-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Rut Reporters
- Deer Camp
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Catchbook
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
- Hook Shots
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Health & Fitness
- F&S Adventurer
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
-
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- 2nd Amendment
- SHOT Show
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
Bourjaily: A Closer Look at Beretta's A400 Xplor 'Dinosaur Gun'
Recent Comments
- spuddog on Nonsense Product Names: WEN Will it All End? (19)
- Mark-1 on Nonsense Product Names: WEN Will it All End? (19)
- Ontario Honker ... on Nonsense Product Names: WEN Will it All End? (19)
- CJ on Rifle Recoil: Oh, Mommy, My Shoulder! (46)
- davidpetzal on Nonsense Product Names: WEN Will it All End? (19)
Categories
- 2nd Amendment (65)
- Ammunition (13)
- Animal Attacks (3)
- ATVs (1)
- Bass Fishing (3)
- Big Game Hunting (193)
- Bird Hunting (206)
- Bow Hunting (22)
- Camping Gear (14)
- Close Calls (1)
- Deer Hunting (148)
- DIY (1)
- Fishing (15)
- Fishing Gear (5)
- Fly Fishing (1)
- Gear (106)
- Guns (733)
- Hunting (541)
- Hunting Gear (85)
- More Freshwater (3)
- Optics (16)
- Optics (3)
- Other Survival (1)
- Rifles (345)
- Saltwater (3)
- Shelter (1)
- Shooting Gear (66)
- SHOT Show (58)
- Shotguns (302)
- Small Game (95)
- Survival (25)
- Survival Food (1)
- Survival Gear (9)
- Trout Fishing (3)
- Trucks (2)
- Water (1)
- What's It Worth? (3)
Recent Posts
- Nonsense Product Names: WEN Will it All End?
- Should Young Hunters Start With Deer and Turkeys?
- Rifle Recoil: Oh, Mommy, My Shoulder!
- Good Turkey Gear: Primos Pocket Hen Decoy
- Turkey Hunting Tip: Have a Backup Plan
- Forbes Model 24B Rifle: A Light Gun at a Great Price
- Shooting Clays: Field Stocks vs. Target Stocks
- Armed Citizen Alliance: Shoot the Gun You Carry
- Gun Test: Rock River Arms LAR-15 Fred Eichler Series Predator
- Good Gun Book: 'Shooter's Bible Guide to Optics'
Archives
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
Syndicate
The Gun Nuts
in your Inbox
November 03, 2009
Bourjaily: A Closer Look at Beretta's A400 Xplor 'Dinosaur Gun'
By Philip Bourjaily
As their one condition of taking me to me Italy and putting me up in absurd luxury, Beretta asked that I not release any of my own photos of the A400 until this week. I was allowed only to use their pictures, which didn’t show what the gun looks like. But the embargo is over, and here’s me, with the A400 at the Lonato Shooting Club, in front of the dino foot photo backdrop. Also, here are a bunch of European gunwriters photographing the A-400. The guy in the sunglasses, stubble and striped shirt is a Russian gunwriter, by the way. As a rule, we gunwriters are not a fashion-forward group, but no one told this guy.
Anyway, as you can see here The Xplor looks -- in my opinion -- modern without being ugly. The receiver is anodized to a gray-green color just to be different (Browning, of course, offered red, green, brown and silver receivers for the odd but awesome Double Automatic 50 years ago, so that’s not a completely new idea).
The A400 is light and handles well, at least in a limited test. I only had a chance to shoot about 25 rounds through the gun, and that was a mix of everything from 24 gram (7/8 ounce) 1325 fps International Target loads up to 2 ¼ ounce lead. The Xplor cycled everything fine, and it is as soft shooting as a sub-7 pound, 3 ½-inch chambered gun can be thanks to its gas action and the recoil reducing system in the stock.
However, I am not going to get excited about the Xplor until it comes out in a standard-chambered sporting clays version. At that point I may – just like the compound bow owners I make fun of – decide to trade in my “obsolete” (read “perfectly good”) Beretta 391 Sporting gun for an A400.
