The pen is a nice size, and has a nice weight. I think the Sporting version does have an all steel receiver. It handled very well on the clay-target course, excelled on the patterning board, and helps a shooter look sharp to his compatriots while serving as a solid shooting tool. Ive been using this pen for several months now (since November or so). So, How Does It Handle?Perhaps more than any other type of firearm platform, a shotgun is designed to function as an extension of the shooters body. Once my eye adjusted to the height of its rib and the glow of its fiber-optic bead, I began to routinely connect with clays that were 30 or more yards out and receding rapidly from sightthats with a gun straight off the rack that had not yet been fit to my particular physique. JavaScript is disabled. Very nice gun and I liked the slim profile, but didn't impress me enough that I would buy one. Have you seen one or held one? If a shooter favors the looks and feel of a semiautomatic, the Model 828U may be just the ticket. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I believe his 828 has 30's and that might have been by choice as he is a smaller guy. I have used it for hours at a time, and it is very comfortable to write with. Everyone that I know that has bought one of these got over them fairly quickly. When the new Benelli Model 828U was introduced, devoted fans of Benelli semiautomatics rushed to get more information. However, we noticed there was a little creep or spongy feel to the pull with both triggers, unlike the crisp, sharp pull of the Browning. Realize, too, that this was legitimate wild-bird hunting among wide-open crop fields and across rolling terrain that was as natural as pheasant habitat gets. The new model features a rounded forearm designed with a slight palm rest, high-relief engraving on the receiver, and ivory front and mid-bead sights. Our Team Said: This shotgun, whose predecessors date back more than 40 years, is a true tribute to the solid, reliable, high-quality Browning over-and-unders on the market today. Same thing happened again first time I attempted to assemble/disassemble the firearm. It fit me very well (needed to switch to a lower drop shim). The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Maybe it's just me but I'm not a fan of field O/U's with aluminum receivers. Doubles are supposed to find their appeal in durability and simplicity. It is no stretch to suggest that the new gun offers appealing aesthetics, innovative engineering, precise manufacturing, intuitive handling and satisfying shootability. Nsca # 540300. He said company engineers were reserved, not letting on that the gun they were working on was an over-under. It also exhibited generally neutral handling. My friend that I go to S.D. So especially the beginning was really tough for usunderstanding the over-under and its habits and the way the gun moved.. Condor. The recent release of the Browning Citori Model 725 Field seemed to be perfect timing for the head-to-head competition. She appreciated the buttpad for not hanging up on clothing, liked the matte finish of the carbon-fiber rib and pointed out that the removable breech block would make cleaning easier. Says they are LH in 12 gauge, but should give you a feel for the gun and you can order what you want then. That makes bringing it to the target nearly effortless. The gun was impressive, apart from a few nags:2 1) Auto safety ! The sporting model is almost $4000. I feel like when I looked at them the longest I could find was a 28, 26" and 28" I believe in the 828uthe field gun. It was the only one I could ever have made that I could put my finger on. My Browning Citori White Lighting 16 ga. feels just as good in my hands and about the same weight. Where it stands now. Title. To subscribe to the magazine,visit theNRA membership page here and selectAmerican Rifleman as your member magazine. There were 202 hits in the 20-inch circle with the Modified choke and 164 hits with the Improved Cylinder choke. The 828U is a lightweight gunimportant for a long session of upland hunting in which it is likely to be carried much more of the time than it is shotbut it is the distribution of the weight. I have a pen that takes up a lot of space, and I really like the fact that I can carry both pens at the same time. One can speculate that the only 20 shotguns Benelli ever made that shoot to point of aim at 40 yards were sent to me, but the chances of that are slim to none, and Slim just left town. I shot 50 rounds and was impressively sore. It utilizes Benelli's innovative Progressive Comfort Stock. A transverse passage in each chamber contains a floating pin that is bumped a few thousandths of an inch to actuate sears on the ejector body on either side of the monobloc, causing the extractors to forcefully throw empty hulls free of the gun. The Benelli didn't fill me with the same inspiration. They are not cheap as they run about $2,300 for the black receiver and $2,600 for the silver receiver. The action on the Benelli Sport II is strong, fast, and flawlessly cycles pretty much any target load you try to feed