Description
The Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus in 20 gauge, part number J42XU28, brings the waterfowl platform down a bore size. A 20 gauge duck gun sounds like a compromise until you have carried a 12 through a mile of marsh mud or shot a hundred shells at a goose pit, and then it starts to sound like sense.
This is the 28 inch build in Mossy Oak Bottomland, with a 3 inch chamber, three plus one capacity, a Steelium Plus barrel, a stepped rib with a steel mid-bead, and a fiber optic front sight.
Why a 20 gauge waterfowl gun works now
Twenty years ago this would have been a hard sell. Steel shot in 20 gauge meant a thin payload and short effective range, and hunters put up with 12 gauge recoil because there was no alternative. Tungsten alloy loads changed that arithmetic: a 20 gauge shell loaded with dense shot patterns and penetrates well past where an equivalent steel load falls apart.
What you get in exchange is a gun that weighs less, swings faster, and hits you a great deal less. Three rounds in the tube instead of two is a bonus. For a hunter who shoots over decoys at sensible ranges, this is a legitimate primary duck gun rather than a novelty.
Recoil systems and cold weather controls
The Blink gas action spreads the recoil impulse as it cycles, the Kick-Off Mega stock adds hydraulic dampers between the action and your shoulder, and a soft comb protects your cheekbone. On a 20 gauge that combination is almost excessive, which is the point: a shooter who does not brace against the gun shoots it better.
Controls are the same oversized set as the 12 gauge guns, which is what you want with cold wet hands in a layout blind. The loading port is enlarged, the charging handle extended, the bolt release oversized, and the fore-end carries a rubberized grip panel. The safety reverses and the stock takes shims for drop and cast.
Specifications
- Model: Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Mossy Oak Bottomland, part number J42XU28
- Gauge: 20
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Capacity: 3+1 rounds
- Barrel length: 28 inches, Steelium Plus
- Rib: stepped with a steel mid-bead
- Sights: fiber optic front
- Action: semi-automatic, Blink gas system
- Chokes: extended Optima HP Black tubes
- Stock: Kick-Off Mega with a soft comb and an adjustable shim system
- Fore-end: rubberized grip panel
- Controls: enlarged loading port, extended charging handle, oversized bolt release, reversible safety
- Finish: Mossy Oak Bottomland
Why it is worth considering
- Real waterfowl capability in a bore that does not punish the shooter.
- Three rounds in the tube rather than two.
- Meaningfully lighter to carry across a marsh than any 12 gauge in this class.
- The same oversized cold-weather controls as the 12 gauge guns.
- Bottomland camouflage, still the best pattern for timber and mud.
Who it suits
This is a duck gun for a hunter who shoots over decoys at sensible range and would rather not carry or absorb a 12 gauge. It suits smaller-framed shooters, younger hunters moving up, and experienced hunters who have decided the payload difference is not worth the weight. Paired with a good tungsten alloy load it is entirely adequate on ducks and close geese. Hunters pass shooting geese at distance, or anyone who wants the option of 3.5 inch loads, should stay with the 12 gauge version.
Shells, chokes, and transfer notes
Shotshell dimensions and pressures are standardized by SAAMI, and the 3 inch chamber accepts both 2 3/4 and 3 inch 20 gauge shells. Federal law requires non-toxic shot for waterfowl. This is the one place a 20 gauge asks you to spend money: a good tungsten alloy load will do the job that a 12 gauge steel load does, and a cheap 20 gauge steel load will not. Steel is safe through improved cylinder and modified extended tubes, never a tighter one that is not rated for it. For practice, 7/8 ounce lead target loads cycle fine and cost very little.
Hunters who need 3.5 inch capability or longer reach on geese should compare the 12 gauge Bottomland build, and anyone who prefers a vision-science pattern should look at the 20 gauge Optifade Timber version. 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.
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