Benelli $$$$$$

[Dominic06]

Do any of y’all know what the A400 pros and cons are?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Squincher]

It's a shame that in 33 something posts on an $1800 semi-auto, not a single person recommended the A400 extreme.

3.5" capability, felt recoil with 12ga duck loads is similar to a 20ga, goes bang every single time. No track record (that I know of) for any issues, has shims to adjust drop/cast.

They'll take a ton of abuse. I hunted mine hard in the salt/brackish marshes for 3 years...for $1800, the Beretta gets my vote.

You would think in 400+ years of making guns, Beretta would have figured out to put the safety on the correct end of the trigger guard.

 

[Vandy321]

You would think in 400+ years of making guns, Beretta would have figured out to put the safety on the correct end of the trigger guard.

If your fingers are of average adult length, I don't see the issue? Doesn't seem to have done much to stiffle sales

 

[Squincher]

If your fingers are of average adult length, I don't see the issue? Doesn't seem to have done much to stiffle sales

Only the most misguided of souls look for the safety on the front of the trigger guard. Decent people know it belongs at the rear.

 

[Reburn]

If your fingers are of average adult length, I don't see the issue? Doesn't seem to have done much to stiffle sales

Its actually why I don't use my Beretta too often anymore. Or super Vinci. I don't like front safetys.

 

[MO-CHSPKE]

If Remington hadn’t ran into their recent problems, I’d be singing praises for the VersaMax. I shoot one and I have abused the crap out of it and the only time it has failed me, was when it got dunked in 20 degree weather and became a single shot. Beyond that, it cycles the lightest reloads I load….3/4 oz at 1100 fps. My buddies SBE 2 was a single shot with them. Regardless, a hunting gun doesn’t need to shoot them that light. When I replace the VersaMax, it will be with a 20 ga SBE 3 when they come out with a Left Handed version. If I have to replace with a 12 ga….it’ll be an A400 Lefty.

 

[Vandy321]

Only the most misguided of souls look for the safety on the front of the trigger guard. Decent people know it belongs at the rear.

Benelli does it too

But I'd argue, like any real shotgun (o/u), the safety "should" be a tang or slider safety, no where near the trigger...especially in a shotgun used with frozen/gloved fingers.

 

[Wags]

I own the SBE 2 , 3 & M2. IMO, no, it's not worth the money per se unless you shoot 3.5" shells often, which I don't. 99% of the birds I shoot every season are well inside 35 yards so I primarily shoot 3". Last season I shot my 20ga M2 exclusively and had 0 issues killing everything from Honks to teal. I've got tens of thousands of rounds through my SBE 2 and it's had it's issues over the years. Failing to feed and cycle properly were the main issues. Replacing the recoil spring in the stock & magazine tube with Wolff springs addressed a lot of the issues there.

I've got a few thousand rounds through my SBE 3 and it's failed to feed a few times as well shooting full power loads. The distance from the grip to the trigger was extended as well, which I'm not a fan of, but it's not a deal breaker. I do like the slimmer for end, it makes for a better grip, especially if you have gloves on. The recoil pad is no better than the previous version. If anything it's harder. Which isn't an issue until your shooting a few cases a weekend.

Personally, If I were buying again I'd go with the M2. It's absolutely bullet proof. I've never had a single hiccup with it. It's a simple design and performs like a dream for a significant decrease in cost.

 

[WRM]

Personally, If I were buying again I'd go with the M2. It's absolutely bullet proof. I've never had a single hiccup with it. It's a simple design and performs like a dream for a significant decrease in cost.

Or the original M1 if you can find one in decent shape. Price can be unbearable tho because the 3 gunners love them. The M1 and M2 are very similar anyway.

If you want to shoot super light loads in these guns, get the lighter recoil spring from Taran Tactical. It'll feed pretty much anything. And, if you are having cycling issues in these guns with normal loads, then you probably need a new recoil spring anyway.

 

[Wags]

Or the original M1 if you can find one in decent shape. Price can be unbearable tho because the 3 gunners love them. The M1 and M2 are very similar anyway.

If you want to shoot super light loads in these guns, get the lighter recoil spring from Taran Tactical. It'll feed pretty much anything. And, if you are having cycling issues in these guns with normal loads, then you probably need a new recoil spring anyway.

Agreed , my M2 has been flawless. I picked up a 20 as well and it's my primary gun now. The rest are just collecting dust in the safe.

 

[Wags]

You would think in 400+ years of making guns, Beretta would have figured out to put the safety on the correct end of the trigger guard.

No kidding, it's the single design issue that kept me from trying the A400. I'm a lefty, and was excited to give the Beretta a go right until I saw they hadn't moved the safety.... So I picked up the SBE 3 instead.

It's a shame that in 33 something posts on an $1800 semi-auto, not a single person recommended the A400 extreme.

