Beretta A300 Ultima vs A400 vs Rem 1100 LT-20

I have the A300 Ultima in 12 gauge. So far, excellent. A little over 1K thru this machine. VERY little kick - gas gun with spring in the stock, plus the "kick off" spring system between the buttplate and stock.

....I LOVE my 1187's.

It depends on how much you are going to shoot it. If a lot (clays) I would go with the A400. IME the 1100's and 11-87's just did not hold up well in sustained shooting. 390's and 391's did much better, and were easier keep clean. The A400 never breaks and is way better than the 391, in both recoil mgmt. and cleaning.

The A300 is a completely different gun, much heavier bolt. I would save up and get an A400.

A300 Ultima has a Heavier bolt than A400? How much heavier?

X-Maker said:

It depends on how much you are going to shoot it. If a lot (clays) I would go with the A400. IME the 1100's and 11-87's just did not hold up well in sustained shooting. 390's and 391's did much better, and were easier keep clean. The A400 never breaks and is way better than the 391, in both recoil mgmt. and cleaning.

The A300 is a completely different gun, much heavier bolt. I would save up and get an A400.

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Don't know but it is enough that the cycle-speed is noticeably slower.

X-Maker said:

Don't know but it is enough that the cycle-speed is noticeably slower.

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Interesting. Some online reviews indicate the A300 Ultima is a FAST cycling semi auto.

In my experience, the A300 Ultima cycles fast.

You could be right. It may be that I'm just feeling the gun move after the cycle. That is one drawback to a heavier bolt -- it moves the gun after the recoil pulse.

I used 391's for many years and loved them. When it A400 came out I thought the lightweight bolt made them look and feel cheap. I did not know what to think about the rotating bolt. But once I got one and started shooting it, I realized the A400 is more reliable, has less "bolt pulse" and reduces recoil better (even w/o the K.O. system).

The A300 is the 391 action but with an A400 gas system, and with the K.O. system. It is a great gun for the money. However, to me the A400 is worth the extra money it costs, and I am not referring to the improved chokes, colored receivers, etc.

Like I said, it depends on how much you are going to shoot it. If you just want a hunting shotgun, I would say gt the A300 and spend the money elsewhere. If you are going to shoot a lot of clays, I would get the A400.

The A400 is an awesome shotgun , with a big price tag
The A300 Ultima is really a nice gun with nice features at its price point...I own both ,...

I have learned the hard way that you never regret buying quality first, 99% of the time there is no reason to buy a replacement, making the cheaper coat twice as much.

Grayrock said:

So it looks like an A300 Ultima can be had for about $750. I'm hard pressed to find a decent used 1100 LT-20 for that price.

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True. I still like the A300 Ultima that I purchased. Keeps going and going! Very light recoil, even with 1350 fps 1 1/8 oz rounds. 1200 fps or less....gun does not move.

Grayrock said:

Does the Beretta come with all the stock spacers and shims the higher priced guns include?

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Yes

Take a hard look at the black and silver , its a 100 bucks cheaper than the camo , and its damn good looking , I think the 12 guage is so soft shooting you can shoot it all day long , I have 2 in 12 and one in 20 , they did an awesome job on the max 5 , but I have had 3 people when I put them side by side say they like the black and silver , confirming my exact thoughts , and they cycle as fast as my other semis except the ones with the blink ,
the ultimas will go as fast as i can go , and somehow I feel a lot better about myself beating them up on the clay trail , and saving my A400 for more special times or the hunt.....what ever you decide you wont be disapointed....Good Luck...

My Ultima's came with 3 mobile chokes ,

Grayrock said:

Went to BerettaUSA.com to research. Several bad reviews (there always are) had cycling issues. One mentioned that a gunsmith has to change the magazine capacity. And this was posted: "This firearm does not come with shims for cast but is already casted for a right handed shooter. It does come with a spacer for the butt pad to lengthen the LOP." That was one of the major reasons I was considering this because friends that have Beretta crow about the ability to fit them perfectly to your anatomy. How many choke tubes come with this?

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Three chokes.

Two different spacers included for length of pull.

The people posting the info, may not even post on the correct item they purchased.

.....and probably did not read the directions that was in the box.

Grayrock said:

Went to BerettaUSA.com to research. Several bad reviews (there always are) had cycling issues. One mentioned that a gunsmith has to change the magazine capacity. And this was posted: "This firearm does not come with shims for cast but is already casted for a right handed shooter. It does come with a spacer for the butt pad to lengthen the LOP." That was one of the major reasons I was considering this because friends that have Beretta crow about the ability to fit them perfectly to your anatomy. How many choke tubes come with this?

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The review that comments about lack of shims to adjust to cast for left hand shooter illustrates that the owner doesn’t really understand what the do or don’t have. A left handed cast shim is simply a right handed cast shim flipped over.

The A300 is a great shotgun and like the 3901 of the past, is good value for money, if less refined and cosmetically inferior to the A400. Beretta has been in business since the 1500s and hasn’t changed hands recently. Compare that to what’s left of poor old Remington. In the good old days, the 1100 was a sure bet every time. These days, I have no time for anything purporting to be “Remington”.

Do any of you know what the DAC and DAH is on the Beretta A300 Ultima? It irks me that Beretta doesn’t post them on their website.