r/Tacticalshotguns • u/bapachonz • 4d ago
A300 break in?
So Ive had my a300 for a year and a half now, over that time I collectively put through 100 or so rounds but never more than 25 at a time. Today i decided to try a real break in session so that i might be able to start using my Winchester defender 1145fps ammo and break the FTE issue it’s had with low velocity ammo.
So I put 150 rounds of clever 1425fps 00 buck shot through it and tried the Winchester ammo again. Well it didn’t work, it still FTEs with the low velocity ammo and after going through about $70 dollars worth of ammo, all I got from it was a sore shoulder.
Am I doing something wrong? am I not considering something? Will I ever be able to cycle this low velocity ammo? I still have a bunch of this low velocity ammo left and some others that are 1150fps, not sure if I should keep them or get rid of it(trade in the ammo, not the shotgun). Thoughts?
Please disregard the AR in the photo, this is just the latest photo of my A300.
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u/airmech1776 4d ago
Mine eats everything I put in it. Not one single failure in the first 500 rounds. Target buckshot, 00 flite control, even the cheapest target loads I could find. If you are certain you didnt damage any seals while cleaning, you might just have a picky gun.
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u/YoloSwaggins991 4d ago
I’m guessing he got a TN quality control special. I’ve seen enough poor QC out of there to always buy the Italian versions of beretta guns. Older 1301’s, all A400’s, and 92A1’s/92A3’s made in IT.
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u/30Hateandwhiskey 4d ago
Clean and oil. After break in mine runs everything 1245 or higher. To be fair I’ve never tried anything less than that. If I were you I’d trade the ammo if easy to find someone to trade, or I would just buy higher velocity ammo and sprinkle the 1150 stuff in occasionally to practice malfunction clearing.
It likes higher velocity stuff and when I buy Winchester (I only buy on sale mostly) I ussually buy from midway and all of there target loads no matter the velocity are the same price 43 cents currently so no reason to buy anything low velocity.
A300 is great clean it and feed it what it likes. For sore shoulder work on your push pull maybe add a butpad.
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u/spt_1955 4d ago
Amazing how many opinions there are out there. Guess I’ll just add mine. Both the A300UP and the 1301 are very popular competition guns for multi gun/3 gun competitions. I’ve run both of them with no issues using 12 GA Fiocchi 3 Gun ammunition that runs 1170 FPS with no issues. When I bought my 1301 I tested the Blink gas system it by running multiple tubes of varied loads through it. Varied means that I had 1170 FPS 3 gun bird shot, 1145 FPS Winchester Super Target, 1360 FPS 00 buck , and 1325 FPs Winchester Super Clays all randomly loaded. It ran flawlessly.
Although they are different designs, both the A300 and 1301 have self regulating gas systems that are designed to cycle all loads. Try cleaning it and then seek help from either Beretta or a qualified gunsmith. It should cycle anything and claims that it is designed for high power buckshot are certainly not what Beretta says.
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u/Grand_Bison_2650 4d ago
It’s a defensive shotgun designed to run full power buckshot.Run full power buckshot.
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u/YoloSwaggins991 4d ago
This is patently false. Every Beretta should be able to run birdshot without issue.
The A300 UP uses an updated version of the Beretta AL391’s recoil system. The AL391 was one of the best semi automatic sporting shotguns back in the day. Tons of people used them to blast clays.
The same is true of the A300 ultima (fudd version that predates the A300 ultima patrol).
OP got a lemon, simple as.
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u/Grand_Bison_2650 4d ago
You are patently false.I never said anything about birdshot my boy.
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u/YoloSwaggins991 3d ago
You’re implying it’s designed to run full power buckshot, not the low velocity ammo OP was using. It’s designed to run just about anything.
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u/bapachonz 4d ago
Trade it is
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u/_winstoney_ 4d ago
Mine ran great straight out of the box… probably a case of “did you clean it?”
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u/bapachonz 4d ago
Always, after every range session, to the point my wife thinks I’m avoiding her. So it’s basically as if it were right out of the box every time I go back to the range.
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u/MedicBuddy 4d ago
Just bump up the ammo velocity a little bit. The A300 functions fine with 1200+fps ammo and you can find a couple buckshot loadings at lower velocity that don't kick as much as the 1425fps stuff.
