22-Sep-2026
Beretta built its modern reputation on over-and-unders, so it surprises people that the company has kept a side-by-side in the catalogue almost continuously for decades. The current 486 Parallelo is the one in the shop windows, but the used market in the UK is full of its predecessors, the 471 and 470 Silver Hawk, and the older 626 and 627, at prices that make them serious alternatives to a Spanish or English boxlock. This guide sets the Beretta side-by-sides next to each other so you can work out which one fits your shooting and your budget.
Why buy a Beretta side-by-side at all?
The traditional case for a side-by-side is the way it handles on driven game: a flat, wide sighting plane, a lighter gun for the barrel length, and a stock that comes up naturally when birds are high and fast. The traditional case against is that most side-by-sides are either old English guns that need money spending on them or continental boxlocks of variable quality.
Beretta’s answer has always been to build the side-by-side the way it builds everything else: machine-made to tight tolerances, with modern steels, chrome-lined bores, proper ejectors and, on the current guns, a single selective trigger if you want one. You get the handling of a classic game gun with the reliability of a modern Italian one. That combination is why the 486 has become a common sight on smart driven days, and why a used 471 or 470 is such a sensible way into side-by-side shooting.
Browse: Beretta 486 · Beretta 471 · Beretta 470 · Beretta 626 · All Beretta shotguns
Beretta 486 Parallelo: The current gun
Launched in the mid-2010s, the 486 Parallelo is Beretta’s modern statement of what a side-by-side should be. The action is a rounded-body boxlock with a low profile and a distinctive scalloped shape that sits neatly in the hand. It is offered in 12, 20 and 28 bore, with barrel lengths to suit game shooting, and in more than one grade of engraving and wood, from the standard floral scroll to higher-grade and designer editions that are as much objects as guns.
Trigger options matter here: the 486 is sold with a single selective trigger as standard, which suits shooters coming from an over-and-under, while double-trigger versions exist for the traditionalists. The stock comes as a pistol grip or a straight-hand English grip, with a splinter or beavertail forend depending on the specification. Bores are chrome-lined, and the guns are proofed for modern loads.
On the used market, 486s tend to be recent, lightly used, and well looked after, because they are bought by people who wanted a good gun rather than a cheap one. Prices hold up accordingly. What you get for the money is a side-by-side that behaves like a modern Beretta; it works every time, with the lines of a classic game gun.
Browse: Beretta 486 listings · Beretta 486 12 bore · Beretta 486 20 bore · AYA side-by-sides · Holland & Holland
Beretta 471 Silver Hawk: The modern-classic middle ground
The 471 Silver Hawk was Beretta’s side-by-side through the 2000s and early 2010s, sitting between the plainer 470 and the sideplated EL grades. It is a boxlock with a colour-case-hardened or coin-finished action, offered in 12 and 20 bore, with a choice of single or double triggers and both pistol-grip and straight-hand stocks. Automatic ejectors are standard on the versions most commonly found in the UK.
Shooters who own them tend to describe the 471 as the sweet spot of the Beretta side-by-side range: lighter and livelier than a 486 in the same bore, prettier than the 470, and built when Beretta was refining rather than reinventing the design. The 20 bore in particular makes a very good walked-up and rough-shooting gun.
When looking at a used 471, check the action for looseness in the usual way (barrels on the face, no play with the forend off), inspect the ejectors and the trigger selector if fitted, and look closely at the stock head for oil-soaking. Because many of these guns were bought as second guns and used lightly, tidy examples are not hard to find and represent excellent value against a new 486.
Browse: Beretta 471 listings · Beretta 486 · Beretta 470 · AYA No. 2 · Winchester 23
Beretta 470 Silver Hawk: The 1990s gun with sideplates
The 470 Silver Hawk of the 1990s is the gun many people picture when they think “Beretta side-by-side”. Its defining feature is the sideplated action, a boxlock mechanism dressed with sideplates that give the look and engraving canvas of a sidelock without the cost, usually with a silver finish and, on the EL grades, considerably more decoration and better walnut. It was offered in 12 and 20 bore, with single or double triggers and ejectors.
