Beratta AL390 vs AL391

PWK · November 25, 2000, 08:48 PM

I am wanting to buy an AL390 12ga 28" barrel. The skeet instructor at my gun club recommened this gun but it is no longer produced and he does not like the AL391. His reason is that the 391 is not as well made. I've been calling around to gun shops in the Houston area and some pawn shops but no one seems to think I am going to find a used AL390. So I was just wondering if any of you all had any experience with one or both of these and what your opinion is of the 390 vs the 391. Failing this I may just go ahead and buy a Remington 11-87 LC.

Ned Roundtree · November 25, 2000, 10:17 PM

This is the first I heard about AL391 not being as good as AL390??? Luckily I have a 390, so it is not an issue to me. I love my 390, great gun. Sorry, don't have a 391.

TKL · November 26, 2000, 09:17 AM

Stick with a Beretta. I don't have a 391 but have heard good things about them. Although it is possible, I find it hard to believe that Beretta would make a shotgun of inferior quality. FWIW
TKL

point308 · November 27, 2000, 04:52 AM

I have the Beretta AL390 28" and I love it. Couldn't really fault this gun in any way. Very reliable and easy on the shoulder when shooting all day.

Point308

PJR · November 27, 2000, 07:57 AM

My field gun is a Beretta A390 with two barrels. It's a top notch firearm. I have shot the 391 and don't think there is a quality difference between the two. The 391 will apparently handle a wide range of shells but my 390 has fired and fed 7/8 ounce right up to the 3" 1-7/8 without complaint. What I have noticed though is that the wood selection on more recent Berettas doesn't meet the previous standards but I think that is common among other makers, too.

If I didn't have the 390 I'd be just as happy with the 391.

PWK · November 27, 2000, 07:33 PM

Well, after checking the prices for a 391, nearly $1000, which is too much for an auto loader and looking around some more I think I am going to go with a Browning Gold Hunter 28". It weighs around 7lb 6oz and costs about $700.00. It's lighter than the 11-87 and maybe a better gun for dual purpose, upland game & skeet. The 11-87 may be a better hunting gun but you can only hunt 3 months of the year and you can shoot skeet year round. If I wanted to spend $1000 or more I would get an O/U so I could have 2 chokes. So what do you think, does this seem reasonable. There probably isn't that much difference between the three (11-87, 391 & Gold) so I guess it's whatever you feel most comfortable with.

TKL · November 30, 2000, 06:16 PM

PWK
Don't know if you are still looking for a 390, but southwest shooters supply was advertising new ones in the Sept Skeet shooting review.They are in Phoenix
http://www.southwest-shooters.com
602-943-8595
TKL

Drundel · November 30, 2000, 09:07 PM

PWK:

Look up champion fireamrs in College Station. The last time i was in there they had some and i THINK they were asking like $550, but it has been a few months.

PWK · November 30, 2000, 09:51 PM

TKL, thanks for the lead to southwest shooters. I had kind of given up on the 390 that is why I was going to get the Browning. They have several 390's so I may try to get one from them.
Drundel, Gig'em ('78). I'll give the folks in CS a call but southwest shooters has got some pretty good prices on the 390's.
Thanks to both of you for the heads up.
Patrick

house · December 2, 2000, 03:07 PM

Was wondering did they ever make a steal recevier for the 390? I know that the 391 is an alloy? I heard that the 390 came in a steel. is this true? I may have been miss informed

Thanks
House

PWK · December 2, 2000, 10:32 PM

house check some back articles in "The Amer. Rman" that I noted on Drundels post regarding the Browning vs 391.
Well after too much research into all these auto loaders I finally bought the Browning Gold Hunter Field 28". The only 390 I could find were synthetic and I just couldn't convince myself to get the 391 even with all it's bells & whistles.

phantomcrz · October 6, 2005, 09:56 AM

I don't know if you have made your decision about a gun yet, but you should know that the Beretta 390 or 391 will fit you better from the factory than the Browning will if you are of average size. I brother bought the browning and added 1/2 inch to the length to shoot it well. He sold it to a guy with longer arms and he added another 3/4 inch to what was there. Nobody at my club likes the 391s. Everyone loves the 390s. If you can find a gold used in the $750.00 range, jump on it. They are very popular now.

dgludwig · October 13, 2005, 01:23 PM

I don't believe the 390 was ever made with a steel receiver-unless it was the trap/skeet/sporting clays model(s)?
If you buy a Beretta firearm, you better hope you don't have any trouble with it-nobody has worse help from the factory than Beretta...unless it's Browning.

