Test: Beretta Vittoria 691 and 693 – Testing two shotguns especially dedicated to lady hunters

Beretta : a name that will probably remain unique in the history of firearms. Besides handguns and other business areas, the Italian manufacturer also stands for high-quality shotguns. And in this segment, Beretta offers two models, the Vittoria 691 and 693 shotguns, that are specially designed for lady customers.

Like twins: the Beretta Vittoria shotguns

Both shotguns look the same at first glance, although the gauge is different. The 691 come in 20/76 and the 693 in 12/76. Both look appealingly modern and refined. It's noticeable that the Vittoria in 20 gauge is much lighter and a little smaller than the Vittoria in 12/76. Both guns differ only in details – for example, engravings, stock and the case . The shotguns come with sophisticated features. Beretta offers the possibility to replace the recoil pads by just removing two screws and to adjust the stock length to the required size (standard is 13.97” / 355 mm) easily and without any manual skill. Optionally, the customer can acquire the Microcore recoil pads, which modify the stock length to 13.78”, 14.17” or  14.37” (350, 360 or 365 mm) –  thereby the shotguns can be adapted to shooters/lady shooters from 5ft 2in to  5ft 10in tall (158 to 178 cm). The goal is to cover a wide customer segment without the need for complicated woodworking. A high-quality Monte Carlo style walnut wood stock was used, featuring finely cut fish skin on the pistol grip and forend. The pistol grip on both models features a narrower radius, which makes it easy to grip even with small hands. In addition, the pitch was chosen to ensure a perfect fit of the butt plate in the shoulder. On the stock wrist there is a switch which also acts as a slide safety. If the gun is broken-open via the lever, the receiver, scaled to gauge, and the revised ejector system catch the eye. Both guns also have a selective single trigger and an optimized barrel and choke profile (for the use of soft iron and lead shot). The fleur de lys proof mark means that both Vittorias are also designed for steel shot .

The Beretta Vittoria test

Michel Lauer, among other things also responsible for gun training at the Jagd & Naturschule Hessen , assisted in the test of the Vittorias. Through his work he knows about the importance of fit in a shotgun – and above all, in the course of his work he has experienced that women sometimes have problems with the shotguns that are made for men. Both shotguns were first tested on the running hare, from there to the Trap station and then with shotgun slugs. The Beretta 693 in 12/76 started first. Then the Beretta 691 in 20/76 had to follow. After handling the 12 gauge, the difference in weight was clearly noticeable. As far as this discipline was concerned, both showed their strengths in a pleasant swing behavior, very well-absorbed recoil and also good shot patterns. The next step for the duo was to get into the Trap station. There was no proper Trap ammunition available, just some clays. After 3 Trap rounds of 15 clay pigeons each, the result with the 12 gauge was one clay pigeon more than that with the 20 gauge (39 out of 45 and 40 out of 45, respectively). Both guns were effective here in all the key areas. At the end of the test, shotgun slugs were also on the agenda. The test was carried out at a distance of 30 m with 39-g Rottweil Original Brenneke 12/76 Mag and 32-g Rottweil Extra Line Exact 12/70 slugs. Five shots were fired with each load. There were no differences between the groupings.

Vittoria over-under shotguns: technical specs overview

Beretta over-under shotguns: wrap-up

Extensive testing of the two Beretta shotguns in different gauges showed that Beretta guns offer an excellent price/performance ratio. The 20 gauge is more suitable for ladies. A big disadvantage with this gauge, however, is the limited availability. Although various types of ammunition can be ordered without any problems, the additional costs compared to 12 gauge vary depending on the manufacturer and the ammunition, but always prove to be more expensive. The equipment including recoil pads, the chokes, the balanced swing behavior of both guns and the well thought-out construction in all respects make the Beretta shotguns a serious option for ladies or rather small men.

Further information about Vittoria 691 and Vittoria 693 can be found on Beretta website .