Anyone have one? Reviews? Likes? Dislikes? 12 or 20?

Been wanting one in 20ga for a while and I ain’t getting any younger, lol. I’ll mainly just use it for dove or possibly quail.

I had a 12, did not fit me well. Sold it long ago but it was a pretty one, and very well made.

Yeah, definitely a “shoulder before you buy type gun” for sure. I’ve handled a few on some hunts and they seemed to fit quite well. I really want a .410 O/U.

Well they probably won't get any cheaper, js

A wonderful shotgun. The 20 ga S.P. O/U is what I decided to buy some years ago.

I had to have LOP adjusted , and put on a nice recoil pad that I liked better. I have enjoyed Skeet and Trap with it.

I don't think one can get much better than that.

Have a 28 g that I have been using for years. Light gun compared to a browning. Have one also in 12 gauge sporting. Shoot sporting clays with it and been really happy with the 686. Don’t think you can go wrong with one. But I would try the feel of the 686, browning and also Ruger if they still make one. I put a lot of shells through both and never had a problem

I’m like Berettas the O/U I had the safety set every time it was closed not a good thing for trap shooting at least for me.

I have a 686 Ultra Light in 12 gauge. I used it mostly for long grouse hunts for the weight. 26 inch barrels were nice for the brush. I agree it's one of those guns that you need to shoot or shoulder first. The trade off in ultra light is more recoil. If you get to east TN. you are welcome to try it.

Ive read that guys can use a Beretta OR a Browning, not both. Its very true for me. Beretta do not fit me whatsoever.

The sporting clay drop fits me the best the trap and field models I cannot get on the bead because of my cheek bones.

Thanks for the insight…may still shop around some. Might wait until next quail season and talk some clients into letting me shoot some skeet with theirs, unless I just find the one.

I looked up the kennel that breed my best German short-haired pointer and we went and ran the dogs. They had a 686 silver pigeon in 20 and let me shoot a few quail with it it was very nice.

I have 4, a 32 inch 12, a 30 inch 20 and 28, and a 28 inch 410. They are true work horses and fit me well. I use them for sporting and skeet. My trap guns are Winchester's, Model 12's and Super X Model 1's. The 410 is a field gun that I disconnected the automatic safety, which takes less than ten minutes start to finish. The 12, 20, and 28 are competition guns and come with manual safeties. All the 686's cost me about $2k +/- a few bucks each. My favorite is the 20. It's like a magic wand. I will say I have shot my best scores with the 12. Most of the time, on the sporting courses I frequent, they all have a light mod and improved mod choke installed. I almost never change them. For skeet they get the skeet chokes.

One thing to keep in mind is the vast majority of them are cast off for a right handed shooter. Left handed guns are available (cast on). I shoot with one guy, a lefty, that uses a right handed gun and gets smacked in the cheek bone. He doesn't listen or doesn't understand why. I was with him one day when he actually tried a left handed gun and admitted it was pretty comfortable on his face. He still didn't get it or understand. Oh well, some people.

I don't think most American shotgunners are familiar with cast, it's traditionally more of a European thing. The only shotguns I've owned that had any cast in the stock were English. A wee bit of cast goes a long ways with me. Even a quarter inch makes a noticeable difference.

We have a hunter from Georgias east coast that comes in a couple times a year shooting a .410. When I say this guy doesn’t miss, I mean a quail is falling and most of the time doubles. He let me shoot it and it was like shooting a pellet gun as far as kick. One of the sweetest .410’s I’ve shot. I can’t seem to find one in .410 or 28ga. I realize I probably won’t be anywhere near as good as most with the smaller gauges, but I’ll keep some shell manufacturers in business for sure.

I owned a 686 some years ago and it was a fine gun but after years of shooting side-by-sides, I kept stabbing for the rear trigger that wasn't there. I parted with it.

Posco, my old bird hunting partner had an early 686 Onyx, 28 inch 20ga, that he sent to Cole Gunsmithing in Harpwell, Maine to have it converted to double triggers. The gun already had the slot in the bottom of the frame for the second trigger. From what I understood at the time it was a pretty straight forward job.

Do a search at Guns International and I think you'll find what you're looking for. 28ga for sure, not certain about the 410.



I had no idea, Paul. Like I mentioned, it was a very well made gun but going from twin-triggered side-by-sides to stacked barrels and a single trigger...I didn't adapt well to it.

This exactly.

Osky

I have a 686 in 20 ga. Absolutely love it . You can't really go wrong with an Italian gun. They will run longer with less attention than most American made guns. I want one in 410 just for skeet