doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Beretta BL4

I've been considering the purchase of a 20b Beretta BL4 for my significant other. The gun is like new with a pistol grip stock and 28 inch barrels and weighs a little under 6 lbs. it has tight chokes and is an early 70's gun. Seems like a very nice O/U for not a lot of money. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on these guns, both good and bad?

I've owned several of the BL series of Beretta's in both 12 and 20 ga versions. Never had an issue with any of them. Most can be had from $600 to $1200 dependent on condition and configuration. Wood is generally pretty plain and the applied finish is nothing to brag about.

Have a pair of BL3s, a 12 and a 20, am very happy with both. Not one problem has surfaced with either one.

Nice and light, especially in 20ga. Reliable. Back in those fixed choke days, you were stuck with tighter chokes in 28" barrels. Bores are chromed, so you need to find the right gunsmith to open them.

In general, many of the old, fixed choke OU's represent good buys. Seems most folks who buy an OU think they need choke tubes, which depresses the prices on the fixed choke guns.

Back when I was shooting skeet and just married in 1970, my wife took a fancy to it also. I bought for her a 28 ga. BL4 and took my choice of the ones in stock for wood. It has 26" barrels, imp.cyl/mod. It weighs 6 lbs. 4 ozs.
Between shooting this and a 20 ga., I didn't see any difference in the totals when shooting skeet, the difference only being 1/8 oz.
A nice handling gun and it killed many stocked pheasants through the years with skeet loads.

I haven't shot it in many years and my son and I went out and shot some skeet, it and I did fairly well with it. Still like to get halfway on #8 low house.

I have one in 12 that I use as my "traveling gun". It shoots very well and reliably and if the airlines loose it I won't be out the price of a Parker.

I had a BL-4 20 gage for a brief period. It was a great gun and I could shoot it very well.

I elected to return it due to the fact that the wood was not original and the entire gun was bent to the left. Right to left crossing pheasants were a sure thing! Lol

I paid $700.00 for it and received a full refund.

I did find a BL-6 in 28 gage at a gun shop in Va. that I thought was very desirable. However, the gun was very very well worn and needed to be tightened up and the wood needed to be replaced. I thought that it would make a great project gun but at $1800.00 I chose to pass.

Perhaps I was a bit too timid about these guns but I had been warned that parts for the BL series were becoming difficult to find.

I have seen them in 12, 20 and 28 gages and they all felt like they were a part of me.

To satisfy my lust for the BL-4 20 gage, I bought a like new Beretta SP1 20 gage for $1100.00. I think that this was a bit more of a "bargain" than restoring the BL-4. Of course I was never blessed with good judgement! Lol

Stay well my friends,

Franchi