Difference in Beretta 686, 687 and 682

Kestrel · October 12, 2008, 09:06 PM

Does anyone know the difference in these actions and models?

Is one better for skeet and trap than the other two?

Thanks.

Waterengineer · October 13, 2008, 04:21 AM

Kestrel:

The difference between these Beretta models is "pretty." Just how much "pretty" can you afford?

All the guns have the same action and reciever, I believe some are just more pretty than others.......nicer wood, engraving and such.........now that 682 is a looker....I'd really like to have one....but can I use your checkbook to pay for it?

Trap and skeet guns are two different animals. The trap gun sends more lead higher in the sight window than a skeet gun. If you are buying your first gun for shotgun games buy a sporting clays model which will be good for all the games until you decide if you like trap enough to get a dedicated trap gun.

Ricky B · October 14, 2008, 02:00 AM

In addition to appearance, the 682 has a trigger that is adjustable for LOP; the 687 doesn't. Don't know about the 686.

Waterengineer · October 14, 2008, 06:02 AM

The trigger pull kit can be put in the other guns (the 686 and 687) but is not standard.

The 682 is pretty darn fancy of a gun - I wish I had one - in a 32 inch barrel. It comes with about all the bells and whistles.

zippy13 · October 14, 2008, 11:50 AM

Kestrel

Since you asked about a gun suited for Skeet and trap, I assume your interested in a competition grade gun. Of the 682, 687, and 686; Beretta lists the 686 as a field grade gun. So, you can narrow your choice of a comp gun to the 682 and 687. Neither of these guns will be a disappointment; but, don't expect the same gun to work equally well for trap and Skeet -- that's why Beretta offers several models.

The differences between the various Beretta comp guns can be very subtle and are intended to suit the requirements of the discriminating comp shooter. It's more complicated than choosing between Remington and Mossberg entry level pumps. May IMHO, do an actual side-by-side comparison before you make your final selection.

In the 90's I supplanted my Remington 1100 Trap with a Beretta 682 trap combo. In those days the 682 was a Plain Jane work horse, nothing fancy for aesthetics, but very nice mechanically. It has served me well, and I still think it was a good choice.

Dave McC · October 16, 2008, 08:02 AM

Sole major differences are cosmetic. Same materials, design and lifespan.

The entry level clays O/U for Beretta is the White Onyx Sporter. Even with the weak dollar, MSRP is about $2K.

Mine has been a death ray, with near perfect function over 2 years and maybe 9K rounds. I did replace the Geltak pads with a prefit Limbsaver.

Kestrel · October 16, 2008, 08:52 AM

Thanks for all the info, guys. I just got started with clays and have a long way to go before something like that would make any difference in my results, but I'm still interested in them for later. Several years ago, I handled some Beretta and Browning O/Us in a store. I remember the Berettas feeling more natural and fitting me better in the store.

As an aside, I've been using an 870, a 391A and an SX2. So far, I've done better with the 391A. I like the SX2 as a shotgun, but it doesn't feel as svelte in my hands when shooting at the clays. The 870 feels just fine, but I've done better with the 391A for some reason. The 870 even seems to fit me better. It works fine for me on trap - it's on skeet where I do a tad better with the Beretta. Maybe it's not having to cycle the action on doubles, I don't know.

I believe when I go to the patterning board, some puzzles may be revealed. I don't even know how these pattern, yet.

What a fun sport!

Doyle · October 16, 2008, 12:44 PM

Let me further muddy the water. I've got a field grade model 685. That is a model that I've never seen another of in the US. I bought it when I was in Italy. It has double triggers.

BigJimP · October 16, 2008, 04:37 PM

Before you decide on a gun - for any of the clay target games - and I'm no expert on Beretta - but they are a good gun / but most of the Beretta models have some drop at the comb and at the heel.

In my experience - a gun with a paralell comb ( paralell to the rib on the gun ) or sometimes referred to as a Monte Carlo comb - ideally with an adjustable comb insert - is by far one of the most versatile gun designs / and fits a lot more folks than a gun with drop at the comb.

