Question on Beretta O/U

Slish · November 5, 2002, 05:42 PM

A friend of mine asked me if I knew guns, and of course (like an idiot) I said "Yeah!"

So he hauls out this Beretta Pigeon Grade (???) and I think "Darn it, it's HANDGUNS I know best!"

To cut to the chase, he wants to know why when he dry fires it with snap caps, the only way to fire the second barrel is to switch the selector over and pull the trigger. We fumbled around for awhile and got it to fire both barrels once without using the selector but we don't know what we did.

The only thing I can think of is that recoil sets something allowing the second barrel to fire.

HELP! Is this normal, and if so, why?

PJR · November 5, 2002, 05:55 PM

Beretta over/unders have what is called an inertia trigger system. As you surmised, the recoil from the first shot sets the trigger for the second barrel. The second barrel can be reset by bumping the recoil pad with a sharp rap or bumping it on a hard surface.

Paul

Jim Watson · November 5, 2002, 05:55 PM

Yes, it is normal.
Many single trigger O/Us use the recoil of the first barrel to shift the trigger linkage to the second sear. Others are purely mechanical and make a big thing out of not having to fool with the selector if you have a misfire. But I don't recall ever having a misfire with a factory shotshell - although I knew a man who got a bad case of traploads once - and mighty few with reloads, like two or three, ever.
The only place that it might matter is a skeet gun with .410 tubes installed. They might not recoil enough to shift the trigger. But that can be adjusted or the trigger converted to mechanical.

I am not sure about his Beretta, but my Browning does not require that the selector be moved to the other barrel. If you dryfire the first barrel, all that you have to do is flip the safety on and then back off and it will drop the other hammer.
Or you can bump the butt of the gun on the floor to simulate recoil.

Slish · November 5, 2002, 06:51 PM

This is just one of the reasons I love this site! I told him I knew just where to go to get the answer!

To both of you, thanks much! I'm printing this thread to give to him.

Thanks again, guys!

November 5, 2002, 05:42 PM	#1
Slish Member Join Date: May 30, 2001 Location: Mishawaka, IN Posts: 47	Question on Beretta O/U A friend of mine asked me if I knew guns, and of course (like an idiot) I said "Yeah!" So he hauls out this Beretta Pigeon Grade (???) and I think "Darn it, it's HANDGUNS I know best!" To cut to the chase, he wants to know why when he dry fires it with snap caps, the only way to fire the second barrel is to switch the selector over and pull the trigger. We fumbled around for awhile and got it to fire both barrels once without using the selector but we don't know what we did. The only thing I can think of is that recoil sets something allowing the second barrel to fire. HELP! Is this normal, and if so, why? __________________ "Moondancer" over at THR.

November 5, 2002, 06:51 PM	#4
Slish Member Join Date: May 30, 2001 Location: Mishawaka, IN Posts: 47	Wow! This is just one of the reasons I love this site! I told him I knew just where to go to get the answer! To both of you, thanks much! I'm printing this thread to give to him. Thanks again, guys! __________________ "Moondancer" over at THR.

November 5, 2002, 05:55 PM	#2
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	Beretta over/unders have what is called an inertia trigger system. As you surmised, the recoil from the first shot sets the trigger for the second barrel. The second barrel can be reset by bumping the recoil pad with a sharp rap or bumping it on a hard surface. Paul

November 5, 2002, 05:55 PM	#3
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,542	Yes, it is normal. Many single trigger O/Us use the recoil of the first barrel to shift the trigger linkage to the second sear. Others are purely mechanical and make a big thing out of not having to fool with the selector if you have a misfire. But I don't recall ever having a misfire with a factory shotshell - although I knew a man who got a bad case of traploads once - and mighty few with reloads, like two or three, ever. The only place that it might matter is a skeet gun with .410 tubes installed. They might not recoil enough to shift the trigger. But that can be adjusted or the trigger converted to mechanical. I am not sure about his Beretta, but my Browning does not require that the selector be moved to the other barrel. If you dryfire the first barrel, all that you have to do is flip the safety on and then back off and it will drop the other hammer. Or you can bump the butt of the gun on the floor to simulate recoil.