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The Beretta A400 Extreme Unico is a mouthful to say, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most remarkable semi-auto shotguns made today. I’ve shot a number of them since they were introduced a couple years ago and every one has performed like a champ. If you’re lusting for one yourself, but don’t have $1,840 on hand to buy one, you might be in luck. We’re giving away an A400 to the person who submits the most compelling video in our “Beg For Your Beretta” contest. Here’s a quick walkthrough of the features I like most about the gun.
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Recoil Management: The Kick-Off system in the A400 uses pistons that compress in the stock to lengthen the amount of time the shooter experiences recoil. That compression occurs along the black chevron in the stock. The longer that time lasts, the softer the gun’s recoil feels when shot. At this point, I’d be loath to head to the duck blind or goose pit with a gun that didn’t have this technology. It works. Click here to enter contest.
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Ergonomics: The over-sized cross-bolt safety is located in the right spot on the A400–in front of the trigger guard and right where the tip of your index finger wants to sit. This is one example of the A400’s all-around good ergonomics. Click here to enter contest.
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Easy Breakdown: The A400 replaced the traditional style cap with a design that requires a quick quarter-turn to disengage it from the magazine tube. This makes breaking down the gun a much quicker proposition. Click here to enter contest.
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Main Components: With the grip cap removed, the gun breaks down into parts that will be familiar to anyone who knows their way around a semi-auto shotgun. The overall weight on my gun here is 7 pounds, 12 ounces, which is about right for a 3 1/2-inch gun. Despite its moderate heft, the gun swings and handles nimbly. Click here to enter contest.
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Gas System: Beretta has an innovative gas system on the A400 that allows it to handle the gamut of shot shells, from light target loads to heavy magnums, without the need to change settings or swap valves. The piston on the left is designed to seal tight against the cylinder it rides in, which keeps the gun very clean, adding to its reliability. Click here to enter contest.
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The material inset into the grip and forend on the A400 provides a very solid purchase on the gun. In the cold and wet the gun doesn’t get slippery at all, unlike all-camo shotguns that rely on some form of checkering on their synthetic stocks. Click here to enter contest.
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The 28-inch barrel is tipped with a simple red fiber-optic bead, which is neither here nor there. If you’re looking at the red dot when swinging on a bird, you’re going to miss, so the bead material isn’t critical. Beretta includes five interchangeable choke tubes with the A400. Click here to enter contest.

Shooting Editor John B. Snow highlights his favorite things about the Beretta A400 semi-auto shotgun. Enter our contest and win the gun!

John B. Snow
John B. Snow

John B. Snow is Shooting Editor of Outdoor Life, where he oversees the publication’s firearms and shooting coverage. This includes gear reviews, features on technical innovations, stories on shooting techniques and general hunting coverage with the occasional fishing story thrown into the mix.

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