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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,642 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,642 Likes: 1 |
Hello All,
It has been some time!
Trust you are all right and taking due care!
I have been presented with a 1952 vintage Beretta AS-20-E.
It has 70cm (27.56") barrels and a straight stock. Apparently choked very tight. It weighs 2.526kg (5.569lbs).
I would appreciate any and all information and sage feedback.
Warmest regards,
Jay Cee
P.S.: Alas, I have lost my ability to post photos.
"...it is always advisable to perceive clearly our ignorance." Charles Darwin
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,749 Likes: 744
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,749 Likes: 744 |
Good to see you posting, Jay Cee. If you can email the photos to me, Ill see to it they are up on the board for you.
tedjs@usfamily.net
Those were nice guns. I thought I was in the market for an ASEL a few years back, but, they turned out to be really light, few and far between, mostly choked really tight, and a lot of money for what they were, and what I would have used it for.
Best, Ted
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,269 Likes: 521
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,269 Likes: 521 |
Ive helped out a friend purchase 2 ASEL 20s. I found them, vetted em, and even did the haggling. They are spectacular guns. Light they are....finished extremely well (inside & out) balanced perfectly and are about the trimmest o/u guns Ive ever handled. The engraving, especially the full coverage rose bouquet is stunning. My favorite version is the straight grip, solid rib double trigger versions....uber sexy. 10 years ago, you could find a pretty decent model/example sub gauge in the mid 3 to 4K range.....not anymore. Prices have gone bananas on these guns here in the States. What you get for that money is a damn near perfectly machined action, lots of hours of hand finishing, bohler-antinit barrels, pretty decent wood and one hell of a shotgun to kill birds with. Youd be extremely hard pressed to find a modern gun that checks all those boxes in todays world without going into the $15 to 20k range.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,982 Likes: 106
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,982 Likes: 106 |
The ASEL guns were made in the Beretta custom shop alongside the SO sidelock guns. Very excellent guns, like Dustin said. The 28 ASEL guns are usually M/F or even tighter. I wonder if opening them up to IC/M would kill collector value?....probably so since they have choke markings stamped on the barrels. They made a higher grade, the ASEELL which is more ornate and even more rare.
Socialism is almost the worst.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,749 Likes: 744
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,749 Likes: 744 |
The gun: A guy could do much worse. I handled two 20 gauge ASEL guns, and I dont believe either gun was more than 5 1/2 lbs. They felt wonderful in hand, but, I already knew I would have problems shooting them well at such light weight. Today I also know the recoil would have been a problem for me. Best, Ted
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,982 Likes: 106
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,982 Likes: 106 |
Thats a super nice gun. As you mentioned thats an AS20E with border engraving as opposed to an AS20EL with more full coverage engraving. A great find you have there. Id love to have that gun for Grouse with more open chokes. George Caswell of Champlin Arms in Enid, OK, an expert of the highest degree on sporting arms, told me he was personally told by Mr. Beretta the original AS guns were of the highest quality save their sidelock guns and would not be reproduced at their price point ever again.
Socialism is almost the worst.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,122 Likes: 198
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,122 Likes: 198 |
If this is a 28" or longer barrel gun with solid rib and double triggers and no cracks in the wood, you have hit the jackpot and I would love to own it.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,642 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,642 Likes: 1 |
Hello Bill,
It does have solid ribs, impeccable wood, two triggers but barrels "only" measure 70cm or 27.56", so... ;-)
Best regards,
Jay Cee
"...it is always advisable to perceive clearly our ignorance." Charles Darwin
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,749 Likes: 744
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,749 Likes: 744 |
Like I said, you could do much worse. I think the barrels were 25-26 on both of the guns I handled. They were both ASEL versions, I might have bought one if they were a plainer, less costly version. Minnesota grouse woods are not kind to pretty guns.
Best, Ted
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,189 Likes: 18
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,189 Likes: 18 |
70cm is the longest bbl.'s originally fitted to those guns. And at one time they were the smallest framed 20 ga. O/U's made. Fun guns in that respect, but as Ted mentions, not so much for extended shooting.. but a delight to carry.
Hope it provides you w/much pleasure, JC. They were never common guns even when Beretta was making them. I want to say they stopped making them around 1964, but as Russ used to say, I could be wrong.
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