Beretta 692 Sporter

What it looks like

The new gun has a contemporary appeal but enthusiasts will still notice similarities with the original 682. A bright silver action frame sports raised side panels that flow into the belly of the action and the carved fences are matted silver to eliminate glare.

Highly polished hinge pins impress that this really is a clay gun built for serious business.

A slight extra width has improved the gun’s balance and the action frame has been made 3 mm wider to put more weight between a shooter’s hands and also make the gun more stable during firing.

Design changes

The Beretta 692 Sporter’s trigger group is the same as the previous mode. However design changes in other areas include more deeply curved locking shoulders which provide draw by engaging into the action wall when the gun is closed. The curve enables the monoblock to sit deeper in the action and is a feature taken straight from Beretta’s SV10 range.

The extractor legs have been beefed up with more material throughout their length and they can easily be switched to non-ejector mode as and when required. Another feature ‘pinched’ from the SV10 is the new spring tensioner fitted to the fore-end iron which ensures smooth and consistent opening of the gun. This is important as it gets older and has more work under its belt. The Beretta 692 Sporter is fitted with Steelium Plus barrels first developed by Beretta for its DT11 and which feature a forcing cone that extends a massive 14 inches down the bore – 5.1/2 times longer than those found in the Gold E. The Optima high performance chokes print superb patterns with both lead, or steel, shot.

The figure is very pretty

Five chokes come with each gun but the usual full choke tube has instead been replaced by one for skeet – a thoughtful move when you consider the open choke is far more likely to be used than full on a Sporting course. The wood quality reflects the price of the gun and a subtle oil finish shows it off to its best. The figure is very pretty.  The Schnabel fore-end of the Gold E has now been replaced by a slim beaver tail which tapers slightly and finishes with a rounded nose. It is extremely elegant in shape and comfortable to hold. As it is almost parallel you get the same feel wherever you place your hand. New on the the Beretta 692 Sporter is the B-FAST system, an acronym for “Beretta Fast Adjustment System Technology”, a name that applies to a number of features not necessarily present on all guns, such as an adjustable stock.
Another feature you will probably appreciate is the clever balance system comprising a series of weights that you can adjust to alter the balance of the gun to suit you personally.

In summary

Beretta has made many positive changes with this gun that make it a better gun than the Beretta 682 Sporter. This hasn’t been an easy thing to pull off because the good old 682 has been a very important model to Beretta over the years. The 682 set the bar high originally but the Beretta 692 Sporter has raised it farther still.