It utilizes Benelli's innovative Progressive Comfort Stock. AgainI shot a very limited number of times. Ridiculously overpriced. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I really like the silver with the engraving. I had really good luck with it. Was a surprise to see him with it as he typically shoots a Perazzi. 828U Sport, always black, steel action so heavier, better recoil characteristics. Just to clarify, I am interested in the sport model (black steel receiver with SPORT written on the side). 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. 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. I have the model with the silver receiver. Come join the discussion about optics, hunting, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! 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. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? This solid, uniform patterning performance with no holes that might allow a clay or bird to escape undamaged was verified on the clay-target range. The fore-end iron attaches in such a way that the fore-end itself is nothing more than a cosmetic cover. My daughter can't move the safety lever and it takes me some good pushing. You are using an out of date browser. JavaScript is disabled. To subscribe to the magazine,visit theNRA membership page here and selectAmerican Rifleman as your member magazine. Getting back to the shooting of the gunon crossing targets this light gun will force you to focus on swing maintenance. I bought the field version 2 months ago and I love it-Lights out in field and sporting clays-LOVE IT!!! A forum community dedicated to Shotgun owners and enthusiasts including the Remington, Beretta, and Mossberg shotguns brands. Kind of a unique looking gun. The 828U is what you would expect from Benelli - a hardworking, lightweight and low-recoil shotgun. You must log in or register to reply here. How Different Is It?Described dispassionately, the 828U is simply a wood-stocked over-under shotgun built around an aluminum receiver. It is held just forward of the receivers face by two small springs when the action is open, and, as the gun closes, a lug in the monobloc under the lower barrel engages a recess at the blocks bottom, and a groove on the monoblocs upper end engages a lip at the blocks top, locking the two together and pressing the block reward against the receivers face. 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. The 828U and it's sporting counterpart are simply ill designed for heavy sporting use. I have shot a few of them on Demo days next too several other O/U. The gun's main appeal is the weight, and it is light. This Model 725 Field was no exception. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I have a Beretta 686 for example. Think I'll just order from soortsmans and they say i can always decline it when it shows up if it's not my cup of tea. And that it does so confidently and beautifully is difficult to deny. We made allowances in our testing for the slightly better handling characteristics that are generally attributed to longer barrels and a heavier gun, ensuring these factors did not influence our evaluation. A. . As to the stock, Vignaroli said, The grip shape and wrist have been developed through studies of different hands and gloves to ensure a better fit and better approach to the trigger. A replaceable polymer cheekpiece allows for changes in comb height, and the Progressive Comfort recoil-mitigation system inside the buttstocka series of interlocking polymer tines that flex to soften the guns movement into the shooters shoulderis capped with a soft rubber recoil pad radiused at the heel to encourage snag-free mounting of the gun. Overall, the gun is well-balanced thanks to the weighted magazine cap. That pattern was 13-87 percent, with 153 hits (28 percent) in the 20-inch center circle. The ammunition, too, obviously, plays an important part, and ours was, somewhat appropriately, an Italian-made Fiocchi GPX offering consisting of 2" shells carrying 138 ozs. The length of pull was 14.75 inches. In other words, the gun not only didnt get in the way of my shootingwhich is, admittedly, not of particularly high orderit carried through the entire process without being in any way disruptive. She praised the guns appearance, calling it nice and light and adding that it balanced and came to the face well. Our Team Said: We were disappointed in the looks, feel, and handling ability of Benellis first venture into the over-and-under market. They usually have a couple under glass for sale. Benelli has very little experience with over/unders. I have shot one and it's definitely no slouch but after years of growing up on Bronwing SO's and now Beretta 68x guns I just can't get with it, it's just too "different" for me to get comfortable with. 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. Have only shouldered one, never had a chance to shoot one. In fact, it has been my favorite pen for so long. I personally have doubts about it holding up to heavy shells and shooting at volume. To whatever extent we guessed where they were headed merely validated the instincts of a company that manages to stay one step ahead of the market. Overall, no major complaints were registered regarding the 828Ua testimony to the guns overall design. He eventually gave up on it and moved on to a more reliable gun. It is released by pressing a button at its front. Thomas Jefferson. On this Benelli O/U attempt, first thing I noticed was the triggers. I'm seriously into shooting, I'm not a troll, and I have a lot of respect for the knowledge and experience of the people who post here frequently. True to Vignarolis characterizations, the 828U proved to be a very dependable gun and ejection of spent hulls was in fact very energetic. Everyone who shot the gun had positive things to say about its neutral balance, ease of pointing and light weight. It is no stretch to suggest that the new gun offers appealing aesthetics, innovative engineering, precise manufacturing, intuitive handling and satisfying shootability. Maybe one of those that you either love it or hate it. 