[ducksquasher]

For O/U's, which do you like more. I was talking to one guy who said that the Browning's barrell is set higher than the Beretta in relation to the stock and therefore the muzzle jump is more dramatic with the Browning. The Beretta kicks more straight back and you can get on your next target quicker.

How about craftmanship and reliability?

Thanks in advance

 

[ROGER OVER UNDER]

They are both solid, well made, can't lose shotguns.

You simple need to shoulder and/or shoot both to see what's good for you.

Berettas tend to be a bit slimmer.
Browning have more mass.

This is an age old discussion that really is a matter of taste and fit.

 

[BobK]

Yeah, I agree. I own one of each, but they are different gauges. Generally, the Berettas are slimmer and a little lighter for the gauge.

That's why my 20 is a Beretta, and my 28 is a Browning.

I shoot both equally well, and like both guns. I use them for hunting and clay sports.

If I were going to only have one gun, if it were primarily for bird hunting, I would go with Beretta for the lighter weight. If it were for clay sports or for pass shooting, I'd go with the Browning for the heavier weight.

Just my simple observation.

Anyway, go with the one which FITS you best!

BobK

 

[txgolfer45]

If I were going to only have one gun, if it were primarily for bird hunting, I would go with Beretta for the lighter weight. If it were for clay sports or for pass shooting, I'd go with the Beretta for the heavier weight.

BobK

:shock:

 

[wrj]

When I was looking for an O/U this year, I settled in on either a Browning or Beretta. I eventually selected the Beretta. I felt it gave me more value for my money and most importantly, it felt the best to me.

With that said, either gun is a great choice.

 

[strut64]

If you are into the 686 vs Citori, I have owned both. Both were well made. I did not like the fit of the Beretta. The Browning Citori fit me much better and that is what I primarily shot today.

 

[Shootzum]

As the above posts point out; both are quality shotguns, go with the one the fits you better.

I own and shoot both. But for me the Beretta 686 and 687 feel better than the Citori. Therefore I shoot the Berettas better.

 

[sera russell]

I loved my 20g Citori and wish I had not traded it for a 12g...the 12g Citori was worse than a boat anchor.

I loved my 682 Beretta and did not like the 28 inch Barrelled Onyx that fired 3.5 in shells(b/c I tried to shoot a few and came home w/ a whole bunch of bruises).

For a 12g, you cannot beat the 686, 687, 682 Berettas.

 

[txgolfer45]

Honestly, both are excellent shotguns. Get the one that fits you best. I bought the browning citori white lightning. Could have bought the Beretta 686 White Onyx, if I had found one in stock locally. The Browning fits me well and performs well.

 

[Trickster]

I was talking to one guy who said that the Browning's barrell is set higher than the Beretta in relation to the stock and therefore the muzzle jump is more dramatic with the Browning. The Beretta kicks more straight back and you can get on your next target quicker.

Not true. The Brownings have a much deeper receiver to accommodate the lockup system but the barrels are in virtually the same place relative to both the eye and the butt pad. The 2 guns have different feel and handling because the weight distribution is significantly different. Both are well made, reliable workhorses and both will last for hundreds of thousands of rounds.

Since you ask, I prefer the handling of Berettas and I like the elegance of the engineering compared to Brownings which IMO are more agricultural. Others prefer Browning.

Like everyone else says, try before you buy, and choose the one that floats your boat.

 

[RB]

I've owned both but since my 682 Gold experience, I've lost all confidence in Beretta O/U's and will never own another. This gun was a 682 Gold Greystone Sporter bought new just as the Gold E's came out.

First off, it was a face slapping machine. So many others told me they found the same thing and sold their's. Ok, I could get past that; I just needed a fitting. Then an instructor told me he sold his because it face slapped him so bad. He said some Beretta's do not have a straight tapered comb. My 682 didn't. When sighting down the comb, you could see it bulge out right where your cheek touched the comb. Ok, now I need stock work.

