A400 vs Super Vinci

M

Munster

New member
EE Expired
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm in the market for a new shooting iron and have narrowed it down to these two fine shotguns. I'm used to the old pumps and the last one I hunted with was my brothers 1187.

Does anyone here have either of the 2 mentioned above?

It's not about price really, as I'm prepared to spend the money but I'm looking for a reliable, easy to maintain shotgun.

I've read extensively on the difference between interia and gas, recoil systems and ease of cleaning but I would like to hear from some owners that have them to get a feel for the performance after the intial novelty wears off.

I've shouldered both and they both fit quite well, with the edge slightly to the Super Vinci.

Thanks for the help in advance.
 
I don't own either gun but have shot about 1500rs thru each. Both are good guns but they are over-priced for what you are getting! The Vinci won't be as reliable with light loads either, therefore I recommend the A400 if you will be shooting more targets than waterfowl. If you are just using it for hunting purposes then pick the one you like best.

BTW...if the last pump action you hunted with was actually an 11-87, I'm willing to bet it was working too well for ya! ;)
 
Thanks for all the repliess ! A little more info. I'm mostly going to be hunting duck BUT when I'm back home in ontario, I need something for deer. I will definitely be breaking some clays which is why I'm leaning towards the A400 since it will shoot a little softer for a day at the range. I know hunting deer with a shotgun is less than ideal, but where I'm from in ontario it's shotgun or nothing.

I just read my first post again and it was a little misleading.... I used pumps all my life, but they last time I hunted was with my brother's 11-87 semi. This is the main reason for wanting a semi as I can now HIT the ducks instead of just scaring them by working the action :)

Also to note: I'm not a small guy (6'2" 260ish.... ) so the recoil is a concern for marathon target days, but not so much when I'm hunting.
 
Last edited:
I've owned both, but the only one I still own is the A400. Started with the Super Vinci - I loved the fit and the way it handled, very light and well balanced, points and swings nicely. I chose it over Beretta because the Beretta semis always felt very chunky to me. The Super Vinci was great for hunting, but it constantly had problems cycling target loads. This was an issue for me. Although it was not my primary clays gun, I wanted to be able to shoot clays with my waterfowl gun. It jammed often enough that I got annoyed and bought an A400. The A400 has never had a problem cycling any type of load, from light trap loads up to 3.5" turkey loads. The more I shot both guns, the more I realized I preferred the Beretta. It has a better trigger, recoils less, and doesn't have that clanky feeling of the inertia action (which I came to find distracting after shooting both guns back to back a few times). So I got rid of the SV and the A400 is my go-to semi. But there are things I miss about the Super Vinci: It is still the winner for me in terms of fit and handling. Love the way that gun feels in the hand. Also, the SV was a dream to clean compared to the Beretta's gas system. It is (or at least was) also a lot easier to find aftermarket chokes for the SV, although I think the selection for the A400 has improved quite a bit recently.

Hope that helps. Both are great in their own ways, but if you're wanting to shoot clays I'd give the edge to the A400.
 
BadRonald thanks for the info, that's exactly what I'm looking for. A question for you, exactly bad is the gas system on the A400. A friend says it's so hard to clean, but he's only had benelli's all his life and he's still not willing to part with his A400. Also what do you mainly use for clays? I'm feeling the same way about the shooting it at the range as practicing with my hunting gun is something that I think is important. I went to the dealer and they were very pro Benelli so it was hard to get a good feel from them about issues, since they only wanted to tell me about the A400s that came back. Is there a noticeable recoil difference between the 2. I've only managed to shoot the vinci and I didn't find it to bad, but I didn't put any 3 1/2's in either.
 
A400 gas system is hella easy to clean. When you pull the barrel off (which is super easy) it exposes the big piston and cylinder. Little break clean and something to scrape the powder buildup is all you need.
 
Munster said:
BadRonald thanks for the info, that's exactly what I'm looking for. A question for you, exactly bad is the gas system on the A400. A friend says it's so hard to clean, but he's only had benelli's all his life and he's still not willing to part with his A400. Also what do you mainly use for clays? I'm feeling the same way about the shooting it at the range as practicing with my hunting gun is something that I think is important. I went to the dealer and they were very pro Benelli so it was hard to get a good feel from them about issues, since they only wanted to tell me about the A400s that came back. Is there a noticeable recoil difference between the 2. I've only managed to shoot the vinci and I didn't find it to bad, but I didn't put any 3 1/2's in either.
Click to expand...

The gas system is not bad to clean as far as gas systems go, it just takes longer than cleaning a Benelli. Diassembly on the A400 is very easy as well. Ultimately ease of cleaning is a relatively minor consideration, and I would not factor it into my decision to buy/not buy a particular gun.

For clays I use mostly an over/under, but my A400 does see a lot of use as well - maybe 30-40% of the time. Its fine for that purpose.

