Everything wears out eventually. 1 week to 10 years.

 

Every individual part is currently available. It will last as long as it lasts. There's also none kick off stocks available.

 

Thanks, I noticed that the Xcel model is available without KO. I’ve read through several threads regarding the KO, and some say that it does seem to reduce recoil, while others don’t notice much difference. I personally like the “look” of the non KO model.

 

Function over form. The kick off does help to reduce recoil in my opinion so even though the gun looks better without it, i wouldn’t get an A400 without it. The rubber does eventually degrade but we’re talking a lot of years of hard use. You’ll be replacing other parts (springs, firing pins, etc.) long before anything on the kick off.

 

KO isn't needed nor does it do any good with target loads.

 

nor does it do any good with target loads.

Not true!

 

o

 

Bought a new A400 with the newer KO and it's replaced my older non KO smurf gun. It works well and the reduction in recoil makes it hard to ever pull my O/U out of the safe. I dont consider my A400 to be a heirloom. Its going to get shot alot and get worn out.

 

My Smurf blue Xcel is about 7 years old with over 12,000 rounds thru it. The KO is in great shape and still works well. When it breaks I’ll just buy another KO and replace it. An absolutely fabulous gun with very little recoil even with 7/8oz loads.

 

A400s Excels are great shooting guns but I've found there is a few issues with parts that will need replacing. The reciever end of the barrel is prone to cracking which requires sending back to Beretta for a 2 month wait or in my case buying a new barrel 3 weeks before the Worlds. That was in my older blue gun. I've cracked several plastic sleeves that the recoil spring goes in and have started ordering them 3 at a time. The KO stock hasn't been an issue with 10000 rounds thru the new er model

 

I don’t have an a400, but my 391 synthetic is 13 years old with thousands and thousands of rounds through it, and the KO system functions just like it did on day one.

 

It's a gas semi, it doesn't need any recoil reduction. I have an old smurf A400 with no kick off, it shoots 1oz loads nice and soft.

 

Same here. With 1 oz 1250fps and 1 1/8 ounce 1200fps I felt nothing with the old style KO. I sold the KO and put in a spacer.

 

I agree with the comments that a beretta gas gun doesn’t need a KO system, but in my experience it sure doesn’t hurt. And when you want to go for that one last extra round of trap/sporting, or take that one last late-in-the-day pass through the cornfield after a lively morning with heavier field loads, the little luxury of the KO system makes it that much easier…

 

Like the saying goes: “it’s better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.” I’m a wood worker, and I love beautiful walnut, so if can’t live with the look of the KO stock, for a cool $1250, I could replace it with a Coles upgraded walnut stock.

 

See Beretta A400 Xcel Kick Off Unit .

 

Several of my favorite shotguns are more than 70 years old. The walnut still works perfectly fine.

Plastics just don't last that long, especially when exposed to sunlight. My L4s (1.25 ounce 1220 fps) shoots softer than my 20 gauge over-and-under shooting 7/8 target loads. Both guns weigh the same. I don't see that a gas semi-auto needs more gizmos to make it shoot softer.

A spring gizmo in the stock can always be replaced with a new butt pad. Some elastomer gizmo in the middle of the stock is going to be a fun and interesting woodworking project for some craftsman when the plastic gets old, hard and cracks.

But you'll have passed your gun on in 10 years, or lost interest in the sport. That's got to be what Beretta is hoping.

Short version: gas semi-autos don't need more recoil reduction than a few ounces of lead in the stock to balance out the slight muzzle heavy nature of 'em.

 

My 10 year old son shoots a 20 gauge Beretta A300 without the kickoff, and doesn’t complain about recoil at all. He may be 75 lbs with wet clothes on lol.

My mother shoots a 12 gauge A400 Xtreme Unico. She’s had the gun for 9 years or so. The rubber boot over the kickoff is deteriorating. I’ll likely have to replace it soon. The butt pad is also beginning to deteriorate. Other than those issues, the kickoff system appears to be holding up fine.

I have an A300 Xtrema with the older 391 style butt plate kickoff on the stock. I’ve been using it exclusively for goose hunting over the last three years or so. It is holding up well so far, and I do notice a difference with recoil. Particularly when shooting some old 3.5” steel loads I acquired when I was a younger man lol.

