Pump Action Beretta Silver Pigeon

Welcome back to another Owen Guns Firearm Friday, where each week we take a closer look at one of the fascinating firearms from our museum collection. Whether it's a military service arm, a sporting classic, or a rare collector's piece, every firearm has a story to tell.

 This week, we're highlighting a shotgun that often surprises enthusiasts, a Beretta Silver Pigeon SL 2 Pump-Action 12 Gauge.

When most shooters hear the name Beretta Silver Pigeon, they immediately picture the company's famous over under shotguns. However, for a short period, Beretta produced a much rarer firearm under the same prestigious name, the pump-action version.

Manufactured in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy, the SL 2 combined Beretta's renowned craftsmanship with the practicality and dependability of a manually operated pump-action. Produced in relatively limited numbers during the 1960s and early 1970s, it remains one of the lesser-known chapters in Beretta's long and distinguished history.

Unlike many pump-action shotguns of its era that were built purely as utilitarian working guns, the Silver Pigeon SL 2 displayed the quality and refinement that shooters had come to expect from Beretta. Fitted with quality walnut furniture and tasteful styling, it featured a smooth pump-action that made it a pleasure to operate while maintaining the rugged reliability needed for hunting and sporting use.

Its manually operated action allowed it to cycle a wide variety of 12-gauge loads with confidence, making it equally suited to game hunting, clay target shooting, and general sporting use.

Although it never achieved the commercial success of Beretta's over and under models, those who owned one quickly recognised it as a well-balanced, dependable shotgun built to the high standards of one of the world's oldest firearms manufacturers.

Today, the Beretta Silver Pigeon SL 2 has become something of a collector's curiosity. With relatively few produced and even fewer making their way to Australia, it is not a shotgun encountered very often. Its rarity, combined with the prestige of the Beretta name, has made surviving examples increasingly desirable among collectors of sporting firearms.

While the Silver Pigeon legacy continues through Beretta's iconic over under range, the pump-action SL 2 serves as a reminder that even the world's most famous manufacturers occasionally ventured down less-travelled paths, creating unique firearms that deserve their own place in history.

Unfortunately the previous owner of this exact shotgun didn't show it as much love as some owners would have but it is a surviving function model which you don’t see everyday.

Thank you for joining us for another Firearm Friday. If you'd like to see this Silver Pigeon in person, be sure to visit our Museum here in Gympie. 

Our collection continues to grow with fascinating firearms and historic artefacts from around the world, preserving the stories behind the firearms that helped shape history. We look forward to welcoming you next Friday for another journey into the wonderful wide world of firearms.