it. They do support the Franchi line, which isn't exactly an endorsement. Advertisement Barrel & Receiver The 828U comes with 26, 28, or 30-inch barrels that have three-inch chambers. You should make sure the barrel lug is seating firmly on the pivot pin before closing. I was in Walker MN this week and Reeds Sports had a few. My daughter can't move the safety lever and it takes me some good pushing. I actually bought one for my daughter, she probably shot 100 rounds through it on the Skeet field, it was too light for her, odd, she is a whopping 110 lbs., she ended up liking my old 325 the best, that is what she is shooting. of No. How Different Is It?Described dispassionately, the 828U is simply a wood-stocked over-under shotgun built around an aluminum receiver. In the case of the Benelli 828U, it's a matter of 'easy if you know how', and even then both removal and refitting of the breach face baffled me for some time. I forced it open and sent it in to Benelli who "fixed" it and sent it back to me. JavaScript is disabled. The trade-off in the field is that most shooters will take a lighter gun that carries better, because just one extra pound adds up over several miles of kicking pheasants up. I spend a lot of time at gun clubs and I have seen only one and it had 28 inch bbls. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Every time I see him, I ask when I can shoot the space gun. Ridiculously overpriced. I dont try and go fast and never use anything force, more just move the parts. So maybe nearer 10,000 shells down the tubes and an intermittent problem has appeared when the gun is warm - the bottom barrel fails to fire, all I hear is that faintest of clicks - rather than the typical sound of a triggered firing pin, the primer of the shell is untouched (have eliminated low primers, changed brand of shell to no avail), when cool it's back to . The gun's main appeal is the weight, and it is light. I had the opportunity to shoot a guys Benelli 828 12 ga. at some clays yesterday. with pheasant hunting every year has one and likes it. Just to clarify, I am interested in the sport model (black steel receiver with SPORT written on the side). Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Archived 828U Sport thread. The Price for a Benelli 828U has decreased in cost by $483.54 in 2023 compared to 2022. I'd like to hear from thoughts from some owners. Her biggest complaint involved the force required to operate the opening lever: Because she had to press on its tip to gain an advantage in leverage, she found that the barrel selector on the safety button could be inadvertently moved to select the bottom barrel. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/benelli er-shotgun. The company promoted the design as Inertia Drivea form of delayed-blowback operationbut, in a twist of literary serendipity, the ID label came to be synonymous with its corporate identity. Im not a shotgun expert by any means but before I bought the super vinci a few years ago I picked up as many shotguns as I could and that one felt right immediately to me. May just be magic beans but reading and listening to the reps the action design is very interesting and the first major divergence from the John Browning friction design. And due to the stupid barrel overlap at the receiver, you can't use sub gauge tubes. I dont have one, but have fondled one a few times at the local shop. I do not recall the barrel length of this 828, it is at her place. The 828U makes some guys turn into hostile teenage girls. Benelli 828u is an interesting pen because its cheap and has a lot of features. It was in the shop more than on the range. Both versions have sold very poorly and have had issues. I don't think he wants to scratch it! Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Weatherby Brings Back the Orion Over/Under Shotgun, Winchesters New King Buck Classic Youth Sporting Clays Event Will Have $10,000 In Prizes | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Rifleman Q&A: St. Louis Arms Co. For more than two centuries, Westley Richards has produced some of the worlds finest firearms, each wearing a timeless and classic look with bespoke flourishes. This field shotgun provided a solid, well-balanced platform for handling clays and birds, as expected. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Here's the inside story of what they found and how they're rebuilding an industry giant. