What can go wrong with a quality O/U shotgun?

M

mathman

New member
I'm planning on buying a Beretta 686 White Onyx 12 gauge...which got me to thinking...

Can anything really go wrong with a good O/U shotgun? It seems that they have far fewer moving parts and are so simple. Is it reasonable to expect to use it for a liftime with no maintainance other than cleaning?
 
They should last a very long time unless you are a very active target shooter or you abuse the gun. It's a good idea to lube the hinges and locking lugs with lubes specially made for high pressure applications such a s RIG +P.
 
Not much goes wrong but it does depend on on many shells you fire. O/U's have to be one of the most reliable and durable firearm you can buy IMO.
Beretta makes a good O/U that is "rebuildable" if you need it, as are all higher quality O'U's.

I would be surprised if it needed anything before 50,000 rounds. It's possible, but it would probably be minor like firing pins, springs, off timed ejectors, etc.
Small stuff IMO...;) . And, if you shoot a lot and compete, those are all things you would take care of before a problem arises.

Good luck.
 
I don't think that I would put 50,000 rounds through a gun...so I would probably be fine. Thanks for the replies.
 
"I don't think that I would put 50,000 rounds through a gun...so I would probably be fine. Thanks for the replies."

You say that now...

But just wait until you've been to the trap range a couple dozen times, and you suddenly notice your entire basement is filled with empty shotshell boxes... you do a quick count...and realize you've gone through 5,000 shells last year...! And that was a light year, shotgun-wise...

Just wait! 50,000 can definitely creep up on you.
 
simple?

I don't think they're actually THAT simple. Take a look at an exploded parts diagram. There are quite a few parts in one of these things that go in to making them work. What's more, you essentially have two firing mechanisms tied to one trigger that auto re-sets + selective ejectors/extractors in the mechanism. All of this is crammed into a pretty small space. I don't think a pump action or semi-auto really has all that many more moving parts than an O/U. Aside from the pump, action bars and sliding bolt, how many other additional moving parts do they have?

In any case, the Beretta is a finely made shotgun and I bet it will give a lifetime or more of reliable service if properly kept.
 
I don't think a pump action or semi-auto really has all that many more moving parts than an O/U. Aside from the pump, action bars and sliding bolt, how many other additional moving parts do they have?
Click to expand...
Well, there's the trigger group, which is where many people notice QA problems. How many posts have we seen about no firing, no resetting, doubling, broken pins, failed sear, etc?
In truth, ANYTHING can go wrong with any gun, no matter the manufacturer.
That said, you're less likely to have problems with your Beretta than with your third-world cottage industry gun -no names, but you're thinking of them right now!
 
I've had more than a couple of "quality" doubles over the years and the only trouble I've ever experienced with any of them always involved selective trigger mechanisms (first barrel firing, second barrel not). Double triggers are much more reliable and don't take that long to get used to.
 
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