beretta a400 xtreme plus torture tour test
Dan Z for TTAG
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At last year’s NRA Exhibits, Beretta introduced their new A400 Xtreme Plus shotgun, calling it the ultimate waterfowler’s gun. They then recruited 20 hunters to put the gun to the test over the next year in some very demanding conditions.

 

They sent the shotgunners to hunt birds in the four major North America flyways from Alberta to Maryland.

One of those lucky duck hunters was Kat Ainsworth, who was chosen for the Stuttgart, Arkansas hunt.

They concluded the odyssey at this year’s NRAAM with a presentation recapping the the four-hunt fun. Her report: the gun is, in fact, awesome.

Here’s Beretta’s press release marking the conclusion of the odyssey . . .

Beretta Torture Tour Wraps up A400 Xtreme Plus Test 

The new A400 Xtreme Plus was designed by Beretta to be the ultimate shotgun for every type of waterfowler – built to go wherever the hunt takes them and whatever conditions they face. The legendary gunmaker provided backup to that claim with a recently-concluded cross-continent tour, which put five shotguns through a season-long Torture Tour with zero failures. The tour began in Northeastern Alberta and concluded on Tilgham Island, Maryland with two stops in between. The season long campaign put the same five guns in the hands of twenty hard-core hunters in some of the most iconic, gritty and torturous waterfowling environments. The guns lived up to the challenge, passed from one hunter to the next with impeccable performance afield.

“As a serious waterfowl hunter, having confidence in my equipment is critical,” said Josh Palm of HP Outdoors Waterfowl Podcast. “Perhaps the most important piece of gear I take to the field is my firearm. From the moment I first picked up the A400 Xtreme Plus, I knew it would be a gun I could depend on. Two days, countless shells, and two limits of birds later, Beretta proved, yet again, why they continue to outpace the competition.”

The tour began as the five Xtreme Plus shotguns were branded with the Torture Tour logo and put into crates following the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings in Dallas. These five guns were uncrated in Alberta to start their tour across the North American flyways. The Canadian prairies set the stage for the Torture Tour as the heart of the duck factory and beginning of the migration for North American waterfowl. The next stop was the Great Salt Lake for large numbers of teal and then the iconic flooded timber of Stuttgart, Arkansas.  Finally, the last stop brought the guns back home to Maryland and the Eastern Shore. They are back on display in the Beretta booth at the NRA Annual Meetings April 26-28 in Indianapolis, along with the journals, photos and videos from all the hunts.

By the numbers, this tour was a success. The 5 guns traveled 7,678 miles through the hands of 20 dedicated waterfowlers, fired 800+ rounds of ammo, visited all 4 North American flyways, finding 12 different species of waterfowl on their migration patterns. The most important number of all is 0, which is the number of times the guns experienced any kind of malfunction.

“Arkansas was a dream hunt for me, and the A400 Xtreme Plus is a dream gun for waterfowlers,” said David Draper, editor in chief of Petersen’s Hunting. “Shots in the timber came fast and furious, and the A400 swung quickly and fired flawlessly, shot after shot in wet and muddy conditions.”

“The Torture Tour was one of the most memorable times in the blind for me,” said Brad Heidel, Delta Waterfowl. “Sloshing back and forth in the pontoon boat blind in the middle of some of the most storied duck hunting water in the world, Chesapeake Bay. Knocking down sea ducks is something I’ll never forget. We took the A400 to the plug every time without fail. It was the perfect tool for the job.”

Beretta will debut the final film from the Torture Tour at the upcoming NRA Annual Meetings in Indianapolis. The film combining all 4 hunts will run April 27th at 2 p.m. in Beretta’s booth #6255. If you can’t make it to the show follow along with Beretta USA’s Instagram and Facebook pages or with the hashtags #A400PlusTT or #berettatribe.

The Gun
Manufactured at the Beretta Italy factory and based on the A400 Xtreme Unico model, the A400 Xtreme Plus model combines the advanced barrel technologies used to excel in the clay shooting world with the needs of the waterfowler.

With the adoption of the Steelium Plus barrel configuration, the Xtreme Plus features a 14-inch forcing cone more than 8 inches longer than the standard forcing cone. This new configuration ensures greater recoil reduction, enhanced pattern dispersion, and a greater range. Utilizing Optima-Bore® HP choke tubes, this shotgun offers a superior ballistic performance and guarantees perfect shot pattern in every hunting situation.

The company’s signature Kick-Off Mega system combined with a new Soft-Comb stock ensures there is less felt recoil making the A400 Xtreme Plus the softest-shooting waterfowl gun available.

This shotgun also utilizes a new step rib with a fiber optic front sight and an integral mid-bead that allows for an optimized sight plane. The receiver features an enlarged loading port, extended charging handle, and bolt release, making it easier to operate the shotgun even while wearing gloves.

For more information and to learn more on the A400 Xtreme Plus visit http://www.beretta.com/en-us/shotguns/a400-xtreme-plus-series/.

Beretta, established in 1526, is the oldest industrial dynasty in the world tracing its roots through 15 generations of continuous family ownership. Firearms bearing the Beretta name have been sold for almost 500 years.  Beretta USA Corp. was founded in 1977 and supplies the standard sidearm to the U.S. Armed Forces. Today, Beretta manufactures, distributes, and markets a complete line of firearms, accessories, and apparel. Beretta also owns and operates six retail Beretta Gallery stores worldwide. For additional information, visit www.Beretta.com.

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16 COMMENTS

  1. Most waterfowlers I know run gas systems vs. inertia systems when it comes to semi-autos. The local firearm shop employees all seem to love the Beretta A300/A400 series over Benelli.

    That said, I guess I’m a FUDD compared to everyone else as I still use my Benelli Nova for waterfowl hunting. 20+ years, a regular cleaning regimen, and it’s still chugging along like the tank it is.

    • My daughter recently joined her HS trap shooting team. Shotgun shopping kept my budget in the $1000 range. 20 guage is better for her size. Next decision was inertia vs gas. I chose gas to further reduce felt recoil.

  2. Beretta has a right to tout their product, nobody else is going to do it.
    Plus One for their operating system and barrel, I have one.

  3. I have an A400 xTrema 2 for deer hunting. It’s a tack driver with a rifled barrel. I’ve also had a A391 Trap model and both were good guns. I like the ease of cleaning and the adjust-ability you get with different springs.

  4. What did they learn? Parts that weren’t up to this extreme use? Design changes to be made in the next iteration?

  5. TORTURE is correct. At NRAAM 2019 Beretta had a giveaway for a free A400. We had to watch videos of 4 hunts, then listen to the hunters, then watch a video on the A400, then listen to some Italian try to explain the details of the gun in broken English. Their presentation was 45-60 minutes. Clearly Beretta was trying to keep us captive at their booth so we would not visit the competition. We punted on the rest of the giveaways.

  6. “Press report from the manufacturer indicates that their own product is good. News at 11.”

    I mean, sure, it might be great… but the marketing it just too transparent here.

  7. ????they consider a torture test firing only 800 + rounds???? Seriously???? That’s barely broken in? Who cares if it traveled 7000 whatever miles, it’s a gun ….it’s all about round count

  8. Every time this site runs a shotgun story, somehow my wife is looking over my shoulder… and my wallet whimpers a bit. Stop feeding her habit damn you!

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