The question I get the most as this magazine's Shotguns columnist is this: "Should I buy a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 500?" I reply that I happily shoot both, that left-handers like the Mossberg's ambidextrous safety, and that both guns are affordable and popular.

But there's more to the world of shotguns than inexpensive pumps. Thus, here is my list of the 50 greatest shotguns.

What makes them great? Artistry, innovation, reliability, ergonomics, durability. Every gun on this list has at least one of those qualities; most possess several. Some very deserving candidates, such as the Holland & Holland Royal Ejector--one of the world's finest side-by-sides--didn't make the cut. In no imaginable bizarro universe is the Winchester 1200 greater than the Holland, but I didn't want this merely to be a litany of the world's fine guns. I chose the Purdey to represent all London Best doubles, including H&H, just as I picked Arrizabalaga to carry the flag for the whole Basque region. That left room for innovators like the unpretentious 1200.

While most of the guns are long-running bestsellers, some were commercial failures. One or two are personal favorites that elbowed out other, possibly more deserving guns, but this is my list, after all. And I learned long ago that a good day of shooting isn't defined by the name stamped on the barrel. Or engraved on it.

Photos by Spencer Jones