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. The benelli 828u pen is a small, high quality, battery operated pen. Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. That is always the answer before buying a new gun. I bought an 828U Sport May 2019 - 30" tubes, travelled some distance to buy one with a decent bit of wood - some of them look like they have stocks made from reclaimed pallets. Fit and comfort in the hands and to the body of the user are of critical importance to ensuring success on small, fast-moving targets. An added benefit of the levers graceful design is that the shooting-hand thumb can rest naturally alongside it atop the receiver. My understanding is that there is a major difference in handling and recoil between the 828U and the 828U sport. Nice shot! came a shout of approval from a fellow hunter, at which point I realized that the 828U had just done exactly what it was made to do: serve as a seamless extension of a hunters body in order to bring game to bag in challenging situations. The internal recoil system did nothing for me, although I have had 4 shoulder surgeries. 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. And they only weigh about 6.5 lbs. Thanks Sera- I appreciate the opinion. When you are in a hurry, it is easy to forget to hold the pencil, or not to look at your phone. Assistant Editor Christopher Olsen, a dedicated hunter and clays shooter, described it as fast-handling and its balance as perfect. His sentiments were reinforced by his sister, Samantha, another NRA employee and a collegiate-level trap shooter. Probably a good idea to get your hands on one first in my opinion. This is a simple function of physics; a lighter gun will deliver more recoil momentum to the shooters shoulder than a heavier gun. When I tried an 828U for real the felt-recoil was more than I'd want on a 100 target round - even on 24grm shells . Ive been using benelli 828u for a few weeks now, and it is surprisingly fast and easy to use. Shooting just a little high is exactly what a field shotgun should do to handle rising targets. I was in Walker MN this week and Reeds Sports had a few. The 828U makes some guys turn into hostile teenage girls. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. I know it is a challenge to try, but I think it is a very good pen for writing. 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. A ragged pattern that might only cause a chip to fly off a clay target is acceptable on the range, but a crippling shot on a bird in the field because of ineffective pellet trauma is not. They are not cheap as they run about $2,300 for the black receiver and $2,600 for the silver receiver. Technical innovation must drive it, and function and durability must trump styling, but, ultimately, the styling must be distinctive. Its weak, problematic ejection, vulgar aesthetics, high recoil and annoyingly violent gun movement is topped-off with a nosebleed price. I shoot quite a bit, so I know that this should tell me something! We found the Browning hit targets hard when the shooter puts the pattern in the right place at the right time. 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. 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. 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. 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. Only broken it down 2-3 times. As if I could actually write with my pen. Press J to jump to the feed. Lots of 'creep' and pretty heavynot knowing the formal measurement. 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. With the lighter aluminum receiver and other features, including the 26-inch barrels, the Model 828U weighed 6.5 pounds and had an overall length of 43.5 inches. Im hoping that my new pen is just like that. This Benelli test target is "within parameters" according to Benelli. When I picked up the 828u it felt very similar to me, probably the first o/u that I really liked the feel of. Buddy of mine bought one because he duck hunted with s SBE. Such is the case with the new Benelli Model 828U that made a big splash at the January 2015 SHOT Show. The pen is very comfortable to write with, and is the perfect size for comfortable writing. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. This article, "Breaking With Tradition," appeared originally in the November 2015 issue of American Rifleman. 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. JavaScript is disabled. Estimated New and Used Values for a Benelli 828U Values are based on a basic model with no options or colors. It's your money - your decision, asking strangers won't really help you decide- good luck. My Browning Citori White Lighting 16 ga. feels just as good in my hands and about the same weight. Benelli 828U Sport RRP 3,545. http://gundogcentral.com/view_pedigree.php?pedigreeID=84414&sireID=0&damID=0&generations=5, http://gundogcentral.com/view_pedigree.php?pedigreeID=84853&sireID=0&damID=0&generations=5. The sporting model is almost $4000. Seems to me most of the guys shooting this gun are hard-core SBE shooters with a well developed sense of loyalty. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Vignaroli used the term global comfort to describe the 828Us combination of weight, balance and ergonomics. 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. Has anyone tried the Performance Shop version? I believe his 828 has 30's and that might have been by choice as he is a smaller guy. It was the only one I could ever have made that I could put my finger on. The internal recoil system did nothing for me, although I have had 4 shoulder surgeries. I am not asking for opinions on this gun, though of course I respect any opinions that are posted here. Note the texture in the solid carbon-fiber rib and the recesses for the barrel locking pins that keep the action closed. It is a nice color, and is the perfect size to comfortably hold in one hand. Download the appropriate manual for your Benelli shotgun or rifle. Problem w/ most Field O/U is the aluminum actions don't hold up to heavy shells and shooting a lot and its hard to build a field gun w/ a steel receiver under 7.5lbs. 