Beretta A400 Xcel: A Complete Review

From the very first glance, the eye-catching features that you’ll adore about Beretta A400 Xcel are the bright blue receiver and cap. With the gun’s insane ergonomics, this shotgun outshines all other Beretta A400 guns. It features low felt recoil and breathtaking speeds. That’s why it is no surprise that the Beretta A400 Xcel is a favorite sporting gun for many.

Also, the manageable weight and easy maintenance put this gun above all other A400’s. It is also worth noting that this shotgun is available in different variants that only differ in stock, price, finish among other extra options. Being a predisposed Beretta’s enthusiast, I felt the need to write this review on Beretta A400 Xcel.

Why the Beretta A400 Xcel?

Whether you want a perfect gun for sporting, hunting and competition, Beretta ups their game through the state of the art features which include the Blink gas-powered system, gun pod digital -tracking system, balancing adjustment features among others.

 The A400 model Xcel is one incredible gun that has given Beretta skyrocketing fame. It offers you the freedom to choose between a blue feather receiver and a matte black edition ideal for more traditionalist gunners. With its soft recoil and balanced weight design, this sporting gun fires very well, and anyone can handle it like a pro.

There are a bunch of sporting guns that claim to offer special features no one else has. After careful research, you’ll know that those are mere claims. For the Beretta A400 Xcel, it sets itself apart due to weight adjustability and the Blink gas-powered system

Perfectly Balanced Shotgun- Overview

The weight balancing system features of this gun are unique. The gun has a weighted balance cap at the front of the forend. Up to that point, this is quite standard. But it’s quite exceptional because this nut can help add or reduce weight if you prefer it that way. This design enables you to customize the gun’s weight according to the way you want it.

 The other unusual feature of this sporting shotgun is the blink gas-powered system which is almost the same mechanism found in the Beretta 1301 Comp. The mechanisms are the same. They feature a signature split ring valve mechanism and smaller pistons that allow the gun to fire incredibly fast while keeping the intervals cleaner to give you the best shooting experience. It is an easy-to-use gun that delivers fast, precise, and accurate shots. So, what is not to love?

 Due to the unique revolutionary A400 action, this gun boasts great shooting speed and precision. It is superbly built to cycle around 36 percent faster than other brands out there. The mechanism of this gun entails a triumph of engineering which offers incredible cycling speeds. It looks beautiful and boasts a traditional look thanks to the matte black receiver, which is aesthetically striking.

Besides, it is built to chamber almost all sorts of shells ranging from 2 ¾” to 3″. Thus, this weapon is great for hunting, where speed and accuracy are a must. It can fire two shots in approximately half a second which makes it one of the best shotguns. This blink action is probably the best that we are going to see on a sporting shotgun for a while. Also, the carbon fiber rib adds a stylish modern look on the gun. The rib design also reduces the overall barrel weight.

Never the Wrong Fun

Whether you love all the three A400 shotgun disciples, you’ll for sure find something adorable with A400 Xcel to make it the best choice for you. Apart from the Beretta B-fast logic, the comb is adjustable for better handling and performance thanks to the 4-way drop and cast regulation.

Also, the shim system makes it reversible to accommodate both right-handed and left-handed individuals. It is one of the most versatile shotguns. The safety is also easy to change from left to right. 

Besides, the B system is also helpful in enhancing the point of impact depending on the discipline, thanks to the adjustable rib. The balance cap is easy to tune to enable you to select the best point of balance, offering extra-level customization.

Features of the Beretta A400 Xcel Explained

A400 Xcel: the Fastest, softest-Recoil Clay Buster

I am used to the traditional hunting guns to the point that I thought it isn’t easy to get one that’s superb for all. But the A400 Xcel is a 12 gauge sporting and competition gun that offers a traditional look but with amazing modern-based technology. It makes shooting performance easier than before and is easy to handle.

It boasts incredibly faster cycling, and soft recoil makes it one of a kind. Moreover, its sleek lines and premium ergonomics is engineered to let the gun follow your eye to the target. For this reason, this gun has become a favorite for many competitive shooters.

Most sophisticated Semi-Automatic Action

Despite its traditional outlook, this gun is still a choice for many modern shotgun enthusiasts. If you look at the design and think about it for a moment, indeed this gun is a culmination of the company’s centuries-old enthusiasm and experience for shotguns. It boasts impeccable loading for all types of shells ranging from 2 ¾” to 3″, yet it offers stunning performance for target-light to hard-hitting.

