I would like to know more about these guns. The Beretta model 412 and 413 is the same folding design. When you look at the Pedretti and the Beretta side by side, you can see that it is the same gun, except for the opening system. Beretta marketed theirs from 1922 to 1992. I wonder if Pedretti made them for Beretta, or if it was just a matter of an expired patent, and anyone could build them?
The guns are of good quality, and were made in every gauge from 12 to .410, including 32 and 24 gauges. One of each would make a very nice collection. The folding feature is neat, but not really very useful - when folded, the barrel could be bent easily if force was applied in the right plane, and a specially shaped gun case would be required to take advantage of the guns size when folded. The production of these guns spanned 70 years because of their inherent quality, not because of a gimmick.
Under the fore end, on the barrel will be a date stamp. It is always interesting to know how old the gun is. Italian date codes are displayed here (click on #7 - Date of Manufacture):
http://www.berettausa.com/customer/index.htm
A web site dedicated to the Beretta version is here:
http://www.berettaweb.com/Beretta_Folding_Shotguns/Beretta_412_series.htm
Some of the early Beretta guns were made with a side lever for opening, the later ones have a lever in front of the trigger guard. The Pedretti guns seem to all use a conventional top lever.
In the smaller gauges, the guns are light at the muzzle with a center of balance behind the hinge pin. This can make the gun feel a little "whippy". Other than that, these guns make quality alternatives for someone looking to move up from a lesser gun, but not willing to forgo the advantages of a single shot - a small but important niche.
Sharptail
