You like the Beretta 686 Onyx Pro Sporting so why not just pick one of those up. You can get some decals so there is no confusion when you shoot together.

Jason

 

You like the Beretta 686 Onyx Pro Sporting so why not just pick one of those up. You can get some decals so there is no confusion when you shoot together.

Jason

I’ve thought about that too.... The hope was that the 690 series had improvements over the 680 series and so that should automatically mean there’s a 3-5 bird improvement in score...right?

 

I believe there were some ejector issues with the early 690 series, it was enough to scare me off from buying one. I couldn’t keep a lower firing pin in my 725 browning sporting and was looking to get into something that wasn’t plagued with factory engineering issues and saved up for a DT11. If you send me a PM I will share the contact I bought my DT11 from and am sure he’ll give you a good deal and not too far off from one of the 690 series guns.

 

....was looking to get into something that wasn’t plagued with factory engineering issues and saved up for a DT11.

Do check your forearm for cracking closely. I've seen no less than 5 or 6 from the factory forearms cracking. The DT11 doesn't have screws that pull the iron into the forearm along the length of the forearm, only in compression through the wood. (So its like a type 3 perazzi forearm not a type 4)

 

I would avoid the 690 and the 692.
The 694 is a good option.
The 686 is a proven workhorse.

 

What is it about the 690 and 692 that’s worth avoiding? Did the 694 fix issues with the others?

 

Lol

 

You believe that, I have a HOT land deal in Hawaii for you. The deal is still smoking.

I think you really need to shoot a 694 to get a real comparison against the 686 you shot.
Another option is buy a used one. If you don't like it you can get most or all of you money back.

Good luck.

Jason

 

You believe that, I have a HOT land deal in Hawaii for you. The deal is still smoking.

My oldest granddaughter is a licensed realtor in Hawaii. She’ll be glad to broker for you. At only 3% she will save you a lot on fees too.

 

Or find a gently used 682 gold e

 

I may not have stated my question very well....Is the 690-695 series just a natural progression of improvements or are they distinctly different in their purpose or perhaps just in grade of wood/scroll work?

all the responses have been very helpful though....keep it coming!

 

I am sure Mike At Silver Dollar out of Florida could help you out.

 

This video from the great Rich Cole might help. Cole's can answer any other questions you have and I strongly recommend buying from them.

There are differences, but I think the way the gun locks up is largely the same between the 686 and the 690 series. The weight of the receivers is different. While not necessarily a mechanical change, that will make a big difference in feel.

 

This video from the great Rich Cole might help. Cole's can answer any other questions you have and I strongly recommend buying from them.

There are differences, but I think the way the gun locks up is largely the same between the 686 and the 690 series. The weight of the receivers is different. While not necessarily a mechanical change, that will make a big difference in feel.

This is one of the best videos explaining the changes between the 692 and 694.

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

 

I have owned Beretta 687 Combo (JEG version), DT10 combo, and now a 692 xtrap o/u
Let me say yes there is a progression in design and engineering between them.
The 692 really gives you a lot of gun for the money. The subtle upgrades in design are what you would expect in the evolution of the line.
The barrels are better on the 692 (and Dt11) than the 680 series and DT10.
The chokes and back boring are improved resulting in smoother shooting and great patterns out of the box.
The balance and adjustments are more fluid on the 692 than the older models.
The stock comes with a palm swell and cast off and toe out, without having to go to a gunsmith.
First gun I ever owned that I could take off the jones adjuster on the recoil pad.
My 692 points better than my DT10 and 687 ever did.

That is all just my first hand experience with the guns.

See if you can shoot one to see for yourself.
I really do find value in the 692 over the 680 series.
Oh and the ejector issue everyone talks about... I have not had it on mine.

Thanks,

 

Been shooting a 692 xTrap for almost 5 years now and I agree with everything you said. However, I did have a problem with the ejector (actually the eject/extract selector). I was still able to shoot using extract, then brought it in to Cole’s in Maine a month later for 25,000 round maintenance and they replaced the selector with a new, (allegedly) improved part. No problems since.

 

The well documented issue of the 692 falling apart in two while being fired because of the tang screw issue is a non starter for many. The 692's have lost tons of value. 692 top tang bolts breaking

 

I have owned, and currently own, quite a few Beretta’s. I don’t see any of the new 690s as upgraded firearms. They are newer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean better. I prefer the DT10 over the DT11 and prefer the Mobil chokes over any of the new HPs. That isn’t to say the new guns are bad at all, but just preference. If you are looking for something that is tried and true and parts are readily available, I would stick with the 680 series gun you already have. I do believe the the DT10, DT11, or older ASE 90 are all higher guns that will handle large volume shooting, but they will also cost a bit more and parts are not as available as 680 guns. I am currently using a DT10 for all clays sports, but my 687 has never given me any grief and has spent around 11 hunting seasons with me. Again, not knocking the new 690s, I just don’t see them as an upgrade to the 680s. If I was to get a new gun that cost $4000+, I would upgrade to one of their heavy competition guns.

 

Beretta's are great guns for the most part, but they certainly aren't the only brand that I'd consider...I am currently shooting 2 Zoli's, both of which I purchased very lightly used for 694 money, or less. Superb target shoguns.