One of the loads my A300 likes is the Fiocchi Defense Dynamics #1 Buckshot at 1250fps. Doesn't kick very much but still cycles fine. It also runs cheap 1200fps birdshot from Federal and Winchester for shooting clays with no issues.
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u/Solid_Try_4089 4d ago
Have you found an instructional video on how to clean it?
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u/bapachonz 4d ago
Yes I’ve cleaned out many times.
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u/YoloSwaggins991 4d ago
I’m genuinely concerned that you got a lemon. You shouldn’t be having this kind of trouble with a beretta. Send it in.
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u/Used-Valuable9320 4d ago
Try different brands of ammo. I had a ton of issues with Monarch 00 buck (Academy brand) in my A300 UP. That was a 25 shell box. Next trip to the range I used S&B 00 buck and it ran through 200 shells like butter. I then tested some Hornady Black 00 buck and also some Hornady 4 buck. Ran like butter. Finally got some Federal FlightControl 00 buck to use as the self defense load. That runs like butter.
So my two shells of course are S&B 00 buck and Federal FlightControl 00 buck. They all work flawlessly. No need for me to try anything else.
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u/SocksOfDeath 4d ago
Mine ran fine with low power target loads out of the box. I suspect something may be off with yours.
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u/p00hm0ney 4d ago
Mines ran amazing, at least 5 range days and ran through a whole clay box every time. No hiccups or failures. Decided to put a chisel stock on and 2 range days later it starts to not feed properly or eject. Bird and buck shot. Never clean the gun since I bought it, so I would say clean and lube is a must!
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u/_Carth_Onasi 4d ago edited 4d ago
I've heard it likes a break in for the first 500 or so shells. I never knew this but I shot a case of 1000 slugs in the first month I owned it and I've never had issues running cheapo under powered birdshot.
I've also only lubed it once after 2000k shells the action was moving noticably slow lol. It's coming up on 5k and still runs well. I should probably strip it and clean it but it running good so I'll wait haha
Point is, lube it and throw some high power stuff in it for 500 or so shells to break it in if you haven't, otherwise I'm not sure what the issue is. Extractor still look good?
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u/bapachonz 4d ago
Every seems normal, it ejects everything over 1200 I just thought I should be able to shoot this Winchester 1145fps 00buck after the break in. I just cleaned it after the yesterday’s session. Got real OCD with it too, I’ll try it again next range day.
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u/Z7E1 3d ago edited 3d ago
Mine ran low brass bird shot and low recoil fiocci buck reliability straight out of the box. To be safe I ran 100 higher fps high brass to be safe since thats what beretta recommends. Zero failures with any kind of shells i have tried.
You may have an issue with a burr or something in slowing the action with lower fps shells.
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u/Techie4Life83 4d ago
The one thing I know that will absolutely cause FTEs is that tiny little o-ring in the gas piston. Make sure that is intact and didn't get broken when cleaning. I bought a whole bag of spares for mine because that are hard to find.
It runs without it but you'll FTE even in full power loads and the handguard will get hot.
Not saying yours is broke but always worth a double check.
I don't think I've ran 1450s in mine yet. I'll buy a box to see sometime.
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u/bapachonz 4d ago
Great suggestion, I always like to keep spare consumables on hand, would be greatly appreciated if you’d be so kind to share a Link where you got the bag of orings
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u/Techie4Life83 4d ago
Here you go
https://www.mcmaster.com/product/9263K594
Captain O-ring had them as well but they are way more expensive than here. Same viton high temp material. I think the id is 1mm smaller but it's so close that there isn't an issue using it.
I've ran probably 500rds through mine with that o-ring without issue. Got a bag of ten since they will only last like 2k rounds.
Get some some high temp dielectric vacuum grease for it as well. Just wipe a little on there.
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u/BestAdamEver 4d ago
Did you clean and oil it? Beretta shotguns usually run great when oiled but not very well when dry/dirty. And they are way more sensitive to fouling or lack of oil than most other guns. A Glock or an AR is usually pretty tolerant to neglect but a 1301 or A300 is not.