Beretta Silver Pigeon Classic

Beretta’s seemingly endless programme of introducing new models to its well known boxlock Silver Pigeon range continues with the arrival of the Classic, a gun Beretta Silver Pigeon Classic review billed as top of the range in the Silver Pigeon line up.

Mechanically it’s the same as its brothers and sisters, sharing such key features as 3in magnum chambers and chrome lined barrels having passed special steel shot proof.

Other gauges on the way
The gun is only available at the moment as a 12 bore with either 28 or 30in multichoke barrels, but a 20 bore version is in the pipeline and should be here soon.

The Silver Pigeon’s mechanism is essentially that of a trigger plate gun whereby the hammers, mainsprings and selectors are housed on and in the trigger plate. The test gun featured is the game model with automatic safety return and the selector button housed as usual in the easy to use thumb piece. Firing pins and the cocking work is housed inside the action frame.

Tried and trusted
Mechanically, the classic is the same as all other Silver Pigeons with Berettas’s very strong and well-proven U-bolt locking system where the bolt protrudes from the standing breech and engages in bites (round holes) either side of the barrel’s breech face. These bites fit into the sides of the action frame when the gun is closed giving what’s called draw in gunmaking parlance, and imparting a great deal of strength to the action.

So what is different with the Classic?
One of its key points is the higher grade woodwork used in production; it might not quite come up to EELL standard but, bearing in mind beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, it should come close. The most noticeable thing about the Classic is that from a distance you see the grain in the wood before you notice the engraving.

A good all rounder
I have always maintained that Beretta’s field guns are best for the all rounder, and this one is no different. Yes, if you want to shoot clays at competition level then a dedicated Sporter is obviously the first choice but for the game/rough shooter who likes the occasional clay, the field gun is a better bet. Even the 30in version at 71/2lb isn’t too heavy to carry all day but it has enough inherent weight to easily handle the recoil from a day’s clay shooting.

The verdict
It might be mechanically the same as the others but the Classic actually
fills an obvious vacancy in the range – the very wide gap between the
Silver Pigeon Grade 1 deluxe and the extremely attractive higher grade
EELL. This is not a sideplate gun so it is rightly priced nearer the
deluxe than the EELL. In my book the asking price of £2825 represents
good value for money. The gun comes in an ABS case with extra choke
tubes to make a set of five.

PRICE: £2,825.
MORE DETAILS: From importers GMK Ltd, Fareham, Hants
Telephone 01489 587500
Visit www.gmk.co.uk

MARKS OUT OF 100
Build Quality    24/25
Handling          22/25
Styling             22/25
Value for money 24/25
TOTAL SCORE   92/100