The 470 is a slightly more substantial gun than the 471 that replaced it, which some shooters like for driven days with heavier cartridges and others find a touch too much on a walked-up morning. Its real strength is value: the sideplates and finish make it look like a far more expensive gun, and prices on the used market are gentle because the model is now thirty years old.
Buying advice is the same as for any gun of that age. Look for the signs of a life spent in a cabinet rather than a hedge, ask whether the gun has been re-jointed or had the ejectors serviced, and check for chips in the sideplate finish and dents in the barrels. A 470 that has been cared for is a lot of gun for the money.
Browse: Beretta 470 listings · Beretta 471 · Beretta 627 · AYA Yeoman · Webley & Scott 700
Beretta 626 and 627: The affordable older generation
Before the Silver Hawks there were the 626 and 627, sold through the 1980s and into the 1990s. The 626 is the plain gun: a solid boxlock with modest engraving and workmanlike wood, usually with double triggers and, in the UK, most often with ejectors. The 627 is the dressed version; the EL and EELL grades add sideplates, deeper engraving and much better walnut, and were Beretta’s premium side-by-sides of the period.
These are the guns to look at if your budget is tight and you want a Beretta rather than a no-name continental boxlock. A 626 will do a season of rough shooting and pigeon decoying without complaint, and a good 627 EL is a handsome gun that still turns heads on a peg. The trade-off is age: expect some wear, budget for a service, and be realistic about the stock finish.
Browse: Beretta 626 listings · Beretta 627 listings · Beretta 470 · AYA No. 4 · Lanber shotguns
Which Beretta side-by-side should you buy?
For a new or nearly-new gun with modern triggers and the best handling in the range, the 486 Parallelo is the obvious choice and the one that will hold its value best. For the best balance of price, looks, and lightness, the 471 Silver Hawk is hard to beat, especially in 20 bore. For the most gun for the least money, the 470 with sideplates gives you a presentable driven-game gun at a fraction of the cost of a 486. And for a first side-by-side, a working gun or a tight budget, the 626 or 627 will get you shooting a Beretta for the price of a mediocre boxlock from anywhere else.
If you are choosing between a Beretta and a Spanish gun at the same price, an AYA No. 2 or Yeoman, say, the honest comparison is that the AYA gives you a sidelock and an English pattern, while the Beretta gives you modern manufacturing, chrome bores, and a single-trigger option. Both are good answers; it depends whether tradition or convenience matters more to you.
Browse: Beretta 486 · Beretta 471 · Beretta 470 · AYA No. 1 · William Powell
FAQ
Does Beretta still make a side-by-side shotgun? Yes. The 486 Parallelo is Beretta’s current side-by-side, available in 12, 20, and 28 bore with a choice of grades, trigger, and stock configurations. The earlier 471 and 470 Silver Hawk models and the 626/627 are found second-hand.
What is the difference between the Beretta 470 and 471 Silver Hawk? The 470 is the 1990s model, generally with sideplates and a slightly heavier feel; the 471 replaced it in the 2000s with a cleaner boxlock action, lighter handling, and updated finishes. Both were made in 12 and 20 bore with single or double triggers.
Is the Beretta 486 a boxlock or a sidelock? A boxlock, with a rounded, low-profile action. Higher grades add more engraving and figured wood, but the mechanism is the same across the range.
Are Beretta side-by-sides good for driven game? Very. They are the main reason people buy them: a wide sighting plane, a light gun for the barrel length, and a natural mount on high birds. The 486 and 471 in 20 bore are particularly popular for walked-up shooting as well.
Find a Beretta side-by-side on Rightgun.uk
Rightgun.uk carries Beretta side-by-side listings from private sellers and registered dealers across the UK, from lightly used 486 Parallelos to well-priced 470s and 627s, so you can compare bores, triggers and condition in one place.
Browse Beretta 486, Beretta 471, Beretta 470, Beretta 626 and Beretta 627 listings now, or see every Beretta shotgun for sale.
Further reading: Beretta 486 Parallelo review, Best side-by-side shotguns UK by budget, Beretta shotguns UK range guide, AYA shotguns and Best game shotguns UK by budget.
