doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com CSMC Inverness v. Custom Cole Beretta - Which One?

Greetings -

I have a CSMC Inverness ordered (Feb 2013), with discount. Originally ordered with 3X wood only, but when I heard that they were not putting grip caps on, called and added long tang - along with leather recoil pad and upgraded wood to exhibition. All in it, pushed the price to about $5,200.

I have a RBL 20 Cambridge Edition (scroll engraving like the Inverness), exh wood, etc, which I like and shoot well. However, when I start thinking about the price, it is within spitting distance (20% or so), of a some of the Cole custom Beretta's. For instance, this one.



What are your thoughts between the two guns, if you buy the argument that both are roughly the same price? Which would you go with?

Edit for new link:
http://www.colegun.com/collections/cole-custom-shotguns/products/beretta-687-cole-custom-ser-rc0189

Link doesn't work . . .

The Cole link doesn't work

Without being able to see the link, I would say, generally, that 20% is not an insignificant difference, especially on a $5000 price tag.

Plus, it is not like a CSMC Inverness is not as mechanically good as a Beretta gun.

I am thinking it just may be down to aesthetics and personal preference.

Shape wise the Inverness is better looking. Design wise the Beretta is more advanced but a little squarish in shape. The engraving patterns offered by Cole, and I am judging solely by the photos, are beautiful if you are into engraving.

If it were me, it would be the CSMC if it could be had unengraved and coin finished, just for the rounded action. ENgraving does not do it for me.

I have had both, I don't have any CSMC guns anymore, I'll never part with my Cole Custom. Different guns though, it depends on what you're looking for. There is nothing like having a gun built for YOU.

Glocksig - beautiful!

Beretta makes about a bazillion 68X shotguns a year. They have been making them for decades. They have worked out all the bugs. The guns are high quality and very reliable. CSMC makes a few dozen or a few hundred Ivernesses a year. CSMC is now in their second or third year of producing that gun. I would go with the Beretta.

What are you looking to buy? The Cole customs are nice guns, but they don't have the long tang or grip cap. It seems you up'd the price on CSMC gun to get those features.

I believe it ultimately falls to a matter of taste. They are both well made, quality guns which will deliver good service.

The best course when trying to decide between guns is to hold them in your hands. Unfortunately this is not always possible. But if you can handle near equivalents it is a good substitute.

The feel of a gun is not truly quantifiable. I know those who believe in MOI measurement have gotten close - but I do not believe the measurement is the same as the feel of mounting and shooting the gun. Feel is personal much like an emotion.

The hunt for guns that mount properly, or better said mount best for you, is a hit and miss affair. I have spent many years and have brought and sold in excess of fifty guns (I really have lost count) In that time I mounted (sampled) many more to get a gun that feels just right to me. It is a quixotic quest of sorts.

I have no doubt that no matter how good your best gun may feel, there is always a tinge of hunger for an ideal not yet realized.

Money, or lack of money is more often than not our only limiting factor. If it is not a dominant factor in your choice, go with how the gun feels. Do not be afraid to buy good gun and find out it is not what you wanted after all. I often think of a 20ga LC Smith 5E that was worth all my other guns put together, but never felt right to me and I sold/traded it away to someone else who wanted it more than I did.