Beretta 687 EELL 20 Gauge
- Thread starter Joep17
- Start date
Beretta687EELL
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
Great gun, same internals, barrels, etc. as the other 680 series guns, but with nice wood and side plates.
A 687 EELL should have more than nice wood, it should have spectacular exhibition grade walnut with flawless 32 lpi chequering. If the wood does not make you drool, find another example.
Same with the engraving. There are several patterns, find one to your taste. I am not a big fan of their game scene engraving but you might like it. The gun should have the signature of the engraving "school" beside the trigger.
While the gun is made from the same internals as any old 686 it should have a good deal more attention paid to it with regards to fit and finish. There should be no rub marks on jeweled areas, and it should feel free and non binding right out of the box. The barrel bluing should be deep and rich over a well polished surface.
Check out as many examples as you can find, these guns are not all made the same. Be critical and picky.
Personally I think that the 28 inch barrels balance the gun better than the 26 inch tubes, especially in the small gauges. To each his own.
If you take your time and find a well finished example with wood and engraving to your taste you will never regret the purchase. If you buy one with less than that you will always wonder why you spent the money.
Sharptail
Same with the engraving. There are several patterns, find one to your taste. I am not a big fan of their game scene engraving but you might like it. The gun should have the signature of the engraving "school" beside the trigger.
While the gun is made from the same internals as any old 686 it should have a good deal more attention paid to it with regards to fit and finish. There should be no rub marks on jeweled areas, and it should feel free and non binding right out of the box. The barrel bluing should be deep and rich over a well polished surface.
Check out as many examples as you can find, these guns are not all made the same. Be critical and picky.
Personally I think that the 28 inch barrels balance the gun better than the 26 inch tubes, especially in the small gauges. To each his own.
If you take your time and find a well finished example with wood and engraving to your taste you will never regret the purchase. If you buy one with less than that you will always wonder why you spent the money.
Sharptail
Sharptail, thank you for the comments. I have pictures coming but cannot see the actual gun until I accept it and have it imported. Will look at all those thinks the best I can. Like I said, I wanted a special shotgun. Shot my friends who had both 26 and 28" Beretta o/u's. To me, the 26 just pointed better. I had a hard time shouldering my Citori after handing his.
Well, my friends fit me like a glove and I hit almost 90% of the clays he threw. I picked my Citori back up and it felt like a club. Arguably the poorest fit I have had but when I bought it, didn't know any better. The 625 fits much better than my field grade. A round of sporting clays with the Citori and my face is bruised.
What do you want the gun for? Is it primarily for clay target shooting?
Much of the money spent on the 687EELL goes toward sideplates, engraving on those side plates and elsewhere and higher end wood. Sideplates on a boxlock never made much sense to me. You pay more for the feature and the engraving but they make the stock weaker and harder to remove.
For the same price you can buy a Beretta DT10 which isn't as fancy but a much better choice for target shooting and a superior to the 687EELL in design, fit and finish.
If it's primarily a hunting gun with $8,500 to spend I'd suggest a look at an A10 American from Tony Galazan at Conneticut shotgun. Sidelock, not sideplate, and the samples I've seen are very nice.
http://www.a10american.com/A-10Standard%20Page/A-10StandardPage.html
Much of the money spent on the 687EELL goes toward sideplates, engraving on those side plates and elsewhere and higher end wood. Sideplates on a boxlock never made much sense to me. You pay more for the feature and the engraving but they make the stock weaker and harder to remove.
For the same price you can buy a Beretta DT10 which isn't as fancy but a much better choice for target shooting and a superior to the 687EELL in design, fit and finish.
If it's primarily a hunting gun with $8,500 to spend I'd suggest a look at an A10 American from Tony Galazan at Conneticut shotgun. Sidelock, not sideplate, and the samples I've seen are very nice.
http://www.a10american.com/A-10Standard%20Page/A-10StandardPage.html
Hmmm. Looks like I might want one of them too!
Mostly for the pheasant club and some sporting clays. Either fortunately or unfortunately, I have decided that nothing that is not upper end will grace my safes. (NO ONE TELL MY WIFE I SAID THAT!)
I am primarily a rifle and handgun shooter and competitor. I tried a bunch of SxS and did not like them. I own a dozen or so shotguns collected on trades over the years and finally decided to take them seriously.
The Beretta fit like a Ducati and had to have one.
At the risk of offending anyone, the Citori feels like a Dodge. Poorly engineered and ugly.
I do like the Connecticut shotguns. Might get one too! If I am going to go shotgunning, might as well jump into the deep end!
Mostly for the pheasant club and some sporting clays. Either fortunately or unfortunately, I have decided that nothing that is not upper end will grace my safes. (NO ONE TELL MY WIFE I SAID THAT!)
I am primarily a rifle and handgun shooter and competitor. I tried a bunch of SxS and did not like them. I own a dozen or so shotguns collected on trades over the years and finally decided to take them seriously.
The Beretta fit like a Ducati and had to have one.
At the risk of offending anyone, the Citori feels like a Dodge. Poorly engineered and ugly.
I do like the Connecticut shotguns. Might get one too! If I am going to go shotgunning, might as well jump into the deep end!
Words to live by. I know I try to.
Claybuster,
My wife is not going to like you near as much as I do. Been in contact with Connecticut Arms. They seem to have one in stock that has been traveling the show circuit. At least it is not a "stock" A10. Thanks for pointing me. Will post pictures once they send them.
Why do I have a feeling that CGN will be the only people in my life still willing to speak to me?
My wife is not going to like you near as much as I do. Been in contact with Connecticut Arms. They seem to have one in stock that has been traveling the show circuit. At least it is not a "stock" A10. Thanks for pointing me. Will post pictures once they send them.
Why do I have a feeling that CGN will be the only people in my life still willing to speak to me?
The trick is to have a wife with a more expensive hobby that yours. Mine owns horses. The trailer she hauls them around in is worth more than any one of my shotguns.
Oh, Joep17, you are in deep trouble. You do realize that Beretta 687's, DT10's and CSMC American A10's are not really "high end" don't you? Check out CSMC's other U/O for example. They only go up from there. Soon you will be lusting after a Perugini & Visini or something. Deep, deep trouble. Enjoy it to it's fullest.
Sharptail
Sharptail
Sharptail,
There is something about ### and travel I should say to you but I will get banned. Looks like a hundred or so rifles and handguns will need to be sold to fund my new lust?
BTW, the A10 they are tempting me with is a little special.
Edmonton, eh? I grew up at Tomahawk.
Edit: raised at Tomahawk, still waiting to grow up.
There is something about ### and travel I should say to you but I will get banned.
Looks like a hundred or so rifles and handguns will need to be sold to fund my new lust?BTW, the A10 they are tempting me with is a little special.
Edmonton, eh? I grew up at Tomahawk.
Edit: raised at Tomahawk, still waiting to grow up.
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