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. Poor gun fit increases felt recoil, and insufficient drop is the main culprit, but the 828's three-tiered shim system lets you go from 42.5mm to 65mm of drop in 2.5mm increments until you get the perfect fit. But I can't get him to bring it out. Unfortunately, I think it would be great for other people as well. Both receivers are sculpted to evoke the wings of a mallard in flight. Here are the features to watch out for. It is a pen that a lot of people use for writing, especially in college. Both the Modified and Improved Cylinder tubes delivered just under 40 percent of the strikes within a 20-inch circle around the center of the targets. Recently, in a move unexpected by nearly everyone, Benelli created an all-new, lightweight over-underthe 828Uand, with it, an opportunity to capitalize on its reputation among brand loyalists, waterfowlers and shotgunners in general. The shotgun just does not have the feel and look of a standard over-and-under. In 2014, early production samples were unveiled during an upland hunt at Browns Hunting Ranch near the town of Gettysburg in the pheasant-rich game fields of South Dakota. The construction of the barrel assembly is fairly unconventional. That pattern was 13-87 percent, with 153 hits (28 percent) in the 20-inch center circle. It is designed to provide a stronger, tighter seal, but to our eyes, it looks like something that could be found in a semiautomatic shotgun. A point of potential mechanical wear, the hinge pins, while relatively small in diameter, are made of steel and serve only to pivot the monobloc on the receiver. Want more gun reviews? I pulled the auto safety as well. The only reason to buy one is because it says Benelli. Also, for the $$, there's a lot of quality gun options competing with it. Estimated New and Used Values for a Benelli 828U Values are based on a basic model with no options or colors. In addition, such guns were usually made with steel receivers that bore the stresses of firing, meaning that their bolting and hinge mechanisms had to be made to account for wear that occurs after repeated use. Our Team Said: We were disappointed in the looks, feel, and handling ability of Benellis first venture into the over-and-under market. These dimensions are right on the average mark for an out-of-the-box shotgun, and our various team members had no problems adjusting to the fit. My first impressions of the gun, shooting at quick, going-away presentations, was one of seamlessness as it came from the high-ready position to my face. Hosts Mark and Robin Braatens comfortable lodge provided an ideal setting in which I was able to discuss the guns design with the Urbino-based engineer who spearheaded it: Marco Vignaroli. The surprising part, though, was how nonintrusively it had done so. Culminating in the 1993 introduction of the Super Black Eagle, one of the first semi-automatics capable of firing 2", 3" and 3" shells, the Inertia Drive system proved reliable to a fault throughout two-and-a-half decades of service in a series of models. Of course, if a barrel does not fire, the plate remains in its extractor-only position, and separate rods gently press back the extractors, allowing manual removal of that unfired shell. Removing two more screws frees it for access to a nut on a stock bolt that fixes one of two metal drop plates. Benelli 828U Steel Specifications Chamber: 12- and 20-gauge (2 3/4- and 3-inch) Barrel Length: 26, 28, 30 in. If it doesn't fit you, look for a Browning 725 Sporting, Caesar Guerini Summit Sporting, even a Blaser F16 (used) is in the realm of possibilities. You could do most of this research yourself. Shooters of all ages seem to be fascinated with new toys from names they know particularly if the latest and greatest will help break a few more clays or help fill up the game bag a little quicker. It was about as loon as my A400 xcel reciever, balance from what I remember felt so so, it didn't fit me at all, and it felt like it swung light, as a field gun should or would. I don't particularly care for the looks but I'm old school. Reliability issues, and it was just too light for a serious competition gun. This offers added durability and eliminates the need . Recoil with the Browning using the two light loads was well within the comfortable range, and spent shells were ejected with authority each and every time there were no malfunctions of any kind. I forced it open and sent it in to Benelli who fixed it and sent it back to me. I decided that I wanted to become a member and contribute to this community, and posted some questions in a respectful manner. Realize, too, that this was legitimate wild-bird hunting among wide-open crop fields and across rolling terrain that was as natural as pheasant habitat gets. 828U. That the 828U breaks with the tradition of previous over-under shotguns and with all other guns that have come from its family before it is without question. We liked the feel and looks of the checkering on both the pistol grip and the newly designed forearm. I've seen/read a LOT more dissatisfied comments and very few positive ones. In combination with five drop shims and four cast shims, each of which fits between the receiver and buttstock, a few minutes of tinkering can result in 40 different combinations of stock adjustment. It's your money - your decision, asking strangers won't really help you decide- good luck. After that round I omitted the Benelli 828 from my list of "want to try". A tweak here and a tweak there have been billed as making the new Model 725 Field a top pick for clays and birds. Do they make these in longer barrel lengths yet? Unfortunately, this is a gross misconception that needs to be rectified. Benelli Model 828U No. Looks goofy as can be, like a camo space gun, but I use it for