|
The Improbable Comparison: Beretta A400 vs. Browning Maxus vs. Benelli Vinci This is
an unlikely comparison on several levels. Though the formerly code-named
"Peggy" Browning Maxus was announced first, rolled out as “The Most Reliable Autoloader the World Has
Even Known” on October 10, 2008, as of this writing (June 2010) general availability has
been limited to essentially one model: synthetic. I have tested two 3-1/2 inch
chambered versions, one in black with a 26 inch barrel and one in camo with a
28 inch barrel. The most
surprising release, surrounded by glorious fanfare, was the Benelli Vinci. A 3
inch chambered model, it too has been available in essentially one model, synthetic
in black or camo color. Two Vinci's were tested, one with a 26 inch barrel and
one with a 28 inch. The
latest new autoloader entry, the A400 Xplor Unico, has a 3-1/2 inch chamber and
was the last of the three to be released. It is also offered in only one model
at present, with pleasing to the eyes "xtra-grain" wood, but with the option of a
Kick-Off hydraulic pad and different barrel lengths. These
three models have evoked the vast majority of my autoloading shotgun reader
mail, which is the rationale for this comparison. The improbable part is due to the disparity in the models
themselves. If a 3-1/2 inch, composite-stocked water fowling shotgun were the
subject, then a Benelli SBE-II vs. Maxus vs. Beretta Xtrema2 comparison would
seem to make more sense. That, however, has not been the focus of most of the
correspondence. Instead, readers have suggested they want one of these three as
an all-around shotgun. You might think none of these shotguns would be
desirable for hunting doves or breaking clays, but it has not worked out that
way. In some ways, this comparison is apples to oranges, but many folks want
one new juicy piece of scattergun to bite into and these three are often among
those considered. I will do my best, starting with the easily measured
attributes and moving on to the more esoteric/subjective areas. PRICE AND WEIGHT (AS MEASURED) Maxus
Stalker 3-1/2 in., 28 inch barrel: 6 lbs. 15 oz. ($1379 MSRP, $1509 MODB Camo)) TRIGGER PULL, AS MEASURED Maxus: 6
lbs. WARRANTY Maxus: No
written warranty CHOKE TUBES SUPPLIED Maxus:
Three Invector Plus SHELL HANDLING Maxus:
Speed Loading and Unloading + Magazine Cut-off VENT RIB TYPE Maxus: Flat
rib, single front bead ACTION Maxus:
Gas, "Activ Valve" variation SHELL INTENSITY CAPABILITY W/O ADJUSTMENTS Maxus: 1
oz. and up, 3.5 inch chamber Note: All
three cycled 7/8 oz. Winchester white box “Super-Speed Loads.” The A400 ejected
them with the most authority. PATTERNING NOTES All three
printed well-centered patterns at 40 yards with B&P USA F2 Legend 1-1/8 oz.
loads. All three shot slightly high. Factory “Full” chokes patterns out of the
Vinci and A400 gave higher percentages and exhibited less patchiness than the
Maxus factory full choke. FELT RECOIL Felt
recoil is subjective and depends greatly on gun fit. For me, the Maxus was the
softest shooting, followed by the A400 and then the Vinci with 1-1/8 oz. F2
Legend shells, but all were universally found to be comfortable to shoot. With
1-7/8 oz. 3 inch Remington Nitro-Mag shells, the order changed. The Maxus felt
slightly softer shooting than the Vinci, almost close enough to call it a dead
heat. The Vinci was far more comfortable to shoot than the Beretta A400. The
Vinci scaled extremely well with higher intensity loads with noticeably less
muzzle flip. SAFETY PLACEMENT Maxus: Back
of the trigger guard RECOIL PAD Maxus: Inflex pad Notes: For
me, the Maxus does not come to the shoulder as easily as the others, due primarily
to the shape of the Inflex pad. Rather than having a flat face, the factory
Browning pad is similar to their X-bolt rifle pad. Fine on a rifle, but it is
dished out more like a trap pad than a field pad. Good recoil pad, but a poor
profile for a field gun. If I were hunting with a pre-mounted gun, it would not
matter. I'm not, though. The Maxus has spacers right in the box to adjust the
length of pull if desired; the other models do not. BARRELS Maxus:
Oversized bore with lengthened forcing cones LOWEST PRICE TO HIGHEST PRICE The
lowest-price configuration available for any of these three shotguns would be
the three-inch chambered version of the Maxus Stalker at $1199 MSRP. The Vinci
and the 3-1/2 inch Maxus models are almost identically priced. The most
expensive of the three is the A400 with KO at $1725 MSRP. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS I am
often asked if ___ is a good gun. It isn't easy to answer, as good is such a