Beretta has some new designs - the DT-10 that is a pretty nice gun with a paralell comb / but they don't have many models with that option. Browning has several guns with paralell combs - the XS Skeet, XT Trap, XS Special, etc.

The big plus on a paralell comb - is in summer you might shoot in a T shirt / with your vest - and your face will be one place on the comb. Then in the winter, hunting - shooting sporting, you may have a heavy coat on under your vest - and that will move your face back on the comb 1/2" or more. If the comb is paralell - there is no difference in your sight picture and the fit of the gun. If your comb is angled ( so it has drop ) moving 1/2" back on the comb and bringing it up to your face like you did in the summer - may drop the barrel 1/2" resulting in your point of impact at 30 yards being 12" or more low. Guns with a drop at the comb - for me - require a pad put on the comb to level them out / or they just don't fit - and maybe 75% of the people that I instruct in shotgunning - have guns that don't fit primarily because they bought a gun with a comb design that doesn't fit - because it looked cool.

oletymer · October 16, 2008, 06:18 PM

The 686 is offered in a sporting clays version so would be suitable for skeet or sporting clays with the appropriate chockes.

zippy13 · October 16, 2008, 06:41 PM

oletymer

Please, see BigJimP's remarks on stock height, above.

Compared to a 868 Sporting, a typical Beretta Skeet stock is approximately 1/8-inch higher at the comb and 3/8-inch higher at the heel. It's nice to see some of the newer Berettas have adjustable combs.

BigJimP · October 16, 2008, 06:56 PM

Not that it matters - but I shoot parallel comb guns in the field, sporting, skeet and trap. I'm basically a Browning guy / they fit me better - but the XS Skeet model is made in 12 and 20ga / I picked up a 28ga and .410 made off the 20ga receiver XS Skeet as a special order (used even )... All of my XS Skeet models are 30" barrels. 12 ga is a little heavier / the 20, 28 and
.410 are matched very close by weight since they are off the same receiver. Its not as good a system as a Kolar or Krieghoff - with a carrier barrel - and a full set of tubes ( but I didn't pay $ 25K for all 4 of the Brownings either / and I like having 4 different guns ).

I also like the XT model as a Trap gun / 32" barrel - with a GraCoil system on it / but I've got a couple of those models as well.

I'm glad to see Beretta offering more guns with adj combs as well - but even Browning offers guns without a paralell comb / and they have put adj combs in them ( but they are still angled / and it makes no sense to me why that would fit anyone ) it has the same problems as any angled comb / and putting an adj comb into an angled stock just seems foolish to me.

Calling a gun a Skeet gun / a Sporting gun - is just a marketing ploy. You can shoot any gun for Skeet, Sporting and in the Field - Trap is a little different and a more specialized gun usually / but you don't have to have a specialized Trap gun if you don't want one either.

Kestrel · October 16, 2008, 07:22 PM

Thanks - this is great info and makes a lot of sense. An interesting note about my Beretta 391 - it had more drop in the stock than my 870s (or SX2, for that matter). I had to install the stock shim that would raise it the most, but I still wanted it higher. I was going to call Beretta to see if they have shims that offer more stock lift.

To this novice, the 870 I was using gave me a good sight plane when I mount it. The Beretta still shows more rib in the plane than I like. I expected to have more trouble shooting with it, as a result, but surprisingly, I did a little better than I did with my 870. That could be due to patterning differences, though.

When I do get to the point where I'm looking at more specialized guns for clays, I'll make a point to visit some stocking dealers to try them for fit.

I thought about something else while shooting, though. I feel kind of lazy even saying this, but after going back after each round of trap and picking up 25 empty shells across the stations, I think I would enjoy not having shells ejecting everywhere with an O/U...

Ricky B · October 16, 2008, 11:26 PM

What you need for your 391 is a shellcatcher. It's essentially a clip that attaches to the gun at the ejection port, which will catch the rim of the shell as it is ejected. Upon ejection, part of the shell remains inside of the receiver, which allows you to remove the shell by hand after shooting. It is suitable only singles traps, not doubles.

