Help with a Beretta

[Rugerismisticness]

I wouldn't go the beretta route either. The CS sucks, there are way to many parts and worse yet breakages, and the fake wood looks like crap. A buddy on my shooting team (most of them use 391 Golds) had his receiver crack after only 10K rounds (the max load he put through were AA SS). Beretta told him that the 391 Recievers are no longer being produced and he should part out his gun. Another TWO people on my shooting team broke connecting rods, which they were both told to repair on thier dollar. Definitly go with benelli, I personally have had very very good experiance with their CS on a bolt with machine marks that were a little too deep. Benellis have more robust parts that are fewer in number. Definitly keep an eye out for a Cordoba or Sport II.

 

[Rugerismisticness]

"There isn't a lot of difference between the intertia operated Benelli's and the gas operated Beretta's. In fact, Beretta has done a lot of technology changes in each of their lines, borrowing from Beretta, Benelli and Franchi to improve every line."

Really? There's too much difference between them. Beretta borrows from Beretta? Thats novel. Honestly, the only spittin image the came out of Beretta from Benelli is the Pintail, which was a failure in some peoples eyes due to Spanish QC.

 

[lambertsteeth]

"Your experience is not typical and it doesn't change the fact that they're the same company and my experience is exactly the opposite of yours."

My experience is just that, MY experience. I was not trying to help you. I was just trying to help the op. If you disagree, that's o.k., but don't take it personally. By the way, how do you know what is typical at the clubs I frequent?

"Funny, I don't see many guys at my club or buddies in the field trading their Beretta's for Benelli's."

"There isn't a lot of difference between the intertia operated Benelli's and the gas operated Beretta's"

You are dead wrong about the operating systems not being different. They are extremely different. The Benelli runs far cleaner, which makes it more reliable. Again, nothing personal. If you love the Beretta, GREAT! I'm just trying to help the op.
The fact that I'm not the only response steering this way kind of backs up my response.
"Edit: Oh and the OP asked for help with Beretta, not Benelli, so your comments are not only incorrect, they're off topic."
If I can make a helpful suggestion, I'm gonna. The op didn't seem to mind.

 

[insaneranger]

If you like Beretta & price is a factor, you might consider Stoeger. They're owned by Beretta, have the same barrels as Berettas (made in the same factory), & they have the Inertia Driven system. They are also under $500 for the wood models.

 

[HKGuns]

Guy's Benelli's are excellent shotguns, I'm not going to argue that point. The OP asked about Beretta and his intended use makes Beretta the better choice as he's apparently already decided.

The large chambered Benelli's (SBE2 to be specific) are known to not reliably cycle light target loads, which is one of his intended uses.

 

[Boom Boom Boom]

How many guns has beretta discontinued over the last 10 years? More than you can count. How many has Benelli discontinued? 0. They migrated to "2" versions of the SBE and M1, but the operating system is the same. My SBE2 bolt fits and works fine in my SBE2 even...

Why is this--if its not broke dont fix it. The benelli system runs cleaner, more reliably, and lasts forever. Beretta has a new gimmick every few years. Read around long enough and you will see that fella who couldnt get his berettas fixed is not alone.

Someone mentioned benelli's dont shoot light loads-nonsense. they gaurantee 3 dram 1 1/8 oz minimum, because they have to say a number... i shoot 1 oz loads in mine all the time, never had an issue.

 

[oneounceload]

Someone mentioned benelli's dont shoot light loads-nonsense. they gaurantee 3 dram 1 1/8 oz minimum, because they have to say a number... i shoot 1 oz loads in mine all the time, never had an issue.

Try it with some 7/8 oz loads at about 1200, not 1350, and see if it works, or 1oz loads running at 1050 or 1150 and tell me how your Benelli works - my A400 has and does.

