I bought a brand new Bettinsoli “Talento” 12G O/U shotgun in January this year. It has a nice stock, with plenty of engraving (machined) and gold-wash birds, etc. I chose this model because it came with 8 choke tubes – the 5 standard ones, plus 2 skeet (extended) and one extra full (extended). It is my “one gun for all occasions” – clays, game, skeet. I paid £849 which includes the VAT.
The gun was working fine for the last 5 months, and was set to fire bottom barrel first. Last weekend I got bored and switch it to fire top barrel first, and it gave me a nasty shock by discharging both barrels at the same time when I first fired it. The problem persisted, more often to my mate who has a heavier trigger pull then me.
I spoke to the resident gunsmith at the clay club, and he suggested that a light trigger pull may be to blame – the second barrel being fired immediately after the first. The problem is more common on older guns he said, when the sears get worn out, and cause the hammers to slip. But on a new gun it’s a sign of dodgy machining. I have now taken the gun for repair under warranty.
The gun has fired no more than 3 cases of 250 cartridges = 750 cartridges, and has been carefully cleaned without allowing any excess gun oil to flow into the action and cause this hassle.
The problem is that I have now lost faith in the gun – its like buying a brand new car, and finding the breaks are binding 5 months and a couple of thousand miles later. I want to swap it for a Browning B525 Grade 1, which should prove more reliable (being made in Japan), but its not a pretty gun in the basic grade with its varnished stock. It only comes with 3 choke tubes.
My gun is only worth £600 in part exchange from the same shop I got it from, meaning I have lost £249 in 5 months (although some of that is down to VAT).
Do I stick with the Bettinsoli knowing the same problem may return / get worse, or do I ditch the Italian rubbish and buy a decent make?
