[madisonaflac]

Considering a Beretta SO3 EELL or EL for sporting, live bird, other - Opinions out there about the shotgun - Look fwd to hearing -

 

[Pull & Mark]

If you look at Able Ammo.com and click on Beretta shotguns. You will find the SO-5 sportings selling new for $27,500!!!

If you look at Pacific Sportings Arms used shotgun website. You will find two different SO-5 for sale. They are asking $14,000 for one and $15,000 for the other. So you may want to use this info to arrive at a price for your SO-3 that your looking at. You may want to look into finding out if the SO-3 is still being supported by Beretta for parts!!! You may also want to think about how many rounds have been down that barrel as well. Just some food for thought before buy one. I have heard nothing but excellent reviews from the SO-4's and 5's though, for what that is worth. Good Luck and don't forget to break em all jeff

 

[Wiperblade]

They tend to have very light barrels and are not really shootable for sporting. May be OK for live birds. Lucky if you find one that is 8LBS. I have had quite a few just as collectors pieces. Had a SO3EELL Imperial two live pigeon in an oak and leather (original case).

 

[Steve W]

From my experience, most SO3 EELL were live pigeon gun or game gun. And rarely any were made with over 29" barrels.

If you ask Lucio Sosta, the Perazzi man in CA, he'll probably tell you SO are the best shotgun out there.

I shot a few SOs through out the years, from old SO2 to SO6EELL and almost everything in between.

One beautiful SO3EELL got traded for a H&H Riviera sidelock game gun from a friend in U.K.
It's a magnificent piece of work I bought from a famous Hollywood screenwriter for $10,000.00 plus a box of really good Cuban cigar two years before I sold it. I shot it well, but my friend pleaded for a year to buy it, and that Riviera fits me well and it was stunningly beautiful.

Anyhow, I've never seen any SO3EELL as remotely pretty as mine, it's exceptionally beautiful for SO3.

If you do get one, I think I might still have a pair of new hammer springs for it in a box somewhere.

 

[AusAmateur]

Fast guns. Did I say fast?

Maintenance may be an issue. V springs must be hand filed to size. They are NOT a drop in part.
Butchered side lock screws are common.

 

[madisonaflac]

Thanks for replies - helpful!!!

 

[Maxey Brantley]

80% a Fabbri at 20% of the price.

I have ‘SO-itis’ as my friends will attest. Incurable in my case, but there are worse conditions to have!

V/r

 

[madisonaflac]

How likely is it to find SO3 with kg 1.6+ bbl weight, 29"? - Thanks -

 

[Maxey Brantley]

You’ll see a pink unicorn first!
V/r
Maxey

 

[Oyeme]

They are a great gun! Coles can fix anything wrong with them. Yes, they require hand fitting of some parts but they are really reliable. I love them!

 

[grizquad]

They are a beautiful gun. Coles has some that I actually shouldered when I was up there, and very gently put it back in the rack! Hope you get what you are looking for.

 

[AusAmateur]

How likely is it to find SO3 with kg 1.6+ bbl weight, 29"? - Thanks -

You won't.

I've played with several S)5s and only one was over 1600 (and it was only just over-1610). That was a super custom special order true 32".

I suspect almost all SO3s wiill be 29.5" (70cm) or less, and finding one of those in 1600+ is not going to happen.

 

[madisonaflac]

Thanks for your replies !!!

 

[EuroJoe]

Fast guns. Did I say fast?

Maintenance may be an issue. V springs must be hand filed to size. They are NOT a drop in part.
Butchered side lock screws are common.

The great Homer Clark Jr shot an SO 3 barrel set ! No one ever FASTER !

 

[skeet_man]

What I've always read as far as the SO5 for clay target use is they are amazing, but if you buy one, you better buy two, so you still have one to use while the other is off getting repaired, and you will be cycling back and forth between the two. I would imagine this holds true for any of the SO series guns, especially so for ones no longer in production. I suppose if they were better for competition use than the ASE90/DT10/DT11, you'd see them being used more by Beretta sponsored shooters who could ask for any gun they wanted. Zach Kienbaum shot a SO for a bit, and went back to his DT11.

 

[Mike Hessong* (MH*)]

80% a Fabbri at 20% of the price.

I have ‘SO-itis’ as my friends will attest. Incurable in my case, but there are worse conditions to have!

V/r

Maxey,

Hope you are doing well, haven't seen you in a while, but just shot in the Toepperwein Trapshoot this past weekend from Friday thru Sunday. Need to come up sometime and shoot some Bunker with y'all, if y'all still do that.

The one gun that I will NEVER trade is my tubed set Beretta ASE-90 "Sporting" model. Just love that gun. I love my K-80's for trap, but when I was shooting registered skeet, I only shot my ASE !

Mike* (MH*)
Victoria (Texas) Skeet and Trap Club

 

[Steel Charlie]

What I've always read as far as the SO5 for clay target use is they are amazing, but if you buy one, you better buy two, so you still have one to use while the other is off getting repaired, and you will be cycling back and forth between the two. I would imagine this holds true for any of the SO series guns, especially so for ones no longer in production.

.

No. The SO5 is the only one with that rep. Even in Europe. Tho the older SO4's did have a rep for cracking the stock at the wrist but I only hear that from my European contacts. Maybe just never enough of them in the US to reveal that.

Anyway - only hearsay but if I had the $ to piss away I'd have an older S3 or SO3 and that's a fact.

 

[Maxey Brantley]

Mike - I was shooting the bunker Sunday at SAGC while the Toepperwein was in progress. Yes, shooting my SO5…..hope to see you soon.
V/r
Maxey

 

[Gamba Man]

One of the most elegant guns on the market, and fairly priced for it's class.
Unfortunately, the stocks head-work is fragile ( on any side-lock )...replacing the stock is expensive

 

[Maxey Brantley]

80% of a Fabbri at 20% of the price….
V/r
Maxey