 

I own a 686 field model which I use for hunting, and a 692 xTrap model which I use for trapshooting.
The 686 is a very fine gun, but there are many new or improved features in the 692. Here are some of the major differences in the 692 vs. 686:

• Better barrels which are back bored with elongated forcing cones. Barrels are made with a new, allegedly improved proprietary alloy called Steelium.
• B-fast weighting system allows you to adjust balance point.
• B-fast adjustable comb to adjust POI.
• Ability to select either ejection or extraction of spent shells. Beretta had some trouble with the selector breaking on this feature. Beretta has fixed this problem on newer models, but if it breaks (as it did on mine) it is easily fixed. Plus you can keep shooting until you get it fixed. You just have to extract the shells manually.

As far as the 694, i haven’t shot it, but it’s still a bit new for anything definitive as far as durability. Rich Cole seems to like it.

 

These are all great responses with lots of good info. I’m likely going to try and find a nice 686 like my sons. It’s an Onyx Pro Sporting and does most of what I want. Has a great look. It’s lighter than my Citori CX but it swings.....different. I like the stability the weight provides but it still smooth. Like I said...still learning. I’m not good enough to justify a 4-6k gun so may delay the upgrade to a later date. My nephew shoots Zolis but it’s still a little out of my price range.

Would a 682 be a good “upgrade”?

 

Would a 682 be a good “upgrade”?

From an onyx pro?
I'd say no. The only thing the 682 series had over the new onyx pro series is an adjustable trigger.

 

The one thing I would consider is that Beretta is not shy about orphaning a model fairly quickly.
My wife is on her 3rd Beretta now, started with a 680 combo, moved on to my 686 a few years later and is now shooting a 690 Vittoria. I do all the maintenance on her guns and we have never have had a mechanical problem with any of the three. The 686 will probably get a tune up at the Grand this year, but only because of the round count. Beretta orphaned the DT10s pretty quickly and the used value dropped like a rock for a couple of years when the DT11s came out, though it seems to have evened out now. They are on the 3rd or 4th iteration of the 690 series depending on how you look at it in fairly short order. If you like the 686 Onyx Pro, I'd buy one. The other benefit would be if you decided to shoot ATA trap with it, getting an extra barrel or stock is fairly easy.

 

690 Trap and sporting gun (doesn't come in the overly high rib height that some like)
691 Lightly engraved field gun
692 An attempt by berretta to replace the 686/687 series, some issues noted above, has been replaced by the 694
693 Also called the 690 Field III. Engraved field gun.
694 Newest attempt to replace the 686/687 series...and the failed 692. All indications seem to be a solid gun. No overly high rib out yet for it.

If you want the newest out of the series I'd go with the 694....if you desire a high rib you'll either need to wait on the 694 to come that way...or find a 680 series gun.

 

I've been shooting Berettas (680, 682, 682X, 686, 692, 694, DT10X and DT11) longer than I've shot any other make of shotgun.............16 different Berettas and counting so far in the last 40 years and I've not had a bad one yet. Now all I own are two DT10Xs trap guns and three 692s (two trap and one skeet).

The 680s and 682s were truly excellent guns. I shot thousands of shells through both at skeet (English, NSSA and Olympic) and trap (DTL, Wobble and Olympic) configurations without a single problem. Not one! The 682X was a very good DTL gun and again thousands went through it without a single glitch. I won the 686 in a trap competition and only shot it occasionally at sporting clays till I sold it, but again it performed faultlessly.

I was looking for a low rib Beretta O/U for Olympic trap and decided on a 692. I'd heard all the stories about 692s giving trouble so I discussed those with the Beretta importer in the UK. They agreed to check out any 692 that I acquired FOC to ensure it had the latest ejector and trigger frame locking bolt modifications. I've subsequently shot thousands through my 692 trap guns, have shot many 100 straights at DTL with them and have never had any problems whatsoever.

Recently I had the opportunity to play with a loaned 694 trap gun for promotional purposes. There are obvious differences between it and the 692 that it supersedes. Some of those are cosmetic, some relate to the ways the ejectors have been designed and some relate to how the fore-end latches to the barrels.

Do they cure any latent problems lurking in the original 692's design after the 692's corrective mods have been applied? I don't think so, because so far those mods have seen off all the original issues of which people talk endlessly.

Does the 694 shoot better or differently compared with the 692? If someone blindfolded me, handed me a 692 or a 694 and then told me to to tell the difference, the only difference I'd have noticed (blindfold off) was the color of the top lever. From a shooting perspective the two guns shoot and handle identically. Would I ever rush out and sell my 692s to replace them with 694s? Very definitely, No.

That leaves the comparison between the DT10 and DT11. To all intents and purposes they are the same gun. I sold my DT11 because it offered no tangible advantage shooting-wise over the DT10. Nice as the DT11 was, I couldn't justify owning it.............money wasn't the issue, it was all about practicalities. Hope this helps.........just my 2c.

 

Can anyone tell me about a DT10 Trident X Trap Unsingle? I saw one recently and it peaked my interest. Thanks.

 

My brother has a 692 and a 694. He has had no issues with the ejector/extractor situation on his 692. His 694 fits him well and he is good with it.
I have a 687 Etchen model and it's a bit lighter than bro's 694...a little "whippier" on the swing. Not a problem for me, but maybe for you.