3.5" capability, felt recoil with 12ga duck loads is similar to a 20ga, goes bang every single time. No track record (that I know of) for any issues, has shims to adjust drop/cast.

They'll take a ton of abuse. I hunted mine hard in the salt/brackish marshes for 3 years...for $1800, the Beretta gets my vote.

It's a great gun, until the magazine cap fails. It's been it's primary issue but there are aftermarket fixes for it now. If you spend any time on the Refuge Forum there's countless reports of it breaking & rendering it useless. Just something you may want to have an answer to in case yours ever breaks.

 

[RogerNH]

I had an SBE2 and it was a fantastic shotgun. I never had any trouble with it except I couldn't hit anything with it (my fault, not the gun). The gun didn't fit me that well and no matter how many adjustments I made, I couldn't get it to fit me. On the flip side, my stock 870 has killed almost every bird I pointed it at.

 

[Dominic06]

I am going to be chasing turkeys, so I am not looking at the sbe2 or anything with the Benelli “click”. I can’t have that in the turkey woods.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wags]

I am going to be chasing turkeys, so I am not looking at the sbe2 or anything with the Benelli “click”. I can’t have that in the turkey woods.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The click more often than not is user error on the SBE 2 & newer models. It's a simple fix with changing the recoil spring to a Plus Power if it ever happens. In 12 years and tens of thousands of rounds through my SBE 2 I've never had a single click. That said I've seen my buddies A400 click a few times due to the bolt not rotating into battery. I've found more often than not its from guys setting them down hard on the recoil pad and couple that motion with a weak spring the bolt will slide back slightly throwing it out of battery. Just something to be aware of in any rotating bolt system.

 

[Dominic06]

The click more often than not is user error on the SBE 2 & newer models. It's a simple fix with changing the recoil spring to a Plus Power if it ever happens. In 12 years and tens of thousands of rounds through my SBE 2 I've never had a single click. That said I've seen my buddies A400 click a few times due to the bolt not rotating into battery. I've found more often than not its from guys setting them down hard on the recoil pad and couple that motion with a weak spring the bolt will slide back slightly throwing it out of battery. Just something to be aware of in any rotating bolt system.

100%, but I would not want to change the spring because it would make the action harder to pull back (correct me if I am wrong), and that is one of the main reasons I am looking at the sbe3, because of the smooth action.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wags]

100%, but I would not want to change the spring because it would make the action harder to pull back (correct me if I am wrong), and that is one of the main reasons I am looking at the sbe3, because of the smooth action.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not noticeable at all on my SBE 2. I put plus power springs in the recoil system and magazine tube with no changes in feel. It's just a more solid lock up. I've not done the spring on my SBE 3 because I've not felt a reason to. It's functioned smoothly at the range and in the duck blind/boat.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

If your gonna duck hunt 25+ days a year in rain, sleet, saltwater yes. If you gonna go out a few good weather days and use it to turkey hunt...find an 870 or Mossburg..if you get more addicted to ducking hunting pick one up in a few years.

I have a391 and a400 both great guns

 

[Dominic06]

Not noticeable at all on my SBE 2. I put plus power springs in the recoil system and magazine tube with no changes in feel. It's just a more solid lock up. I've not done the spring on my SBE 3 because I've not felt a reason to. It's functioned smoothly at the range and in the duck blind/boat.

Awesome! Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dominic06]

If your gonna duck hunt 25+ days a year in rain, sleet, saltwater yes. If you gonna go out a few good weather days and use it to turkey hunt...find an 870 or Mossburg..if you get more addicted to ducking hunting pick one up in a few years.

I have a391 and a400 both great guns

I would also dove, duck, and pheasant hunt with the shotgun, and was looking for a good quality shotgun. I have a old mossberg 5500 12ga and killed my first turkey with it, but I want a better shotgun, so that’s why I am looking for a sbe3, specifically the 3.5 12ga with bottomlands camo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sahunter06]

I went to sportsman’s warehouse and was looking for a nice turkey gun I was looking at the cheaper shotguns like 500-900 and when I felt the benelli sbe3 there was no going back, I also felt the Retay shotguns which are also amazing, but just not as nice as the benelli in my opinion, I also felt high end Winchesters and berettas, and also the brownings, but the one that stood out to me the most was Benelli. This gun also will not be abused, I just am looking at it for Turkey, and eventually other birds, but I take real nice care of my guns.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I own 4 benelli shotguns and other manufactures shotguns. I’ve killed many long beards with other shotguns but for the last 25 years I’ve only shot my benelli nova 3.5 mag. Price is much less than the SBE models. It is a pump though. If you match your choke and shot correctly it only takes 1 shot. I have M1 super 90, SBE, SBE2 but their my wing shooting guns not turkey. Something to consider since you mentioned turkey gun. If it’s multi purpose then you might want to consider the SBE models or manufacturers that fit you the best. No issues with my benelli models.