Sporting Gun magazine’s expert Rob Speed delves into the refined features of Beretta’s latest semi-automatic model, the A400 Xtreme Plus.
Better visibility
In my opinion, the best attribute the gun has to offer is the brilliantly designed stepped rib. I am a firm believer that if the shooter has a better view of the target then their success of breaking targets or cleanly dispatching birds will be greatly increased. The 7x7mm stepped rib on the Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus allows the shooter’s eye to be positioned well over the receiver and barrel of the gun. Therefore, the receiver of the gun isn’t putting strain on your eye, and in turn a clear focus of the target you are shooting at can be easily acquired and maintained. From the first moment I mounted the gun, I loved the field of view it allowed. A narrow rib leading straight down to a small mid-bead and fibre optic bead at the end of the muzzle resulted in fantastic visibility around the barrel of the gun and I knew I was going to enjoy shooting it.
Recoil reduction system
Some of you may have seen Beretta’s previous Kick-Off System where the stock pad of the gun has a recoil system built into it. I will be honest in saying I was not the greatest fan of this system. It sounded very creaky and noisy when mounting and whilst shooting the gun. From users of the Kick-Off System I have previously spoken to, they felt a lot of gun movement on their face, which would be very off putting when shooting. This Kick-Off Plus system is completely different to that. The Kick-Off Plus System divides the stock into two sections (between the stock and the pistol grip), leaving the stock stable and avoiding the annoying sliding of the nose piece on the cheek. I was very pleased when shooting the gun for the first time when my head stayed firmly and comfortably on the stock after taking the shot and can confirm that the system does work as I felt very little recoil from the shot.
General overview
As for the aesthetics of the gun, I personally think it looks incredibly smart for a camouflage design. This is the Max 5 style but there are a few other camouflage styles to suit each individuals’ personal preferences and also a basic black design. I am a left-handed shooter and this particular gun has a left-handed port which is brilliant as I didn’t have spent cartridges flying past my focus when shooting and they are also a lot easier to load. Obviously, this model is available in a true right-handed specification too so it is good to know both left- and right-handed shooters have the option of using this gun comfortably. There are a number of stock shims provided with the gun that can be easily changed to alter the cast and drop. This is a fantastic attribute because each individual shooter can achieve the exact gun fit that they require. The stock length of pull is 14¼in but does come with a ½in plastic spacer if extra length is required and it is fitted with a 20mm MicroCore rubber pad which sits comfortably in the shoulder. If the shooter requires a longer stock then this is easily achieved by adding more plastic spacers that will be available from most Beretta stockists. The Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus is fitted with Steelium Plus barrels which have been proven to achieve fantastic ballistic performance and are proofed for high-performance steel loads. A selection of five external Optima HP Black Edition chokes are provided and these range from skeet through to full choke, so there is a choice of constriction to suit most personal preferences.
When holding the A400 Xtreme Plus it feels incredibly solid and seems to have been built to an extremely high standard. The gun has an Aqua Tech Shield surface treatment which is designed to provide maximum protection internally and externally from corrosion and every day wear. The rubber inserts on the pistol grip and forend allow the gun to sit firmly in your hands, which I can see will be very helpful when shooting in wet weather or when out wildfowling. The pistol grip has a very long reach to the trigger, which isn’t ideal for shooters like myself who haven’t got particularly large hands, but this is a very common personal problem I have found with all semi-automatics I have used. As for the handling of the gun, I would rate it as one of the best semi-automatic shotguns I have handled to this day.
In the field
As with most of my review guns, they come with me for an outing in the hide shooting either crows or pigeons. As I predicted, this Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus performed incredibly well. Every shot I took the cartridges cycled faultlessly and the recoil was smooth from the 30g loads I was using. I have no doubts that heavier loads would be just as smooth through this gas operated semi-automatic. This will give confidence to shooters who plan to use steel loads through this gun, as recoil is generally a lot heavier with non-toxic loads. I chose to use the ½ choke which was provided with the gun, it is a constriction I rate highly and through this barrel preformed to a devastating standard. After cleanly dispatching the first few corvids cleanly out to a distance of 40 yards, I was confident I had a winning combination. The handling of the gun was heavier and slower moving than most other semi-automatics that I had previously used and I really liked this. It gave me a lot more control when shooting longer targets. I was confident in saying the stepped rib was the best attribute to this gun and this was confirmed from mounting onto each crow I aimed to shoot with fantastic target acquisition and great visibility around the receiver and barrel.
Conclusion
The stepped rib on this A400 Xtreme Plus is a game changer due to the increased field of vision it allows the shooter. It will be a great choice of semi-automatic for someone who wants an attractive, well-built gun, but also wants to use it as a working tool with full confidence that it will fire when you pull the trigger. Although this model is designed for wildfowling, I don’t see any reason why this model couldn’t be used for all types of shooting.
Price: From £2,250
UK DISTRIBUTOR
GMK
01489 579 999
sales@gmk.co.uk
gmk.co.uk
