Thanks for your input. I currently see used F16s, 692 sports, 725 sports and Summit sports available on the market. I would love to find a 682 Gold E sport somewhere. I think that people hold onto them for a reason.
In that case, you are probably better suited with a Sporting or Trap gun. Skeet guns are designed to shoot flat, which is okay for sporting, but not ideal for shooting Trap. A Sporting gun and a Trap are generally set up to print above line of sight.
anoxia; What will you be using it for? Fit is king.
Maritime Storm. I would be using it mostly for sporting clays and occasional trap.
Falconflyer. Your feedback is truly appreciated. I am torn between the CG and the 692. I would've grabbed the 692 but reviews are hit and miss. I haven't heard many bad reviews of the CG though or their customer suppport.
THIS!!! If this is your first O/U, your main concern should be fit and not brand. A lot of people, including myself, have gone through this and purchased guns based on quality and reputation before determining if the gun was a proper fitting gun....only to find out later that another brand fit better. I would suggest going to a store that has a lot of options that you can handle and shoulder before making a decision. I have found that if a Beretta fits you well, that a Browning wont. And vice versa. Its an expensive lesson to learn if you buy the wrong one.
From personal experience, I owned all Italian guns when I started shooting. Beretta’s, Benelli’s, Franchi’s. And while I liked them and still own some of them, I found that Brownings we a much better fit for me. In order to improve my shooting, I needed to switch brands and there was a cost to doing so, not just in firearms cost, but in ammo costs as well. Better to figure it out first before committing money toward the wrong tools for the job
The 692 had some problems very early on with the tang screws breaking. One thing they changed on the 692 from the 682 is they eliminated the screw in front of the trigger guard that holds the trigger assembly to the frame. This piece is finely machined and is sort of a tension fit using the rear screw only to hold the whole assembly together. I think it put too much stress on the tang screw and the result were failures of the screw. Beretta addressed the problem early on and I haven't heard or read of tang screws breaking in a long time and in fact, Beretta has carried the same one bolt system over into the new 694. This is not something that would worry me or keep me from buying a 692 as the bolts that broke seemed to do it in the first few shots from being new.
The other problem with the 692 involved the selectable ejector/extractors. They have 2 small O rings on them and when they get a bit worn then the selector screw is able to turn by it'self so the ejectors stop working properly. If they get really worn then the ejector can flop around and eventually get damaged. The fix for this is easy. Order a small bag of M1x3 Buna O rings from amazon.ca and replace them every five thousand rounds and make sure you put lots of grease around them when you do. I had no trouble with mine in the couple of years that I had it and is something I'd put up with on an otherwise extremely nice gun.
The CG guns seem to have very few problems and about the only one I'm aware of that seems to pop up every once in a while is loose fore ends and I have seen this on a couple of guns. I'd assume that there is a relatively easy fix for this but I don't know that for certain. I presently have two CG's, a Summit sporting in 20 g and a Tempio light in 12 g, both are low round count guns but they are very nicely finished and handle beautifully.
stubbblejumper and 1963beretta. After following numerous posts the resounding response is always fit first. In my original post here, I noted that I had the chance to shoulder a couple of them namely the CG Magnus, 692, 725 and the 868 SP but only fire the 725 and 868. From first impressions, the 692 and CG Magnus felt good. I didn't feel the 725 was as good a fit and the 868 was alright just not as natural as the 692 or the CG. Understanding that the CG Summit and Magnus are different shotguns, I've read that they are mechanically the same except for some adornments. I would love to hit it out of the park right at the gate but the pragmatic side of me thinks that as I develop actual good skills and drills my choice of shotgun will likely change as well. Like most have noted, used b-guns typically hold their value so if I need to upgrade in a year or two I'll convince the wife we both need to upgrade. Seriously though, I truly appreciate your feedback. My debate seems to be down to CG Summit or the 692.
Which over under did you get? I just got a Russian one, I love it, it's purdy