Beretta A400 Xcel Multitarget 12 Gauge 32in — Superb Trap and Sporting Gun

Description

The Beretta A400 Xcel Multitarget in the 32 inch configuration, part number J40CT12, is the longest barrel Beretta offers in this model and the one trap shooters gravitate toward. It carries the same adjustable comb, adjustable rib, and Kick-Off recoil reduction as the shorter builds, on a silver anodized receiver with grade 2.5 oiled walnut.
Chamber is 3 inches, capacity is four plus one, and the gun ships with extended OptimaChoke HP tubes in improved cylinder, modified, and improved modified.

What thirty-two inches buys you

Momentum, mostly. A longer barrel puts more weight ahead of the hands, and that weight resists the instinct to decelerate the swing at the moment the trigger breaks. Stopping the gun is the single most common cause of missed clay targets, and barrel length is the cheapest correction available.

It also lengthens the sighting plane between the bead and your eye, which makes small errors in alignment easier to notice. The cost is handling speed in tight quarters, which matters on some sporting clays presentations and almost never on a trap field. Shooters who find the 30 inch gun quick but twitchy usually settle here.

Adjustability and recoil control

The B-Fast comb sets eye height relative to the rib, which is what decides whether a gun shoots where you look. The rib itself adjusts to move point of impact, and trap shooters generally set it high so the pattern sits above the bead and a rising target stays visible. A balance cap in the stock lets you shift weight fore or aft to fine-tune the swing.

Kick-Off hydraulic dampers inside the buttstock are the reason this configuration works for high-volume shooters. A day of trap is not one hundred targets, it is several hundred plus practice, and the cumulative recoil is what produces a flinch. The Blink gas system does its share as well, cycling fast and running everything from light 24 gram practice loads to heavier competition shells with no adjustment.

Specifications

• Model: Beretta A400 Xcel Multitarget, part number J40CT12
• Gauge: 12
• Chamber: 3 inches
• Capacity: 4+1 rounds
• Barrel length: 32 inches, blued
• Rib: adjustable
• Chokes: extended OptimaChoke HP in improved cylinder, modified, and improved modified
• Sights: front bead
• Action: semi-automatic, Blink gas system
• Receiver: silver anodized
• Stock and forend: grade 2.5 oiled walnut
• Stock features: B-Fast adjustable comb, Kick-Off recoil reduction, balance cap
• Bolt handle: oversized

Why it is worth considering

• The longest barrel in the line, which keeps the swing moving through the target.
• Kick-Off dampers for shooters who count their targets in hundreds rather than dozens.
• Comb and rib both adjustable, so the gun can be set up properly for each discipline.
• A balance cap for tuning how the weight distributes between the hands.
• Blink gas cycling that runs light practice loads and competition ammunition alike.

Who it suits

This is the trap shooter’s pick in the Multitarget line, and it is equally at home on long sporting presentations and on skeet for a shooter who prefers a deliberate swing. The adjustability means one gun covers all three disciplines without compromise, and the Kick-Off system makes long practice days sustainable. Shooters who prioritize quick handling on close, fast sporting targets may prefer the 30 inch build, and a hunter should not buy this gun at all; the A400 Upland is the field version of the same action.

Shells, setup, and transfer notes

Target shotshells are standardized by SAAMI, and while the 3 inch chamber will take hunting shells there is no reason to feed them to a clays gun. We stock 1 1/8 ounce heavy target loads for volume practice; 8 shot in the same weight suits skeet distances. Set the comb at a pattern board before you set the rib, and change one thing at a time.

Shooters who want a quicker gun for close sporting targets should compare the 30 inch build, and anyone happy with a standard recoil pad can save money on the Micro-Core version. Hunters should look at the lighter A400 Upland instead. Every long gun we sell ships to a licensed FFL for transfer and background check, and Pennsylvania buyers should plan on the state point of contact check at pickup.