Visiting Brescia and Beretta

[BTC3]

Hi there, a question for you Beretta owners, and more generally for Italian gun owners.

A colleague of mine has a Beretta shotgun and is unhappy with the stock.  He is under the impression that in return for the necessary sum of money, Beretta might provide him another one that is more suited to him, at the factory in Brescia.  I don't know exactly what is wrong with the fit, and I think the gun is a 686 if that has any impact on the answers.  The question is, do you know whether Beretta indeed offer this service at their factory?

The more general question is: if one were to have a day trip to Brescia (said colleague and I were planning to skive off work for a day in order to visit MSZU's 300m range, their Steyr .50cal rifle, and the indoor clay range in Ulm next Wednesday, but they're fully booked; Brescia is not that much further in the opposite direction so it could be an option) is there anything in particular to go see when you're there?

Many thanks,

Richard

 

[Hamster]

Hi there, a question for you Beretta owners, and more generally for Italian gun owners.

A colleague of mine has a Beretta shotgun and is unhappy with the stock.  He is under the impression that in return for the necessary sum of money, Beretta might provide him another one that is more suited to him, at the factory in Brescia.  I don't know exactly what is wrong with the fit, and I think the gun is a 686 if that has any impact on the answers.  The question is, do you know whether Beretta indeed offer this service at their factory?

The more general question is: if one were to have a day trip to Brescia (said colleague and I were planning to skive off work for a day in order to visit MSZU's 300m range, their Steyr .50cal rifle, and the indoor clay range in Ulm next Wednesday, but they're fully booked; Brescia is not that much further in the opposite direction so it could be an option) is there anything in particular to go see when you're there?

Many thanks,

Richard

Anybody can do that ! Seriously, I'm sure even Beretta have their price but as far as I know they don't offer a custom fit service even on the top end guns, well not in the mould of Perazzi, Blaser or Krieghoff. 

 

[westley]

I believe there is some Italian chippy  who can make a custom fit stock in a day. Oh Richard, where are you ?

PS

Take your own fish though !

 

[chippy]

I would be very careful of visiting Beretta for a fitting. They will probably put your head in a vice and squash it a bit. Its the only way anyone will fit the drop on a Beretta stock.

 

[PhilR]

Essevierre is just along the road from the Beretta factory as is another stockmaker Rivetta. You can't just rock up at their doors though you need to make an appointment. I'd allow as an absolute minimum a day and a half and that'll be without actually shooting the new stock.

 

[Irishgunner]

Beretta seem to be the only stock that is not to high in the comb for me, I don't think beretta offer that service, but there's stock makers in Brescia custom job

 

[westley]

There the ones, Essie and Vera, by all accounts they are very good.

 

[Jeremy Baker]

I'm on my way out with Lainy for a new stock on her DT10.

Waaaaaaay cheaper than Beretta.

 

[Dog Tyred]

The only thing worth visiting in Brescia is the Perazzi factory (although you will only get access to the showroom and the customer counter in the factory) but watch your timing! They really do shut for lunch! Oh and the McDonalds down the road is really good (pretty girl behind the counter

Beretta is actually a 20 > 30minute drive up in to the hills north of Brescia at a place called Gardone val Trompia as are Essevierre (and Rivetta apparently?) although I do not believe Beretta have a visitor centre so don't expect to get in (unless you are buying an SO6 !).

If you want a stock made by Essevierre then you will need to book in advance (possibly a month) although if you just want a mod of an existing stock you might be lucky?

Lonato shooting facility is well worth a visit just to see how a shooting ground should be set up!

DT

 

[Paul120]

Went in the Beretta Gallery in St James's Street today, very impressive. Now just need to work out how to sell the house and move into a flat without the Mrs noticing so I can buy a pair of SO10s.

They might be able to measure you up as they had some guns with headed up stocks that I presume that are then fitted to the buyers requirements.

 

[cockney21]

I would be tempted, if he really is serious about a custom stock, to have a proper fitting session with a try gun. That way he will come away with all the correct measurements for a gun that fits his style of shooting and he knows will work in a real world situation. The problem with trying to get a decent fit in a shop or showroom is that you will never mount the gun the same as when you are preparing to shoot a stand. It can be far too easy to "make" a stock fit which when you come to use it is not 100% correct.

Also sounds like a lot of money to spend on a 686...

 

[Nicky T]

You'll struggle to get an appointment at Beretta unless you have an invite, let alone getting a custom stock made.

I agree with the above sentiment that it's a lot of money to spend on a 686.

What exactly is the issue with the current stock as there are plenty of options available within the UK including adjustable combs and knowledgeable stockists who could assist...

 

[BTC3]

Thanks for all the information and suggestions.

Westley, if the "where are you?" question is at me, I live in Royston, but for the purposes of this, I'm in Switzerland: my office is close to the borders with Liechtenstein and Austria, with Italy not too far away - some 350km to the Beretta factory through some amazing roads.

I have no real comment to make on whether getting a new or custom stock is overkill for a 686.  My colleague isn't happy with the stock he has, and in this rather rural part of Switzerland, getting work done on it is not easy; despite it being hunting country (and currently season), the area's gunsmiths seem to be more into mechanical/metal work than woodwork, and mainly on rifles.  We got some funny looks when he asked about having a shotgun altered - but those didn't compare with the response to whether there was any clay shooting in the area "just take a rifle and go shoot an animal! if you want to shoot at fake targets, go to Geneva or Italy" is a rough translation.

I've asked him countless times to come over to the UK to get the stock sorted (someone suggested Peter Godfrey in Royston), and even to take on the RBSS challenge, but the timing never quite works out.  The option of "popping" down to the factory in Italy is, perversely, logistically easier.

I know that he has looked into Essevierre stocks, but somewhere he got the information (or the impression) that at the Beretta factory they had replacement stocks that might fit differently, and that is the route he was hoping to take.  I've asked him to call the factory and see what they say.  We may just have to can the idea and get on with some work, or (DogTyred) have a mooch round Perazzi and go for McDonalds!

 

[Skeet UK]

It would probably be easier for him to post you the stock, and you have an adjustable comb fitted and perhaps length adjusted, in the UK, then post it back to him.  Or buy an existing stock and send it to him.

The benefit of an adjustable stock, is that he can make it fit and, should thicker clothes be required in Winter, the fit can be adjusted to suit.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Bingo.

 

[westley]

No, sorry about misunderstanding, but it was both Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Tanya Faulds. Rumour has it that they know a bit about this shooting game and both have stocks made to measure on their CG's by Essie and Vera somewhere near McDonalds.

 

[BTC3]

Ah OK. I didn't think it was at me, but just in case...

Thanks!

 

[winchester73]

No, sorry about misunderstanding, but it was both Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Tanya Faulds. Rumour has it that they know a bit about this shooting game and both have stocks made to measure on their CG's by Essie and Vera somewhere near McDonalds.

I assume from that comment that CG don't make custom fitted stocks???

 

[westley]

The last that I heard, from a shooting Pal, when ordering his new Apex last year, if he knew his stock measurements they would 'alter' a stock to suit. I did see CG's knee deep in Wisemans a couple of years back, possibly for stock alterations. Mrs and Mr Faulds made no secret about getting their stocks done by Essie and Vera.

P.S.

Judging by another topic on this Forum, it would appear the stockfitter got right !