Beretta 687 EELL Deluxe - an exclusive gun for under £10K

A few weeks ago I visited the Beretta Gallery on London’s Jermyn Street where the gunroom assistant Alexander Heyes proudly showed me the new 687 EELL Deluxe shotgun. Even to me, a dyed-in-the-wool side-by-side man, it is a thing of great beauty. But then, perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising; I’ve always had a thing for Italy and all things Italian-made, from Venetian glass to Tuscan wine. I even studied Italian at university largely so that I could experience all these things and more up close and personal on my 'year abroad'.

As a qualified Italian speaker, I can tell you that EL stands for Extra Lusso, or ‘Extra Luxury’. The doubling of the letters indicates additional emphasis, so literally: ‘Extra Extra Luxury Luxury’, or, if you prefer a more vernacular, colloquial translation: really bloody nice.

Based on the ever-popular 687 EELL Diamond Pigeon - a bestseller for Beretta - the 687 EELL Deluxe is a limited edition shotgun, with only around 100 guns being produced in total. The mechanics of the two guns are the same, which bodes will for the reliability of the Deluxe. To quote Alex “It’s pretty solid - designed to take heavier loads.” Where they differ, and the reason you might spend the extra few grand, are the aesthetics.

 

The grade III walnut pistol-grip stock and the forend feature not only some beautiful figuring, but hand-cut checkering of a very high quality. However, it is the engraving where this gun really stands out. As the gun is a boxlock, the sideplates are purely decorative. And decorative they surely are. They’re pinless, which has allowed for some highly intricate, deep relief, machine-cut, hand finished engraving which is unhindered by fixings. This scrollwork continues onto the topstrap and the double fences.

 

All in all, though modern, this gun is extremely elegant to behold. It also feels pretty elegant to hold. At 7lb 6, the gun felt pretty pointable, and though we were only in the shop, it felt nice to swing and came to the shoulder comfortably. The vented rib means that the barrels will keep cool on even the most frenetic of drives, and since the gun is designed to stand up to heavy loads, it should work well for high-bird shooting. The chokes are fixed at ¼ and ½.

 

Anyone interested in purchasing, or even just handling a 687 EELL Deluxe should make the journey to London to visit the Beretta Gallery. Despite having been there for some 15 years, it is probably the London gun world’s best kept secret. On the site of a former bank the top floor of the Picadilly store is where the vault used to be. The large gun room means that the Gallery holds the largest collection of Premium grade Berettas in Europe.

 

The attentive service of the staff - who consider themselves Ambassadors, not salesmen - combines encyclopaedic product knowledge with a style of service more suited to their Jermyn St shirtmaker neighbours than a gun showroom. Add to this the wide variety of models and of guns within each model range, you can be sure to leave knowing that you have found the right gun for you.

 

No appointment is necessary, so why not pop in to take a break from Christmas shopping? You might even find some good gifts in the shop on the first two floors, where Beretta clothing and accessories are available.