Beretta DT11 Supersport review

Verdict on the DT11 platform

In 2014 Beretta replaced the highly regarded DT10 competition shotgun with the DT11. The DT10 was already a high-water mark for reliability and longevity, derived from the hand-built ASE with a massive receiver bearing surface mating the barrels to the action and a cross bolt acting on lugs protruding from the similarly massive face of the monobloc.

The DT11 improved in this design with a newly widened action to increase weight and shift the gun’s centre of mass more neutrally between the shooter’s hands. The barrels were redesigned with a new back-boring system and forcing cones that Beretta called Steelium Pro. It was optimised for plastic wad competition cartridges to throw the best pattern with the least recoil. This system was offered on a special edition of the DT10 called the Anniversario, but the DT11 was equipped with them as standard.

The barrels also benefited from the newish Optima HP chokes, which were derived from the Optima Plus system designed to withstand higher pressures while not increasing weight by moving the threads further down away from the muzzle, where constriction is tightest, to allow for greater wall thickness in that area.

The trigger-plate action featured a removable inertia trigger unit with leaf springs, which offered superb crisp trigger-pulls and the ability to swap out the unit should it fail. Carried over from the DT10, this was much a case of if it ain’t broke…

The first release of the DT11 in the UK featured woodwork that was, initially, rather lumpen and suited only to users with big paws, but a revision followed that slimmed down the pistol grip somewhat to widen the gun’s appeal.

Since then, Beretta has continued to refine and release new versions of the gun for various disciplines and shooting styles. There are models that run the gamut in terms of engraving, woodwork and barrels to suit more than a few circumstances and shooters. The DT11 remained popular and has been king of the range for competition shooters in its line up until the recent release of the SL2.

This is due to the balance of features and value for money, a loyal fan base and great dealer support. The SL2 was launched at a higher price point and had quite a different character, leaving plenty of room for its older sibling to continue to exist.

The Supersport is being made in a limited run of 500 to mark Beretta’s quincentenary (500th anniversary) with a special serial number and marking on the top tang.

The gun is accented in what looks to me like a sea green – much less lairy than the acid green used on the DLC – for a muted businesslike appearance that still differentiates it from the blue used on the standard guns. This subtlety carries on in the nature of the changes applied to the Supersport that, while minor, add up in a way that is somehow greater than the sum of its parts.

In-depth features and accessories

Starting at the beginning, the Supersport comes in a handsome compact case finished in the sea green to match the accents on the gun. The case, lined in black velvet, unfolds like a clam shell and holds all the usual accessories like wrenches, oil and B-Fast O-rings and weights, plus a selection of beads and a spare trigger-blade. Also in the box are six ported chokes finished in a rather cool-looking black that is also very practical.

Available in 30in and 32in, the barrels have the usual DT11 ventilated top and mid rib with the Steelium Pro logo on the mid rib at the muzzle end. The 10x8mm top rib, topped with a white bead, is finished with a tramline – a feature that was so popular on the 694 limited edition it was added to later mainstream runs of the gun. The 76mm chambers and 18.6mm boring remain unchanged from the regular editions.

The forend on the Supersport is 5mm longer than the standard beavertail and while it looks similar in profile, the feel is significantly improved by a deepening of the finger choils running down the length. In the hand it feels a little slimmer, a little easier to hold and delivers a pleasing surety over the chubbier standard woodwork.

The action is as already noted accented in green and has a subtle but attractive hand-written style “Supersport” on the base. This for me feels very Italian, evocative of, say, Alfa Romeo or Ferrari.

Moving on to the pistol grip, here again we see subtle changes. The neck has been slimmed ever so slightly as it flows into the stock, making the gun feel more svelte. The stock feels slightly slimmer too, with a modest reading of the drop and a 5mm increase in length of pull. This again appears to take inspiration from the sensationally popular 694 to fit the changing tastes of shooters, who are starting to prefer a longer LOP and more rib visibility.

The woodwork is Grade 3 and will vary with the gun you choose but is always well finished. It is laser chequered with a very fine border and a good balance of lines per inch and depth.

The DT11 is, and has ever been, a tool designed with the competition shooter in mind; every part of the gun has been thought out with this mindset. The action, the barrels, the jointing, the trigger group – all of it is designed to shoot tens of thousands of rounds and keep going while offering the shooter maximum comfort and repeatability.

The sum of these minor changes is immediately apparent when handling the Supersport; in the hands it feels closer to an SL2 or a Krieghoff.

Field test performance

I spent a couple of weeks with the Supersport and shot several hundred cartridges on a variety of disciplines and I can tell you it was no chore; it is so at home on the clay ground it feels born to it. The revised drop and minor woodwork tweaks are what I would have done were I to go to Beretta Due and have one custom fitted. The gun mounts and shoots sweetly, and swings with excellent balance and inertia.

The gun I had on test had 30in barrels, which to me felt well suited to Skeet or ABT (Automatic Ball Trap) where rapid gun movement is required, although I found no issue with Sporting targets. My personal preference would be with 32in barrels but that is very much a subjective thing. I would happily shoot either length for more or less any discipline and be delighted with it.

I have seen plenty of the more embellished DT11s in the field and certainly this one could be used to great effect for any gamebird you might turn it upon, especially in the 30in guise.

Conclusion

I have said the DT11 Black was my recommendation for the best of the bunch because it has such a broad range of adjustability in balance to be suitable for anyone to make it feel like their own. In light of the Supersport, however, I will have to reconsider – this limited edition gun is my new favourite version of this platform. Limited editions being what they are, you may despair of ever being able to handle, much less own, one. But I wonder whether this special edition will, much like the 694 LE, find some of its key features appearing in more mainstream versions of the gun in the future. Beretta has always proved itself to be keen to listen to the market and feedback from shooters, so watch this space.