Benellis are good guns, it is basically a simple a blowback design action, thus using a really stiff spring to keep the gun from getting battered to death, thus making it hard to digest really light loads and really heavy loads. For its intended uses as field artillery against waterfowl, it is great - as a sporting clay gun shooting LIGHT target loads, not so good

 

[lambertsteeth]

Oneounce is correct.
If you buy a Benelli intended for hunting, it probably will have trouble with light loads.
If you buy a Benelli intended for clays, it will handle light loads just fine.
On hunting guns, a lighter spring resolves this problem. I have heard of no issues shooting heavy loads in clays guns.

 

[Boom Boom Boom]

i promise that if we want to play the your gun wont shoot this ammo game i can find a load that will give your beretta issues as well. 7/8 1200 FPS, i wouldnt shoot anyhow! why would i? there is no cost savings to an ammo buyer. Perhaps if you reload you will save the 25 cents (or whatever it is) going with such a light load, but when you shop on the shelf, there is no need to buy those.

Just to clarify so i dont get attacked for offending reloaders---hey good for you guys, saving is saving and we all need to right now, but to me, personally, i value the time with my kids more than the time at the bench, so i choose to buy ammo.

Fact is, at some level, ALL semi auto shotguns rely on a spring somewhere, yes even Beretta, and if the load isnt strong enough, the spring wont flex enough. Perhaps I am wrong, but i am pretty sure Beretta wont warranty your gun for not shooting 7/8 1200 loads... your gun shoots them, good, i know they all dont, and if yours doesnt Beretta will leave you hanging.

Beretta makes a good gun, and they better for 1600 bucks or whatever it is, i wont say they are junk, i wont say browning is junk, what i will say all day every day, is that IMHO Benelli is the leader in all things s/a shotgun. best product, best service.

 

[TheKlawMan]

BOOM BOOM BOOM, The cost savings is definitely a factor for my decision to reload, and I save around $1.50 over the cheapest retail loads from WalMart which don't come in 7/8 loads. You are talking semis and recoil may not be as big an issue withone, but I have been shooting an 870 Express and recoil is a big factor with one of them. Reoading also permits one to more closely fit a shotshell to to your needs (type and hardness of shot, fps) which is not a factor to me. My main reason for going to reloading was that 7/8's are hard to find and another $3 to $4. As for time with your kids, that is a good reason not to reload, but mine are grown and reloading gives me more time to myself. Reasons for reloading are much greater than two bits a box.

 

[Dave McC]

Boom, none of the SBE IIs I've tried handled 7/8 oz loads at all. One ,when new, choked on 1 oz stuff. It's since broken in enough that neither is a problem.

As for reloading, I can load up a box of target loads as good as any sold for about a buck less than Value Packs. I don't save any money,though, just get to shoot more.

Moreover, if I want/need something special, like a 6 pellet 00 load for testing purposes or a 3/4 oz 12 gauge load for new shooters, it takes 5 minutes to change things around.

 

[oneounceload]

The reloading isn't completely about cost savings - it is about recoil fatigue and long-term damage resulting in operations to the shoulder.........I want a gun that can shoot light loads and delay or possibly prevent the damage and surgery down the road

 

[BigJimP]

My 12ga Benelli Super Sport - will not cycle 7/8 loads reliably at 1200 fps either....but it will handle 1oz loads at 1225 fps 100% of the time.

My 1oz reloads at 1225 fps - are at $ 3.90 for a box of 25 ...and I'm reloading a premium shell - that is way better than any of the promo stuff. Time isn't a factor for me - reloading -- my press will easily put out 20 boxes of shotshells in an hour ( 500 shells ) .../ when my 20yr old grandson and his fraternity buddies come over ( they want to load some shells for themselves to go with me to shoot Skeet or Sporting / it only takes them an hour to load about 250 shells ..being very careful ) / so a good press will take no time at all to crank out some very good shells.

But I'd reload even if the cost savings was a wash ....its part of the hobby / part of the fun ...I like reloading / I like customizing my shells to suit my needs ...on shotshells and on metallic for any number of calibers on my handguns. I understand if you have a lot of demands on your time / or don't have a place to set up an array of reloaders ...it might take more time / but I'd recommend it ( I learned how to reload from my grandpa when I was about 10yrs old to reload shotshells and metallic ...and I've been priveledged to pass it down to my adult kids and some of the older grandkids ).... its fun / and satisfying.

