Benelli 828U Sport

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 ).    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, not altogether surprising given that it's very light with an alloy action.

Whilst surfing the web yesterday I stumbled on content that indicates Benelli are introducing an 828U Sport, evidently orientated towards clay shooters, a steel action, balance weights in the stock, extended chokes - not too sure the massive 'Sport' logo on the side is to my taste but being around 8 pounds rather more capable of offsetting the felt recoil - and yet the tarty bit of me quite likes it...

List price seems to be an ambitious £3500, not altogether sure that the chamber complexity of the alloy gun carried over into the steel effort is entirely worth it. 

828U Sport - Benelli stand at some show

As far as I can see the only thing the 828 has to offer is that it's different. I don't know if it's been improved, but earlier ones were criticised for their poor triggers and inconsistent ejectors. There's a lot of competition at that price point from all the mainstream brands not to mention Zoli & B Rizzini, so I'd reckon they're in for a hard slog to sell them to clay shooters.

A mate is using the 828U  for clays.  The trigger is without a doubt the worst I've ever felt, and causes him no end of problems.  It's a weird one though.  He shot for years with an old Parker Hale, and then a 525.  Never had an issue pulling the trigger before.  Now he uses this and he gets these solid trigger pulls where the gun wont fire, but he accepts its something he does and not the gun.  Other people, me included have put endless shots through it and never had a problem. 

we've studied him use it and its not a case of not releasing properly, he is, but holds the trigger very high towards the action. 

he's gonna sell it and lose a shed load, and stick to shooting his 525. 

The trigger of the original 828U was often reported as dire (maybe OK for a semi which is the maker's normal output), in the video it says that the whole trigger assembly has been redone for the Sport to provide a clean, crisp pull - like breaking a glass rod to suit the needs of a clay shooter, it's also adjustable too. 

Looking on Guntrader there are quite a few 828Us with very little use and not very old - probably difficult to live with.    It feels as though Benelli have had a serious re-think, I wonder what it will be like to shoot.

Smacks a bit of the 'Cynergy' and they can not give them away at present   !

westley said:

Smacks a bit of the 'Cynergy' and they can not give them away at present   !

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Exactly. Two guns that appeal to newcomers only. It may be boring, but the further you get away from a Browning or Beretta style design the worse it gets. 

I think they have done a very good job at fixing problems that either don't exist or they have created.

westley said:

Smacks a bit of the 'Cynergy' and they can not give them away at present   !

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….10 years ago I really fancied a Black Ice - tried one and as my coach at the time predicted (who happened to own the local Browning dealer too) and couldn't hit anything with the thing.  I've concluded that the shotgun buying fraternity are exceedingly conservative and radical designs usually fail.

Black Ice.. Should have called it Yellow Snow

I've always fancied a Beretta UGB25, that weird semi-auto with the break barrel that shoots the spent cartridges down towards the floor.  Good job I've not seen one anywhere nearby for sale for years.

Bebo said:

I've always fancied a Beretta UGB25, that weird semi-auto with the break barrel that shoots the spent cartridges down towards the floor.  Good job I've not seen one anywhere nearby for sale for years.

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I was reffing a registered shoot a couple of years back and a guy rolled up with one. As he was shooting I noticed something drop out of the thing. And it wasn't an empty shell, it was a chunk of moulded plastic - no idea what it was - so I picked it up and showed it to him whereupon he shrugged, put it in his pocket and carried on shooting.

As someone once said: "It's one of those guns where you never buy just one. Always buy 2 so you have another one to use when the 1st one breaks".

I've got a feeling that might apply to 828 as well.