Problem with single selective trigger

Adam From Africa

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I bought a new Beretta Parallelo SxS about a year ago. I have been shooting clays and pigeons for a while but all too often the second pull of the trigger is a misfire and it fails to shoot. I took it back to the dealer and they told me the trigger mechanism is in perfect order and that I must just use heavier loads than the no. 7s I have been using. I feel I should be able to use any charge. I also tried to complain with Beretta but their client service is non-existent. What to do? I will be greatful to hear your advices.
 
What is your load?
Dram equivalent (or velocity)-
Weight of shot-

The Beretta changes barrels by inertia. If there is not enough recoil, it will not switch barrels. Sorry, but I never took the action apart to see if it could be reworked or changed.

FYI, my 686 O/U worked fine with 7/8 ounce loads at 1200 fps for sporting clays. I tried 1/2 ounce, but I would have to drop the gun on the recoil pad to get it to switch.

Your SxS was designed as a field gun, so probably does need heavier shot load or higher velocity to get it to function consistently.
 
Try this , Adam. It will have your Beretta Model 486 Parallelo functioning properly in no time .
IMG_20191221_175506.jpg


The Beretta Model 486 Parallelo has 3 inch chambers , removable chokes and a single selective trigger. Use a 3 inch Magnum cartridge in your shot gun and tell us the results .

Here is Beretta's e mail address. Kawshik wrote them an e mail once and they responded : estore@beretta.com

Personally , l prefer the traditional twin trigger configuration myself . My old Belgian shot gun ( 12 calibre ) has 3 inch chambers , extractors and 28 inch long barrels ( left barrel is a full choke. Right barrel is a modified choke . ) I have been using the gun extensively since 1959 with all sorts of 2.5 inch , 2.75 inch and 3 inch cartridges and it never ever let me down .
FB_IMG_1575727188171.jpg
 
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Beretta service non-existence is par for the course.

The only thing I can suggest (beyond what has already been suggested) is to clean the inside mechanisms of all oil etc. and see if that fixes/reduces the problem.
 
The other option would be to cause the recoil action to be stiffer. The light loads are making a too gentle push and if the gun has a soft landing against your shoulder there may not be enough snap to reset the trigger. A simple test is make sure the gun is empty. insert snapcaps. press the trigger to fire the first barrel, then smack the butt of the gun easily but sharply against a firm object such as the floor. Press the trigger and see if that was sufficient to set the trigger. If so, figure out a way of accomplishing the same snap against your shoulder.
 
Why oh why are SxS guns made with a single trigger? They should look like this:


A trigger for each barrel like this Parker.
 

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Of course some Beretta SxS actually have a trigger for each barrel (and the front one is hinged).
 

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Of course some Beretta SxS actually have a trigger for each barrel (and the front one is hinged).
I am probably 1 of the biggest fans of the traditional twin trigger configuration , Crs . However , l think that l can answer your question. These days , l noticed in Dhaka Rifle Club that most of the young shooters who shoot double barreled shot guns prefer a single trigger these days . Their reasoning is that they do not like twin trigger shot guns as their finger gets hurt due to recoil .
I personally , have been using a traditional twin trigger Belgian piece since 1959 and l never got my finger hurt at all .
 
There is a difference between Twin triggers and Double triggers. Double triggers are assigned to each barrel. Front fires one barrel, the back fires the other. Twin triggers are a great invention used in early Browning superposed. the front trigger fires one barrel, then resets to fire the other barrel. the back trigger will fire the other barrel, then reset to fire the unfired barrel. It gave the shooter instant selection of barrel by choosing which trigger to use, then had an immediate second barrel without moving finger to the other trigger.

Miller triggers are single triggers that replace double triggers and unlike the miserable selectors where the thumb has to move the selector, that also doubles as the safety, the Miller has a small toggle directly above the trigger which can be toggled as the finger is enroute to the trigger, very little time involved in switching barrels and no need for an articulated trigger to prevent getting smacked by the front trigger.
 
There is a difference between Twin triggers and Double triggers. Double triggers are assigned to each barrel. Front fires one barrel, the back fires the other. Twin triggers are a great invention used in early Browning superposed. the front trigger fires one barrel, then resets to fire the other barrel. the back trigger will fire the other barrel, then reset to fire the unfired barrel. It gave the shooter instant selection of barrel by choosing which trigger to use, then had an immediate second barrel without moving finger to the other trigger.

Miller triggers are single triggers that replace double triggers and unlike the miserable selectors where the thumb has to move the selector, that also doubles as the safety, the Miller has a small toggle directly above the trigger which can be toggled as the finger is enroute to the trigger, very little time involved in switching barrels and no need for an articulated trigger to prevent getting smacked by the front trigger.
I apologise , Ray B. English is not my 1st language and thank you very much for correcting me .
This is double trigger then , yes ?
FB_IMG_1575727188171.jpg
 
Appears to be. Actual twin triggers as used on the Browning are very rare, so when a gun has two triggers, it is almost certainly a double trigger gun.
 
To all or anyone;
Was the action pictured just above made in SUHL?
Does anyone know the gunmaker?