My oldest daughter shoots a Beretta A300 Outlander. She’s 5’4”, 125lbs and hunts waterfowl. She has put hundreds of 3” steel loads through her gun. I did add a limbsaver to her gun that I had purchased to put on my A300 Xtrema. She hadn’t been complaining about recoil, but I was curious to see if it made a difference on the Outlander. After shooting it, she said the LOP actually fit her better with the Limbsaver, and asked if she could keep the pad on her gun.

Yes, the kickoff on an A400 does dampen recoil some, but it isn’t necessary. Gas autoloaders are generally soft shooters. If recoil is an issue for a shooter with a gas gun, maybe the shooter should consider going with a smaller gauge, or lower powered loads.

 

I think the whole idea to minimize recoil is to reduce fatigue and loss of focus when shooting 100 to 200 clays a day. Every little bit helps. Lighter loads, ported barrels, whatever works for you.
Not the same as shooting 6 ducks.

 

FirePro : buy the A 400 and don't look back or over think it
for a auto loader, many shooters think it is the best you can do for the money value
////////
A-400 with the recoil kick off...have one of the orig. from 2012 ish
micro core recoil pad , recoil hydro coil device, compressing stock, oil dampened buffer all do a great job of
control of the recoil and to calm down the problem of muzzle rise on the quick follow up shots
.
way easier on the ol man as compared to any of the o/u guns
easier recoil then the 1100 Rem. or the A-5 brownings for the same 12 ga and loads
.........
yup, the black chevron at the top of the comb did wear out from my bearded face ...gives the gun some character
yes, it did go back to the factory after 8000 rounds or so to be twinked for the barrel to breach connection
A 400 shotgun is used as my go to for sporting clay, any form of wet land hunting , open field turkey blind sittin'
don't really stay on top of the cleaning since the gun gas system is way better than the 1100

 

Here’s the way I view it: recoil sucks and can ruin what otherwise would be a great day of sporting clays (or trap, skeet, etc.). Many of the posts on this and other forums are looking for ways to reduce recoil, so I know I’m not in the minority with this opinion. Lots of guys will endure the pain of more recoil than they need or want to because other factors are more important to them (preference for particular style of gun, particular shell/load, etc.). For me, I have a bum shoulder and minimal recoil is priority one, so I do everything I can to accomplish this, which means a Beretta gas autoloader with the kickoff system. Everyone has to decide for themselves what their priorities are.

 

What I really meant about fatigue was shooting for score at a registered shoot. 1 or 2 stations of not being focused and you're praying for the Lewis score. I can tell the difference from my 8.5 lb O/U to my non K/O A400 to my newer A400 with the K/O. I like to shoot 1 1/8 1250s so even if it's 10% less recoil I'll take it.

 

I understand fully what you meant. Just because my kids and I are hunters, doesn’t mean we don’t also shoot clays. As I said, I’ve never found the kickoff on a Beretta all that useful with target loads. The difference in recoil isn’t detectable to me, until you get to heavy hunting loads.

I’ve got my best scores with my daughter’s Outlander, and I’ve used a number of guns to shoot clays. Including Beretta 390 20 gauge, 391, A300 Xtrema, A400 20 and 12 gauge, Browning Gold, Sliver, Remington 1100, 1187, VersaMax, V3, Winchester SX2, SX3, SX4 20 and 12 gauge.

 

I've found a noticable difference in recoil between my 2002 era Beretta Urika Gold 391 Sporting and my 2020 Beretta A400 Xcel Black with a rear Kick-Off (KO). It really shows up for me over a 140 or 150 bird sporting tournament with a lot of longer targets where I shoot 1-1/8 oz reloads vs lighter loads...the 391 would flat wear me down quicker than the A400 KO.

In fact I got a take-off A-400 Xcel stock with Kick-off and installed it on the old 391. It fit perfectly with the original shims...softened up the 391 so it feels just like my A400. Both use the same recoil pad as well.

And slo-mo video with the iPhone shows the A400 KO fully compressing with light 7/8oz reloads at 1,150 fps when I was shooting skeet.

I vote KO but we all are different in our apparent sensitivity to recoil and tolerance of it over the day and career. Good luck with your choice!

 

Thanks to everyone who kindly commented, its helped in making the decision to ahead and buy the Xcel A400 Sporting 12 gauge with 30” barrel AND KO. Bought it at Cabelas, and pick it up in 10 days (CA), but hated paying the new 11% excise tax.
Appreciate ya’ll. Jesse. (FirePro).