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. Firearm has never even been fired, and I have only assembled/disassembled it twice, once when purchased and the second time when I received it back. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. However, 76 percent of the total hits in the 30-inch circle were in the lower left quadrant and there were four, 3-inch holes in the pattern, mainly in the outer 10-inch ring. I even tried to tell her I wanted to buy her a new shotgun didnt fly when she saw the price tag. They have sold so few new ones there simply aren't many on the street.Look on Gun Broker. (20-gauge) I did handle it, I couldn't get over how long the reciever was. In the field, my first shot on a live bird brought a similar, satisfying experience. The company made its humble start in 1963in Gussago, Italywhen Giuseppe Pietta made a commitment to produce guns as authentic and true-to-original as possible. Your IP: (12-gauge); 26, 28 in. They do support the Franchi line, which isn't exactly an endorsement. I bought one about 3 years ago. On another thread someone mentioned that street price for a new 828U Sport was already in the $3300 range. Error Code pii_email_a42277285fa7a777ff7e Solved, Personally identifiable information PII doesnt belong in your email University Information Technology The University of Utah, How to Get Rid of the pii_email_e7ab94772079efbbcb25 Error. We should note that the version of the Benelli made available to us was a 26-inch-barrel anodized-aluminum receiver model, while the Browning provided featured 28-inch barrels and a silver nitrite receiver. 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. Combine those conditions with several inches of snow on the ground and a temperature that failed to rise above the single digits, and the hunt proved to be the ideal opportunity to test the mettle of a gun that, at that point, still posed far more questions than it answered. It is also very comfortable to write with. I do, but no such luck, nothing on the website as in stock anyways, I'll call to double check. We were particularly impressed with the pattern spread, finding a very solid and uniform distribution of hits. I have watched Benelli videos, and have owned several over under shotguns, and have never had any issue like this before. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. This pen is currently only available for $39.95 at benelli.com, and it is available in 16 different colors. This caused the Benelli to be a little harder to move into targets similar to the movement required to push a semiautomatic through targets rather than the glide-through handling of a well-balanced over and under. Even with the light loads used in the testing, recoil was significantly more noticeable than with shots fired in the Browning. 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. Until now, over-unders have been the province of traditional gunmaking, in which the various mechanical functions were interrelated by mechanisms that had to be finished by hand to ensure reliability. They simply aren't very good and they are more than twice the price they should be. 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. Both inserting and withdrawing shells and spent hulls, even with a gloved hand, is noticeably less difficult than with many other over-unders and a real boon in the field when reloading. The only reason to buy one is because it says Benelli. They each have their strengths. The gun was impressive, apart from a few nags:2 1) Auto safety ! I hear it's dead easy to disable, but blimey the number of swear words during out 60 clay trying was rather large :-) 2) During our test, there was a case where the gun didn't close. The Beretta you have will run circles around it if it fits you. Following the sale of Remington Outdoor Company's assets in September 2020, Vista Outdoor purchased Remington Ammunition. I showed my wife, asked her which one she likes better, she said the silver receiverfunny how when I told her it was $500 more, she changed her mind to the black one. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. 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 ).). But have heard nothing but problems about the. It doesn't compare to 694, F16, or CG in that price range. The nearly seamless union is not adorned on its exterior as in many traditional guns. I know steel inserts in the breech face are part of the 828U design, but the lack of weight mid point I suspect hurts it as a target gun. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The 828Us price, too, is not out of line considering the quality of the guns construction and the adaptability that it allows shooters of differing physiques. Because of reasons like their better handling ability, two-choke option, and the fact that most clay target shooting is limited to taking only two shots at a time, stackbarrels reign over clays. 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. Posts: 2,178. 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. Both receivers are sculpted to evoke the wings of a mallard in flight. Print Thread: Benelli 828U Sport or Beretta 694 Sporting #8514994 01/27/22 02:45 PM: Joined: Dec 2010. An included tool allows easy removal of the module from the gun. He said company engineers were reserved, not letting on that the gun they were working on was an over-under. I can keep both pens in one pocket and write with the one that is bigger and easier to reach. I like the unusual appearance, most people don't. However, I once shot a CG O/U a few times and had to have one. Here are our findings: This is another in a long line of solid, fine-handling over and unders. I spend a lot of time at gun clubs and I have seen only one and it had 28 inch bbls. 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. 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. True to Vignarolis characterizations, the 828U proved to be a very dependable gun and ejection of spent hulls was in fact very energetic. Everyone who shot the gun had positive things to say about its neutral balance, ease of pointing and light weight. Thanks for the replies. This offers added durability and eliminates the need . 