A400 Xcel: the Fastest, Lowest-Recoil Clay Buster

The A400 Xcel is a 12-gauge competition shotgun that is faster-cycling, softer-shooting and better balanced than anything else on the market.

Built on the revolutionary A400 action, it delivers follow-up shots 36% faster than any other brand, while its advanced recoil-reducing systems make it absolutely pleasant to shoot, even on demanding all-day competitions. Its sleek lines and superior ergonomics are designed with one goal in mind: letting the A400 naturally follow your eye to the target. This is why it has quickly become a favorite among serious competitive shooters the world over.

Built on Today’s Most Advanced Semi-Automatic Action

The A400 action is the culmination of Beretta’s centuries-old experience and passion for shotguns. It feeds reliably all types of shells from 2 ¾” to 3,” with loads ranging from target-light to hard hitting–making it also suited for the occasional upland or waterfowl hunt. Also, it features the unique Blink technology, a gas-operating system that is capable of delivering two shots in less than half a second, while also integrating an easy-maintenance self-cleaning piston. Furthermore, the action has sleek lines and a low profile, meaning that the vertical distance between the dominant eye and the supporting hand is reduced to a minimum. The result? A gun that follows your swing like an extension of your body and eyesight–and many more broken clays.

Extremely Low-Recoil

There are no two ways about it: felt recoil is only a liability and the less of it, the better. The A400 Xcel incorporates several recoil-reducing systems operating simultaneously to make recoil virtually negligible (70% overall reduction). One is a hydraulic shock absorber that softens the rearward energy from the action’s moving parts, which minimizes felt recoil while reducing wear within the receiver. Another is a Micro-Core buttpad that all but neutralizes the recoil generated by the power of the cartridge. Also, the A400 is designed to recoil parallel to the comb, meaning no thump to the cheek and minimal muzzle rise.

Durable, Easy and Quick to Clean

The A400 Xcel’s cold-hammer forged barrel is made of nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel (Beretta’s “Steelium”), a proprietary formula engineered for consistency, toughness and durability. The bore is chrome-plated to facilitate cleaning and minimize wear and corrosion. And the new Optimabore HP choke tubes are particularly easy to remove–even after several thousands of rounds. Lastly, the new, improved gas piston makes assembly and disassembly a matter of seconds. All these are reasons why when your competitors see you approaching with the A400 Xcel’s telltale bright-blue receiver, they will know you have the absolute best–and they will know who the winner is.

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If you are a die-hard trap or sporting-clays competition shooter, check out the A400 Xcel Parallel Target, a version of the X400 Xcel optimized for these two disciplines.