Beretta BL2 Over Under

In the past I owned a Bl4 in 12 guage and a Bl3 in 20 guage. The Bl4 was my first new o/u shotgun and the action was so tight that I had to break it open over my knee (I was younger and stronger then too) It took several thousand rounds before it would open easily. It was a field gun and fairly light weight, not really ideal for a target gun but the recoil wasn't that bad. I only shot it for a year or so before upgrading to a heavier 686 Sporting with choke tubes which was more appropriate for sporting clays.
The 20 guage was a used gun and the seller told me it was his wifes hunting gun, it was fairly plain but a nice looking gun all the same and I intended to use it for upland bird hunting. I took it to the skeet range so we could get to know each other and quickly found out why his wife wanted rid of it. I didn't make it through 1 round of skeet, that thing kicked so hard with target loads that I couldn't get through one box of ammo! I'm not particularily recoil sensative and I was shooting a lot of 12 guage in sporting clays in those days but that gun weighed 5 lbs and man did it pack a wallop. I decided to try it out hunting since I reasoned that you don't typically do a lot of shooting and I'd be able to take the recoil..... wrong! 1 or 2 shots of hunting ammo was all it took to convince me I didn't want anything to do with that gun and it found a new home!
Both of those guns were well made and reliable guns, not fancy guns by any means but good guns, it's just a shame that the 20 guage was so light and didn't fit me well enought to be comfortable to shoot.
 
Mine is a 12 gauge. It will be my first shot gun I’ve ever owned and shot. I’m very new to gun ownership and probably 30 years since I’ve fired anything. It is a very nice looking gun in my opinion. I am very partial to wooden stocks. When I get a chance to get it out and test it I will report back. Thanks for the reply.
 
The only BL 2’s that I’ve seen had Beretta’s unique rocker type single trigger that allowed you to choose which barrel fired first depending on whether you pressed the top or the bottom of the trigger. Does your gun have this? These old BL series Berettas ( and their cousin S5- series) were and are fine shotguns, well made, well finished, very well balanced, they seem to last forever with decent care, enjoy.
 
Yes. It does have that style trigger. Speed trigger I believe they marketed it as. I have yet to lay hands on it. Still in the mail but I can’t wait. If I enjoy the over/under I will purchase something more friendly to steel shot as these older shotguns, from what I have read, don’t enjoy it.
 
Your gun will likely have 2 3/4 inch chambers and fixed chokes, likely full and mod. So not well suited to steel shot. One could contemplate opening the chokes, but the bores are chrome plated, which complicates matters.
 
The BL series are the US importer designation for the guns that the rest of the world knows as S55, S56 and S57 Berettas. Galef was the original Beretta importer in the US, and subsequently Garcia took over the import business.

The BL series are superb guns, light for their gauge, but there is a shortage of some replacement parts.
Your BL-2 is a light Upland gun, best carried lots and shot occasionally. It will beat you up pretty badly with heavy loads, or shooting 200 rounds at Sporting Clays.
 
Nice looking gun, congrats!
Do you understand how the Beretta Speed Trigger works? It's a double trigger system only in the vertical instead of horizontal. The trigger is pinned in the middle and if you pull the top of the trigger then the top barrel fires and when you pull the bottom part of the trigger the bottom barrels fires. A novel idea but obviously it didn't catch on very well.
 
In the past I owned a Bl4 in 12 guage and a Bl3 in 20 guage. The Bl4 was my first new o/u shotgun and the action was so tight that I had to break it open over my knee (I was younger and stronger then too) It took several thousand rounds before it would open easily. It was a field gun and fairly light weight, not really ideal for a target gun but the recoil wasn't that bad. I only shot it for a year or so before upgrading to a heavier 686 Sporting with choke tubes which was more appropriate for sporting clays.
The 20 guage was a used gun and the seller told me it was his wifes hunting gun, it was fairly plain but a nice looking gun all the same and I intended to use it for upland bird hunting. I took it to the skeet range so we could get to know each other and quickly found out why his wife wanted rid of it. I didn't make it through 1 round of skeet, that thing kicked so hard with target loads that I couldn't get through one box of ammo! I'm not particularily recoil sensative and I was shooting a lot of 12 guage in sporting clays in those days but that gun weighed 5 lbs and man did it pack a wallop. I decided to try it out hunting since I reasoned that you don't typically do a lot of shooting and I'd be able to take the recoil..... wrong! 1 or 2 shots of hunting ammo was all it took to convince me I didn't want anything to do with that gun and it found a new home!
Both of those guns were well made and reliable guns, not fancy guns by any means but good guns, it's just a shame that the 20 guage was so light and didn't fit me well enought to be comfortable to shoot.

Buying lightweight guns for kids and women always seems like a great idea the first time. Buy them a gun that beats them up and then wonder why they don't want to go shooting.
 
Nice looking gun, congrats!
Do you understand how the Beretta Speed Trigger works? It's a double trigger system only in the vertical instead of horizontal. The trigger is pinned in the middle and if you pull the top of the trigger then the top barrel fires and when you pull the bottom part of the trigger the bottom barrels fires. A novel idea but obviously it didn't catch on very well.

Thanks. I did read about that style trigger. Seems to be a short lived design. Im excited to try it out.
 
Well. I finally had a chance to fire a few shells. What a fun gun! Recoil was there but not enough to convince me to put it down before finishing a box. That trigger didn’t bother me at all and worked very well. I am more than pleased, even though I don’t have much to compare it to. It was my first time ever firing a shot gun. Now I’m looking at an AL2. Lol. The semi-auto brother to the BL2.
 
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