Beretta or Benelli?

[brian]

I'm going back to Italy. OK, not really. I was considering a Browning 10 ga. but after further research I'm going back to Beretta engineering. Nothing wrong with Browning, but after 500 years of building guns Beretta must be doing something right.

I have gone from from one end of the spectrum "10 ga taylored for hunting and now to the sporting gun" to the other, and most likely will stay here. Sporting, that is.

Now to decide which gun, the Beretta or the Benelli. To be specific, the Beretta AL 391 Teknys Gold Sporting 20 ga with 30in barrel and the Benelli Monte Silver 20 ga with 26 in barrel.

The Beretta has standard options like: Forced cone and Back Bored. The Benelli comes standard with the "ID" system.

I do know this: Benelli will have more recoil due to lighter weight, thus making it less comfortable on a course. The Beretta will have better ballistics due to the 30 in barrel, forced cone, and back bore. With it being heavier, due to the gas operated system, it will have less recoil. Making it more comfortable on a skeet course.

Here is where the problem comes in at, I have never shot a Benelli. I have only held the Monte Silver at a gun shop. I really like the weight of the Benelli Montefeltro, but I do know a little about physics to. With the gun being this lite, there is less weight to absorb the energy, thus more recoil. So I will ask the people here what they think of the question. Beretta or Benelli?

Ghost

[Kt29]

If you are purely using this, and it sounds like a twenty ga. shotgun, for skeet or trap etc. I would go for the Benelli. If you also plan on hunting with it I'd sure go with the Montefeltro. A great gun to carry in the field. I wouldn't think the recoil from shooting a 20 would be much of a factor especially in a semi-auto.
I shoot alot of trap with my O/U lightweight 20 and its no issue at all. Hey, whichever you decide to get, they are both quality firearms. Have fun deciding. -KT

[brian]

I need to talk with a rep. to see if the Monte Silver comes with a 30 in barrel. That is one option that is keeping the Montefeltro in 2nd place. Correct me if i am wrong, but the choke system in both the Benelli and the Beretta are basiaclly the same design, excluding the names i.e Cryo and Optima Plus.

[Kt29]

I believe the Crio and the optima plus tubes are Benelli's and Beretta's extended choke tubes. They may not be available on all models. Benelli's does offer the Super Sport II in 20 ga. with 28" barrel with the extended Crio choke tubes. Unfortunately, it looks like the Montefeltro is limited to a 26" barrel.-KT

[brian]

I noticed on Benelli's video catalog there is a Super Sport II in a 30 inch. It doesn't state if it is a 12 or 20 ga. The Sport II would be more likely to make the list that the Super Sport II, due to the carbon fiber stock. Nothing against synthetics, I own the Extrema. But the synthetics would be strictly for the woods (Duck blind or Turkey woods). Although there is something about the Carbon fiber stock and the silver reciever. Its modern, it says there is a place for it in a gun rack at the local gun club. As attractive the gun seems to be, there something warm about a fine walnut stock. I guess I'm a little old fashioned. It kinda like putting a synthetic on Perazzi O&U.

Ghost

[Kt29]

I hear ya on the wood stocks. Hope you can find the one that you want.-KT