vague term that it has no universally held definition. The best answer to the
question is often, “It's not bad.” So it goes with these three models, none of
which is bad. All of them are destined to be offered in more configurations
than they are at present and nothing ever made is immune to improvement. The Maxus
is the most versatile shotgun ever offered under the Browning nameplate. If
there is a Browning shotgun curse over the last fifteen years or so, it has
been overly heavy triggers. Often called "lawyer triggers," Browning can
offer any explanation they like, but Browning shotgun triggers do not compare
favorably to many other triggers on the market, including the A400 and the
Vinci triggers tested here. If they want to be the “Best There Is,” then they
will have to notch up their trigger quality. For now, it would take a trigger
job and a replacement recoil pad to get the Maxus up to speed for me. Beretta,
in another hearty bout of self-congratulation, announced a while back that they
had again set the benchmark for the do
it all shotgun. They were not referring to the A400, however, they were
speaking of the Xtrema2. The A400 version of the Xtrema2 is easier on the eyes,
harder on the wallet, more suitable when the application involves significant
walking and carrying, perhaps a bit less suitable as a dedicated water fowler.
Better for upland hunting, though, without question. In fact, had Beretta
introduced the A400 as the “Xtrema2 Uplander” it wouldn't have been that far
off the mark. The
Vinci, easily winning the non-conventional aesthetics award, is the simplest
and most reliable shotgun of the bunch. While none of these shotguns is difficult
to maintain, the Vinci field strips with a push of a button and the twist of
the magazine cap. No time is spent cleaning a gas system, as it doesn't have
one. The
softest-shooting shotgun of the group is the Maxus, followed by the A400, but
the Vinci is more comfortable than the A400 with heavy loads. The Maxus wins in
the shell-handling contest, then Vinci, then A400. Both the A400 and Vinci
triggers handily beat the Maxus. Benelli's swift customer service lightened the
five pound as supplied trigger to about 3-1/2 pounds for me at no charge. This
is not a dig at Browning's Customer Service, which has been uniformly
excellent. Browning trigger spec on their field guns is 5-6 pounds. Heavier
than that, they will be happy to touch it up for you, but only to within their
spec. You will not get an A400 or Vinci-comparable trigger from Browning; see
your favorite gunsmith for that. If you
rarely hunt, or don't hunt much, then none of the above would likely be
considered an ideal dedicated clays gun, as they are all a bit on the light
side. Rightly or wrongly, several clays shooters seem to take substantially
heavier guns (A391 Urika 2), but still tape on weights, use aftermarket
forearm caps, glue lead into butt stocks and the like. Anyway, T & S hull
catchers are not available for any of these three. The Birchwood Casey Save-It Shell Catcher can likely be
used, although I have not stuck them onto these guns. If the purpose is more
clays than anything else, the A400 with a 30 inch barrel and the KO would
likely come closest to what many would prefer in pre-mounted games. I also
suspect that with its violent action and perky bolt speed, the A400 is a bit
better equipped to handle some of the pipsqueak, low quality reloads that seem
to be common on many clays fields. All of these models are clearly advertised
and promoted as hunting guns. Neither camo nor 3-1/2 chambers would be
desirable for breaking clay pigeons. Having
tested the Maxus and the Vinci with both 26 and 28 inch barrels, I much prefer
the overall handling, balance and speed of the 26 inch barrels on these two
models. Invariably, I end up with better hunting load patterns from extended
chokes than with factory supplied chokes, as in Trulock Precision Hunter tubes,
so I'm ending up with a 27 inch barrel, anyway. At seven
pounds, give or take, these 12 gauge autoloaders are in the same general weight
class. When it gets down to an ounce or two, loading one less shell in your
autoloader may change carry weight about that much, so it isn't enough to
obsess about. This is, as mentioned earlier, an improbable comparison. There are enough differences in finish, chamber length and styles to make this less than a specific, intended use directed match-up. I hope that this article has presented useful information that will help potential buyers reach their own conclusions. |
Copyright 2010 by Randy Wakeman. All rights reserved.
|
|