Multiple features strongly resemble the same features of my Simson & Co Suhl DR.
These include the scalloped rear of the action, the side clips, the cocked chamber indicators, Greener cross bolt, and the overall look. The Suhl plant made many actions which were sold in the white to independent gunmakers.

All Merkel and Simsons of the same era were made in Suhl.
 
"they do not like twin trigger shot guns as their finger gets hurt due to recoil ."
SIGH.
The poor little snowflakes!
 
To me the Side by Side screams Double trigger having said that I own one of each a side by side with doubles and a OU with a single
 
To all or anyone;
Was the action pictured just above made in SUHL?
Does anyone know the gunmaker?

Multiple features strongly resemble the same features of my Simson & Co Suhl DR.
These include the scalloped rear of the action, the side clips, the cocked chamber indicators, Greener cross bolt, and the overall look. The Suhl plant made many actions which were sold in the white to independent gunmakers.

All Merkel and Simsons of the same era were made in Suhl.
Here , you go , Crs.
FB_IMG_1575727193927.jpg
FB_IMG_1575727196911.jpg
FB_IMG_1575727191567.jpg
FB_IMG_1575727188171.jpg
FB_IMG_1575727185272.jpg


I purchased it in 1959 from an English tea garden owner who was leaving India to return to Great Britain. It is unmarked , except for " 12 Bore DBBL Made In Belgium " which was stamped on the gun when it was brought into India through customs by the English gentleman ( the shot gun's original owner . ) I often have wondered who made it . It is extremely solidly built .
 
For the non-functioning single selective, I too, as others have suggested, would first take the wood off and really clean the insides with good solvent then lightly lube. Then if nothing works like the cleaning and heavier shells, then find a gunsmith who knows what they are doing--- which may not be easy on such shotguns.

As to Major Khan's shotgun, I really have nothing solid but it reminds me of a Sauer I once owned. Could it be a JP Sauer, unmarked, made for a non-continental market? Now that's a wild guess :)

There's likely some proof marks, maybe on the barrels' underside. Someone familiar with proof marks might be able to shed some light on manufacturer. The proof mark may or may not reflect exact manufacturer but certainly would indicate country of origin. Here's a list that could possibly be used to match to the gun.
http://www.nramuseum.org/media/940944/proofmarks.pdf
 

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I really have nothing solid but it reminds me of a Sauer I once owned. Could it be a JP Sauer, unmarked, made for a non-continental market? Now that's a wild guess :)

There's likely some proof marks, maybe on the barrels' underside. Someone familiar with proof marks might be able to shed some light on manufacturer. The proof mark may or may not reflect exact manufacturer but certainly would indicate country of origin. Here's a list that could possibly be used to match to the gun.
http://www.nramuseum.org/media/940944/proofmarks.pdf
The shot gun is made in Belgium , four five eight . It was stamped " 12 Bore DBBL Made In Belgium " when it's previous owner brought it into India through customs prior to 1959 . Before 1972 , when any resident would purchase a fire arm from a foreign country and bring it back to India for private use , the customs officials would always ( have someone) stamp the calibre and make of the gun , as well as the country of the gun's manufacture on the underside of the gun.
It has 3 inch chambers , extractors and 28 inch barrels. The left barrel is fully choked. The right barrel is modified choked. I have taken extremely good care of the shot gun since 1959 and it has provided me with 60 + years of flawless service. Loaded with Eley Alphamax 3 inch cartridges , which were hand loaded with spherical ball bullets , l used it for all of my personal hunting as well to back clients up for shikar. The grand old gun helped me slay 20 panthers ( several of them , man eaters ) 12 royal Bengal tigers ( 11 of which were wounded by my clients and had charged our shikar party . ) , gaurs , water buffalo , wild boar , Asian Sloth Bear , crocodiles and countless game for the pot . It has never let me down 1 single time .
The gun got me out of many a sticky situation.
The forum member , Red Leg was kind enough to help me identify my gun . He said that the action is similar to Auguste Francotte of Belgium and that , since my gun is unmarked , it is what collectors know , as a " Guild Gun " that is made by an obscure maker of the gun maker's guild in Liege , Belgium .

This shot gun is probably 1 of my most valued possessions . I have kept it in mint condition all these years and l use it through out the year for all my hunting and skeet shooting purposes .
I often write articles in the " articles " section of African Hunting forums about my old days as a professional shikaree in Nagpur , India and the gun receives a great deal of mention in every story .
Perhaps , some of them may interest you .
I even dedicated 1 article , just to that old Belgian shot gun .
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/a-gun-which-lasted-a-career-a-life-time.54231/
 
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Thanks for reminding- had missed it in that thread. The Francotte identification makes sense! Pretty well known maker.
 
With regard to using a shotgun for defense, I recall a magazine article several years ago by a hunter whose guide carried a short (relatively) barreled 12 ga loaded with buckshot. As I recall the animal the encountered was a Leopard. The hunter questioned the guide about his choice of weapon and became convinced that at short range, as in dealing with an upset cat that wanted to put the bite on the hunter, the most effective transfer of energy and method of modifying behavior was 12 00 size pellets. From personal experience I recall a similar load being quite effective on people at close range.
 

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