I first started to see the Beretta 680 guns in volume as trap guns in the early 80's.

The saying was 'good gun for the money'.

That's the key to their success even today.

Beretta sells these by the boatload, due to price/value. Simple as that.

I've seen 3 of the 680 series guns break a hammer, one of them was my 1985 vintage S682X trap gun at about the 50,000 target mark. Rich Cole sent me a hammer, and it dropped right in.

The Italian gun makers certainly have a long proud history, but they tooled up for CNC volume production at just the right time with sound and serviceable designs.

I currently have 5 PB's including 2 of their excellent automatics, and I can keep them running without 'returning them to the maker'.

I'm unaware of any Brit guns that were ever made in volume for a really mass market. The 'copies' like the Ithaca SKB and the Spanish H&H clones likely sold more units than the originals. It's just a whole different world, and I'm not well enough funded to participate.

For a very nice SxS Italian made gun, look at B. Rizzini.

"The price of good shotgunnery is constant practice" - Fred Kimble