Beretta ASE: The last days of summer of 1961 saw the dream of the very young hunter, fresh from Porto di Fucile for hunting and just 16 years old, come true: an elegant and refined rifle with superimposed barrels arrives from the trusted gunsmith, the brand is Beretta, so much to remain in an area of technical and formal guarantee that will show its value in the unraveling of time, and the model is theASE in 20 gauge.
We review it today with the eyes of the present and what little experience accumulated over time: the first consideration comes spontaneously, affirming how beautiful and graceful it is of line, with that finesse in the execution that speaks of gunsmiths hands full of sensitivity, strength, of wisdom in the use of tools. Today we appreciate it much more than then when several factors escaped us and therefore we propose a parallel between the sensations that are almost 55 years apart. After World War II, the over-under fever mounts, ousting the classic side-by-side shotgun, until then the lady and mistress of the hunting market.
The ASE series was born in the 50s as an approach to a market sensitive to beauty, but not always willing to put hand to important figures to move from the economical S55 series to the prestigious top series where SO2 and SO3 dictate a concept of refinement of lines that is difficult matched. With these elements the design road is smoothed and, in very synthetic terms, it can be said that transferring the percussion from the locks on the side plates to a short battery cuts a large slice of costs. Yes, it is true that the line offered by the long plate is of magnificent completeness, but what the Albion masters have codified as box lock he must not regret what he does not have, but best illustrate what he has. The squared profile of the receiver side can be refined with a double hollow design where the wood of the stock head is inserted, and this already gives a very appreciable aesthetic grace. From here the equalities start with the splendid drawing of the SO that we retrace by observing the head with the two breasts highlighted by a hollow edged at the top by a very fine cord that descends forming a ribbon and from here the projecting profile of the lateral reinforcement with bevel that follows the round arch to extend and end in the sides of the back with a slight convexity.
Already this series of details catches the eye of the attentive observer together with the reduced size compared to the SO in 12, precisely according to the caliber adopted, but the design of the barrels with splayed connection at the junction with the face of the cylinder completes the class of the whole. rocker and side shoulders intended for sealing, equipped with small screwed trapezoids, therefore replaceable, which have been the basis of the success of this Beretta system. We open the rifle by operating the long opening key, also a piece of fine arquebusery with the eye in which the very fine split set screw is inserted, the moderately convex body and the knurled button with an all-Italian round oval line: it is placed well adherent to the upper tail, tapered in two orders, at the apex of which the safety button is inserted.
A look inside
We discover the internal invoice in the breech of the barrels with the chamfer for the collar of the cartridges, the automatic extractors with a large grip sector, the two shelves next to the upper barrel on which the square crossbar engages, always operated by the key, thus creating the doubling of a third Purdey closure of the 1st type in addition to the angled contrast surfaces, mentioned above, which fixed to the breech monobloc, act against the reliefs made in the upper part of the sides. The arrangement of these points in addition to that of the half-pins and trunnions offers a very favorable lever arm: in practice, the first barrel is naturally stable, recessed as it is in the deep U of the receiver.
The weight of the rifle is around 2600 g, therefore very light and balanced even with 70 cm barrels, thanks certainly to the use of Boehler Antinit steel for the latter, at the time a choice of the highest level in terms of resistance, contrast to the corrosion and weight reduction. The ventilated rib with low bridges and anti-reflective knurling leads the eye to the classic round brass front sight.
The woods and some details
The stock was made of good walnut worked in favor of vein and the connection to the receiver sees the particular double-curved profiles where the mastery of the cashier leaves an appreciable sign of completeness. The classic lines stand out in the medium raised nose pad, straight back and rounded half-pistol grip with the completion of the black bakelite buttplate. The thin rod has the same content and is equipped with longitudinal gripping shells: it is stopped at the barrels with the Aoget system whose lever with apical rounding is easily operated with a finger. Note the tiny counter screws, with which the crosshead is fixed to the wood, equipped with a pointed profile to avoid undue rotation: here too the caser has had his work cut out.
Elegant and well-formed the oval of the guard that extends into the guard where the first screw, the one connected to the upper tang, is equipped with a counter screw, the second is simple, all have the fine split that differentiates the harquebusery from the mechanics. The two-trigger release today suffers from a long inactivity and a radical internal cleaning would be necessary to remove the solidified oil residues, arriving once again to perceive the fineness of the original releases.
Considerations
Beautiful and well-made objects have no time, the mastery of pre-CNC arquebusiers, those who pulled files and did not have numerical control machines available, leads to different considerations: the first is that not everything that comes after is progress. , at least from certain points of view, among which the poetry of a steel artifact stands out, where the work of the craftsman is perceived, perhaps inserted as an employee in an industry, but he is and remains a craftsman with his own nobility. Conversely, we know well how today a similar product would have unattainable costs, except for a very small number of possible buyers, so it is good that the machines have come to offer more favorable figures. FOLLOWS
I have the 12 gauge a jewel not a shotgun