Description
The Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I in 12 gauge, part number J686F1228, is the 28 inch version of the over and under that has anchored Beretta’s field line for decades. Barrels are blued with a vent rib, chambers are 3 inches, and the receiver is steel with the floral scroll engraving that gives the gun its name. The stock is Grade 2 walnut with a 14.38 inch length of pull and an Extralight recoil pad. Overall length runs about 47 inches and the gun weighs between 6.3 and 7 pounds depending on wood density.
Five flush Optima-Choke HP tubes ship in the case, which is what the CT5 in the distributor listing refers to. This is the plain field build, not the Sporting version. Everything about it is set up for walking birds rather than standing on a station.
Why the 28 inch barrels are the sensible middle
Twenty six inch barrels swing quickest in thick cover and thirty inch barrels track a crossing bird more smoothly on open ground. Twenty eight inches is the length most upland hunters end up on, because it does both jobs without being noticeably wrong at either.
On a 12 gauge in particular, the extra two inches over a 26 add a little muzzle weight, which steadies the swing on doves and driven birds without making the gun feel front heavy in the grouse woods.
At roughly 47 inches overall, the gun still fits a standard hard case and a truck seat, which the 30 inch build does not always manage.
Weight sits between 6.3 and 7 pounds, so it is carryable all day and heavy enough not to punish you at the end of a box of shells.
What the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I gets right
The low profile boxlock action sits the barrels closer to the hand than most competitors, which is the main reason the gun points the way it does.
Steel receiver, not alloy. It adds a few ounces and it is the reason these guns are still in service after decades of upland seasons.
Conical locking lugs and replaceable shoulders mean the action can be tightened by a gunsmith rather than being a wear item you live with.
Five flush Optima-Choke HP tubes cover everything from a flushing bird at ten yards to a decoying duck at forty, and the Optima bore profile keeps the constriction change gradual.
Specifications
- Model: Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I, part number J686F1228
- Gauge: 12
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Barrel length: 28 inches, blued with vent rib
- Action: over and under boxlock
- Receiver: steel, floral engraving
- Top rib: 6 by 6 millimetre taper
- Chokes: five flush Optima-Choke HP tubes
- Stock: Grade 2 walnut, 14.38 inch length of pull
- Recoil pad: Extralight
- Trigger: single selective with automatic safety
- Overall length: approximately 47 inches
- Weight unloaded: 6.3 to 7 pounds
- Left handed: no
Shotshell dimensions and pressures are standardized by SAAMI, and the 3 inch chambers accept 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells alike, though almost nobody shoots 3 inch loads through a field gun this light by choice. For upland work we stock Browning BXD Upland in 5 shot, and 2 3/4 inch 1 1/8 ounce target loads are the cheap way to put rounds through it on clays. Break the gun open before you set it down and do not dry fire it without snap caps.
Buyers who want smaller gauges should look at the 28 gauge and 410 combo set or the 410 bore build, and anyone who would rather carry a gas gun should compare the A400 Upland.
Why it is worth considering
- A steel receiver and a low profile action, which is why these guns outlast their owners.
- Twenty eight inch barrels, the length most upland hunters settle on anyway.
- Five flush chokes in the case, so the gun arrives ready for more than one kind of bird.
- Grade 2 walnut with a 14.38 inch length of pull, a dimension that fits most adults without alteration.
- Conical locking lugs that a gunsmith can tighten, rather than a worn action you simply tolerate.
Who it suits
This suits an upland or mixed bag hunter who wants one over and under to keep for thirty years, and who values a gun that points naturally over one loaded with adjustable hardware. Clays shooters who want a heavier, longer barrelled gun should look at the Sporting versions instead, and anyone who prefers a semi-automatic will be happier with the A400 Upland. Every long gun we sell ships to a licensed FFL for transfer.
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