I have been looking at a Beretta a400 action with kick off and would like to hear from some of you guys that own or have shot them on what you think. I currently own a Benelli super sport but would like to get a second one for my wife to shoot and the Beretta seemed to shoulder nice. I was also thinking of trying some bird hunting this fall and more than likely use the a400 for that, I don't know anyone who has one of these a400's so looking for some opinions please
Beretta a400
- Thread starter brad555
- Start date
I bought a Beretta A 400 Xtreme Unico a couple of years ago. It has functioned flawlessly so far with everything from light trap loads to 3 1/2 goose loads. I mostly have used it for goose hunting with 3 in BB'S or No. 2's. The kickoff took a few rounds to get used to as you feel the stock movement a little differently but it works extremely well at reducing felt recoil and is the softest shooting shotgun I have ever used. The gun comes apart very easily for cleaning, comes with a good case and the weather isn't going to cause it to rust if you are hunting in some fowl weather. Do a search on You-Tube....lots of good videos on there on the A-400. I found shorting the stock up on mine by removing a few spacers help me with my hits a fair bit which I found a little strange because I thought it fit me well the way it came but the proof is in the pudding they say and maybe adding a heavier hunting jacket changed that. The point been with the A-400 you have options on length of pull as well as setting the cast off on the stock. Overall I give it a 10 outta 10 score.
Jim
Jim
Well - I don't have a 400 series, but I do have a 391 series with the kick-off system. It definitely does smoothen out the recoil, so if you are doing lot of sporting shooting, or hunting with 3 1/2 in magnum shells, it is a plus. I have become recoil sensitive over the years, so I do appreciate what the kick off does.
However, some of my sporting clays type peers say that they don't like the sloppy feeling they encounter when firing the gun. Cant say I've noticed it, but I've heard this complaint from several people at the club.
However, some of my sporting clays type peers say that they don't like the sloppy feeling they encounter when firing the gun. Cant say I've noticed it, but I've heard this complaint from several people at the club.
I have and A400 Xplor unico without the kickoff and find that it does not kick very much at all, I imagine the Kickoff would make it nice to shoot for someone of smaller stature or someone who is recoil sensitive. Mine operates flawlessly with the exception of the time I ran about 600 rounds through without cleaning then it started acting up on me, but that was obviously user error. I've probably put 1000 rounds or so through mine. Everything from light target to 3 1/2" goose loads and it has not failed to cycle once (as long as it was clean)
Same as above. around 500 rounds of target-3 1/2 steel on gueese, not one failure of any kind. The kickoff makes target loads recoil feel almost non existent, however the heavy 3 1/2 loads still compress the kickoff completely and then punt your shoulder pretty good!
I've been shooting an A400 Xplor Unico w/ Kick-Off for about two years now. Only ever FTF was when I neglected to clean it for many hundreds of rounds. Probably over a thousand. Don't judge me. Can't really fault the gun for that. Awesome gun, cycles EVERYTHING. From low recoil 2 3/4" target loads up to 3 1/2" magnum 19 pellet 00 buck, not a hiccup. You could alternate between the two in the mag (Not that you ever would), and it would run flawlessly. The kick-off really softens the blow of heavy recoiling shells. The same 3 1/2" 00 buck shells in me Rem 887 NitroMag felt like they were going to separate my arm from my body, lol. Totally manageable in the A400.
Feels great, swings nice. Has the mag disable function that allows you to dump an un-fired round out of the chamber without loading the next one from the mag. I suspect most decent auto-loaders would have this feature, but the way it's set up is nice. I've shot a Browning Maxus, and it almost seemed like the little lever on the Maxus was an afterthought.
The plug is a PITA to get out, if you're not hunting and want the extra capacity. It only ended up gaining me a single extra shell though, and with the gas piston where it is you can't ever extend the mag capacity.
You definitely won't regret buying an A400.
Feels great, swings nice. Has the mag disable function that allows you to dump an un-fired round out of the chamber without loading the next one from the mag. I suspect most decent auto-loaders would have this feature, but the way it's set up is nice. I've shot a Browning Maxus, and it almost seemed like the little lever on the Maxus was an afterthought.
The plug is a PITA to get out, if you're not hunting and want the extra capacity. It only ended up gaining me a single extra shell though, and with the gas piston where it is you can't ever extend the mag capacity.
You definitely won't regret buying an A400.
I don't have 100% detail on this, but I agree with you on models like the Xcel 3" where the pistol and chamber is entirely in front of the end of the mag tube, there is no way to increase capacity. But I've seen I think an Xtreme 3.5" and it has a different gas piston system. Its pistol goes around the mag tube, so the owner was able to put a magazine extension on it. Unfortunately Beretta's website is pretty terrible at showing pictures with the foreends removed.
Urbansherpa
Regular
- Location
- Hamilton, Ont
I'm left handed. I used to own an A400 Xplor RH and loved it! The Kick-Off was ugly, but worked as advertised. It had a 'GunPod' counter, but I never paid any attention to it. I'd as soon have purchased it without a Kick-Off and GunPod, but it came with them. Always shot right where I looked. Both eyes open!
