Home Index Search Handguns Visual Selection British North American Italian German Belguim French Spanish Austrian Russian Czechoslovacian Turkish South African Hungarian Brazilian Israeli Competition Firearms Shotguns References Links Gunsite SAGA PAAA SAAACA Contact E-mail me!

Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. is the oldest manufacturing firm in the world. Amazingly, a single family has controlled the company throughout its history, which has spanned from ancient guilds to computerized robotics. Experience, innovation, respect for tradition--these, combined with ongoing design studies, technological advancements, and improved production methods are the fundamentals that established Beretta as the foremost firearms company in the world. Since 1526 the Beretta tradition of excellence has taken the prestigious Beretta sporting and military arms from the oldest factory in the world to the four corners of the world. J.L. Galef and son Inc. were the Beretta importer in the US since the early 1900s. He was the driving force behind the distribution of this specially made Beretta range. He ordered the development of the well finished Beretta pump-action series. These guns were based on the Browning A5’s mechanism and not the Beretta designed mechanism. Article in “The Times” MARCH 16, 1971: “Jacques L. Galef, president and founder of J. L. Galef & Son, Inc., a leading firearms wholesaler at 85 Chambers Street, died Saturday in Mount Sinai Hospital. He was 89 years old. In addition to his home on Park Avenue, Mr. Galef until 15 years ago maintained a house, Lowmoor, at Sea Bright, N. J., a showplace designed by Stanford White, with formal gardens and a private station on the Jersey Central Railroad. Mr. Galef began as a gun salesman at 17 and before the turn of the century founded his company. He had prepared to retire when his son, Bennett G. Galef, died in an airplane crash on Feb. 3, 1959, and he remained at the helm, continuing a full‐time schedule until his death. Mr. Galef had been American representative of Dynamit‐ Nobel and Birmingham Small Arms of England”. The Silver Pigeon was a well finished, commercial gun, not intended for police and security work. With 26”,30”, and 32” barrels, and a standard magazine that holds up to five shells, it has more weight forward, to improve the swing of a field weapon. These models come with chokes for skeet and trap. Beretta pump-action firearms are reliable, thanks to their simple design and rugged construction. They are easy to field strip and maintain, they are chambered to fire 12 gauge 2 ¾ “shells. The stocks are hand-checkered straight-grained, walnut with a pistol grip and a beavertail fore-end. This firearm does not use the usual Beretta mechanism. As it was made for the American market the use the John Browning A5 mechanism, activated by manual pumping. They feature aluminum alloy receivers, so they’re surprisingly light. Metalwork is hand polished with light engraving and a silver inlaid pigeon. A slide release enables you to easily remove unfired shot shells from the action. It has a machine turned bolt, locking system and a sliding action to cycle the casing and feed the next round. The sliding safety locks the sear Beretta designed this pump-action gun primarily for the American market, but it was not very successful. They were made from the late 1950s, but most of these pump-actions that Beretta made were military and police models, but the better finished sporting versions, the Pigeon series, were available only from 1958 to 1966. The Blue Book says the plain SL-2 was made until 1971. The 1961 Gun Digest lists the Silver Pigeon at $91.25, Gold Pigeon at $139.75 (skeet or trap version $169.25) and Ruby Pigeon at $274.75 (skeet or trap version $312.75). These model pump-action Berettas, were not as exclusive as the side by side and over and under models, and the well finished pigeon series is now available at the same price as American shotguns. (Ref: Dictionary of Guns and Gunmakers p66 by John Walter)

99343