I think the A300 Ultima Patrol is the new king of everyman tactical shotguns

[Ark]

It's fan-freakin-tastic. All I did was take it out of the box, break it down to coat everything in new lube, and start stuffing shells into it. Five rounds of 00 for "break in" and then straight to the grab bag of Walmart trash. 130+ rounds the first outing without a single failure of any kind. 00 buck, three types of cheap Walmart target crap, some #6 squirrel ammo, 1oz slugs, everything cycled it and locked it open and ran great directly out of the box. These guns are marketed as "optimized for Federal Flite Control 00 buck" but they are, legitimately, self-regulating to run commonly available ammo. Angle and velocity of ejection varied across ammo types but everything worked. I'm so thrilled to discover that I don't have to shop for specific high weight or high velocity loads to train with this gun. So far, nothing has broken, backed out, or come loose under firing except for my un-loktited weapon light.

The feature set of the shotgun reflects all the current trends in tactical shotguns. The front end texturing is so aggressive that I ran it with a glove on my left hand, which helps when the barrel gets toasty after 15-20 rounds. No pistol grip stocks are currently supported by this platform. It already comes with a front sling mount and a perfect Mlok slot for a light, which only requires a little stretch to hit the push button with your thumb. The ghost ring sights on this gun are fixed and non-adjustable, but a low mount red dot is easily added. The box includes a fitted piece of velcro for the left side of the receiver, which is great because nobody is really making shell caddies. One thing in particular I appreciated is the well polished lifter, which mitigates the thumbnail-ripping effect I usually get with non-Mossberg systems which require you to push the lifter out of the way to load.

These are selling like hotcakes and it's for a good reason. Mine was $970 shipped. Bereli had a sale recently at $899 shipped for the LE version with a fixed cylinder choke. Based on my experience at the last ACC shotgun match, get the replaceable choke version if you can. High brass birdshot and a full choke was a major match performance improvement for the guys who had them. If you're looking at one, get it. Nothing makes me happier than dropping serious money on a gun and just having it work right out of the box. The A300 utilizes an older operating system than the 1301, but it just runs all day.

My Mossberg is out to pasture and this gun is my new king of home defense.

 

[92FSTech]

The A300 is a great shotgun. I have an older "Outlander" model and haven't been able to make it malfunction yet, despite feeding it everything from slugs and 00 Buck to cheap wal-mart bulk-pack birdshot. I've been watching the Patrol model with interest...it's great to keep hearing good reviews!

 

[Colt556]

I picked up one last spring but haven’t put it through its paces yet. When I got it it had a broken rear sight and I called Beretta and the sent one out right away. The gun seems great but I’m not real thrilled with the amount of plastic on it.
I was able to find mine a few weeks after I picked up a Mossberg 930 Tactical because I couldn’t find a 1301. I have shot it and it works really well. I added a Big Dot front tritium sight and an enlarged thumb safety. Once I test the A300 I’ll probably sell the 930.

 

[Ark]

I picked up one last spring but haven’t put it through its paces yet. When I got it it had a broken rear sight and I called Beretta and the sent one out right away. The gun seems great but I’m not real thrilled with the amount of plastic on it.
I was able to find mine a few weeks after I picked up a Mossberg 930 Tactical because I couldn’t find a 1301. I have shot it and it works really well. I added a Big Dot front tritium sight and an enlarged thumb safety. Once I test the A300 I’ll probably sell the 930.

The plastic helps keep it light. Feels lighter in the hand than my 20" 500.

But yeah. Stock is one big block of plastic. Handguard is one big block of plastic. Rear sight is plastic. Bolt release is a block of plastic. Made me wonder what would happen to that handguard if I really burned it down with 50+ rounds as fast as I could load and fire. Excess gas vents under the handguard, those Federal slugs would have smoke wafting out of the handguard for several seconds.

 

[chef1231]

Good read. Thanks for the review. I was considering another M4 but after reading this I may look in that direction. After a little resource I stumbled on the 1301 as well. The price on that one seems to be close enough to M4 money though

 

[kawtech87]

I'm kinda in between this one and the Mossberg 940 tactical. I'd like to find a shop that has both so I can handle them side by side. Seems like a lot of people who do that end up with the A300 though.

How hard is it to work the action? What I'm really concerned with is if my wife could use it in my absence since whichever one I end up with will probably get set up for her. A pump for her is out of the question.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I'm kinda in between this one and the Mossberg 940 tactical. I'd like to find a shop that has both so I can handle them side by side. Seems like a lot of people who do that end up with the A300 though.

How hard is it to work the action? What I'm really concerned with is if my wife could use it in my absence since whichever one I end up with will probably get set up for her. A pump for her is out of the question.

if she isnt strong enough to rack a pump, is she stout enough to withstand the recoil?

 

[Dean C.]

For $1000~ it's the best shotgun you can buy for any purpose IMHO, Beretta is the undisputed king of semi automatic shotguns at this point since they acquired Benelli. Since the price increase of the 1301 I decided to get an M4 myself, they will never go out of style.

Also adding, if you can get them always get the version with Chokes. It's a huge part of what makes the guns so versatile IMHO.

 

[Ark]

I'm kinda in between this one and the Mossberg 940 tactical. I'd like to find a shop that has both so I can handle them side by side. Seems like a lot of people who do that end up with the A300 though.

How hard is it to work the action? What I'm really concerned with is if my wife could use it in my absence since whichever one I end up with will probably get set up for her. A pump for her is out of the question.

It's not bad, maybe similar pull weight to a 1911 if you stuck a bolt handle on the slide? A couple companies make enlarged bolt handles for more leverage. You have to ghost load it to achieve "cruiser ready" and be able to simply pick it up and chamber a round.