November 25, 2000, 08:48 PM	#1
PWK Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2000 Location: Pearland, TX Posts: 297	I am wanting to buy an AL390 12ga 28" barrel. The skeet instructor at my gun club recommened this gun but it is no longer produced and he does not like the AL391. His reason is that the 391 is not as well made. I've been calling around to gun shops in the Houston area and some pawn shops but no one seems to think I am going to find a used AL390. So I was just wondering if any of you all had any experience with one or both of these and what your opinion is of the 390 vs the 391. Failing this I may just go ahead and buy a Remington 11-87 LC. __________________ NRA member, TSRA member

November 27, 2000, 07:33 PM	#6
PWK Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2000 Location: Pearland, TX Posts: 297	Well, after checking the prices for a 391, nearly $1000, which is too much for an auto loader and looking around some more I think I am going to go with a Browning Gold Hunter 28". It weighs around 7lb 6oz and costs about $700.00. It's lighter than the 11-87 and maybe a better gun for dual purpose, upland game & skeet. The 11-87 may be a better hunting gun but you can only hunt 3 months of the year and you can shoot skeet year round. If I wanted to spend $1000 or more I would get an O/U so I could have 2 chokes. So what do you think, does this seem reasonable. There probably isn't that much difference between the three (11-87, 391 & Gold) so I guess it's whatever you feel most comfortable with. __________________ NRA member, TSRA member

November 30, 2000, 09:07 PM	#8
Drundel Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2000 Location: Friendswood, TX Posts: 559	PWK: Look up champion fireamrs in College Station. The last time i was in there they had some and i THINK they were asking like $550, but it has been a few months. __________________ Shotshell Information Page Texas A&M University Proud member of the Fighting Class of '00

November 30, 2000, 09:51 PM	#9
PWK Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2000 Location: Pearland, TX Posts: 297	TKL, thanks for the lead to southwest shooters. I had kind of given up on the 390 that is why I was going to get the Browning. They have several 390's so I may try to get one from them. Drundel, Gig'em ('78). I'll give the folks in CS a call but southwest shooters has got some pretty good prices on the 390's. Thanks to both of you for the heads up. Patrick __________________ NRA member, TSRA member

October 6, 2005, 09:56 AM	#12
phantomcrz Junior Member Join Date: October 6, 2005 Posts: 1	390 vs browning gold I don't know if you have made your decision about a gun yet, but you should know that the Beretta 390 or 391 will fit you better from the factory than the Browning will if you are of average size. I brother bought the browning and added 1/2 inch to the length to shoot it well. He sold it to a guy with longer arms and he added another 3/4 inch to what was there. Nobody at my club likes the 391s. Everyone loves the 390s. If you can find a gold used in the $750.00 range, jump on it. They are very popular now.

November 25, 2000, 10:17 PM	#2
Ned Roundtree Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 1999 Location: Lexington, KY,USA Posts: 738	This is the first I heard about AL391 not being as good as AL390??? Luckily I have a 390, so it is not an issue to me. I love my 390, great gun. Sorry, don't have a 391.

November 26, 2000, 09:17 AM	#3
TKL Member Join Date: January 6, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 33	Stick with a Beretta. I don't have a 391 but have heard good things about them. Although it is possible, I find it hard to believe that Beretta would make a shotgun of inferior quality. FWIW TKL

November 27, 2000, 04:52 AM	#4
point308 Member Join Date: November 1, 1999 Posts: 37	I have the Beretta AL390 28" and I love it. Couldn't really fault this gun in any way. Very reliable and easy on the shoulder when shooting all day. Point308

November 27, 2000, 07:57 AM	#5
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	My field gun is a Beretta A390 with two barrels. It's a top notch firearm. I have shot the 391 and don't think there is a quality difference between the two. The 391 will apparently handle a wide range of shells but my 390 has fired and fed 7/8 ounce right up to the 3" 1-7/8 without complaint. What I have noticed though is that the wood selection on more recent Berettas doesn't meet the previous standards but I think that is common among other makers, too. If I didn't have the 390 I'd be just as happy with the 391.

November 30, 2000, 06:16 PM	#7
TKL Member Join Date: January 6, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 33	PWK Don't know if you are still looking for a 390, but southwest shooters supply was advertising new ones in the Sept Skeet shooting review.They are in Phoenix http://www.southwest-shooters.com 602-943-8595 TKL

December 2, 2000, 03:07 PM	#10
house Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1999 Location: AZ/CA Posts: 369	Was wondering did they ever make a steal recevier for the 390? I know that the 391 is an alloy? I heard that the 390 came in a steel. is this true? I may have been miss informed Thanks House

December 2, 2000, 10:32 PM	#11
PWK Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2000 Location: Pearland, TX Posts: 297	house check some back articles in "The Amer. Rman" that I noted on Drundels post regarding the Browning vs 391. Well after too much research into all these auto loaders I finally bought the Browning Gold Hunter Field 28". The only 390 I could find were synthetic and I just couldn't convince myself to get the 391 even with all it's bells & whistles.

October 13, 2005, 01:23 PM	#13
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	I don't believe the 390 was ever made with a steel receiver-unless it was the trap/skeet/sporting clays model(s)? If you buy a Beretta firearm, you better hope you don't have any trouble with it-nobody has worse help from the factory than Beretta...unless it's Browning. __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member