Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Beretta SP1 686 VS Browning 725 in 20 ga ???????

Looking to buy one or the other fairly soon. I've handled both a little and I seem to like the feel of both. Does anyone know if there are any mechanical qualities that make one better than the other?

I know they are both considered quality guns and most people would choose one over the other based on fit alone, but I guess I don't know enough about what a shotgun should feel like to decide. I shoot a Merkel SXS as well as a Beretta auto. I've broken 90% on skeet with both.

Looking to get one or the other in 20 ga with 28-30" barrels. It will be used for hunting doves mainly and possibly Pheasants occasionally. Any clay targets will only be informal for hunting practice. I am leaning toward the SP1 686 because it is a little lighter and livelier. I do prefer the wood and the fit and finish on the Browning 725. The 725's safety, selector and action are smother in the examples I have handled.

I will take the Beretta over the Browning any day . Love Beretta O&U's

Any mechanical or design reasons or do you just prefer the way the Beretta feels?

I like Browning over Beretta on fit alone. I have never seen either fail and have seen lots at registered skeet and sporting clay shoots with tons of rounds through them. I shot a 682 skeet with Kolar tubes in registered skeet and it was a tank but never fit me worth a dam. I will say if you plan on sub gauge tubes I would probly give the Beretta the nod though, I just think the resale is way better with the Beretta if tubed.. My .02

If you're gonna use it for hunting and the occasional clays for practice, you'll never wear either gun out. The Beretta does have replaceable hinge pins and locking lugs, so in theory it could be reworked and tightened up easier than a Browning, but again, you'll probably never need to have it done. I would make my decision on how it fits you.

Personally, I would choose a Beretta, but that's me.

I'm leaning toward the Beretta. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything I was overlooking.

Pass the Beretta please.
I like Browning's, just not the 725, seen too many with issues

I have the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon in 20 gauge (26" barrel) and just love it. I've previously owned Citori's and like them as well, but there is just something about the fit and finish of the Beretta that gives it a slight edge in my book. I don't think you could go wrong with either, but in my research, it appears that the Silver Pigeon holds its value better than the Citori.

I handled the SP1 with 29.5" barrels and fell in love.

Could you elaborate on the 725 issues?
I'm in the market for a 12 gauge in either of these models and I am leaning towards the 725 due to the mechanical triggers a recoil pad designs.

Look into the mechanical triggers more. It doesn't matter that much to me but from the internet chat it seems the mechanical part is more of an advertising exaggeration-lie than anything.

Then on the other hand, I have no love for Beretta customer service. If you buy new, get one from a well known dealer like Joel Etchen who will go to bat for you if there are any problems.

I coach SCTP kids and a few have these, one had a piece break on the receiver and it took 6 months to get it fixed. One had cracked hardware in the forearm that took awhile to get fixed (don't remember how long) and another had an issue with the firing pins.

I asked my old retired gun smith, who had the trap club behind his shop plus being a browning dealer back then...

And he said mechanical triggers are more problem free in the long run.

one of my trap shooting buddie likes mechaical triggers because he accidentally drops the shell in the wrong tube or had the barrel selector in a different spot from shooting sporting clays and you can pull the trigger twice. That was part of his justification for the 725.

Just double check about being able to pull the trigger twice with the 725. I seem to remember someone saying that you couldn't with them and because of that, they really weren't mechanical. However, I may have misunderstood or that person may have been wrong.

Customer service of both, if needed, is dismal. Hard to kill any Beretta 686 series, but their stock dimensions in the same configuration varies, which can be a good thing. Browning dimensions are more consistent.

So are you telling me that two stocks may be slightly different in a new SP1 20 ga 686?

Pick up some Beretta's of the same model. Some will have cast-on, some cast-off and some will be neutral. Comb height will usually be close on all.

Never handled an SP1, but have found this to be the case in older Beretta O/U's.

Thanks, i'll have to check into it. I will likely buy one that I handle first anyway.

I have 4 Beretta o/u,s and love every one. 12ga 687 sp1 28" 12 ga 686 black onyx 26" , 20 ga 686 white onyx 28" and a 687 sp4 20ga 28". The 20ga white onyx is responsible for a multitude of dead pheasant, pigeon and clays. It was by far my favorite UNTIL one day I picked up a Browning 525 20ga in 26" and it fit like a $1500 custom fit job. And it went home with me. It is a wing shooting dream. As far as preference, I wish my Beretta collection fit as well. Bottom line IMHO the gun that fits the best is the better gun to shopt, even if it a $500 Turkish or Russian made gun. My best friend has a lot of nice over and under guns, and he hunts with a Remington o/u made by Bakail (Russian). It makes'em just as dead as a prazzi.

I asked my friend who owns a 725 and they are true mechanical triggers that can be pulled twice.

I prefer mechanical triggers than inertia ones. In case of a dud, changing selector/etc you can double tap almost.
I have a Beretta 686 Sporting, and I prefer its fit to the closer radius of the Brownings, though I was originally looking for a Citori.
They are both quality guns and I feel that unless you are planning on going custom stock (and this is an old thread, so you may already have one or the other) the better fit will work better.
Regarding the Baikal line. I have a IZH-27 Sporting (29.5" bbls) that I keep in Peru. I have killed thousands of doves with it, some ducks, and a lot more clays with it, never a hitch.
I just added some LOP with a piece of wood and it fits like they used me to configure the stock.
The Beretta is nicer looking, but it doesn't shoot any better.

I think I convinced my self that I like mechanical triggers... I was grouse hunting after thanksgiving with my old fox SXS 20 gauge single trigger gun and I pulled up on a bird... click... second shell when off!