I'd be curious to know whether those off-center strikes were due to the cylinder turning too far or not far enough? Did you survey brass that did fire? Was there a random distribution of firing pin contact locations, and just the ones all the way on the edge didn't fire, or was it an "either/or" scenario?
Quality problems are what I'm worried about. I don't buy for a second that just because something is expensive and made in Europe, it will be right. I have a remarkable record of getting the defective one of anything. I have read a bunch since this thread started, and did find one person over on (I think it was) the blue forum, or maybe one of the generic hunting/shooting forums, who said he'd looked at several recent-production MR73s over the past few years and found issues with all of them.
It's entirely possible that Chapuis is making sure they are pretty but letting some other things slip, since it is no longer selling guns to a switched-on agency with credentialed armorers who will check everything thoroughly and send it back with the power of the government and the weight of all the gun's history and prestige behind them and demand that it be made right.
Also, with Beretta's recent record of shipping obviously defective 92s to customers and a bunch more being marginally manufactured but recoverable into serviceable condition with a little TLC, I don't trust Beretta USA to be the gatekeepers of quality. (And I mean over several years, not just last year, although I started the thread on dovetailed-sight DAOs and then sent mine back when it got here.) I'm also unimpressed with their shotgun stock squishy parts being made with polymers that can't withstand sunscreen and DEET. Because when would either of those get on a shotgun? Basically, the evidence available to me doesn't support betting $3k on, "It's Beretta, it will be fine."
I'd love it if @e_stern would come in here and tell us a little about how logistics of parts support, warranty, etc. is intended to run. Will they have capacity to fix guns in the U.S.? Will parts even be available, or will returning a gun that's not right result in it going in one of two buckets?
1) Send it back and say it's in spec, just shoot it.
2) Decide they can't send it back with a straight face, and replace it with another gun that could have unknown issues of its own.
Does Chapuis have capacity to fix guns? Can Beretta even send a gun back to France and then re-import it?
Is Beretta making any investments in improving Chapuis' production and leveling up quality?
Are there plans to bring in any other guns, such as the 4.25 (necessary for Canada vs. 4 inch), the 3 or 2.75 inch, etc?
My other 5-inch .357 and some ammo are on GB, so this is more than idle internet chatter. My goal isn't to throw stones at Beretta, either. I love my 1301, my Tikkas, and my older 92D Cent.