Therefore, it is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to multitask with one gun. It is an excellent option if you want something nice for occasional upland and waterfowl hunting. The design also integrates easy-to-maintain and self-cleaning piston. Even anyone with low experience on guns can work with this gun comfortably offering a long time guarantee.

Amazingly Low Recoil Semi-Auto Gun

There is nothing good about recoil. It is a liability, and the better you manage it, the more comfortably and profitably you’ll use your gun. It is a huge liability if you want to experience high accuracy and reduce the fatigue experienced after the prolonged shooting. Thankfully this A400 Xcel shotgun, it is uniquely engineered to eliminate the felt recoil by a great magnitude. It combines several recoil-reducing systems for a cool shooting performance. The recoil is reduced by almost 70 percent, which leaves it to a negligible point.

The first recoil reducing system is the customized hydraulic shock absorber. This acts by reducing the rearward energy from the moving parts of the action. As much as it reduces the felt recoil, this design reduces wear within the receiver.

The second recoil-reducing mechanism is the micropore butt-pad. This technology entails innovative engineering that makes the pad light, soft, and able to slide during shouldering. Well, the pad usually features an open cell techno-polymer which is soft, lighter, and fittable.

Besides, these butt-pads come in various sizes to fit on the stock of your gun. The A400 Xcel is ergonomically designed to recoil parallel to the comb. Hence, it offers no thump to the cheek and equally reduces muzzle rise.

Durable and Easy to Clean Design

It is the expectation of everyone that an expensive gun such as the A400 Xcel would give you the service that you deserve. One of the most visible durable parts is the cold hammer-forged barrel. It is forged from nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel. This is a unique proprietary formula that is made for consistency, toughness, and durability.

Moreover, the bore features premium chrome plating, which reduces wear and corrosion while making it easy to clean. It is a thoughtfully crafted competition gun that comes with Optimabore HP choke tubes. These are quite easy to remove even after thousands of shots. These also feature high strength steel which does not deform due to rigors of steel shots. Also, they are interchangeable on all Beretta barrels that are threaded for optima-choke.

One of the best-fitting chokes for this gun is the Beretta Choke Tube Optimachoke HP “Ported Edition” 12 GA. It is durably constructed and is easy to remove. The other aspect of making this gun a favorite choice for many is the newly upgraded gas piston system. This is a high-end feature for this gun that allows easy and effortless assembly and disassembly. Therefore, you can remove it and replace it with an alternative choke that offers a different shot pattern. The choice of choke will depend on the type of hunting.

Oversized Bolt Handle and Release

Being a favorable gun for competition shooting, the A400 Xcel features an extra-large bolt handle and release. This handle is extra-long and easy to grasp comfortably. Hence, it allows for fast and positive cycling. The oversized controls might not be aesthetically pleasing, but they allow enhanced functionality. The extra-large handle makes it easy to operate the gun even for those with big or arthritic hands.

Balance Cap

When you see it fly, you want to break it without missing it. Well, this is the typical mindset of any sporting clay shooter. But, this is not achievable if you won’t be using the right gun that allows accurate shooting of moving or flying targets. Perfect balancing is a must for clay shooting. Hence, the A400 Xcel features a balance cap as one of its standard features.

This unique design offers three interchangeable weights which allow the shooters a balanced shooting because the shotgun somehow becomes part of their body. Additionally, this balance cap features anodized finish making it weatherproof. Thus, as a shooter, you can comfortably compete anytime without any drawbacks.

Ease of Operation

The A400 Xcel features a rotating bolt and a self-cleaning piston that ensures hassle-free maintenance of the gun. This unique design also makes it ideal for all situations. It also possesses a recoil reduction system which lets the shooter do the thing without experiencing fatigue quickly.

This gun also comes with shims that keep the shotgun point perfectly, swing smoothly and fit remarkably well. The rib is also adjustable to help you choose the best head position and allow better heat dissipation. Thus, you can keep the line of sight up off the barrel safe from heat waves.

Unique Feather Blue Receiver

It is quite adorable that blue isn’t only Beretta brands color, but this shotgun mimics the same color. It features a blue receiver which sparks elegance and makes you shine in every tournament. This color also says more about your shooting prowess and strikes fear into the hearts of your rivals.