There is talk of a 20 gauge next year, as well as rumors of a possible 28 gauge down the road. That would be cool.
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Loading...
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
Fieldandstream.com is part of the Field & Stream Network, a division of Bonnier Corporation.
Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Comments (27)
A nefarious, raffish crew to say the least. How does one get such an occupation? I am better looking than these dudes. Ah, the cameras, the negatives, that's it!
For a new "high tech" shotgun looks fairly classic looking.
If it is made by Beretta and it is a shotgun, it has to be good...as far as I'm concerned they make the best semi-automatic shotgun in the world - hands down.
That's a nice looking shotgun. If I draw a dinosaur tag, I'm going to want something bigger.
The Xplor is a little more rounded off where the receiver meets the stock and a slightly different trigger guard from the Benelli Vinci. Otherwise, you are looking at almost identical shotguns. Then again, Beretta owns Benelli so why not copy off the makers of the best semi-auto shotguns in the world.
I don't want it to sound like I am hounding Beretta, I use a lot of their products, but when it comes to the semi-auto shotgun; my money is on the Benelli.
I'm a Beretta user because I can reload with 7/8 oz at 1200 fps for the skeet range or as high as I want to go with no tinkering with the gun. My friends who shoot Remingtons, Winchesters, and Benelli's can't say that.
i don't know about trading in the 391. i would like to see about 50,000 rounds go through one of the 4oo's first without any major problems. but that doesn't mean i don't want to own that shotgun. i mean it is a beretta after all so yeah i want one.
Talk of trading in a 391? I take it that you must really like the A400.
That looks like one mighty thick recoil pad.
Bourjaily, the Beretta's A400 Xplor 'Dinosaur Gun'?
O'this cracks me up!
This reminds me of Will Robinson on the show "Lost In Space" when he had to prove to an alien his courage by killing a monster with a pop gun looking rifle with its projectile tethered by 3 feet of cord to forcing you to get close and personal!
HEY..I like that stock!
I will keep my 1100 thanks!
But, but, but, it looks so ordinary and mundane after all that hype! No torquomatic laserchoke, No molybdenum splined ejection follower? No unobtainium trigger bushings? No forge-welded ferrous free floated forestock fixtures? I feel kinda let down...
That is almost word for word what Trina said to me last night! SOB!
Looks like every other Beretta I have seen them kick out in the last 10 years. I keep my X2 thank you.
It looks like they combined a browning maxus, benelli vinci, and a beretta 391 to make this one. Hardly cutting edge, but I'm looking forward to shooting it. Beretta makes a fine firearm; wish it were more "affordable" for the average guy.
Being financially embarrased I am not able to spend the big bucks for new shotguns. The best semi-auto I have is a Winchester Super-X model one. It was designed by Joe Badali. He later went to work for Browning and designed, among others, the Buckmark series, the A-bolt rifle,and the recoilless shotgun.
One day he was in his office and a guy came to Browning with a "new" shotgun design. They asked Joe to take a look at what he had. After the man was through Joe pulled the patents from his files which he had for the design of the Super-X, which the man had copied to a large degree. The man picked up his papers and left.
Silvertip
Turpin I've been after a SX1 for years where did you get lucky to find 1?
Idduckhntr:
Go to www.jaquas.com as of this morning, they had three SX1 for sale.
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
It's amazing people that hungover can actually focus a camera.
wingshooter54, It's not only they where bottle feed that stuff at birth, it's in there DNA to withstand that much alcohol!
Judging by Bourjaily smile and leaning to the left perhaps has been on a wine tasting tour himself and enjoying the scenery and especially the local "WILDLIFE", LOL! Jobs paying off for the fella I say!
Actually Jacksjb_44 My Winchester Sx 3 Can say that ( dont know about remington) but so can my A391.
Big gun,I'll keep it in mind next time I'm blind hunting for T.Rex.
Seems to me that some of the marketing folks need to sit down, have some Bourbon, and calm themselves. Dinosaur Gun? These boys ain't right.
