The evolution of an Italian design classic
It’s one of the best-known, best-selling shotgun designs of all time, but does that make the Beretta Silver Pigeon or 68 series one of the best guns of all time?
Gunmaking is a little like the industrial version of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. The most adaptable survive. The best traits of those guns which have come before are used again and appear on the new models, while unsuccessful designs are dropped.
Looking at the Silver Pigeon in light of this gives us some clues as to why it was quite so popular with the gun-buying public. It might surprise you to learn that the inspiration and heritage of the
