Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Al391 vs a400 lite

I’m trying to discern the differences/advantages between the two, both in 20 ga.
The A391 silver mallard is wood stocked, in good to great shape, very few rounds through it
The a400 is plastic with the kick off and says lite on the frame, similar shape and fewer rounds through it probably.
I’m looking for an all day carry gun for upland birds, have a red label that does great, but after a long day, it’s a little heavy.
Do I buy a 20 ga, trust em on wild pheasants, which I sometimes find, guess if they’ll be fine on chukar, grouse, etc.?
For planted pheasants for dog work, the 20 ga seemed to work fine yesterday on relatively close birds and didn’t shred em like a 12 it seemed.

Do shotgunners have a preference in the a391 vs a400? I felt a little bad setting the wood stock down yesterday to water the dog and pull burrs etc.
Thanks and happy Sunday!

I chukar hunt a lot and I would occasionally fall on the steep rocky terrain. I’ve broke 2 wood stocks over the years falling on the loose basalt. A lot of my pheasant hunting is done in marshy areas with cattails . Beat up a stock walking through them.



I prefer synthetic stocks but hunt wild birds

If the red label is heavy to you get the lite in 20 gauge with wood for planters. Not a big fan of kick off system for upland hunting wild birds

I like a sling on my upland shot guns so you don’t have to lay on the ground and can sling up in climbing or passing through really thick cover

I would look for a light 12ga. The 20 is great with lead but a lot of areas are going lead free.

Why not the kick off for upland?
Thanks, thinking the same, debating a 20 vs 12

391 good gun final evolution of the 300 system that started in the 70s?. One of my 390s has over 70K rounds through it since I got it. Just replace the recoil spring about every 10,000 rounds.

400 is a newer design with much more plastic. Had to create "new and improved" to sell guns. For me, I wouldn't swap a worn 390/391 for a brand new 400.

I’d also throw in the Benelli M2 or Benelli UltraLight. Both beretta and Benelli make great guns. In my hands I like the slimer forend of the benelli over beretta. I’ve got an ultra light 28ga at just under 5lbs and I can carry that thing forever. I also have M2 in synthetic stock that is my go to duck gun. Never fails to go bang and I’ve got around 10,000rds through it.

I think going into a store and shouldering/handling the guns to see which one fits you the best. I think they are very reliable between beretta and benelli.

I don't know that the kick off is all that.

I was looking at 300 Ultima vs 400 a while back. Some of the guys claim they prefer to remove the kick off and shoot as conventional. Not sure if that's a load of BS or not.

Have you looked at the Beretta 300 Ultima or Outlander?

Possibly interested a Win SX3 or a Bertta 300 if I buy another 12. Would like a Maxus but Browning has priced those a bit too high IMO.

Edited: It looks like the 300 isn't very light.

And some light 12s aren't much heavier than a mid weight 20.

Get too light on that 20 and it's going to be like trying to swing a feather.

Agree with these guys. A light 12 is a wonderful thing. “Carries like a light 12 and hits like a 12. Cause sometimes you wanna hit like a 12.” OK, I just made that up. But it’s still true. 😁

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What per cent do you hunt planted vs wild birds?

Joined rocky Mtn roosters, great place to work loose birds and train pup, next year more wild birds, needing CO to keep on getting snow and rain to help with drought.
Got 8 hunts there this year, about 9 days of wild hunts, so pretty even, may start looking for a light 12.