My Search for a....Beretta Silver Pigeon?

I have to admit, my first day in Las Vegas was very conflicting. I had gone to the SHOT Show in hopes of putting my hands on a Ruger Red Label, the gun I had been dreaming about for months, but came away defeated and confused. Ruger had let me down and the hopes I had of one day owning their over under were quickly fading. I was dejected, down trodden, and lost at sea without a beacon to bring me home. And then, through the mist, like a lighthouse to an offshore vessel, my undivided attention was given to another, an Italian; a gun so beautiful and comfortable in my hands that I never wanted to let go. The gun we had found, the shotgun that caused my temporary memory loss for Ruger, was a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I. A gun that personified upland bird hunting and one that instantly spoke to me.

After the suffering I had endured at the Ruger booth it was only natural for me to want to move on and at least for the next few days, forget everything and enjoy myself. When I came across the Beretta booth I suppose I didn’t expect much. Of course I had heard their name before but I had never thought I could own one; I mean, let’s be serious, we’re talking about thousands of dollars here. But nonetheless, the Silver Pigeon, 20 gauge, 26 inch barrel over under was a work of art. The engraving on the side was breathtaking and the feel was perfect. I couldn’t put it down and neither could James.

Like any other gun, before I can even look it over I first take the firearm, press it firmly to my shoulder, and look down the barrel. You’d be amazed at how many shotguns simply don’t feel right when you meld your shoulder and stock together. It’s not that a gun is made incorrectly or inferior to another of its class but rather that everyone is different and no matter how much you manipulate your body, if it doesn’t sit right from the get go, it’s probably not the gun for you.

However, this gun felt perfect. As I shouldered the firearm it sat perfectly against my joints, the stock pressing firmly up against my cheek, and the sight line down the barrels was dead on. The receiver was wonderfully engraved with birds and scrolls that made even holding the gun seem like something magical. As I broke the barrels away the motion felt effortless and I could practically picture myself out in the field. What a wonderful piece of craftsmanship.

With James by my side the overall consensus was that this was an over under you could be proud to own. Out of all the guns we had held that day, this one felt right, and there was no doubt that we were on the same page. The long history that runs with Beretta and the comfort in knowing that these firearms have been worked on for centuries was all the reassuring I needed. We chatted with the salesman, wondered around to look at their other guns but were inevitably drawn back to the Silver Pigeon. You just couldn’t help yourself.

By the time we left that day I was completely unsettled. The Ruger Red Label was the gun I had been dreaming about, it was the gun that I had stayed up endless nights to think about buying, but now that the gun was discontinued, there were other options to consider. However, I knew I wouldn’t be doing myself any good by jumping ship so quickly, so, I began the long and tedious search for a new Red Label, hoping beyond all hopes that something would come up.

As I searched all the sites I could think of I found that to get into a new Red Label I would need around $1,600. Not any small chunk of change, I had to begin thinking about how to make that happen. How could I save that kind of money? I can barely afford to feed myself right now, let alone buy a gun that isn’t necessary for me to do what I need to do. But the thoughts continued and even reached a point where I considered signing up for a Cabela’s card just so that I could use that to buy myself a new gun. But in the end, better sense took over and I had to take a step back and look at my situation.

In the weeks after Vegas I was able to track down a Red Label, in a 20 gauge and with a 26 inch barrel, down in Boise, Idaho; when I got there, I wasn’t disappointed. The gun I had dreamed about was every bit as comfortable and beautiful as I hoped it would be. It shouldered great, the weight was right, and the entire piece was calling to me. However, not being a new-in-box gun I just couldn’t commit and decided to pass on the gun. And believe me, that, was tough.

Some people may think it’s crazy to make holding the firearm you’re going to buy a must but when you’re about to spend as much money as I think I might, you don’t fuss around. Basically, buying this gun is the equivalent to paying an entire month’s worth of bills. Ultimately though, it’s not just about the price, it’s about the individual gun, the relationship that is immediately started when you hold it for the first time, and the feeling that this is the right gun for you. It’s feeling that the wood is the right grain, the forestock is the right design, and the receiver plate is in mint condition. If there is going to be a dent or mark on this gun I want to be the one to put it there. This isn’t a time to compromise. In the end I knew I had to make the tough decision but not wanting to rush things I had to walk away.

I stepped aside, knowing that I would need to hold out a little longer. The hardest part about this process had now become the kink that holding and admiring the Beretta had created. That was a beautiful firearm. It wasn’t that much more than the Red Label and when you’re spending that kind of money, what’s a couple extra hundred. And then there are the unknowns. With Ruger cancelling production of the Red Label, will customer service be the same? Will I be able to send the gun in down the road and have it touched up? Beretta is well known and makes thousands of shotguns every year, including this over under. Ruger has one. And that’s not to say that that one isn’t brilliantly made, there are just pluses and minuses to both. The Beretta has evolved as the game has. It has been field tested and reworked to provide the ultimate experience. Ah, what was I to do?

It has now been several months since the SHOT Show and I still have no idea what I want. I want the Red Label, the gun I fell in love with in Montana but can I still find a new one when the time comes? Will it cost me an arm and a leg? Who really knows? And then there is the Beretta; a gun that oozes tradition, craftsmanship, and reliability. I'll be honest, it was beautiful, simply beautiful. The feel was right, the price was reasonable, and the history was there. What a decision.

I’m not sure where I’ll go from here but I’ll keep looking, keep comparing, and hopefully, someday when I have the money saved up, I’ll make the decision; the hard decision that will provide me with the gun I may use for the next 20 years. It’s a commitment. However, despite their differences, a man would be proud to own either one of these guns and so would I. The Ruger Red Label and the Beretta Silver Pigeon are two fine firearms and whatever my decision is, it will be well worth it.