Beretta has been in the gun biz for a long time, and since they introduced their first O/Us around 1935, they’ve refining their designs and developing new over unders.
Beretta introduced ASEs in 1949. A boxlock version of their SOs, they’re made with SO-type actions and feature the SO’s Kersten-style top bolts and removable bbl cheek pieces.
ASEs came in 12g and 20g, there were built in 3 grades (ASE, ASEL, and ASEELL). T0day, the ASEs are common, but top-of-the-line models like the EELL you see here are scarce.
Beretta ASE 20 EELL Scarce 20 Bore O/U: Circa pre-1964, 20 bore, 2 3/4″ chambers, 26″ barrels with a hand file cut solid rib and choked .015 Mod. and .025 Full, 14 3/4″ LOP over a 7/8″ leather covered pad, 1 7/16″ DAC, 2 5/16″ DAH, 1/8″ cast off, 5 lbs. 11 oz., ejectors, single gold trigger, straight grip, coin finished receiver with very fine hand engraving of large and bold stylized acanthus scroll with foliate and floral work signed by B. Consoli, bottom of action also engraved “P. Beretta, Gardone” and “Brevettato”, nicely figured European walnut, excellent condition with some handling marks. These ASE guns are very scarce and were very limited. 20 bores are even more scarce. Price: $14,995
Beretta’s BL over-unders were built from the late ’60 into the ’70s. Like ASEs, these O/Us are boxlock-style guns. With the BLs, Beretta introduced the dual locking bolts used on many of the O/U’s the make today. The Garcia Sporting Arms Corporation Beretta BLs and they offered them in four grades: BL-1, BL-3, BL-4 & BL-5. In 1970, the BL-4 below cost $375. At the same time, sidelock Beretta SO-3s started at $1200.
This one is on Gunbroker.com now, and the listing ends Monday, 4/21/2014, @ 4:26:58 PM ET.
Beretta BL-4 12g Over Under Shotgun: This shotgun has 30 inch vent rib fixed choke barrels, twin beads, an engraved receiver, a tang mounted safety/barrel selector, selective ejectors, and a very nice checkered hardwood stock with a black grip cap and an attached recoil pad. It is in very good 90% condition with a little bit of freckling on the barrels and some handling marks on the stock. The bore are in mirror bright condition and the action is very tight. Choked full over modified. 14.25 inch length of pull. 1.5 inch drop at the comb, 2.5 inch drop at the heel. 3 inch chamber. Made in 1971.
