Beretta Barrel Constriction and Lock Removal

[Harry Collins]

My horrid attorney friend was given a pre war a Beretta SO with an odd bore size and I'm trying to figure out how to translate it. Bottom barrel is .720 with .026 constriction and the top is .724 with .034.

The rear trigger fires the top barrel and is very light. If I shoot it first the gun will often double. I'm hoping the locks are just dirty. I believe the locks are lipped on the front and can be removed by simply removing the rear most screw. Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, I confess to shooting it under the nose of its owner with spreader loads in the bottom barrel. Few birds escaped this little dream.

[John Campbell]

Harry:
Few attorneys deserve such a gun. Buy it from him as a favour to humanity. LOL.

From the dried grease visible on the barrels, it's probably dirt that causes the trigger grief. The rear screw on the plates should provide lock removal. Soak, clean them and it may well work fine.

It is, of course, a 12-bore. Proofed at what Brits would call 13-bore. Undersize for sure in the bottom. A bit less so on top. But heck. It was made by Italians...

[KCordell]

Gorgeous gun....

[Mike Franzen]

Knowing how much you want that gun I'm surprised he's even letting you touch it much less disassemble and repair it.

[Harry Collins]

Mike,

He's let me have it for the season! I need to check the chambers, but with the small bores I'm going to fiber wad SpredR loads.

[Mike Franzen]

That's a great pic btw. If that was a Parker that would be gun of the month stuff

[Bill Murphy]

Harry, I have an SO and it is a wonderful gun. How long are the barrels on the gun in question? What is on the butt? From the engraving and forend shaping, it appears to be an early SO2, probably from the Garcia era, maybe earlier. The grade is sometimes engraved on the trigger guard tang. The year of manufacture is in letter code.

[Ken Hill]

Bill,

Harry's SO has cocking indicators and has the H&H 7 pin type of lock. From my research, Beretta stopped using cocking indicators and went to the 5 pin type of lock around 1959. The date code would tell us when the gun was proofed.

Ken

[Bill Murphy]

Yup. Wonder when it was made? Where are those cocking indicators? I'm not familiar with that feature.

[Ken Hill]

Bill,

The cocking indicator is in the lower front (tumbler axle). From the picture it looks like the gun is cocked (indicator is about 45 degrees).

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo40/KDGJ_photo/image2.jpg?t=1410227021

Ken

[Harry Collins]

Bill,

The butt plate reads P. Beretta ARMI Brescia. The trigger guard bow Mod. S. 2. The serial number is 6371.

I'll post pictures tonight.

Thanks,
Harry

[Ken Hill]

Harry,

I have not been able to find a way to date SO series guns by the serial number. You need to look at the date code. The date code is underneath the barrels towards the breech. Attached picture is a listing of the codes and date of proof.

Also, what kind of steel (Boehler or ...) used on the barrels?

Thanks
Ken

[Harry Collins]

Help me!

[Ken Hill]

Harry,

Help you not like the SO or ...?

Ken

[Harry Collins]

I've been trying to upload pictures to post from this mac to no avail. i got lucky with my iPhone, but that eats up my data.

[Ken Hill]

Harry,

When I reposted your picture showing the cocking indicator, I loaded the pic on photobucket and then used the paste image feature. When I posted the date codes I used the mange attachment feature. I didn't know this feature was available until I read the FAQs.

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Ken

[Ben Rawls]

I have one just like it. It shoots marvelously. Right where I look too!

[Ed Blake]

How long are the barrels Harry?