AYA or Beretta?

[Ira Whitten]

I am looking for a sub gauge either a 28 or 410. I found a couple nice AYA 28s on GB. For a little more money I could get a Berreta two barrel set in 28 and 410. I know some people don’t like the two barrel set idea because it’s a heavier frame. What do you think would be better? I don’t know a ton about AYA but from what I heave heard they made nice guns.

[allen newell]

Both are good well made guns but I'd go with the Beretta

[Daryl Corona]

Don't overlook a Browning in 28ga or .410. A lot of gun for the money.

[Kevin McCormack]

Don't overlook a Browning in 28ga or .410. A lot of gun for the money.

A better understatement is seldom made. Try to find either in a 28" barrel with field chokes - there are a relatively plentiful supply of these guns in skeet configuration (several NICE ones at the Southern last week!), but the longer tighter choked guns are more affordable. Belgian guns rule, but the Citori in either configuration(s) are half to 1/3 the price of thge Belgians and last forever with proper maintenance. I have 3 CItoris in 20, 28 & .410 gauges, all with Invector (screw) chokes. An absolute blast to shoot and the used market is strong.

My crown jewel is a c. 1959 Pigeon Grade FN Browning Belgium 28 gauge with 28" bbls. choked Mod & Full. Round knob, long tang, hard buttplate and NOT FOR SALE! Fpr some real world comps, check out the FN Euro 20 gauge Browning Custom Citori with 32" bbls. and screw chokes that sold on this BBS a month or so ago, and Bob Juruwicz' stunning Arrizabalaga sidelock 20 ga. he picked up at the Southern last week; a Holland & Holland clone with spectacular engraving! They are out there!

[Chris Robenalt]

I agree with Daryl, I've always favored my 1st and 3rd year 26" Browning 20s. Recently purchased an early 60s 28" Browning 20 from a member 2 years ago..I only wish I could afford a 28 or 410. I did purchase a couple Charles Daly 410s a couple years ago, all great shooters! Take your time, and do your homework, dont spend your money too quickly..
Chris, AZ

[Dave Noreen]

A lot depends on what you are looking for, an ultra-light .410-bore, or 28-gauge built on a scaled frame or a heavier gun for higher volume shooting. The Browning Superposed .410-bore and 28-gauge were really built as skeet guns on the same frame as and to weigh the same as a similar Standard Weight 20-gauge. The field choked guns are virtually an afterthought. A Lightning 20-gauge Superposed weighs several ounces less than the .410-bore and 28-gauge.

[Andrew Sacco]

I’m confused. SxS or O/U or it doesn’t matter? For SxS I’d go aYa and O/U a Citori as Kevin said. Beretta feels better to me but I’ve seen a number of issues with Berettas lately. I shot a 28g Browning 725 clays gun. Man it’s not the prettiest thing but a hoot to shoot.

[Larry Stauch]

I am looking for a sub gauge either a 28 or 410. I found a couple nice AYA 28s on GB. For a little more money I could get a Berreta two barrel set in 28 and 410. I know some people don’t like the two barrel set idea because it’s a heavier frame. What do you think would be better? I don’t know a ton about AYA but from what I heave heard they made nice guns.

The best thing you can do is to shoot someone's over and under or side X side 28 gauge and .410 before you buy anything. Those are four very different guns in shooter effectiveness that you're talking about here. Shooting a 410 SxS can be VERY difficult if the gun is lite and whippy, and the vast majority of them are. You may become very frustrated very quickly. On the other hand, shooting a full size, modern 410 O/U could be much more enjoyable, however still difficult. But in either case you're typically shooting only 1/2 ounce of shot. Now contrast that with shooting a more full scale 28 gauge SxS and you can usually shoot them much better because of their weight and size and the fact that you're shooting 50% more shot; 3/4 of an ounce as compared to 1/2 ounce. Now think about shooting a Browning X25 series gun; 325, 425, 525, 625 or 725. They are made full scale and made to shoot game with their field guns or pound targets with their targets guns. They are much easier to shoot than about any other gun out there because of their dimensions and weight. I do have all of these different guns that you're talking about here and there's a huge difference in all of them, gauge wise and size/weight wise. I will say the Beretta 28/410 combo gun is built on a 28 gauge frame and those barrels will NOT fit on a Beretta 20 gauge frame. It is a smaller frame. Good luck. It only took me about 15 years to get through all of these different guns, so take it easy.

[Andrew Sacco]

Great post Larry. I shot a 30” SBK .410 which remains the best shooting .410 I’ve used. Older gun and hard to find now. It was an O/U

[David Holes]

shooting a Rizzini 410 sxs, alot to like for the dollar

[Steven Gray]

I’m confused. SxS or O/U or it doesn’t matter? For SxS I’d go aYa and O/U a Citori as Kevin said. Beretta feels better to me but I’ve seen a number of issues with Berettas lately. I shot a 28g Browning 725 clays gun. Man it’s not the prettiest thing but a hoot to shoot.