upland, waterfowl, and turkeys and without an issue. Have only shouldered one, never had a chance to shoot one. I am also hoping that the colors they are using are a more accurate match to my pen. With that being said, every gun I have bought I have shot beforehand, so it would be uncharacteristic for me to buy one without trying it, though it is clear there aren't many of these around. Beretta A400 Xcel "Black" Cole Special - Beretta A400 Xcel 20 Gauge - Beretta A400 28 Gauge -. Benelli is the only shotgun I shoot. An included tool allows easy removal of the module from the gun. For younger shooters or shooters with shorter arms, the new Benelli 828U Compact comes with a 26-inch barrel and 14-inch length of pull, shortened from the 828U's original 14 3/8 inches. I have to admit I pondered getting a Benelli 828U as a 'wet weather gun' rather than taking the 'P' gun out on foul days - it's not like it comes to any harm but it's a beautiful tool that deserves better (maybe an owner that could match it's capabilities would help too ).). The ammunition we selected for our testing on the target range and at the patterning board was Winchester AA Extra-Light Target 2.75-inch loads packing 1 ounce of No. Back at the office, during the course of several weeks shooting in different settings and throughout several hundred shells worth of varied ammunitionwhether plastic- or paper-hulled, having high or low brass heads and in various payload weights and velocitiesan informal test group encountered no failures with our nickel-finish, 28"-barreled test sample. For a gun with some familiar features, such as a walnut buttstock and fore-end, the 828U also has quite a few unexpected innovations. They simply aren't very good and they are more than twice the price they should be. I have never owned a Benelli but have read about the SBE issues. While pump-action and semiautomatic shotguns are the overwhelming favorite field guns throughout the shooting community, over/unders are the kings of clay-target shooters. Required fields are marked *. Time will tell. You are using an out of date browser. Benelli used everything they know about making shotguns simple, easy to carry all day, and reliable, to create their first over-under. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. You don't want opinions on the gun, but that's the truth. We were particularly impressed with the pattern spread, finding a very solid and uniform distribution of hits. Following the sale of Remington Outdoor Company's assets in September 2020, Vista Outdoor purchased Remington Ammunition. Benelli is not giving me any additional information, but have stated it is damaged and they will not repair or replace the wear I have apparently done. Citing the guns operation as part of the global comfort theme, Vignaroli said the 828Us unique breeching system eliminates the need for a close-tolerance fit at the locking catch, making the gun easy to open. The Beretta you have will run circles around it if it fits you. I have been wanting to buy some benelli pens for a while now, so Im glad I bought it at a discounted price. Here are our findings: This is another in a long line of solid, fine-handling over and unders. In late 2017 I was shooting a round of skeet with my .410 winchester 101 and one of the gentlemen in my squad asked if he could try my .410 as he had never shot one. so sure no problem. 828 U Product Manual (14.83 MB) For: 828 U Shotguns, 828 U Upland Performance Shop Shotguns, 828 U Sport Shotguns. This Model 725 Field was no exception. Your Worst Nightmare About benelli 828u problems Come to Life - Skeet Action Shooting Your Worst Nightmare About benelli 828u problems Come to Life If you take a look at some of the videos that I have been sharing on YouTube, you will see that people are not always sure what they are doing. This is a simple function of physics; a lighter gun will deliver more recoil momentum to the shooters shoulder than a heavier gun. The 828U is a lightweight gunimportant for a long session of upland hunting in which it is likely to be carried much more of the time than it is shotbut it is the distribution of the weight that is key. I tried the 828U a couple months ago. Thanks, won't be out that way until end of Aug. BE SURE TO SHOOT IT FIRST! With birds in the air, we should note we were particularly impressed with the trigger-pull touch-offs of 4.5 pounds for the bottom barrel and 4.25 for the top barrel. Back at the office, during the course of several weeks shooting in different settings and throughout several hundred shells worth of varied ammunitionwhether plastic- or paper-hulled, having high or low brass heads and in various payload weights and velocitiesan informal test group encountered no failures with our nickel-finish, 28"-barreled test sample. As noted earlier, this is the latest version of a long line of Browning over-and-unders that have found favor with the shooting public. The Benelli 828U Cannot for the life of me find one on the shelf to shoulder. