
  23. Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I 2024 brochure, Hunting specifications. Beretta / GMK, 2024. maker catalogue · Archive
  24. Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I Sport test — wear and redesign, Wear and parts. The Field; Michael Yardley. magazine · Archive
  25. Browning Citori 725: United States product specifications, Item 0180027010. Browning. maker website · Archive
  26. Browning Citori 725: United States product specifications, Item 0180027009. Browning. maker website · Archive
  27. Browning Citori 725: United States product specifications, Features. Browning. maker website · Archive

Revised