Andy sir what problems are the beretta o/u facing ive considered purchasing one several times just never found the right one
Thanks, Steven

[Andrew Sacco]

I’ve seen poor finish work with burrs on the ejector or a DT11, cracked forend on a 694, misaligned mid bead on a 694 (mine), rough trigger on another DT11 and poor wood to metal fit on a 687 silver pigeon. These were all new guns in the past 4-5 years. Granted the majority were fine but sure more than Perazzi, Blaser, Browning and Caesar Guerini. Cole Gun told me they have noticed more quality issues with Beretta. My feeling is when you start making every gun under the sun and all sorts of plastic guns stuff changes. I could be wrong but I’d see any beretta in person before I bought one. That’s my two cents. Oh and a 694 with unregulated barrels from the factory that had to be retuned. And that’s not a cheap gun.

[Steven Gray]

I’ve seen poor finish work with burrs on the ejector or a DT11, cracked forend on a 694, misaligned mid bead on a 694 (mine), rough trigger on another DT11 and poor wood to metal fit on a 687 silver pigeon. These were all new guns in the past 4-5 years. Granted the majority were fine but sure more than Perazzi, Blaser, Browning and Caesar Guerini. Cole Gun told me they have noticed more quality issues with Beretta. My feeling is when you start making every gun under the sun and all sorts of plastic guns stuff changes. I could be wrong but I’d see any beretta in person before I bought one. That’s my two cents. Oh and a 694 with unregulated barrels from the factory that had to be retuned. And that’s not a cheap gun.

Wow yeah a dt11 and a 694 arent cheap guns and you'd expect better for what you are paying for them even the 687 for a 3k plus gun id expect better all my browning citoris have pretty good metal fit and finish also wood fit is good as well and for the money I have 2000 in my 12ga 30 barrels cxs and almost 2800 in my feather lightning 20ga 28 inch barrels. But I guess I stick with Browning.

[Andrew Sacco]

Wow yeah a dt11 and a 694 arent cheap guns and you'd expect better for what you are paying for them even the 687 for a 3k plus gun id expect better all my browning citoris have pretty good metal fit and finish also wood fit is good as well and for the money I have 2000 in my 12ga 30 barrels cxs and almost 2800 in my feather lightning 20ga 28 inch barrels. But I guess I stick with Browning.

Don't get me wrong, Beretta's handle better than Browning's all day in my book, I'd just see the gun before buying it.

[Ed Blake]

Last week I took delivery from Millers Gunshop in Delaware a 28 gauge 30” Browning 425. It’s a lot of gun for the money and I recommend it. I also have an AyA 4/53 SxS 28 with 29” barrels. It’s a great gun too but at just under 6lbs it doesn’t handle as well as the 7lb 425.

[Arthur Shaffer]

I have spent my life, it seems, buying and selling Citoris and Berettas. My favorites were always the Berettas; I almost always shoot the Citoris better. I always hunt with Berettas if using an O/U. Citoris have the weight and fit in the target models for me to shoot well. My sleeper of the bunch was a 425 Special Sporting that I shot better than any shotgun I ever owned; I stupidly sold it. The 12 Citori to me is way to heavyto carry in the field. The Citori in the subgauges are way to heavy in any form to justify. The only ones I like are the 16 ga lighter weight models. I see no advantage to carrying a 7 lb 28 ga just to say I am hunting with a 28. It is my favorite gauge and I have found that a very long and light 28 will shoot well and carry well, with the benefit of lighter shells. Past that, I will choose a 5-1/2 to 6# 20 ga over the 28. I have owned many more Berettas than Brownings but strangely enough have not bought a new Beretta in a couple of decades. I simply think that around the time that they changed their engraving techniques, the engraving quality fell through the floor and the prices skyrocketed. In the seventies even the field model carried a small amount of quality hand engraving and was an honest value. Now I always look in the used market and enjoy them more. I have Berettas from the early thirties through the mid 80's and like them all. I have sidelocks, field guns, double triggers and any number of other variations. All are accurate, durable, beautiful and shoot well.

[Daryl Corona]

Last week I took delivery from Millers Gunshop in Delaware a 28 gauge 30” Browning 425. It’s a lot of gun for the money and I recommend it. I also have an AyA 4/53 SxS 28 with 29” barrels. It’s a great gun too but at just under 6lbs it doesn’t handle as well as the 7lb 425.

That's who I bought the exact same gun from and I sold it to finance another gun. You will love it and you are correct, it's a lot of gun for the money. One of them is in my future again.

Getting back to the quality control of the Beretta's. One of the fellows in my weekly shooting group had his A400 develop a crack in the receiver. Beretta was of no help so his purchased another A400 and yesterday on it's maiden voyage it failed to feed and eject about every 10 shots. The older Beretta products were much better than what is being produced now.

[Bill Murphy]

OK, I think I understand. Berettas are bad, Brownings are good. Beretta field models have bad hand engraving. Huh? Hand engraving? I own about 17 Browning Superposed and about a half dozen Berettas and am very satisfied with all of them. My main shooting Beretta was purchased about fifty some years ago and has given me few troubles except the birds I missed.