Beretta Silver Pigeon S and Other Thoughts
If someone inexperienced ever asks me what they should buy for game shooting, my frequent answer is a Beretta Silver Pigeon over and under either new or in near-new second-hand condition. Nothing holds its value better, nothing is likely to be tougher or less troublesome over years of hrd use. You can pay for extra bells and whistles if you want to (you might even push out the boat for a EELL, or, if you are really flush, a beautiful Jubillee model), but you do not need to spend a king’s ransom to get one of the world’s best and most useable guns. The fixed choke version of the Silver Pigeon S still has an RRP of just £1,615, the Mobil multichoke model is £1,785. There are 28 and 30” barrel options.
Beretta over and under game guns come with a 6mm vented sighting rib and solid joining ribs. The action is low in profile, and, like the barrels, tough as old boots (perhaps one might change that well worn phrase to “tough as old Berettas”). I know of guns that have, by misfortune, been left on salt marshes over night in sea water and survived the experience. What more is there to say other than this is one of the most popular game guns in Britain for good reason. The fixed choke 12 weighs in at just over 7lbs with 28” tubes; the multi-choke at 7lbs 4 oz. All have 3” chambers and Fleur de Lys proof for steel. The stock measurements have been improved too. They used to be a bit low in the comb, but the latest game guns are little higher than they used to be and better for it (the old measurements were 38 and 60mm at nose of comb and heel respectively, now it’s 35 and 55mm – the same as on the sporting range) .
Lanber Field Deluxe
This is a solid gun with a sensible price (latest RRP £900). It weighs in around the 7 ½ pound mark and looks smarter than it used to with styling that, coincidentally, echoes the new SV10 Beretta. It is game scene engraved and comes with 28” barrels and multichokes (with shorter type tubes). The gun has always been a hit with dealers both because of its price point and its inherent reliability. The Lanber is not especially elegant – though it looks significantly better than it did – but it will get the job done and continue to do so for many years if given a minimum of attention. I still think the stock shapes might be developed a bit (and I am not especially fond of the latest swirly bordered laser chequering patterns), but, how can you ask for perfection at this sort of money?
The rumour mill suggests there will be a new Lanber 20 bore quite soon. It will have a scaled down alloy action to save even more weight. Lanber is, sadly, one of the last volume producers in Spain (which is suffering much as Birmingham did in the 1960s). The latest models are as good or better than any the firm has made. They are 3” (76mm) chambered and proofed at 1,370 BAR. Lanbers are no-nonsense guns and offer real value. The sporter version is a little more money and offers both 28 and 30” barrels combined with a wider rib. It might be used for live quarry as well of course Browning B25.
These days the classic B25 range starts off with the B2G model. This offers game scene engraving on the famous superposed trap-door action. The fixed choke barrels of Belgian made B25s – produced like the rest of the gun in the Custom Shop at Liege Herstal – are famed for their great handling qualities. They are notably lighter than the barrels on Japanese mass-made, multi-choked, Brownings. My call would be for a 32” gun with a 6mm rib in 12, or a 30” gun in 20 bore. This is a very pointable and sweet shooting spec. I note, moreover, that you can now request longer forcing cones, and I would opt for them, it only puts £100 on the price and may take a little sting out of the recoil. If you want the Browning gun of your dreams – and this grand old maker offers an attainable route to a bespoke gun – you’ll need to speak to your nearest ‘Browning Dealer Partner’ (who will be listed on the Browning website: www.browningint.com). He will be able to discuss your needs, arrange a fitting if required, and possibly a trip to the Custom Shop itself (a service usually available for higher grade guns only). Prices start from £11,500 and go skywards once you start considering side-plates and extra embellishment. In today’s market, to get a completely custom made gun for just over 10K is nevertheless notable.
