RE: Franchi
I bought a 612 this year mainly for crow hunting and early season duck. I left my Browning Gold 3 1/2 in the safe all season to do an acid test on the 612. I wanted to see how long the gun would go before I had any problems. This gun shot just under 1,000 rounds before any jams. This was right out of the box with no cleaning. This thing saw ice, water, rain, mud, and beach sand. I have the camo model with a 26" barrel for $560.00. I think It's one of the best buys out there. I have been really impressed with it's performance. Some of the parts like the bolt, action bars, and piston shroud look almost identical to the Beretta Extrema's. I've had both torn down at the same time next to each other.
I like the way the gun swings and it is pretty light at just under 7lbs..
I don't have too much for you on the 912. I know someone who has one and I have shot about 100 rounds through it at the range. He says he likes it and has not had any problems with it. I don't hunt with him, so I can't verify that. I have read some good reports on it.