Beretta SL3 20-bore
Solid in the hands although relatively light, this Premium gun felt distinctly different to a Silver Pigeon. So is it worth the extra cost? Mike Yardley takes it to the high tower to see
THE Beretta SL3 20-bore we tested was supplied by GMK of Fareham. The firm is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and for more than 40 of those years it has been the UK’S Beretta importer. This is a gun from Beretta’s Premium range and carries a recommended price tag of £19,250, well above Silver Pigeon and 69 series territory but significantly below the SO sidelocks that begin at £49,000 now (for the SO6 EELL with standard engraving).
First impressions of this SL3 are of an elegant, fairly light (6lb 6oz) modern gun with classical styling but a contemporary, streamlined look. The level of finish is above the basic range with deep lustre to the blacking of the well-polished barrels, traditional oil finish and neat, quite fine hand-chequering. Wood quality is above the average, too (and may be upgraded further), with good density and figure evident in both butt and fore-end.
I liked the proportions of the stock but found the open radius pistol grip too slim for my hand. The action profile is low, which tends to encourage a slender grip design. But a little more depth or bulk would help to anchor the hand. There is a no-cost option for a rounded semipistol, which might offer more purchase. The tapered comb shape well suited the gun, however, and the slim stock shapes are aesthetically pleasing. I also liked the slim fore-end, which is without a schnabel lip and therefore allows those who want to to extend the front arm/hand to do so without impediment.
The action of the SL3 has attractively narrowed fences, polished decorative buttresses and side-plates. The latter are laser engraved with game scenes; there is also profuse lasered acanthus scrollwork. The game scenes look a little thin. There is the option of an all-scroll action (which would be my choice) and, at significant extra cost, hand-engraving on the SL3 EELL (from £34,850). The Beretta laser scroll, meantime, well suits this gun. The rapidly evolving technology has made the application of excellent scroll comparatively easy; the process for lasered game scenes is still developing.
The body of the action is silver finished (as are the trigger guard, fore-end iron and all furniture). Most Berettas are nickel plated to achieve this (old Silver Pigeons were chrome plated and have a brighter finish than recent guns). The 687 EELL, recently discontinued Jubilee, 687 Classic and SL3 are not plated but polished, hardened steel. The reason for this on premium guns is that the plating process tends to fill the engraving. You get better defined engraving on a gun that’s not plated.
The barrels here are monobloc (only the SO10 now has demibloc construction). They are chrome plated internally (as are all Berettas) and steel shot proofed. They are chambered for both 2¾in (70mm) and 3in (76mm) cartridges, and fitted with long (63mm), flush-fit, ‘Optima HP’ chokes. There is fine engine turning to the sides of the monobloc. Generally, the barrel presentation is excellent. I particularly liked the narrow (6mm) sighting rib, which is ventilated with a small, well-proportioned, silver metal bead and a nicely crosshatched and well-matted top surface. A solid rib would also suit.
The stock on the SL3 has a length of pull of 14⅝in with an extra 3/16in to heel and ⅜in to toe. A bit of extra length at heel helps secure the stock at the shoulder, preventing the butt sole slipping. There is also the option of a ‘standard long stock’ measuring 390mm (about 15⅜in), which could be shortened. Drop measurements were typical Beretta at 1⅜in and 2⅛in. I found myself coming up a little low on mounting, which I put down to the relatively slim comb. For £1,250 extra, one may have bespoke dimensions. There are also options on wood. The walnut on the test gun, which Beretta describe as ‘Class 4’, is good. For a total cost of £24,950, however, one may opt for even better ‘Class 5’ wood and bespoke dimensions.
It might be considered more proof of the dictum that ‘a 30in 20-bore is always right’
TECHNICAL
Beretta heritage is clear in the SL3, although it is an interesting new design nevertheless. Available in the UK as a 12-bore from 2018, the 20-bore arrived in 2019, the 28-bore and .410 in 2020. The gun owes much conceptually to the DT11 without the drop-lock facility and with an auto-safe for field use. The SL3, like the DT11, incorporates leaf springs to power the tumblers, which improve trigger pulls because there is less compromise required with sear angles. The Boss-like locking is nearly identical to an SO10 but with the improvement of two replaceable bites on the bottom of the barrel monobloc. If the gun becomes loose, these can be replaced. The ejection mechanism is also similar to the SO10. The ejector extractors are held in place with a small spring and plunger. To remove, one depresses them slightly, then you need to put a pin punch through an access hole to compress the concealed plunger.
SHOOTING IMPRESSIONS
The SL3 feels different in the hands to a Silver Pigeon, although relatively light, it has a solid quality, pointing well with its 30in barrels. I liked the precise hinge-pin balance. The sighting rib is excellent. The fulllength joining ribs contribute to good dynamics and it shoots well, too. The first 20 birds (mid-range crossers) disappeared in clouds of dust. Recoil was less than expected. Quarter and full chokes were fitted, but quarter seemed almost as effective as full with 25g of Lyalvale Express 6s. I had a couple of misses behind on the high tower until I realised you needed to grip the SL3 a bit more firmly with its slim grip. This is a quality, bench-finished gun worth the extra money for its significantly improved mechanics. It might be considered more proof of Yardley’s Dictum: ‘a 30in 20-bore is always right’.
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