 

[BoilerWes]

Will the M4s consistently cycle any 12 gauge rounds? Seems like that’s where the 1301 and A300 shine.

 

[kawtech87]

if she isnt strong enough to rack a pump, is she stout enough to withstand the recoil?

Not really a strength issue. LOP issue. She tends to short stroke (gigiddy) my 870. Plus I'm not sure she'd remember to rack the pump after each shot. I know, training issue, but with our two kids and being a full time nurse, her schedule is more wonky than mine

Edit to add. She had our youngest son all natural. No meds. So she's tough enough to handle damn near anything I think.

 

[chef1231]

Will the M4s consistently cycle any 12 gauge rounds? Seems like that’s where the 1301 and A300 shine.

No, is the answer in short. I recall shooting my M4 for the first time and was running cheap bird shot and low recoil slugs. Kept jamming up after a shell or two. Called Benelli and the guy was quick to tell me they didn’t make that shotgun for light loads they made it to go into danger clearing houses etc,, I forget his exact words but basically he called me a dumbass for trying to run birdshot. lol. I use high brass full loads and have never had a problem.

 

[Ark]

Not really a strength issue. LOP issue. She tends to short stroke (gigiddy) my 870. Plus I'm not sure she'd remember to rack the pump after each shot. I know, training issue, but with our two kids and being a full time nurse, her schedule is more wonky than mine

Edit to add. She had our youngest son all natural. No meds. So she's tough enough to handle damn near anything I think.

Absent some kind of arthritis issue there should be no problem charging or firing an A300. I think the recoil is milder than a similar weight pump gun. The gun ships with a spacer to increase LoP, but you can't really shorten it. It does feel closer to my face than my 500.

 

[Colt556]

I'm kinda in between this one and the Mossberg 940 tactical. I'd like to find a shop that has both so I can handle them side by side. Seems like a lot of people who do that end up with the A300 though.

How hard is it to work the action? What I'm really concerned with is if my wife could use it in my absence since whichever one I end up with will probably get set up for her. A pump for her is out of the question.

I have the 930 and A300. I’ve run less than a box of shells through the Mossberg and haven’t used the A300 yet. The Mossberg worked well with a variety of shells and felt pretty good. I’m looking forward to trying out the A300 and comparing them and once that’s done I’m selling one. Don’t need two similar shotguns and I have several pump guns.

 

[dung]

I feel the need to get an a300. Have they got a tube extension out for it yet?

 

[KokomoDave]

I was torn between the A300 and the 940 like others have mentioned. Thanks for the good review of this shottie in a real world setting and not some paid review online. When INGO people take the time to give a heads-up v.s. some shill, it makes me appreciate our website that much more!

 

[Ark]

I was torn between the A300 and the 940 like others have mentioned. Thanks for the good review of this shottie in a real world setting and not some paid review online. When INGO people take the time to give a heads-up v.s. some shill, it makes me appreciate our website that much more!

"Real world setting" = one outing with the biggest cheap ammo variety I could throw together.

I don't have any trigger time on the 940. It's a very similar type of shotgun. The lifter on the A300 looks easier on my thumb than the 940, and the 940 is missing the lifter-up loading I love from their pump guns. I like the sights, sling mount, light mount locations, and forend grip better on the A300. I'm agnostic on tang versus crossbolt safeties. The optic cut on the Mossberg is neat. The 940 can take a pistol grip stock, which the A300 doesn't have available right now.

The 940 tacticals are all $900 or more right now, it's hard for me to imagine taking anything that says Mossberg on it over something that says Beretta at nearly the same price.

 

[Dean C.]

"Real world setting" = one outing with the biggest cheap ammo variety I could throw together.

I don't have any trigger time on the 940. It's a very similar type of shotgun. The lifter on the A300 looks easier on my thumb than the 940, and the 940 is missing the lifter-up loading I love from their pump guns. I like the sights, sling mount, light mount locations, and forend grip better on the A300. I'm agnostic on tang versus crossbolt safeties. The optic cut on the Mossberg is neat. The 940 can take a pistol grip stock, which the A300 doesn't have available right now.

The 940 tacticals are all $900 or more right now, it's hard for me to imagine taking anything that says Mossberg on it over something that says Beretta at nearly the same price.

The A300 action has been around a long time and is well proven on the sporting clays field by guys who shoot thousands of rounds a year through their scatter guns. The only better action money can buy is an Benelli M4 ARGO or Beretta A400/1301 BLINK systems.

 

[Ark]

The A300 action has been around a long time and is well proven on the sporting clays field by guys who shoot thousands of rounds a year through their scatter guns. The only better action money can buy is an Benelli M4 ARGO or Beretta A400/1301 BLINK systems.

Yup. Really was an excellent decision to take the same old reliable shotgun and repackage it as a 1301 knockoff at a lower price. Probably a high margin for Beretta on the A300UP.

 

[Dean C.]

Yup. Really was an excellent decision to take the same old reliable shotgun and repackage it as a 1301 knockoff at a lower price. Probably a high margin for Beretta on the A300UP.

Honestly not really , it's the 391's action modernized a bit. With the 1301 you are paying for the lengthened forcing cones and chromed action. The forcing cones are nice for improved patterning and the chromed action with dual action rods aids in longevity. The A400/1301 will be running just fine after an A300 bites the dust.

That all being said , the average shotgun owner will never run 1,000 rounds of ammo through their gun much less tens of thousands so an A300 will suit your average buyer perfectly fine. You do pay a bit of a premium for the "tactical" features. But for what it is the A300 line is very reasonably priced IMHO.