 

[Boom Boom Boom]

all good points on why one would reload. but again, the 1-2$ a box isnt worth it to me personally. neither is the customizing of the ammo or recoil. Time is too valuable to me, and being an avid waterfowl hunter, i welcome the recoil of a standard 1 1/8oz target load--much better than the 3.5" black clouds i am shooting this time of year!!

my point was simply that semi's can be picky, all semi's can. Benelli shotguns have earned the reputation of being the most reliable of the bunch for any multiuse shooter. if your intention is strictly light target loads, perhaps something else is better suited for it--even an o/u.

 

[HKGuns]

Benelli shotguns have earned the reputation of being the most reliable of the bunch for any multiuse shooter. if your intention is strictly light target loads, perhaps something else is better suited for it--even an o/u.

...and Beretta hasn't? I see far more Beretta's at the club shooting clays than Benelli's. I LIKE Benelli's a lot, but the Beretta guns are better "all around" models.

I'd argue Beretta's have earned this reputation and I have personal experience to back it up. I purchased my Xtrema2 for hunting and I use a 3.5" load for geese and turkey. I have also used it to shoot clays at the club to tune up for Dove hunting and it will cycle my 7/8 oz reloads without issue. I've not seen many Benelli's do the same.

So, staying with the theme of the thread, the Beretta is the better choice for the OP given his stated use of the shotgun.

 

[lambertsteeth]

HK Guns,
Berettas are good guns. They are just more finicky than the Benellis. I've got one Benelli with over 20,000 rounds through it. I've got another with about 7,000 through it. Knock on wood, I've had zero problems. ZERO. Cleaning them is far easier. This is all because of few moving parts, and not using gas to cycle them.
Compare this to the Berettas I've had, (three in total) with far less rounds through them. If you don't clean them just right, or lubed just right, stove pipe after stove pipe.
Quite a few of the more experienced shooters I've shot with would just simply buy either a Seminole Gunworks, or a Cole trigger assembly to make them reliable. (If they didn't swap out to Benellis) Now, I'm talking guys who shoot ALOT.
I shoot with a guy who dropped his Sport II in the river. After retrieving it, draining the water and wiping the mud off with a rag. Killed his limit of ducks. All without even field stripping it.

Benellis are just more reliable.

 

[LSnSC]

The idea that Benellis will out last or outshoot Berettas in any way is absurd. IF the benellis were superior in any way they would dominate the competition fields, which they simply do not. Beretta's outnumber everything else 2 to 1.
Ive got a AL 390 with about 20, 000 rounds thought it. These have been everything from 7/8 oz skeet loads to 1.75 oz turkey loads. Other than a Sure Cycle kit due to salt water immersion it has been flawless. My 391 has at least twice that many. I replaced a faulty lifter last summer.
Benellis dont get called Jaminellis for nothing...

 

[andhen2003]

i owed you a review. i took my AL391 synthetic out for it's first spin today. it worked flawlessly. 150 shells, no hiccups. at first i thought it was a little long for my arm, because it has a pretty thick gel tec pad, but it felt perfect when i was shooting it. the recoil was basically nil, and i was just wearing a light sweater (nice day today). i also shot it pretty well (i didn't keep score), but let's just say that shooting the majority of targets is pretty good for a newbie like me. it was light and swung great. i played around with the advanced course today and nailed some pretty far clays with just the modified choke. cleanup was pretty easy (there wasn't a lot of residue anyway), though the gas piston mechanism was a bit of a pain - again I'm pretty new to this. very easy to breakdown and assembly. two thumbs up.

 

[lambertsteeth]

ANY shotgun that can fire 40,000 rounds with no problems is one hell of a gun.

I wish I had had that reliablity with my Berettas (391).

That kind of reliability is typical of an o/u. Not an auto.

From past experience, I am skeptical.

 

[ActivShootr]

See my thread on "Beretta help". I know where you can get a 3901 reeeeel cheap.