Beretta is a name synonymous with prestige and luxury in the firearms market. As the oldest manufacturer of firearms in the world, it has been making weapons and components since the 16th Century.
Since 2012, with the release of the Beretta A400 series, the Beretta autoloader shotguns have dominated the hunting and competition venues all across the world.
Today we will look at two models from the A400 series, the Xplor and the Upland to provide an indepth look at what makes them great and what drawbacks are associated with them. Based on our analysis, we will conclude which is the better alternative out of the two and which should be the choice for your next gun.
Just last month we also compared the A300 to the A400. Make sure to read that here.
So, without any further delay, let’s jump right into it!
Specifications
Both A400 Xplor and A400 Upland have slight differences in the finishes and weight.
| Beretta A400 Xplor | Beretta A400 Upland | |||||
| 12 Gauge | 20 Gauge | 28 Gauge | 12 Gauge | 20 Gauge | 28 Gauge | |
| Material and Color | Bronze and Walnut | Bronze and Walnut | Bronze and Walnut | Nickel and Walnut | Nickel and Walnut | Nickel and Walnut |
| Weight | 6.8 lbs | 5.6 lbs | 5.5 lbs | 6.7 lbs | 6.6 lbs | 5.7 lbs |
| Magazine Capacity | 3 + 1 | 4 + 1 | 3 + 1 | 2 + 1 | 4 | 2 + 1 |
Appearance
The A400 Xplor Action is a gorgeous shotgun with a blued out barrel, walnut stock and a unique bronze receiver which makes it even more appealing.
Unlike the Xplor Action, the receiver of the Upland is made with a nickel plated alloy and is engraved beautifully with upland game scenery. A black polymer section has also been seamlessly incorporated into the stock, which gives the gun a very distinctive look.
The A400 Upland comes with a new pistol grip and forend design to aid in comfort, which also gives the gun a slimmer profile.
Recoil
The Xplor Action comes with Beretta’s 2 advanced recoil reducing systems called the Kick Off system which offers hydraulic shock absorbers inside the stock to help reduce recoil by up to 70%.
The kick off system is about $100 more than the normal version and adds about 1 pound more weight to the shotgun but it is well worth the upgrade.
In contrast, A400 Upland is the first shotgun that comes with Beretta’s Kick Off Plus technology which ensures the minimization of recoil by up to 50% while shooting.
Operating System
The A400 Xplor Action is a very versatile shotgun with a gas operated reciprocating system. This gun shoots 2 – 3 \ 4” and 3” shells interchangeably without the need for additional adjustments which makes it ideal for hunting or shooting sporting clay disks.
Another interesting fact about the Xplor shotgun is that it comes with a small digital display on the stock which shows you how many shots you have fired as well as the temperature of your surroundings.
The shotgun also features Beretta’s Blink Operating system which cycles faster than other guns in the same category and a self cleaning piston which ensures the Xplor will work in all weather conditions.
Just like the Xplor, the Upland can hold 2 – 3 / 4” and 3” shells interchangeably. It also has the Beretta Blink Operating System, which is capable of firing 4 shots in less than a second, ultimately ensuring the Upland is more than capable of keeping up with the fast flying ringnecks, woodstocks and other upland game.
The Upland also has Optimal Bore Field-HP shotgun chokes which means the barrel is back bored leading to a larger bore diameter, this results in better shooting patterns
Pricing
The pricing for both shotguns is similar with the Upland starting from $1700 to $1800 and the A400 Xplor from $ 1650 to $ 1800.
Functioning Issues
Although the A400 Xplor is a very versatile gun, there have been some issues regarding cycling of the shells if they are standard loads. This issue can be fixed by regularly cleaning the gas ports though.
A couple of other issues are that the shells will sometimes get jammed in the gun and there can be ejection problems if cheaper shells are used.
Even though, overall the A400 Upland is a great weapon, there are some common problems it shares with the Xplor. Failure to Eject or FTE is one issue we have repeatedly faced during its performance.
Reliability
A400 upland is a very comfortable gun and fires smoothly for both low base loads and high base brass loads. It also cycles very fast and when put through extreme temperatures it holds up very well.
The A400 Xplor might have some problems with standard factory loads but the overall performance was efficient and smooth. The good-looking shotgun functioned well and if it is kept clean you can easily cycle 2000 rounds with no problems whatsoever
Uses
The A400 Xplor is brilliant for both upland game and waterfowl. It is also a great gun for sporting clay shooting.
A400 upland as the name suggests is great for all upland game be it grouse, chukar, quail and other land game. It is also excellent at sporting clay shooting and is used often for that.
Conclusion
Both A400 Upland and A400 Xplor are versatile, lightweight, fast shooting firearms and it really depends on your personal preferences at the end of the day since there is no major difference between the two.
The Upland edges out the Xplor for us due to the stylish design on the receiver but other than that we can confidently say either gun will be a great addition to hunters and sportsmen alike.
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