Purchased 2 of them as factory demos. I really want a SXS, but the price was fair. I am not a shotgun person, but hope these are quality weapons.

Are they field or sporting models?

I've owned one 686 and three Silver Pigeon IIs. All were field models. All had excessively heavy safeties and auto safeties which go on safe when you open the action. I remedied the safety problems by removing the stocks and slightly bending the legs on the safety spring and removing the link which allows the auto safety to function. The 20 gauge with 28 inch barrels is my favorite. The Berettas handle very nicely.

Thanks for the information. I'm anxious to have them in my hands.

Your shooting will almost certainly be better with the O/U. I think that was a wise switch from a S/S even if based on price. Other than that, can't comment on SP III since I've never handled one.

The silver pigeon I,II,III are I believe all the same, except cosmetics. But there is a field and sporter version. The field has an auto safety, the sporting does not. The sporting has a wider rib and a palm swell grip.
They are great guns in my view and a good value for the money they cost.
I have them in, 12, 20, 28, and 410. And some duplication of gauges.

quote:

Originally posted by df06:
The silver pigeon I,II,III are I believe all the same, except cosmetics. But there is a field and sporter version. The field has an auto safety, the sporting does not. The sporting has a wider rib and a palm swell grip.
They are great guns in my view and a good value for the money they cost.
I have them in, 12, 20, 28, and 410. And some duplication of gauges.

It will probably be another 3 weeks before they are in my hands. I'm the guy that goes dove hunting with a box of shells and come back with 1 bird. I guess I need to call on a friendship and learn how to shoot.

As df06 indicates, the Beretta Silver Pigeon series is the same gun, based upon the 680 action. The differences among them, from the earliest ones up to the latest SO versions, lies in the cosmetics. One can pay 2k, or well beyond. Well, well beyond.

The differences between sporting guns and field guns are manifest in a variety of ways; safeties, stock configuration, internal bores, ribs, triggers, and other variations.

Very few shooters can shoot the difference.

You have come into some quality guns, my friend. The blend of art and function in a shotgun dances delicately at the Beretta Silver Pigeon III level.

They will shoot true and last you a life time. The obligation to bring them to their potential is yours.

Have fun along the way.............

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:

quote:

Originally posted by df06:
The silver pigeon I,II,III are I believe all the same, except cosmetics. But there is a field and sporter version. The field has an auto safety, the sporting does not. The sporting has a wider rib and a palm swell grip.
They are great guns in my view and a good value for the money they cost.
I have them in, 12, 20, 28, and 410. And some duplication of gauges.

It will probably be another 3 weeks before they are in my hands. I'm the guy that goes dove hunting with a box of shells and come back with 1 bird. I guess I need to call on a friendship and learn how to shoot.

I used to be like that; still not great, but the one thing I have learned it to MOUNT THE GUN. My hit rate goes way up if I mentally concentrate on putting my face against the buttstock and making sure it is mounted on my shoulder correctly. I was 3/3 on Wed in an hour shooting quail in the desert - without a dog.

If there was a good shotgun coach in AZ I would gladly pay for some lessons. If you shoot a lot with a rifle, I think it is harder to shoot a shotgun.

One thing that you definitely want to pay attention to when shooting shotguns is the fit of the gun. The reason being that you don't want to even know you have that shotgun in your hands because it fits so well. All you want to do is keep your eyes on that bird or target and pull the trigger.

I myself couldn't shoot a Remington autoloader worth a damn. I finally purchased a Browning Citori Sporting Clays model and my shooting improved immensely.

Years ago when I was shooting in a Sporting Clays league I had a guy on my team who purchased a brand new Kriefhoff 12 guage. He paid a good sum of money for it, but he couldn't shoot it worth a damn. Then one night he came to the league shoot and his beautiful English walnut stock was all rasped up and had body putty on it everywhere. But low and behold, the guy shot way better than he ever had before.

So hopefully Butch, when you get your guns, they fit you well.

Lindy,
I have not even put the barrel on the shotgun. I sold one and it almost cleared the price of both.
I have several rifles that I haven't ever pulled the triggers on at this time. I need to do that this spring.
I'm the one dove per box of shells shot gunner.