Here's a link:

http://www.tandsshellcatcher.com/prod02.htm

Many gun stores carry them, and you can also shop online at your favorite online supply shop.

BigJimP · October 17, 2008, 02:32 PM

Shooting an Over Under is nice - because you don't have to pick hulls up all over the place / keeps them clean and dry for reloading too.

The other thing about an Over Under is its a lot more forgiving / in terms of reloads, types of loads, etc - if you can shove a shell into the gun / and close the gun - its almost a certainty the shell will fire. Pump guns are very reliable as well / but some semi-autos are a little finnicky on shells - and you need to have a press that is resizing your shells or they may not cycle properly in a lot of semi-autos. My Benelli semi-auto will cycle shells even down to 7/8 oz in 12ga as long as they are at least 1200 fps / but anything slower than that, like 1150 fps for light recoil for a young shooter will not cycle the action - some gas guns say they will cycle light loads but many of them have issues.

Over Unders are also a lot easier to clean / quicker to clean. Sometimes I go to the club with 3 guns / stripping them all down as O/U's only takes about 30 min for all 3 guns combined. If they were three gas guns - it would take an hour plus to clean all 3 guns .... and in general, there are more moving parts on a semi-auto than an O/U - more wear per 1,000 shells, etc. Although every O/U should have the stock taken off about twice a year - and inspect the firing pins, springs, etc inside the receiver and that takes 30 min or so per gun as well.

I like a variety of shotguns - I still have some pumps, one semi-auto, and quite a few O/U's .....but part of that is just because I like nice guns. But sometimes I don't feel like carrying a 9 lb gun around all day / so I grab the 7 1/2 lb semi-auto / or I shoot a synthetic stock semi on a nasty rainy day when I don't want a wood stock gun out in the weather ...... its nice to have options.

October 12, 2008, 09:06 PM	#1
Kestrel Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2001 Posts: 363	Difference in Beretta 686, 687 and 682 Does anyone know the difference in these actions and models? Is one better for skeet and trap than the other two? Thanks.

October 13, 2008, 04:21 AM	#2
Waterengineer Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Aurora, CO and Palm Beach, FL Posts: 863	Pretty.... Kestrel: The difference between these Beretta models is "pretty." Just how much "pretty" can you afford? All the guns have the same action and reciever, I believe some are just more pretty than others.......nicer wood, engraving and such.........now that 682 is a looker....I'd really like to have one....but can I use your checkbook to pay for it? Trap and skeet guns are two different animals. The trap gun sends more lead higher in the sight window than a skeet gun. If you are buying your first gun for shotgun games buy a sporting clays model which will be good for all the games until you decide if you like trap enough to get a dedicated trap gun.

October 16, 2008, 11:26 PM	#14
Ricky B Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2002 Posts: 251	enjoy not having shells ejecting everywhere What you need for your 391 is a shellcatcher. It's essentially a clip that attaches to the gun at the ejection port, which will catch the rim of the shell as it is ejected. Upon ejection, part of the shell remains inside of the receiver, which allows you to remove the shell by hand after shooting. It is suitable only singles traps, not doubles. Here's a link: http://www.tandsshellcatcher.com/prod02.htm Many gun stores carry them, and you can also shop online at your favorite online supply shop.

October 14, 2008, 02:00 AM	#3
Ricky B Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2002 Posts: 251	In addition to appearance, the 682 has a trigger that is adjustable for LOP; the 687 doesn't. Don't know about the 686.

October 14, 2008, 06:02 AM	#4
Waterengineer Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Aurora, CO and Palm Beach, FL Posts: 863	The trigger pull kit can be put in the other guns (the 686 and 687) but is not standard. The 682 is pretty darn fancy of a gun - I wish I had one - in a 32 inch barrel. It comes with about all the bells and whistles.

