Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Beretta 686

[u][/u]Is the Beretta 686 a well made shotgun ? I've just handled one, a 20 ga w/26" barrels. Seems like a real sweet shotgun. Normally would be well above my reach, but I can get this gun (it is NIB) at a fairly decent price

Any opinions ?

Yes, great gun. The 26" barrels may account for the lower price.

Really, 28" barrels are more desirable ?

On the used market that has been my experience. Generally the 30" and 32" are listed higher, then the 28", with the 26" being the least expensive. That doesn't mean that you value them the same way, so buy the bbl length that makes sense for your use. Regardless, the 686 is a very nice O/U for the money.

A LGS is closing, they have a Beretta 686, 20 ga w/26" barrels for $1500 + tax.

Beretta is a great gun that will beat you senseless.

I find a 28 inch double is usually about as long as a 26 in auto or pump shotgun. 26 in a double feels to short for me (I am 6ft3) and seem to shoot longer barrels (28+) better. YMMV

Hmmm, for someone (like myself) "who is learning as I go", looking for a good sxs or o/u, what brands or models are good to look for ?

Don’t believe everything you read. For some people Berettas seem to recoil a lot. Others no. If so, it will be the light 12’s. Their sub-gauges are easy shooters. I’ve seen so many 1100’s fail I won’t touch them. Passport has had different experiences and raves on them.

You want a quality SxS or O/U give the good Spanish guns a look. AyA, Grulla, Ugartechea, etc.

Some nice Used Spanish shotguns in this mix.

http://www.doubleshotguns.com/used-shotguns-side-by-side.html

Thank you.

Merry Christmas to you all !

Fit is king, but I find most guys find browning softer over beretta but ummv..

Go to your local club and go shoot some stuff, that will save you thousands in the long run unless you like to buy em and try em like me.

What’s your application? Trap, skeet, sporting, hunting?

A hunting gun that I'll likely use also for trap or clays, at this time anyway.
Going to pass on the Beretta.

good move IMO, $1500 would not do it for me either

It is all about fit... I have several and they are my favorite fitting O/U by a lot.

O/Us seem hard to give away right now, especially with fixed chokes, but all I have seen lately have been tempting because of the price. $1500 would not be tempting for me right now.

I bet I have seen well over a hundred go through fellow shooters I personally know over the years and all of them bitch about recoil. In the 90’s we all had 682 tube sets and most of us went to K-80 and the reason was recoil. All these guys know gun fit too.

Not to say they are not GREAT guns though

The field 686's can be a little stout on the recoil with heavy target loads and geld loads, but they are generally light for their gauge. That being said I shot over 50,000 rounds of skeet and sporting clays with a 686, 28 inch 12 gauge Onyx. Tough gun and one of those I regret ever selling. I never found the recoil to be particularly bad but I didn't run heavy handicap loads in it either. Mostly one ounce loads. The same guns in 20 and 28 are nice to shoot. I have Beretta Blackwings in 12 and 20, both 28 inch. they were a 680 series forerunner to the 686 Onyx. I also have a 686 SP1 in 28 gauge and a White Wing Sporting 30 inch in 12 gauge. The White Wing Sporting is a heavier target gun and very comfortable to shoot. It has been my target gun for about ten years now.

You will have shot an awful lot if you ever wear out a Beretta 686. They are one tough gun.

I will say I find a 26 inch to be a bit choppy in an O/U and much prefer a 28 or 30 inch for a field gun. I do like a 26 inch in a pump and find my 26 inch Ithaca 37 Skeet 16 to be one of the best balanced guns I own. I shoot it as well as any of my O/U's. Some guys love the 26 inch doubles in heavy grouse cover.

Been shooting a 686 for 20 years or so, mostly for clays, 12 bore. It ain't for sale. The recoil never bothered me but in the process of loading shells found it remarkably effective in the clays game with 7/8 oz shot loads. Worked on quail as well.....and a bag of shot went a little further down the road.

My 686 Onyx recently decided to stop reliably firing one of the barrels. A quick internet search indicates this happens a fair amount of times with gun equipped with the inertia triggers.

Anyone know if Cole's does a complete conversion to a mechanical trigger or if they just modify the current inertia system to be more reliable? Their charge is $200.

Thanks, Dinny

Something is out of whack with your trigger; I would simply get it fixed. There is nothing wrong with inertia triggers. Some of the greatest guns in the world have them (such as Perazzis; you’ll not find a better trigger).

Cole is a good place to turn. And I suspect Rich Cole will tell you the same thing.

Dinny

Have you taken the stock off and cleaned the internals. May just be gummed up a bit with dirty or old oil. I personally prefer mechanical, but like GF1 said, inertias are just as reliable as long as you do proper cleaning of the shotgun.