I do notice a difference in recoil with the A400 recoiling less, but the SV is certainly tolerable. For me the difference is not substantial enough to factor into a purchase decision on one gun or the other.

For me it was the reliability with light loads that pushed me toward the A400. I wanted to shoot clays without the annoyance of constant jams. The principle of it also irritated me. Even with target loads that exceeded the minimum specs in the manual, the gun would jam. This improved somewhat with breaking in but never resolved entirely even after thousands of rounds. I spoke with Stoeger Canada about this and their response was that this was "normal". They told me some SVs handle light loads fine and some do not. If you search other forums you will see evidence of this. Some people have no problems, others have problems worse than mine. It rubbed me the wrong way that I had the misfortune of getting stuck with something on the sub-par end of what the company apparently considers to be an acceptable spectrum of functionality. The fact that they consider such a spectrum acceptable (especially when that spectrum contradicts what is written in their manual) is an issue in and of itself, and the reason why it will probably be a long time before I buy another Benelli inertia gun.
 
BadRonald said:
The gas system is not bad to clean as far as gas systems go, it just takes longer than cleaning a Benelli. Diassembly on the A400 is very easy as well. Ultimately ease of cleaning is a relatively minor consideration, and I would not factor it into my decision to buy/not buy a particular gun.

For clays I use mostly an over/under, but my A400 does see a lot of use as well - maybe 30-40% of the time. Its fine for that purpose.

I do notice a difference in recoil with the A400 recoiling less, but the SV is certainly tolerable. For me the difference is not substantial enough to factor into a purchase decision on one gun or the other.

For me it was the reliability with light loads that pushed me toward the A400. I wanted to shoot clays without the annoyance of constant jams. The principle of it also irritated me. Even with target loads that exceeded the minimum specs in the manual, the gun would jam. This improved somewhat with breaking in but never resolved entirely even after thousands of rounds. I spoke with Stoeger Canada about this and their response was that this was "normal". They told me some SVs handle light loads fine and some do not. If you search other forums you will see evidence of this. Some people have no problems, others have problems worse than mine. It rubbed me the wrong way that I had the misfortune of getting stuck with something on the sub-par end of what the company apparently considers to be an acceptable spectrum of functionality. The fact that they consider such a spectrum acceptable (especially when that spectrum contradicts what is written in their manual) is an issue in and of itself, and the reason why it will probably be a long time before I buy another Benelli inertia gun.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more, I'm heading up to the gun store this weekend, and I think that I've made my Decision. The fact that Stoeger and more over Benelli is ok with this tells me that it's just the luck of the draw. I don't think that a 2000$ shotgun should have a functioning issue and you just have to deal with it.

Thanks for all the help everyone, I'm going to test out both guns again this weekend and make the choice. I wasn't really basing my decision on the recoil/cleaning but i just wanted a feel for it since my cleaning of the old 870 was to shoot more rounds though it :D

Again thanks everyone for the help and I'll post an update when I finally get it.
 
Get which one feels better and don't look back. For me it is Benelli. All my shotguns are abused work horses. Several have gone for swims and that was the beauty of the inertia system. Water drained out, ice formed and I just racked and smashed it out. Not sure how this works with a gas system? Benellis feel less chunky to me and I like how they swing. As far as not cycling light target loads, this may be true but I have never experienced that. I think a lot of it has to do with people not getting a solid stock contact with shoulder. Because it is inertia driven, you need to be a rigid block when firing it. At around 7000 rounds I replaced my recoil spring with a XP spring for added reliability. Thats been all I have done to it. Other than cerakote it! (best investment for a field work horse!) Both great guns, buy which ever you shoot best.
 
So I made the leap and ordered the A400 extreme in Max 4 from Cabelas. They didn't have any in stock in the local shop and they said possible may for them to get in. I'm hoping it comes in good time, never really dealt with cabelas shipping before but here's to hoping.

Thanks for all the advice from everyone, and after getting a feel for the Super Vinci, which is definitely a great gun but it had too much plastic for my liking, I just didn't like the feel overall. I'll update once I get it and hopefully get a few rounds through it.
 
Just so u know I owned and own both in all configurations possible and never had one jam with any of my 3 super vinci or my vinci with target loads.... Some ppl say it's all how u shoulder it and yes I always did a proper break in... Benelli fits me better but beretta is easier on the shoulder... Both amazing guns!
 
I will recommend the A400. I own a Benelli SBE 11 and a Beretta A400. Both are in the same price range.

Both cycle all shells, but the Beretta is much softer on the shoulder with the 3.5" ammo. The Beretta has the kick-off system but I am not sure that is a factor.

As mentioned, the Beretta is very easy to clean and maintain. While I use a Browning XT for clays, I score just as well with the Beretta.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom