Introduced in 1979, the Beretta 680 series of over-under shotguns became world-wide favorites. They were affordable, durable O/Us, and have been for almost 50 years. Every once in a while, Beretta shakes things up and gives the line a makeover. While retaining its traditional lines, the latest 686 Silver Pigeon has new styling as mechanical tweaks here and there, as well as new Steelium barrels with an Optichoke system. Coming in at under $3,000, it falls into a price range we used to call “entry level” before Turkish O/Us came along. Still, it remains the entry level Beretta O/U, which puts it above many others. I recently put the newest Silver Pigeon to the test at my local range. Here's my full review.
Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I Specs
Length: 49”
Weight: 7 pounds, 1 ounce with 28-inch barrels
Barrel: 26- or28- (tested) or 30-inch barrels narrow vent rib, small fiber-optic bead, Beretta Optima HP chokes
Action: O/U
Trigger: 5 ½ pounds
Capacity: 2
Finish: Blued barrels, silver receiver with floral/scroll engraving
Stock: Satin-finished walnut
Chambering: 3-inch 12-gauge
Price: $2,849
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Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I Overview
Beretta's popular and highly regarded 686 Silver Pigeon also got a makeover for 2025. The stock wood, and the matte finish, look like cost-cutting to me. It’s understandable: You can’t keep offering a quality Italian O/U at a sub-$3000 price-point without making concessions. The wood is straight-grained and fairly bland and the matte finish did nothing to make such grain as there was pop. The recoil pad on my gun wasn’t well-fitted, either. The engraving pattern on the silver receiver is new, too, and is shallowly laser-cut but fully covered in rose-and-scroll decoration. For whatever reason, unlike a lot of shallow laser engraving, this looks good to me. The wood to metal fit is slightly proud, which is fine, and there are no gaps between wood and steel. The lines of the gun remain the same.
Beretta Silver Pigeon I Range Results
The gun has the positive attributes of the 686: moderate weight (7 pounds, 1 ounce in a 28-inch 12-gauge) and a low-profile receiver that aids instinctive pointing. I found the gun easy to swing on clays. The balance point is just ahead of the hingepin, which helped, and it shot to point of aim. The narrow rib and brass bead are unobtrusive, while still letting you know where the gun is in your peripheral vision.
Mechanically, the gun was good. Shells ejected as they were supposed to. The trigger broke at about 5 pounds, 6 ounces for the bottom barrel, and at 6 pounds for the top, and very cleanly. The top lever is apparently redesigned, and the pin that releases it has been moved from the side of the breech face to the top. This, Beretta says, makes the gun open more easily. Maybe it does. It wasn’t hard to open. On the other hand, the safety button, like the safety on so many Beretta 680-series guns, is very stiff. It will get better with time. For instance, the safety on my 1990s-vintage 686 snaps off effortlessly. If you don’t want to wait 30 years for the safety to lighten, take it to a gunsmith, which is what I have done with other Berettas. It’s a inexpensive job, and a sticky safety shouldn’t deter you from buying a 686.
Beretta's “steelium” barrels aren’t made of “steelium” because that's not a real metal. It refers instead to the deep-drill/hammer-forge/vacuum stress-relief process by which the tri-alloy barrels are made, and to their internal dimensions and choke systems. The 686 has longer Optima HP chokes for better patterns. On paper, the barrels looked great, shooting impressive, very even spreads of target loads.
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Final Thoughts on the 686 Silver Pigeon I
Pros:
Light weight
Smooth stroke
Cons:
Odd balance
Heavy trigger
I wish Beretta would replace the Schnable forend with rounded one, but that’s my own taste. The gun functions well and shoots great. And, if I was in the market for all-around hunting gun, I could overlook the forend and the plain wood and happily shoot this latest version of the Silver Pigeon.
