Beretta overhaul by GMK

[Townie]

My ancient 686 finally gave up and I took it to the local gunshop for a look. Chap said it was a bit beyond a quick fix by a local gunsmith and thought a full overhaul by GMK in order. I confess to being a bit sceptical, but it's come back like a new one.

Apart from replacing many bits (old ones returned in a bag), they remachined the whorls on the flats on the sides of the breech (sorry - don't know the proper terminology) which had been worn down, replaced the bit of solder at the muzzle between the barrels and side rib that had fallen out and been bodged by me with a blob of superglue, replaced an unmatched nut and bolt holding the fore end iron on and cleaned out the plastic wad streaks in the forcing cones that I couldn't shift. It no longer sounds and feels like a biscuit tin full of nuts and bolts.

I had been thinking of something newer, but if the gun now lasts another 30 years it'll outlive me and I hate throwaway culture. 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Engine turning.

 

Good old Beretta's go on for a long time with a little help.

Edited May 4, 2021 by TIGHTCHOKE

[figgy]

How much was this service?

[Scully]

Sounds great! Well done. 

[ditchman]

makes a change that someone is prepared to look after a gun rather than bin it...........good outcome

[Townie]

15 hours ago, figgy said:

How much was this service?

£300. Pursed my lips a bit, but the only options would have been to practically give the gun away or start looking elsewhere. 

[enfieldspares]

£300! Wow that's exceptionally excellent value given the cost per hour "in the trade" of a gunsmith's time.

[Townie]

I'm delighted to hear that! Gun repairs have always struck me as oddly cheap (I'm thinking £50 for making and fitting a firing pin for an old gun, along with a bit of a service a couple of years ago) or expensive, so I trust the gun shop and pay what they say. 

[JDog]

1 hour ago, enfieldspares said:

£300! Wow that's exceptionally excellent value given the cost per hour "in the trade" of a gunsmith's time.

Agreed, and possibly done well below cost to the gunsmith.

[Smokersmith]

That's a great result 👍

[old'un]

On 04/05/2021 at 11:56, Townie said:

My ancient 686 finally gave up and I took it to the local gunshop for a look. Chap said it was a bit beyond a quick fix by a local gunsmith and thought a full overhaul by GMK in order. I confess to being a bit sceptical, but it's come back like a new one.

Apart from replacing many bits (old ones returned in a bag), they remachined the whorls on the flats on the sides of the breech (sorry - don't know the proper terminology) which had been worn down, replaced the bit of solder at the muzzle between the barrels and side rib that had fallen out and been bodged by me with a blob of superglue, replaced an unmatched nut and bolt holding the fore end iron on and cleaned out the plastic wad streaks in the forcing cones that I couldn't shift. It no longer sounds and feels like a biscuit tin full of nuts and bolts.

I had been thinking of something newer, but if the gun now lasts another 30 years it'll outlive me and I hate throwaway culture. 

Are Beretta's prone to this type of wear/failure? Or as the gun had some abuse over its life and how old was the gun?

[Townie]

I think it’s just down to lots of use. It’s 30 plus years old and the chap I bought it from 15 years ago shot a lot. I’ve given it plenty of hammer and never had it serviced, which I probably should have done. 

[old'un]

15 minutes ago, Townie said:

I think it’s just down to lots of use. It’s 30 plus years old and the chap I bought it from 15 years ago shot a lot. I’ve given it plenty of hammer and never had it serviced, which I probably should have done. 

Buy a Miroku next time , had my Miroku from new, its 45+ years old and still going strong.

[welshwarrior]

56 minutes ago, old'un said:

Buy a Miroku next time , had my Miroku from new, its 45+ years old and still going strong.

Unfortunately a Miroku is less likely to last as long as on old school Beretta 68 series.  
£300 is a bargain got them to do mine (it wasn’t worth my time to do it once costs of parts was taken out my old 686 coaching gun had had a huge amount of use and limited love. 

[old'un]

27 minutes ago, welshwarrior said:

Unfortunately a Miroku is less likely to last as long as on old school Beretta 68 series.  
£300 is a bargain got them to do mine (it wasn’t worth my time to do it once costs of parts was taken out my old 686 coaching gun had had a huge amount of use and limited love. 

Well from an engineering point of view (my profession before retirement) I have to disagree with you, mine is 45+ years old, had thousands of cartridges through and still closes like a bank safe door, dont know about modern Miroku’s but the old ones were built to last.

[welshwarrior]

Just now, old'un said:

Well from an engineering point of view (my profession before retirement) I have to disagree with you, mine is 45+ years old, had thousands of cartridges through and still closes like a bank safe door, dont know about modern Miroku’s but the old ones were built to last.

Your welcome to your engineering point of view and from mine in the gun trade we’ll have to agree to disagree my experience the Beretta would last almost twice as long, be easier to repair if required.  
 

[old'un]

1 hour ago, welshwarrior said:

Your welcome to your engineering point of view and from mine in the gun trade we’ll have to agree to disagree my experience the Beretta would last almost twice as long, be easier to repair if required.  
 

Well my Miroku seems to have lasted longer than the OP Beretta, as you say, we will have to agree to disagree.

[figgy]

It's not about age, I had a 100 plus years old gun still working great do I win 😋 

It's how many shots it's done and how big a cartridge they were. A Beretta or Miroku used for game and pigeons regular all its life firing heavy carts will be worn out much quicker that a gun used for a round of clays twice a month.

A coaching gun will fire many tens of thousands of carts. Not just thousands.

My clay guns would shoot over ten thousand some years. Few years and your up at a good amount. Would a Miroku last that amount of shooting for 45 years ?

[WalkedUp]

As with heavy plant it’s the hours on its clock not the reg on its plate that determines its “age”. 

[welshwarrior]

9 hours ago, figgy said:

It's not about age, I had a 100 plus years old gun still working great do I win 😋 

It's how many shots it's done and how big a cartridge they were. A Beretta or Miroku used for game and pigeons regular all its life firing heavy carts will be worn out much quicker that a gun used for a round of clays twice a month.

A coaching gun will fire many tens of thousands of carts. Not just thousands.

My clay guns would shoot over ten thousand some years. Few years and your up at a good amount. Would a Miroku last that amount of shooting for 45 years ?

This and WalkedUp’s comments.  

[DUNKS]

I am frankly amazed at the cost of this  "overhaul" As the OP said the gun had "given up" Which to me means not working as it should. The cost of the parts needed would be almost the amount he was charged. ie. strikers and springs. Hammer springs.  trunnions or whatever they are called plus the muzzle repair. A complete overhaul for £300 is amazing. I was recently quoted £70 just to supply a pair of strikers and a spring for my Browning.

[Townie]

Just dug out the receipt and it was in fact £350. The main problem was the top ejector operating even when not fired and the gun unlocking when firing a heavy cartridge through the top barrel (one of the least funny shooting related things to have happened to me). The empties weren’t being ejected very far, the barrels were loose on the trunnions and the top lever was at 6 o’clock rather than slightly off. So ‘given up’ probably an exaggeration. More like very unwell.

[DUNKS]

4 hours ago, Townie said:

Just dug out the receipt and it was in fact £350. The main problem was the top ejector operating even when not fired and the gun unlocking when firing a heavy cartridge through the top barrel (one of the least funny shooting related things to have happened to me). The empties weren’t being ejected very far, the barrels were loose on the trunnions and the top lever was at 6 o’clock rather than slightly off. So ‘given up’ probably an exaggeration. More like very unwell.

Still a very good price in my books.