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. 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. And the birds we encountered were not only tough and of good size, but wary, running and flushing sometimes hundreds of yards ahead of the dogs. Reinforcing the theme of mechanical modularity is a self-contained trigger module that can be removed from the receiver with an included tool. A plain top lever lies just ahead of the safety along the left side. To consistently break targets, particularly those with any distance on them, we had to hold high and right, not the accepted and typical practice of shooting where you look. I have never seen one being shot in person. Re: street price. I'm not sure why I need to get short and rude responses. The stock A subject close to my heart, and one I can grasp more easily than the benefits of a replaceable breech face, is gun fit. A replaceable, solid carbon-fiber vented sighting rib measuring 0.280" wide is topped with an 0.078" red fiber-optic pipe set about 1" back from the muzzle. The solid carbon-fiber rib is another potentially customizable component, requiring only the loosening of a single screw for removal. With this in mind, this is an easy to use pen that you can write with on the inside of your computer. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The action on the Benelli Sport II is strong, fast, and flawlessly cycles pretty much any target load you try to feed it. A lip at the guards front engages a groove in front of the receiver well, and a spring-loaded plunger at the housings rear locks the unit in place. The stocks exhibit figure and also have fish scale checkering in panels on the fore-end and pistol grip. The 828U represents a true breakthrough in over-under shotgun design, and Benelli hopes it will also help the company break through with a whole new group of upland and recreational sport shooters. One was NRA Publications Editorial Director John Zent, an experienced upland hunter and clays shot. Silver Reserve. Combine those conditions with several inches of snow on the ground and a temperature that failed to rise above the single digits, and the hunt proved to be the ideal opportunity to test the mettle of a gun that, at that point, still posed far more questions than it answered. This, despite its low build cost, means that the 828U is a product condemned to please no one. The pen is a nice size, and has a nice weight. My Franchi over/under experience wasn't very good. When the new Benelli Model 828U was introduced, devoted fans of Benelli semiautomatics rushed to get more information. At first glance, there are only minor differences in the appearance between this field model and its sporting-clays cousin introduced about five years ago. But againit's hard to build a field gun with a steel receiver under 7.0 lbs in 12 ga. The chambers are then machined directly into the monobloc to ensure precise chamber alignment and finish. A U-shaped spring steel wire clip attached to the cocking plate automatically activates the safety when the gun is broken open, but can be removed by the user to deactivate that feature. Rather, pressures are contained by way of a 1 1/4" wide by 2316" high by 15/16" steel breech block. So we had to pay particular attention to the right angle and the right ergonomics of this lever through its geometry, Vignaroli said. & hasn't had any problems with it that I know of. I know the guy that bought it but in the year of Covid I haven't had an opportunity to ask him about it. We did find that the balance point of the shotgun was slightly behind the lightweight, aluminum receiver, rather than the preferred point right between the hands as with the Browning. Be ready for some hate. I've seen/read a LOT more dissatisfied comments and very few positive ones. I don't particularly care for the looks but I'm old school. 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. Along the way, it earned the respect of a new generation of hardcore duck and goose hunters beset by the same kind of weather and environmental conditions that had caused their fathers to rely on pump guns. I just really like it. That's harsh Randy, but I certainly appreciate the thoughts. Citori. Over on Shotgun World in I love my Benelli, there have been some problems reported about the 828 U trigger assembly dropping out, ejector problems and problems with the breech lock popping open. 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. We liked the feel and looks of the checkering on both the pistol grip and the newly designed forearm. Texas. I had the opportunity to shoot a guys Benelli 828 12 ga. at some clays yesterday. Barrels are soldered to a monobloc that is machined to accept sears that are set to either extract shells or, if activated by the impulse of the shells expanding hull, forcefully eject them from the gun. Ive been using this pen for several months now (since November or so). 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. While the aforementioned is readily apparent by examining the guns exterior, it is inside that the Benelli departs from, or, more properly, defies convention. I think the Sporting version does have an all steel receiver. Removing two more screws frees it for access to a nut on a stock bolt that fixes one of two metal drop plates. Both chokes however would screw into the bottom barrel with absolutely no issue. A tweak here and a tweak there have been billed as making the new Model 725 Field a top pick for clays and birds. The new Benelli also features its Progressive Comfort recoil reduction system, a removable trigger group, Crio free-floating barrels, a carbon-fiber rib and red fiber-optic sight. The design provides steel-on-steel lockup that fully contains the forces of firing. The Benelli didn't fill me with the same inspiration. - Benelli. Time will tell. The latter has laser-cut panels of fish scale checkering at its lower rear corners along with floral scroll engraving designs in panels on the top, sides and bottom. Though I wouldnt recommend it, I would love to see how it works with the other benelli pens.