On this occasion we tried the 20 gauge. Our rifle Beretta 690 Field 1 has 71 cm barrels and standard stock, comes with a blue case in ABS shockproof polymer, also suitable for air transport, inside, in addition to the rifle, there are 5 Beretta chokes two of which are already mounted on the barrels, their disassembly key, the instruction booklet, the Beretta warranty, the belt-holder t-shirts and a bottle of oil for Beretta weapons.
For the test we went to the Bettolino skeet shooting, where there is a Compak hunting course: from the first impression the shotgun seems light and well balanced, you immediately notice the wider receiver than the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I over-and-under. caliber, which, expanding the central area of the rifle, gives a sense of greater stability that will prove real even in the practical test.
Beretta 690 Field 1 - The characteristics
Analyzing the shotgun, it is a classic hunting over-under, with pistol butt and good quality walnut woods finished with oil, the stock fold, 35/55, is the classic one for hunting. The checkering, made by machine, ensures an excellent grip both on the pistol and on the shaft, the latter is of the classic type, slightly rounded inside it contains the cross which, as on the whole 690 series, has a spring with adjustable tension for an easy adjustment of the closure even after several thousand strokes. The butt plate is the Beretta MicroCore, designed for the best recoil absorption and available in different thicknesses. The steel action frame, which represents the heart of the shotgun, is wide but, at the same time, slim and elegant, boasts a refined floral laser engraving of the Renaissance type and double poppetto derived directly from luxury shotguns. In the lower part, protected by a fine bridge engraved with the same motif as the action frame, the selective single trigger acts on internal Anson-type batteries. The closure is the classic one of the 680/690 series with the two conical pins for constant play recovery and always perfect tightening.
Beretta 690 Field 1 - The mechanics
The barrels, assembled in monobloc, are in triple-alloyed steel Steelium Optimabore HP with deep drilling, cold hammering and vacuum stretching, the connection cone between the combustion chamber and the cylindrical part of the barrel is 9 cm, the hole is 16 mm. Taken together, all these features contribute to reduced recoil and minimal wheelie, as well as ensuring excellent shot patterns with excellent penetration of the shot on the target. All barrels have latest generation internal chokes Beretta Optimachoke HP, perfect for both lead and steel shots. The barrels are surmounted by an elegant 6 × 6 ventilated rib with a solid base, while the ribs between the two barrels are solid, as befits a hunting rifle.
The extractors are automatic, as befits a modern rifle, on this rifle there is no ecological system for the exclusion of the ejector, therefore the extraction will always be automatic. same system used on the SO series. The safety is located in the classic position behind the opening key and acts on the triggers, inside the safety button there is the selector to choose which of the two barrels should fire first, when the red dot in the lower position is highlighted, it fires the bottom barrel first, while if the top bullet is highlighted, the shooting sequence will be reversed. As on all 20-gauge shotguns produced by Beretta, the chamber is 76 mm (Magnum) to be able to fire cartridges with heavy weight, although personally I believe that if I hunt with a 20 gauge it makes no sense to use 12 gauge cartridges.
Beretta 690 Field 1 - The shooting range test
For the firing test we alternated myself and Aldo Lovazzani, Trap Excellence category. We used Fiocchi F2 cartridges of 28 grams and lead n. 7,5. Despite the 71 cm barrels, not very suitable for shooting from the platform, from the first shots the shotgun gave us a feeling of extreme stability, even on the second shot. The extraction of the shells is always powerful and well synchronized: although it was not a shotgun born for the platform, this over-and-under allowed us to break the targets with extreme ease without a particular recoil, and with almost zero detection. It is undoubtedly a shotgun suitable for all hunts thanks to the wide choice of 66, 71 and 76 cm barrels and the interchangeable chokes of the Optimachoke HP type: short barrels and wide choke for hunting with the dog to the queen of the woods, barrels long and choked for drives and shed hunting.
DATASHEET
Brand: Beretta www.beretta.it
Model: 690 Field I
Caliber: 20/76 Magnums
Rocker: Steel with floral engravings
Safety: Manual, with barrel selector
Trigger: Selective single trigger
Cane: Steelium, in tri-alloy steel
Rod lengths: 66, 71, 76 cm
Barrel drilling: 16 mm
Rod weight: kg of 1,080
Extractors: automatic
Rib: 6 × 6 ventilated solid base
Chokes supplied: N.5 OCHP chokes
Viewfinder: Round metal
Stock and forend: Selected walnut wood
Recoil pad: MicroCore 20mm
Stock fold: 35/55
Accessories: Cassette, choke wrench, oil and instruction booklet
Weight: Kg 2,90 (with 71 cm barrel)
Prezzo di listino: Euro 2.550