Beretta SV10 Prevail 1 Pro

Beretta’s SV10 Prevail 1 Pro is the natural evolution of a tried-and-tested design. It is now roughly five years since these new SV10 models were introduced.

First came the Perennia, the field version of the gun, which was followed by the Prevail, used for competition shooting. The Prevail 1 was introduced in 2012 and is part of a comprehensive range of sporting guns including the Evo, 692, and the DT11. This is its update, the Prevail 1 Pro.

Manufacturers are always looking to improve on existing designs and that was the purpose of these new guns. The trouble is, with some guns, the wheel is about as round as it can get, so there is little room for improvement. But that doesn’t stop them trying.

Features that came with the advent of the Beretta SV10 Prevail 1 Pro are:

•  A new top lever design with a larger thumb piece, making it more comfortable.
•  A new safety catch and trigger-guard. The trigger itself is made of titanium.
•  The whole trigger group can be dropped out relatively easily, having first removed the stock.
•  Built into the safe is an improved selection button that is more positive and with a clearer indication of barrel selection.
•  The safe itself has fewer, but deeper serrations, making it feel more positive.
•  The trunnions on which the gun hinges have been made larger, which are, of course, replaceable.
•  The whole trigger plate is held in place by a cam system at the back end and can be removed quite quickly when working on the gun.

The action frame of the Beretta SV10 Prevail 1 Pro is finished silver, while the main body is satin silver with discreet laser engraving of small squares on the fences, belly and front of the frame. The raised side plates are polished bright and give a good contrast to the rest of the frame. The action frame has been sculptured more than the standard Silver Pigeon frame, the stock flows more into the frame on the sides, which does add some strength to the wood to metal fit at the head.

The barrel shoulders that provide “draw” of the barrels on to the frame are more rounded as well. In essence most straight lines have been rounded to give the metal work more of a flowing look. Although the principles on which the Beretta SV10 Prevail 1 Pro works are the same as the Silver Pigeon range, almost every part has been altered slightly in an effort to improve a tried-and-tested design.

The fore-end has a spring mechanism so that it will maintain constant opening pressure. There are also adjustments built into the fore-end, making it easier to tighten in years to come. The fore-end iron itself has a ceramic coating designed to be very hard wearing. The release lever has also been made longer for easier release. The Beretta SV10 Prevail 1 Pro has the Optima bored barrel system and is only available as a 30in, which is the best overall length.

Chambers are 3in with magnum and special steel shot proof. The barrels are bored with an Optima hi-performance profile, including an 18.6mm diameter. The hi-performance choke tubes are extended for easier changing and are colour coded. The top rib is a slightly wider 10x8mm, with a tapered design for sporting. The side ribs have been ventilated to make barrels lighter and faster cooling.

The ejectors have been redesigned to make them stronger. They are deeper in the section and are retained with a keeper at the front, allowing them to have a uniform thickness throughout their section and so make them stronger. They can also be switched off for hand extraction if necessary. The keeper at the front end has a slot that looks like a screw and can be turned to disable the ejectors.

The stock is finished with Beretta’s micro-core recoil pad. It is a very smooth pad so shoulders easily without snagging, and is also a very effective recoil reducer. Different thicknesses can be bought, making it easy to fine-tune the gun for length.

There is also a kick-off version of the Beretta SV10 Prevail 1 Pro making for even smoother shooting. The woodwork itself is nicely figured with slightly larger proportions than what you would expect to see with a Sporter. The pistol grip of the gun also has a much slimmer feel than most other Beretta models.

Drops at comb and heel are approximately 35mm and 55mm respectively. The fore-end shape is slim with a rounded nose. Chequer patterns are distinctive and practical. The chequering itself is a traditional diamond form rather than a laser cut shape. There is an eye-catching design on the base of the pistol grip, with the Beretta ‘trident’ logo laser cut into it.

The weight is approximately 3.5kg, which is good for a sporting gun, neither too light or heavy. It means that the Beretta SV10 Prevail 1 Pro could be used for gameshooting, although the more contemporary look is far more suited to clayshooting.