October 14, 2008, 11:50 AM	#5
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Kestrel Since you asked about a gun suited for Skeet and trap, I assume your interested in a competition grade gun. Of the 682, 687, and 686; Beretta lists the 686 as a field grade gun. So, you can narrow your choice of a comp gun to the 682 and 687. Neither of these guns will be a disappointment; but, don't expect the same gun to work equally well for trap and Skeet -- that's why Beretta offers several models. The differences between the various Beretta comp guns can be very subtle and are intended to suit the requirements of the discriminating comp shooter. It's more complicated than choosing between Remington and Mossberg entry level pumps. May IMHO, do an actual side-by-side comparison before you make your final selection. In the 90's I supplanted my Remington 1100 Trap with a Beretta 682 trap combo. In those days the 682 was a Plain Jane work horse, nothing fancy for aesthetics, but very nice mechanically. It has served me well, and I still think it was a good choice.

October 16, 2008, 08:02 AM	#6
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Sole major differences are cosmetic. Same materials, design and lifespan. The entry level clays O/U for Beretta is the White Onyx Sporter. Even with the weak dollar, MSRP is about $2K. Mine has been a death ray, with near perfect function over 2 years and maybe 9K rounds. I did replace the Geltak pads with a prefit Limbsaver.

October 16, 2008, 08:52 AM	#7
Kestrel Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2001 Posts: 363	Thanks for all the info, guys. I just got started with clays and have a long way to go before something like that would make any difference in my results, but I'm still interested in them for later. Several years ago, I handled some Beretta and Browning O/Us in a store. I remember the Berettas feeling more natural and fitting me better in the store. As an aside, I've been using an 870, a 391A and an SX2. So far, I've done better with the 391A. I like the SX2 as a shotgun, but it doesn't feel as svelte in my hands when shooting at the clays. The 870 feels just fine, but I've done better with the 391A for some reason. The 870 even seems to fit me better. It works fine for me on trap - it's on skeet where I do a tad better with the Beretta. Maybe it's not having to cycle the action on doubles, I don't know. I believe when I go to the patterning board, some puzzles may be revealed. I don't even know how these pattern, yet. What a fun sport!

October 16, 2008, 12:44 PM	#8
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Let me further muddy the water. I've got a field grade model 685. That is a model that I've never seen another of in the US. I bought it when I was in Italy. It has double triggers.

October 16, 2008, 04:37 PM	#9
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Before you decide on a gun - for any of the clay target games - and I'm no expert on Beretta - but they are a good gun / but most of the Beretta models have some drop at the comb and at the heel. In my experience - a gun with a paralell comb ( paralell to the rib on the gun ) or sometimes referred to as a Monte Carlo comb - ideally with an adjustable comb insert - is by far one of the most versatile gun designs / and fits a lot more folks than a gun with drop at the comb. Beretta has some new designs - the DT-10 that is a pretty nice gun with a paralell comb / but they don't have many models with that option. Browning has several guns with paralell combs - the XS Skeet, XT Trap, XS Special, etc. The big plus on a paralell comb - is in summer you might shoot in a T shirt / with your vest - and your face will be one place on the comb. Then in the winter, hunting - shooting sporting, you may have a heavy coat on under your vest - and that will move your face back on the comb 1/2" or more. If the comb is paralell - there is no difference in your sight picture and the fit of the gun. If your comb is angled ( so it has drop ) moving 1/2" back on the comb and bringing it up to your face like you did in the summer - may drop the barrel 1/2" resulting in your point of impact at 30 yards being 12" or more low. Guns with a drop at the comb - for me - require a pad put on the comb to level them out / or they just don't fit - and maybe 75% of the people that I instruct in shotgunning - have guns that don't fit primarily because they bought a gun with a comb design that doesn't fit - because it looked cool.

October 16, 2008, 06:18 PM	#10
oletymer Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 338	The 686 is offered in a sporting clays version so would be suitable for skeet or sporting clays with the appropriate chockes.

October 16, 2008, 06:41 PM	#11
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	oletymer Please, see BigJimP's remarks on stock height, above. Compared to a 868 Sporting, a typical Beretta Skeet stock is approximately 1/8-inch higher at the comb and 3/8-inch higher at the heel. It's nice to see some of the newer Berettas have adjustable combs.

