Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns advice graduation gift for my son

Hoping to get my son his own gun. He has been talking about it for awhile. He likes and has used my beretta 391 urika and 390A. Both fit him well. I dont think he will need or want to shoot 3.5 inch shells very often if at all.
Need some advice about the different berreta models since I got my last new one 15 years ago. We want matte or camo. 26 or 28 inch barrel max. Want a gun that cycles reliably and points like my 391 urika. Go for a 3.5 or 3 inch action? Am thinking a very good condition used gun is ok. Thanks for any help.

Would you buy a good used xtrema or new A300?

Great idea on the graduation gift. I don't really like ANY semi-auto shotguns (except maybe the original Browning A-5), but if that's what you like you could do a lot worse than the Beretta.

I almost always prefer a good used shotgun to a new one (I guess I'm just cheap, but can't see paying a premium price or a gun that does the same job).

I'd have to agree about not needing the 3 1/2" capability. When non-toxic shot was first required in my area (in the mid 80's) I went with the "conventional" wisdom of the time.....that steel shot required more shot capacity to equal lead performance. I finally ended up with a 10 Ga. 3 1/2" gun that was overly heavy and cumbersome.

Over the next few years I discovered that I almost never "needed" the larger payloads those 10 Ga. shells gave me.....and NEVER saw the need once shot such as Bismuth became available.

I finally gave up that heavy gun and went back to a 3" 12 Ga. Even then I seldom have found the "need" for 3" shells (and certainly never wished for the 3 1/2" version). I literally "slaughtered" ducks and geese for years with a 2 3/4" gun.....and found that with modern non-toxic shot this was just as true as it used to be with lead loads.

Unless you have a "dedicated" gun for pass shooting big waterfowl.....the 3 1/2" shotgun is a waste and just adds weight and awkward handling. The 3" guns are "nice" (I guess), but most of your shooting needs are covered very well with a lighter, handier 2 3/4" gun.

Sound advice.

A buddy of mine took a new A300 on our Arkansas trip this year and he was very pleased with it. Hard to to wrong with a Beretta auto loader.

Thanks for the advice. Am thinking a nice 2 3/4-3 inch gun would never make me feel like I was missing out on something. We mostly hunt pheasants and I never use 3 inch shells for them and duck hunting 3 inch shells seem to work just fine. If I find a good used gun in 3.5 maybe, but thinking would rather have the gun lighter with a larger percentage of its weight in the barrel to smoooth the swing.

My buddy was carrying a. 3.5" Beretta pheasant hunting with us. When he got back he bought his sons a 3" 391 and traded off his extrema. I've never felt under gunned with only 3", and only use those on turkeys.

Found a nice black synthetic 391 urika 2 barely used under 800 shipped. case... Probably only 50 shells through it.The person I talked to said some of the original barrel grease was still on it and she sold it new. The guy came in cause his grandkids didnt shoot it as much as he hoped and traded it back in on a double barrel. Seems like a pretty fair deal?

I just traded into a used,but nice beretta al 390 for my son.took it apart and cleaned it,and am pleased with their construction.

I have a 391 also and love it. I have handled several of the new berettas and like the feel and fit very much. The A400 seems really nice and many of the guys over on shotgun world say they are very reliable. The outlander 300 or what ever its called felt cheap to me. I didn't care much for the fit and finish, but have heard they are bullet proof and very reliable also.

I have a 391 also and love it. I have handled several of the new berettas and like the feel and fit very much. The A400 seems really nice and many of the guys over on shotgun world say they are very reliable. The outlander 300 or what ever its called felt cheap to me. I didn't care much for the fit and finish, but have heard they are bullet proof and very reliable also.

A friend of mine shot an a400 and felt it was a little barrel light and had trouble hitting with it. He shot my 391 well so not sure how the shoot differently but know the 391 is solid and my son likes mine will so guess that is good enough.

Beretta has built great shotguns since the 303 model. Any model will work. The Beretta 303 and 390 are still very desirable on the used market and have a cult like following. The 391 frame was scaled down for what reason I do not know, the a400 has corrected this.

Doc

What part of the action was scaled down and how did it affect the 391? Affect all 391 equally urica, urica 2...?