Post a Comment
Bourjaily, the Beretta's A400 Xplor 'Dinosaur Gun'?
O'this cracks me up!
This reminds me of Will Robinson on the show "Lost In Space" when he had to prove to an alien his courage by killing a monster with a pop gun looking rifle with its projectile tethered by 3 feet of cord to forcing you to get close and personal!
i don't know about trading in the 391. i would like to see about 50,000 rounds go through one of the 4oo's first without any major problems. but that doesn't mean i don't want to own that shotgun. i mean it is a beretta after all so yeah i want one.
But, but, but, it looks so ordinary and mundane after all that hype! No torquomatic laserchoke, No molybdenum splined ejection follower? No unobtainium trigger bushings? No forge-welded ferrous free floated forestock fixtures? I feel kinda let down...
It's amazing people that hungover can actually focus a camera.
HEY..I like that stock!
That's a nice looking shotgun. If I draw a dinosaur tag, I'm going to want something bigger.
I'm a Beretta user because I can reload with 7/8 oz at 1200 fps for the skeet range or as high as I want to go with no tinkering with the gun. My friends who shoot Remingtons, Winchesters, and Benelli's can't say that.
wingshooter54, It's not only they where bottle feed that stuff at birth, it's in there DNA to withstand that much alcohol!
Judging by Bourjaily smile and leaning to the left perhaps has been on a wine tasting tour himself and enjoying the scenery and especially the local "WILDLIFE", LOL! Jobs paying off for the fella I say!
Talk of trading in a 391? I take it that you must really like the A400.
That looks like one mighty thick recoil pad.
The Xplor is a little more rounded off where the receiver meets the stock and a slightly different trigger guard from the Benelli Vinci. Otherwise, you are looking at almost identical shotguns. Then again, Beretta owns Benelli so why not copy off the makers of the best semi-auto shotguns in the world.
For a new "high tech" shotgun looks fairly classic looking.
If it is made by Beretta and it is a shotgun, it has to be good...as far as I'm concerned they make the best semi-automatic shotgun in the world - hands down.
Being financially embarrased I am not able to spend the big bucks for new shotguns. The best semi-auto I have is a Winchester Super-X model one. It was designed by Joe Badali. He later went to work for Browning and designed, among others, the Buckmark series, the A-bolt rifle,and the recoilless shotgun.
One day he was in his office and a guy came to Browning with a "new" shotgun design. They asked Joe to take a look at what he had. After the man was through Joe pulled the patents from his files which he had for the design of the Super-X, which the man had copied to a large degree. The man picked up his papers and left.
Silvertip
It looks like they combined a browning maxus, benelli vinci, and a beretta 391 to make this one. Hardly cutting edge, but I'm looking forward to shooting it. Beretta makes a fine firearm; wish it were more "affordable" for the average guy.
Looks like every other Beretta I have seen them kick out in the last 10 years. I keep my X2 thank you.
Turpin I've been after a SX1 for years where did you get lucky to find 1?
That is almost word for word what Trina said to me last night! SOB!
I don't want it to sound like I am hounding Beretta, I use a lot of their products, but when it comes to the semi-auto shotgun; my money is on the Benelli.
Idduckhntr:
Go to www.jaquas.com as of this morning, they had three SX1 for sale.
A nefarious, raffish crew to say the least. How does one get such an occupation? I am better looking than these dudes. Ah, the cameras, the negatives, that's it!
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
to duckhntr:
I bought mine new at a sporting goods store in Salt Lake about 1969-1971. Close to that time frame. I remember paying a little under $300.00 for it. When Joe Badali designed it he did not want an O-ring on the gas system. The big-shots at Winchester insisted on it because the Remington 1100 had an O-ring.
Silvertip
I will keep my 1100 thanks!
Seems to me that some of the marketing folks need to sit down, have some Bourbon, and calm themselves. Dinosaur Gun? These boys ain't right.
Big gun,I'll keep it in mind next time I'm blind hunting for T.Rex.
Actually Jacksjb_44 My Winchester Sx 3 Can say that ( dont know about remington) but so can my A391.
Post a Comment