Also, it makes this clay-busting gun look stylish as there is no other shotgun boasting this elegant outlook. This amazing blue receiver offers a distinct identity so that your competitors will always appreciate who you are. However, some versions of this gun are available in the silver-colored receiver.

Cold Hammer Forged Barrel

This gun is probably the most robust thanks to the cold hammer-forged barrel. This design is unlike in most of the other types of guns. The cold hammer forging process produces excellent dimension accuracy and improves the crystal grain flow, which makes the barrel incredibly tough. It also increases the efficiency of the surface so that the gun works smoothly without any malfunctioning. Besides, shots must first go through the barrel before getting to the target, right.

Therefore, cold hammer forging ensures that the geometry of the barrel is excellent. The better the geometry of the tube, the better the shot pattern. The Beretta barrels are among the few which are forged from the aforementioned process, and that’s why they are robust.

The barrels show a high degree of tolerance when it comes to deformation. Thus, they can accommodate both steel and lead shots comfortably. Apart from the excellent shot pattern, cod hammer-forged A400 Xcel barrel remains durable no matter how rigorously and frequently you shoot.

Gun Pod Device

It is now possible to digitize your hunting or shooting strategies using this shotgun. It features a smart digital system offering an improved way of enjoying every minute of our hunting. With this built-in device on your gun, you’ll stop worrying about the number of cartridges you previously used. This state of the art device keeps a record of this information. It can also keep a record of the miles you walked through the woods.

Also, it records highlights of your hunting sessions together with photos and videos. All this useful information is recorded in this handy device located in the gunstock. This device has a built-in wireless shot counter, and the device allows you to connect the gun with your smartphone via Bluetooth to safely keep crucial hunting sessions in one smart digital diary.

More so, this unique device can help you in case of an emergency as it allows you to make a phone call to a predefined number. You can make a call with just two taps and also you can get the GPS location with just one swipe. Isn’t that breathtaking? Therefore, it is both a digital archive and an emergency tool to help you have fascinating hunting.

Impressive Blink Speed Mechanics

Fast reloading speed is what modern gunners are looking for. Featuring a modernized engine design, the A400 guns offer patented Blink technology that allows unusual reloading speeds. This technology also impacts on delivering great power and reliable self-cleaning of the gun.

Now, this rapid reloading puts you at a privileged position in clay shooting since you’ll already be reloading while your friends watch that clay fly further and vanishing. If you combine your prolific shooting skills with this advanced technology, for sure you’ll emerge as a top-notch clay buster.

Optima Bore HP and improved Steel Performance

The Optima-Bore HP choke geometry is also an integral part of this gun’s impressive performance. It allows the A400 guns to boast excellent ballistic performance with both steel and lead shots. With this unique bore design, the gun delivers an excellent shot pattern. This unique feature allows you to enjoy high accuracy in both hunting and target shooting.  

This feature simply delivers accuracy and precision regardless of the shell size or load. Together with premium steel, this technology ensures that the shot is funneled instead of suddenly forcing it into the narrower cylinder. Thus, the bore and chokes remain in perfect condition without getting deformed by steel shots.

Beretta A400 Shotgun Accessories Explained

If you’re a Beretta fan, you may already know that most of the Beretta A400 gun models possess similar accessories. It is easy to substitute one part for another on all of these models. It is indeed true that the A400 Shotguns are incredible right out of the box. 

After doing little and precise research, I can tell you that there are aftermarket options out there on the market. Beretta makes outstanding accessories for the A400 Xcel. Some of these include; recoil pads, choke tubes, barrels, sights, stocks, among others. Hence, the repair is easy and quite affordable.

Most Popular Shotgun Accessories

Conclusion

The rugged and durable construction of Beretta A400 Xcel makes it worth the bucks. Its low felt recoil allows soft shooting making it ideal for hunting birds, water fowling, clay shooting, and more. Also, it boasts hyper accuracy, consistency, and is incredibly elegant to suit all genders and ages. 

With its amazing features, you can enjoy all-day shooting and increase your hunting success. However, you’ll need to clean it regularly to ensure prolonged use. As long as you feed it with the best chokes and ammo, the A400 Xcel offers excellent performance. I’ll undoubtedly recommend this sporting shotgun to any gun enthusiasts out there.