I now own an A400 Xtreme in LH. It shoots VERY well and uses the newer Kick-Off Mega, which is not as ugly. I'm quite happy with it. I bought the 26" and have a set of Ext chokes. It is a 3.5" chamber, but I only use 2.75" and 3".
If the Xplor came in a LH synthetic, I would have bought it. There is a new Lite version in synth, but it is only in LH in the USA.
I can't think of anything bad about the A400. I also own an A300. Excellent firearm. If you're right handed, it would be worth you looking at.....and half the price!
I now own an A400 Xtreme in LH. It shoots VERY well and uses the newer Kick-Off Mega, which is not as ugly. I'm quite happy with it. I bought the 26" and have a set of Ext chokes. It is a 3.5" chamber, but I only use 2.75" and 3".
If the Xplor came in a LH synthetic, I would have bought it. There is a new Lite version in synth, but it is only in LH in the USA.
I can't think of anything bad about the A400. I also own an A300. Excellent firearm. If you're right handed, it would be worth you looking at.....and half the price!
- Location
- Whitby, Ontario
Have a year on an Xplor Unico with kickoff here. 26" because it's also my field gun. If I were to have only one firearm, this is the one that does it all for me. Turkey, upland, clays, and hopefully soon deer. To echo what's been said above, it's an awesome boomstick that cycles anything you can stick in it. Needs a good cleaning every 500-600 target loads to keep the bolt cycling open reliably. Softest shooting 12g I've used - in fact my wife even enjoys shooting trap with it.
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I ended up buying it today and managed to shoot a few rounds through it tonight. In the store it came up nice but once I shot it realized I had to put some stock shims in, it seemed to have a sharp hit with recoil, went to install and seen they sent shims for 20g, typical my luck..... Put it in anyway just to see what it was like and it made the fit better, the 20g one is slightly smaller and there is a bit of a gap between stock and receiver so I will see if they can get me the right one. With the target loads I shot I can't say it was any softer feeling recoil wise than my super sport at all.
For some reason not having the mid barrel bead took some getting used to but I am sure that is a minor detail that won't bother me after more use with it.
It never came with any length of pull shims either, not sure if they were missing or just don't come with??
For some reason not having the mid barrel bead took some getting used to but I am sure that is a minor detail that won't bother me after more use with it.
It never came with any length of pull shims either, not sure if they were missing or just don't come with??
Which A400 model are you considering and what will be it's primary use? What type of birds are you going after? Your post suggests that the A400 would be going to your wife and used primarily by her. What does she think about it?
The A400 Xplor, Xplor Light and Excel have 3" chambers and are better choices for clay shooting than the Xtreme Unico which is chambered for 3-1/2" shells. Of the ones that I've tried light target loads did not always have enough power to reliably work the Xtreme Unico action and often would not lock open the action after the last shot.
It is the Xplor Action and yes it is 2 3/4 or 3 inch only. Plan is to try for geese this fall, will be first time for me but my brother is well set up for it and I will be going with him.
My original plan was to get the second gun mostly for her to use for skeet and hunting for myself, I was thinking of a Winchester SX3 in a 20g, my brother has the SX3 in a 12g and we both liked it to shoot. I wanted to try the 20g before buying but no one I know has a 20g semi auto. She shoots my super sport and Citori fine, recoil on them for her is manageable. I had talked to a few people and they seemed to think the 20g would be limited to close shots for geese so that had me looking at the 12g again.
I went to a local shop to pick up a Winchester and they had a clearance sale on the Beretta and I ended up getting it for $165 more than the Winchester, the Beretta also seemed to shoulder a little nicer possibly.
She has not had a chance to shoot it yet so she does not have much of an opinion yet. One nice thing is that in less than 5 min I can put shims in that will set it up for her and if I want to use it then it is quick to reset back to my liking.
My original plan was to get the second gun mostly for her to use for skeet and hunting for myself, I was thinking of a Winchester SX3 in a 20g, my brother has the SX3 in a 12g and we both liked it to shoot. I wanted to try the 20g before buying but no one I know has a 20g semi auto. She shoots my super sport and Citori fine, recoil on them for her is manageable. I had talked to a few people and they seemed to think the 20g would be limited to close shots for geese so that had me looking at the 12g again.
I went to a local shop to pick up a Winchester and they had a clearance sale on the Beretta and I ended up getting it for $165 more than the Winchester, the Beretta also seemed to shoulder a little nicer possibly.
She has not had a chance to shoot it yet so she does not have much of an opinion yet. One nice thing is that in less than 5 min I can put shims in that will set it up for her and if I want to use it then it is quick to reset back to my liking.
For geese you are definitely better off with the 12 than a 20. The Xplor is a good gun and at that price you did very well. I've shot the Winchester and IMO you have a significantly better gun for only $165. Well done.
Just did some more reading and you are right, many shooter want more drop and I am thinking I will be one of them. Sounds like there might be some made in the states but do you guys know of any suppliers up here that would have the 70 shims ?
