Beretta 686 special Review

Overall Rating

Balance, finish, durability.

None. The price maybe a bit high at 1750.00, but the design is solid and I expect the price will rise.

I bought a Beretta 686 Sporting (32") 12 gauge two weeks ago. I have been to the range four times since then to shoot some clay. Let me start out by saying I went to the shop to buy a 30" Browning Cynergy Sporting ($2,500.00). The guy talked me into the 686 Onyx Sporting 32" but it took nearly two hours. As I drove home I was second guessing the purchase. I had read positive reviews about the Cynergy in a couple of publications. Well, was I ever wrong!
I was shooting simultaneous doubles after only a short warm up. Not just hitting them but vaporizing them. Once I got a feel for the mount, it was very consistent. Of the hundreds of targets I shot at, the few I missed were my mistake not the shotgun. When I had a proper mount and waited for the shot to develop it was like shooting fish in a barrel. If you have never shot a 32" shotgun at clay you should certainly try it.
If you are not on the shorter side (say around 5' 10" or taller), the shotgun just points and swings sooo nice. The balance is great and the gun never feels barrel heavy, which was one of my concerns. In my opinion, you need some size to really really handle the shotgun, although I did read a very positive review from a young lady ( I think she was 14). With the Optima chokes much of the muzzle weight is eliminated. The actual barrel length is 31 1/2" but because of the Optima Chokes it feels like a 30" or maybe a tad shorter. The added length now feels so natural I would find a shorter shotgun whippy. When my young son saw the shotgun he quoted from the Crocodile Dundee movie "That is not a shotgun, this is a Shotgun."
The lockup is very solid just like a vise. The receiver feels like the entire mechanism has been reinforced to take the punishment of Sporting Clays or just allot of use. The added strength ensures the gun will be around for a long time.
While the Browning had a very interesting recoil pad, the graphics were a little over the top. What really clinched the deal was that the Browning was $700.00 more and the only thing that I could identify as really different was the porting of the barrels. You should know that Magnaport will port the barrels for around $150.00. Buying the Beretta you are still over $550.00 to the good. Plus, I do not know about you, but the Italians just know how to make a shotgun (nothing against the Japanese who make some very high quality products these days).
I bought the gun to shoot clay. However, I would easily take it out for pheasant. I am not sure that I would want to try to swing the 32" barrels for grouse or woodcock in the thick stuff. Nonetheless, it has become my favorite shotgun. I like its feel even more than my Italian SXS 20 gauge. I never thought I would ever say that about a O/U. This is shotgun is destined to be a classic. Buy one while before the price goes even higher.