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But have heard nothing but problems about the. I personally have doubts about it holding up to heavy shells and shooting at volume. The 828U is not cocked by any system of rods or levers, but rather by the top lever itself. I'm trying to be the person my Little Brown Dog acts like I am. As if I could actually write with my pen. I flew to another city and had to break down for checked bag as my case cannot fit it assembled. We have patterned several Browning shotguns featuring the Invector DS (Double Seal) chokes and found the tubes seem to pattern very well. The lever cocking the firing mechanism felt very solid and is a new concept you don't see on other guns. When innovation and inspiration collided the 828U was born - the first over/under worthy of the Benelli badge. While we had no problems working the system, our experience leads us to believe that over time, and after extensive use in the field and on the range, we worry that there may be issues that develop with the mechanism. I have been in the market for a midtier over under and am a huge Benelli fan as well. On this Benelli O/U attempt, first thing I noticed was the triggers. The detachable trigger module has a cocking plate that is pressed rearward by a projection when the top lever is moved to open the action. And they only weigh about 6.5 lbs. Lots of 'creep' and pretty heavynot knowing the formal measurement. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Thought enough about itnot to ever think about it again. The First Benelli 828u video of UK Stock and we thought. Lithe, purposeful and menacing in black, the 828U Sport looks like it's spoiling for a fight straight out of the box. It makes the gun handle, and perform better in the long term. Utilizing an inertia trigger system that requires the firing of the first barrel to engage the second, the Model 828U triggers touched off at 4.5 pounds for the bottom barrel and 4 pounds for the top. It doesn't compare to 694, F16, or CG in that price range. Im a browning junkie for sure but Ive handled but never shot the 828u but I think they are quality one guy said space gun kind of true just like when browning introduced the cynergy citori lovers just couldnt except that look well Im an avid citori owner having around six of them and I own two cynergy models feather 12 and field 20 I really like the cynergy low receivers handles very well but making that change is the milestone. This Benelli test target is "within parameters" according to Benelli. Ive made several small changes to my pen, and these were done using a pen for a few minutes, and then a few minutes of practice until I got the pen ready to use it. It is also very comfortable to write with. When you are in a hurry, it is easy to forget to hold the pencil, or not to look at your phone. The internal recoil system did nothing for me, although I have had 4 shoulder surgeries. The pen allows you to write on the front of your computer without having to make any adjustments to your computer, it also has a rechargeable battery which can last up to 3 hours, and it also has a light. Benelli's 828U shotguns deliver mandatory . I can keep both pens in one pocket and write with the one that is bigger and easier to reach. But againit's hard to build a field gun with a steel receiver under 7.0 lbs in 12 ga. Perhaps because of the well-known reputation of Benelli as the maker of fine semiautomatics, even a casual observer will notice the new Model 828U almost appears to have been constructed with some semiautomatic parts or features. Been loving this game since 01. The 828U and it's sporting counterpart are simply ill designed for heavy sporting use. Re: street price. So, when the first rooster got up quite behind me, I simply turned and swung the gun in its direction, keeping my eye on its beak and firing as soon as I could. Your email address will not be published. I shot 50 rounds and was impressively sore. Benelli 828U Sport The action was not at all stiff. It then recocks the strikers and resets the automatic safety unless a spring steel clip (below, l.) is removed. Benelli 828U Black Anodized & Blued 12 Gauge 3in Over Under Shotgun - 28in - A shotgun that feels and shoots like a Benelli from the moment you pick it up to the moment you break it open. When I first got the firearm it became stuck in the "cracked open" position not able to come apart or even be closed. I tried the 828U a couple months ago. As for the dimensions of the new introduction into the over-and-under market, the drop of the adjustable comb was set at 1.5 inches and drop at the heel was set at 2.25 inches when we assembled the shotgun for testing. Lightweight with the strength of steel, the Benelli over under features a patented steel locking system that eliminates wear, an ergonomic opening lever which resets the trigger when unlocked, and responsive polymer buffers that compress to absorb recoil energy, adjusting to the load you shoot. Again, unlike shotguns of old, which required fitting by an expert and labor-intensive, permanent changes to the stock, the Benelli system is relatively simple to customize by the end user simply by referring to a fitting table in the owners manual.