Next came the top barrel not firing (just like the 687 I traded in on it). The dealer worked on it and thought he had it fixed. It kept happening. During my last outing with it (my brother shooting it), the top barrel quit working about 50 targets into the round. I made sure he was opening the action all the way. Two stations later it started working again.

I hate the barrel selector placement. You have to be very careful in opening the action because your thumb easily brushes the sector and moves it to the top barrel. More things to think about instead of the target.

The last straw was the barrel regulation. When checking POI, I found the top barrel printed 8" above the bottom barrel; it didn't matter what choke. I borrowed two chamber lasers from a friend, they converged at 10 feet! One dot. At thirty yards the top barrel dot was 3 feet BELOW the bottom barrel.

The barrels were banana shaped... squeezed together at the middle! The dealer said the gun would have to go back to Beretta for them to "evaluate". He also said it would be gone quite awhile. I talked with Richard Cole about the gun and he said he had seen some Beretta's with bad regulation. Nothing he could fix without replacing the barrels.

I traded it for a 28ga Browning 525 and haven't regreted do so. My latest is a XS Special; not near as pretty as the 682 I had but 10X the gun. Some people love their Beretta 68X and shoot them very well.... not me. BTW - Beretta's autoloader is the best on the market in my opinion.

 

[BobK]

With every brand of guns, there are some "lemons" that get out. Sounds as if you got one of Berettas.

I do know people have had Brownings with problems, like the old "salt wood" gun stocks and "chambers rusting while you watched 'em".

In all fairness, BOTH are good guns in general. But occasionally a lemon gets out. Get the gun that fits you, and shoot it first if possible. Generally, at a gun club, proud owners will let you try their guns for a few shots. Just a suggestion.

BobK

 

[Bullet Bob]

Browning vs Beretta.

Shoot me. Shoot me now.

 

[RB]

With every brand of guns, there are some "lemons" that get out. Sounds as if you got one of Berettas.

I don't buy the 'lemon' reasoning. This was a $3300 O/U in 2000. To make one requires a lot of handwork and attention; stuff like this should NEVER get out. Please remember, the one week old 687 I traded back in on this dog had similar problems.

I'm familiar with the Browing issues you mention but those are from 70's era FN's... not quite fair to compare to today's Miroku's is it?

 

[claysmoker]

With every brand of guns, there are some "lemons" that get out. Sounds as if you got one of Berettas.

I don't buy the 'lemon' reasoning.

So you believe all, or at least many, Berettas are that bad?

I've got 2 Berettas (12 ga 686 SP and 687 SP II) and 2 Brownings (28 ga XS and 410 Feather XS) and have had no problems with any of them. Of the ones I've seen at the club, there have been very few problems with either brand. Some of the Brownings with 100,000+ shells through them have had some minor, easily fixed problems.

I do like the more slender profile of the Berettas for field guns, but sort of like the beefier feel of Brownings for clay targets.

 

[VAByrd]

Hold one, close your eyes, shoulder it. What do you see? Did it come up smooth? What does the balance feel like? They are both good guns, I prefer the Browning. It felt best and I liked the looks, good fit off the rack. Done deal...

 

[txgolfer45]

Hold one, close your eyes, shoulder it. What do you see? Did it come up smooth? What does the balance feel like? They are both good guns, I prefer the Browning. It felt best and I liked the looks, good fit off the rack. Done deal...

Yeah, but you know he needs to get the Browning Citori White Lightning! :lol:

 

[VAByrd]

Damn straight, TX. I was trying to be impartial, but you made me do it....

BUY A CITORI WHITE LIGHTENING!!!!!!!

Ok, original poster, TX was on the fence awhile back so I gave my .02 cents. Now he's giving his .02 cents. So look at it this way, you've got .04 cents towards the Citori White Lightning.

 

[01lariat]

I don't like the Beretta's safety/barrel selector. Brownings deal is easier to use.