October 16, 2008, 06:56 PM	#12
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Not that it matters - but I shoot parallel comb guns in the field, sporting, skeet and trap. I'm basically a Browning guy / they fit me better - but the XS Skeet model is made in 12 and 20ga / I picked up a 28ga and .410 made off the 20ga receiver XS Skeet as a special order (used even )... All of my XS Skeet models are 30" barrels. 12 ga is a little heavier / the 20, 28 and .410 are matched very close by weight since they are off the same receiver. Its not as good a system as a Kolar or Krieghoff - with a carrier barrel - and a full set of tubes ( but I didn't pay $ 25K for all 4 of the Brownings either / and I like having 4 different guns ). I also like the XT model as a Trap gun / 32" barrel - with a GraCoil system on it / but I've got a couple of those models as well. I'm glad to see Beretta offering more guns with adj combs as well - but even Browning offers guns without a paralell comb / and they have put adj combs in them ( but they are still angled / and it makes no sense to me why that would fit anyone ) it has the same problems as any angled comb / and putting an adj comb into an angled stock just seems foolish to me. Calling a gun a Skeet gun / a Sporting gun - is just a marketing ploy. You can shoot any gun for Skeet, Sporting and in the Field - Trap is a little different and a more specialized gun usually / but you don't have to have a specialized Trap gun if you don't want one either.

October 16, 2008, 07:22 PM	#13
Kestrel Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2001 Posts: 363	Thanks - this is great info and makes a lot of sense. An interesting note about my Beretta 391 - it had more drop in the stock than my 870s (or SX2, for that matter). I had to install the stock shim that would raise it the most, but I still wanted it higher. I was going to call Beretta to see if they have shims that offer more stock lift. To this novice, the 870 I was using gave me a good sight plane when I mount it. The Beretta still shows more rib in the plane than I like. I expected to have more trouble shooting with it, as a result, but surprisingly, I did a little better than I did with my 870. That could be due to patterning differences, though. When I do get to the point where I'm looking at more specialized guns for clays, I'll make a point to visit some stocking dealers to try them for fit. I thought about something else while shooting, though. I feel kind of lazy even saying this, but after going back after each round of trap and picking up 25 empty shells across the stations, I think I would enjoy not having shells ejecting everywhere with an O/U...

October 17, 2008, 02:32 PM	#15
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Shooting an Over Under is nice - because you don't have to pick hulls up all over the place / keeps them clean and dry for reloading too. The other thing about an Over Under is its a lot more forgiving / in terms of reloads, types of loads, etc - if you can shove a shell into the gun / and close the gun - its almost a certainty the shell will fire. Pump guns are very reliable as well / but some semi-autos are a little finnicky on shells - and you need to have a press that is resizing your shells or they may not cycle properly in a lot of semi-autos. My Benelli semi-auto will cycle shells even down to 7/8 oz in 12ga as long as they are at least 1200 fps / but anything slower than that, like 1150 fps for light recoil for a young shooter will not cycle the action - some gas guns say they will cycle light loads but many of them have issues. Over Unders are also a lot easier to clean / quicker to clean. Sometimes I go to the club with 3 guns / stripping them all down as O/U's only takes about 30 min for all 3 guns combined. If they were three gas guns - it would take an hour plus to clean all 3 guns .... and in general, there are more moving parts on a semi-auto than an O/U - more wear per 1,000 shells, etc. Although every O/U should have the stock taken off about twice a year - and inspect the firing pins, springs, etc inside the receiver and that takes 30 min or so per gun as well. I like a variety of shotguns - I still have some pumps, one semi-auto, and quite a few O/U's .....but part of that is just because I like nice guns. But sometimes I don't feel like carrying a 9 lb gun around all day / so I grab the 7 1/2 lb semi-auto / or I shoot a synthetic stock semi on a nasty rainy day when I don't want a wood stock gun out in the weather ...... its nice to have options.