Second-hand Beretta semi-autos review By Mike George


Beretta semi-autos hold their second-hand value well; have been leading contenders in the field for almost half a century now. They are tough, reliable and long-lived – in fact


some guns which have had hard use for well over 30 years are still going strong.


So what’s the story?


When Remington brought out their world- beating Model 1100 shotgun in 1963, Beretta were determined the American company would not keep all the glory for very long.


Beretta semi-autos all sport reliable trigger mechanisms made from durable materials.


Beretta’s A300 was introduced two years later, and it proved to be the first of a long series of guns which just got better and better as the years went by.


The A300 remained in production until the late 1970s, when the A301 – the first multichoke – took over.


The A302 dates back to the early ‘80s, with the A303 (the first range to include a Sporter) following shortly afterwards.


Then came the short-lived A304, to be followed by the A390 – the first to incorporate a really efficient gas valve which made it more tolerant of light loads. The year 1999 saw the introduction of the A391, which is still with us in 2012.


Popular variants include the Urika, Teknys and the slightly different, beefed-up Xtrema. Some models bear the prefix AL.


I Shoot and Fish E-Zine March 2012


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