Beretta's long guns offer home security

Shooting Industry, March, 2005 by Massad Ayoob

While most of Beretta's defense-oriented line centers around handguns, the company's long guns are also ideal for home security. Beretta has a hit with the CX4 Storm, which has received a lot of gun press and ad space.

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The pistol-caliber carbine, with its light recoil and mild report, offers an intimidating appearance when seen by a burglar at gunpoint. The uniquely designed carbine is ideally suited for the home-defense mission. This lightweight firearm offers quick handling, negligible kick and adequate stopping power. It's available in 9mm Parabellum, .40 S & W and .45 ACP.

Beretta's Model 1201 series 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun is available in a short-barrel law enforcement configuration. Many knowledgeable gun enthusiasts have chosen it for home defense. Extremely reliable since Beretta cured an early problem of too-weak magazine springs, the Model 1201 has a snappy recoil but cycles very quickly and is quite ergonomic. It has worked very well for the many police departments that have adopted it as a patrol car shotgun.

Of course, Beretta also offers some of the finest sporting long guns on the market. While we concentrate on self-defense here, Beretta's other firearms add a lot of profit for dealers.

"The Beretta 391 Extrema shotgun is our best seller," said Gary Chapman, manager of Great Outdoors in Sacramento, Calif. "We advertise the Extrema at $1,100 to $1,300 and the modern look catches the shooter's eye."

Again, features sell. Chapman always points out the Gel-Tek recoil pad on the Extrema 3.5, which takes the 3 1/2-inch Magnum 12-gauge shell.

"Duck hunters appreciate the extra bit of range that shell offers, and because they know they're going to pay for it in kick, they appreciate the GelTek recoil pad that soaks up the rearward impact," Chapman said.

Handling Sells Guns

To sell Beretta firearms, place them in your customers' hands. Let them run the slide and feel the glassy smoothness of the Model 92 or 96 actions. Have your customers flick on and off the easy-to-use safety of any F-series Beretta. Hold their attention as they work the tip-up barrel feature of the Bobcat, and shoulder the racy CX4 Storm carbine.

These features sell guns. However, they're features customers need to feel operating in their hands before casual interest turns to a need to make a purchase.