Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Franchi Affinity vs Beretta A300

Ive owned both brands, any real pros or cons to either? All else being equal I'll take the 7 year warranty from Franchi over the 3 year Beretta. Thoughts?

I know this is not an answer to the question you asked but, I would not pick either vs. a good 391. Yes I have shot both the shotguns you originally listed.

Well I got the A300 for free so unless someone will trade me a 391 Im stuck with it. Figured I could probably make an even trade on a Franchi, hence the original question.

I understand. I’ve got a 391 with ~80K thru it. I’ve only changed springs and a firing pin during this time. The guns you mentioned may go this far or more. Anyway, good luck and a free bump to the top.

I think you will like the A300. A buddy has been shooting one for waterfowl for the past few years and he is very pleased with it. It shot through very cold temperatures for the last two years with a hitch.

I honestly had been tracking 391's on gunbroker and recently sold an a300 on here. Lots of positive comments on the A300, especially factoring its price. Whichever gun I decide on will only be used for ducks and geese. Seeing that ive never hunted either, I suspect it will take me a lifetime or more to hit even 1k rounds.....also why I value longer warranties. While most guys will hit high numbers relatively quickly and be well within their warranty period, it could take me several years before I notice a problem.

They're both good enough, maybe great.

Depends on whether you want inertia or gas, stepped or flat rib, and rear or front safety.

Get both in your hands and pick the one that feels better.

If it were me, I'd just keep the Beretta and run it 'til it dies, maybe a lifetime.

I have no experience with the beretta, but I have a 12 gauge affinity that I take duck hunting and bring it weekly as a trap shooting team loaner.

It never misses a beat.

I like it well enough I'm going to get the 20 gauge version soon.

I have a 391 for yearsand picked a a400 last year. Shoot trap, hunt with them.

Big beretta fan. No issues with them

I.just can't warm up to the a400, it feels 2x4ish

I'm not a fan of the newer berettas, just aren't what they used to be. The days of the 390 and the even the 391 are gone.

I picked up a youth 20 affinity for my son, the only thing it will cycle are heavy hunting loads. Target loads....its a single shot. Franchi claims the gun needs 300-400 round of heavy loads to break it in. Ours still isn't broke in. My buddy bought one and he has the same issue, since he uses his for ducks and turkey, he's ok...but he couldn't go shoot a round of skeet with it if he wanted due to it only liking heavy target loads or better. Sucks because they are great feeling guns. I have no experience the affinity 12 ga.

Thats dumb. Cant stand when a manufacturer says their product needs to be fired X amount of times before it should work.

Odd. Never owned a 20 ga version, but my 12 cycled everything from day one without issue, even the light stuff.

The heavy load break in seems to be an inertia gun thing from friends that own benellis and browning A5's. I guess you have to shoot them hard to break all the burrs off and seat things. ;-)

Although this talk is concerning me about my future franchi 20 gauge since its intnet is for my wife and a trap team loaner when we have smaller / female guests.


My 12 gauge affinity runs the 1 oz loads so I have to have faith they got the 20 gauge right too,

Franchi advised me breaking it in with a couple cases of Winchester AA Heavy Targets, the money spent on those could easily go towards making up the difference in a m2 or a montefeltro that would not need near the break in period. I'm not a fan of inertia guns with the spring under the forearm...like the franchi. Lesson learned but figured my 9yo didn't need a m2 at this point in his life. I hoped the franchi would turn out to be a nice middle of the road auto for him but I felt I settled when I bought it. Maybe it will start acting right one day, but until then its quite aggrevating.

killerv the franchi affinity is a very nice inertia auto imho. shoot some 1oz shotshells in it and it will do fine. inertia 20ga autos aren't made to shoot the super cheap 7/8oz walmart fodder. pick you up some Winchester aa,Remington heavy dove, or Rio shells, ALL in 1oz, and your cycling issues will be but a memory. I have (2) franchi affinity 20ga and they both shoot said shells w/o a hitch. go on youtube and search franchi affinity 20ga compact and trius one step and you can see my,then 12yr old,son busting some clays with his. now they are a bitch to load for awhile in the 20ga configuration due to spring pressure at least for youths and prolly ladies too. my son figured out a technique to load his w/o thumb bustin'. I guess pain will teach ya a lot.....grin.

My Benelli Legacy chews through the cheap Wal-Mart stuff.

Decided to keep my A300. Just don't think I'll find anything "better" for the money