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By Jason Harris
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Beretta Stonecoat shotgun: The Beretta Stonecoat shotgun might have had a name change, but it's still a smooth operator.
Beretta Stonecoat shotgun: Beretta's hugely popular range of Teknys semi-automatic guns have undergone quite a major facelift - and the result is pretty stunning.
The lines and form of the old model were always very modern but the new finish brings the gun up to date in terms of looks.
This semi-auto is now called Stonecoat, a name taken from the tough satin grey finish that has been applied to the metalwork of the action frame. Why the makers wanted to change the name is beyond me, but they clearly felt it was time to do so.
"The Stonecoat is certainly very different where guns are concerned."
The gun I've been testing is the Gold Field model, the highest grade you can get in the range, and it worked faultlessly with the wide selection of cartridges put its way. But, then, that's to be expected - Beretta autos are among the best in the world for reliability, and this particular gun has already proved itself in the field and on the clay ground.
Mechanically it's the same as the previous Gold, so a buyer shouldn't have any complaints about the Stonecoat's cartridge recycling capabilities. Needless to say it has been restricted to a two cartridge magazine capacity in line with UK law on semi-automatic shotguns.
The mechanics of the gun might not have altered but its looks most certainly have. In addition to the grey finish the makers have engraved game scenes carved in relief on either side of the action frame. In fact these are in much the same style as the heavier engraving found on the EL2 sideplate and Silver Pigeon 2.
The woodwork is termed as oil finished but to me it looks more like a gloss. Regardless of that the style of finish does give the gun a very polished look and really sets off the higher grade wood used on this particular model.
The butt end of the stock is finished with a Gel-Tek pad to help make the gun shoot as smoothly as possible but it also comes supplied with a standard Beretta pad if the user prefers the older option.
It's good to see that the stock remains adjustable for both drop and cast with a series of plates and shims that come with the gun. The Stonecoat can be cast for left or right hand shooters and there are four positions for the height of the comb.
The barrel on the Gold Field is 28in and chambered to handle 3in magnum cartridges. Each gun is supplied with five standard Beretta mobilchokes and weight is a very pleasant 6.1/2lb.
This gun carries a retail price tag of £1325 but shop around and you should find it cheaper.
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