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You beat me to it.

Again Berettas are great shotguns, so no offense meant.

As far as Argentina, one must remember they essentially use the Beretta Semi Auto 390-391 variants. When something breaks, the fix is usually a parts swap that is so easy the proverbial cave man can do it.

The majority of Beretta customer service complaints have to do with the more expensive O/U. When needed, Beretta has been proven difficult to deal with.

Well, since Beretta O/U shotguns cost a lot, perhaps that is at the core of the trouble. I mean by this that people with money expect a lot. And rightly so. So, maybe, just maybe, this is at the heart of Beretta issues. Some rich dude spends 10 grand on a 687 whatever model and he finds a I/10 of an once variance in trigger break weight.....the result.....all hell breaks loose cause he is mad and wants fast action. And then a fine European manufacturer (also with attitude) gets yelled at and watch out! Next thing you know, the service sucks according to one irate customer. He tells 10 fellow Beretta owners and so on. There you have it....a reputation for bad service is created. Is it deserved.....I doubt it.

Ok, you win.

EagleEye54--I will be the contrarian on this. Perazzis don't have the troubles of Beretta's. And, some Perazzis are a bargain as compared to some Beretta grades. So, no, its not some "rich dude" with piddling concerns. They have a problem that needs to be addressed. Do they sell poor products? No. I really have no qualms about them, but they do have a less than stellar reputation for service among hard-core shotgunners, at least in the US. Service and quality matters.

I don't know what the Canadian experience is, but, just try the US 800 number and see what happens. Better yet, send in a Silver Pigeon for service and see what is returned.

Battue--you mentioned Parker's as prime grouse shotguns. You bet. Broke mine in when living in WV between Morgantown and Charleston. Refined its use while living about 30 miles west of Bay City MI. Point and shoot is its main virtues. I've killed a few early season pheasants with it, but if I have to swing it too far, then, I'm either way ahead or way behind. And with wild quail, I can't quite see the pitch angle over the 26" barrels.

I agree on the Parker Repo small gauge guns not being good for most shotgunning that requires a swing or follow thru. I tried mine on wild Quail in Georgia and found it lacking and to easy to start and stop. However, for Ruffed Grouse I keep going back to it. Cracked the grip in a fall this year and it is currently being repaired.

Have my Fathers original VHE 16 gauge on a Number 1 frame that is great for Pheasants at reasonable ranges. The odd characteristic is that the gun was chambered for 3in 16ga. I used to have the original hang tag that indicated such, but it finally crumbled into being useless.

When it was given to me there were a few 3in 16ga shells that I found with his things.

Normal 2 3/4 16ga. next to paper Peters 3in 16ga:

I think that is the first 3" 16 ga shell I've ever seen. Is it paper?

Yes. The brass head says Peters Premier and it has a rolled crimp.

I am friends with a large dealer in upper end Beretta and another who is a volume dealer of lower end Beretta, they both say say Beretta's customer service sucks. The article in Field & Stream stated that the people who rent Beretta in Argentenia do their own maintenance.

I have a 15+ year old 390 that is my truck gun, it has never missed a beat except if I over oil it in 0 degree weather.

I take exception to the statement that a shotgun isn't a rifle and that a proper fit may not be as important with a rifle..

I want my rifles and shotguns to fit me..I want cast off in both that suits me, I want all the amenities of a shotgun in my rifles, mostly because I shoot offhand, and take running shots and I point shoot at Dangerous game in a charge situation, and I practice point shooting at 25 and 50 yards quite a bit.

Pointability is important in both rifle and shotgun if you use them the same..If your shooting from a bench rest in a deer stand, obviously not, but if you pot shooting blue quail you dont' need a good shotgun either!

I like used Superposed models.

You can get a deal occasionally in the $700 range and
have a great Belgian made shooter.

Just go find a used 101 with winchokes and use the rest of the money to buy shells! They fit most people and just plain work. Can be found for under $8-9oo for a nice one. I have a boat load of these and my family and friends help me try to wear them out all summer.

I am a SxS man. The only O/U I ever considered purchasing was the Browning Citori Upland Special. This was a "plain" gun in the sense that it was all blued and was not engraved. But that is exactly the style I like in guns. I only ever saw two of them for sale on the shelf at stores. I ran into a used one in 16ga at a gun show that I could have bought for $600 but foolishly declined.

If I could find a boat load of silver receiver/winchoke 101's (101 Lightweights) for under $8-900.... I'd buy as many as I could! I love both the field and pigeon grade 101 Lightweights and have several, but I've never ran across clean examples that could be bought in that price range.

KDF,
The field guns will be in that range. The others will be $15-1800. I have examples of most in one guage or other,Great guns and still cheaper than the new guns. All the beretta's seem to need stock work to fit anyone I know. The winny's seem to always work pretty well on stock fit.You can find "new" 101's for 2k plus.

I have a hard time finding fault with my Weatherby Athena, which I think is made by SKB...

John

My son-in-law picked up a CZ Bobwhite 202B in 20 gu. last summer, about $800 CDN. Man, is that one sweet little shotgun! Especially for the bucks spent! Even color case hardened. I'm really impressed with the quality fit and finish. Every time I pick up a CZ rifle or shotgun, I become an ever bigger fan of these guns.

http://cz-usa.com/products/view/bobwhite-202-b-case-hardened/

Beretta or Browning take your pick. Beretta white onyx is one of the better values out there . The 686 is a very fine action as is the Citoris and I have equal amount of luck with the models I have owned. Beretta's customer service sucks but you probably won't be needing it anyway.