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Beretta silver snipe 12 gauge

29K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  david05111 
#1 ·
My step-dad past away a year ago and I was willed this gun.
For over 25 years I have coveted this gun and now I have been Blessed with it.
The fore stock is worn and the butt stock has a fair amount of dents and scratches in it. The blued parts show their age but are in good shape. The reciever has some very light scratches in it and the gold is worn off the trigger.
PIETRO BERETTA SILVER SNIPE 12 GAUGE
Serial#80756 All parts have same number
There is a star on the top barrel and two stars on the bottom, located just "north" of the chambers
At the bottom of the barrels at the chamber end, it is flat with many marking and one of them is "XX", is this the date code, another is S.55.
Anyway....I would like to know as much information about this gun as possible. Including the Angel with a large hoop on bottom of the reciever and the "shied" with MONOBLOC on the trigger group. Is the trigger Gold plated and if so can a replacement be had or is replating in order.
Are parts readily availible? if so where?
I will never sell this gun and plan to start using it for birds and skeet/trap and showing off
I can provide more info if needed
Thank you for your help
God bless
 
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#2 ·
XX means that the gun was made/proofed in 1964.

* means Full Choke and ** Improved Modified. The Improve Mod is perfect for 16 yard trap singles and out to 23 yards Handicap. If you can select to shoot the Full choke barrel first you will be good for longer yardage handicap. Even with spreader loads, skeet will be a challenge with such tight chokes. You should shoot some patterns at 20 and 30 yards to confirm that the chokes are still as marked, this will also check if the gun fits you.

Contact Beretta or Cole Gunsmithing about availability of parts and gunsmithing questions. Link to Cole's website:http://www.colegun.com

Hope someone else can post about the angel.
 
#3 ·
At the time the Silver Snipe was made there were generally 3 choke constrictions available. IC (***), M (**) & F (*). Generally a gun of that era marked **, * is M/F. My first shotgun when I started hunting (My God, that's been 40 years ago!) was a 20ga Silver Snipe - 26" IC/M. It's still my favorite upland gun.
 
#5 ·
John,

You have seen what the current market value is at the gun shop, at least for your area. If it does not sell it is on the high side.

Birddriver,

I would go with Tal/IL's info about the chokes, Top barrel Full and Under barrel Mod. This make more sense for a field gun. I'll try to remember to check my Blue Book about the angel marking. You patterned the gun yet?
 
#6 ·
Yeah, that just seemed pretty low for a nice Beretta O/U. The gun seemed pretty heavy but it also had an adjustable butt plate installed so I'm wondering if someone hadn't been using the gun for Trap and had added more weight in the stock.

If I wasn't already in the process of buying a new gun I'd have seriously thought about buying that old Beretta for $450. To me something more like $750 would have been inline but that's just off the top of my head. I've seen older Browning Citoris go for that.
 
#7 ·
John,

The 2005 Blue Book has the following values: 100% $725, 98% $650, ... 80% $475, 70% $425.

The action is a boxlock, not sure if same as the 68x models.
Extractors, Trigger Optional ???, checkered pistol grip stock. Mfg 1955-67. Since there is a Silver Snipe SST (Single Selective Trigger) I would guess that the Optional Trigger would mean single non-selective or double triggers.

With fixed chokes of Full/Mod and a non-selective trigger the gun is only good for Trap Doubles and maybe singles for trap shooting. Unless thin wall choke tubes can be installed it will be tough to use it for anything else. I guess it would make a decent hunting gun for pheasants behind a dog or as a pusher during a drive.
 
#9 ·
Thread revival

Hey gents-

I'm new to the board and, like the OP, just inherited one of these shotguns and I really know nothing about it.

Can anyone tell me what this stuff means? I tried to understand the original responses but didn't get far.

Anyways, the gun has some stuff written on the barrel.

XXI
PSF
The lower barrel has 3 stars, the upper has one star

single trigger, 24 inch barrel

Can anyone tell me anymore about it? I know nothing about chokes, etc.
 
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