It is easy to get lured in to buy a Benelli 828U. There are a lot of nice attributes to the Benelli 828U.
But first, why would you buy one in the first place? I mean…really…it does list for $3200! And it would seem that a Browning Citori or A Beretta Silver Pigeon are just as good and cost about $1000 less. Couldn’t we just be happy with the Browning Citori or the Beretta Silver Pigeon?
Well, for me personally, my wife shoots the Browning Citori and the Silver Pigeon was at the gunsmith needing repairs. So, I needed another over/under. Any excuse to buy a new shotgun right?
I was at the store and poking around the shotguns and I picked up a Benelli.
“Whoa! That is a game-changer!” It was so light it didn’t feel real.
The model I ended up buying was a 28 inch 20 gauge. According to the Benelli website, it weighs a deft 6.0 pounds. By comparison, the Browning Citori White Lightning 28 inch 20 gauge is 6 pounds 7 ounces.
It also had a progressive recoil system that is common in a lot of Benelli shotguns. With the lighter gun, this helps with the recoil.
There are other features to the Benelli:
Shim Kit-fully adjustable stock
Steel Locking System-eliminates wear on the receiver and hinge
Impulse Activated Ejectors-stronger streamlined ejector system
Removable Trigger Assembly-easier to clean
Fiber-Optic Bead Sight-easier to see in low light
With all those fantastic features the Benelli 828U is an outright failure.
On four of five hunts with the Benelli 828U I was unable to get shots off on birds!
I couldn’t get the safety off!
Now, as I said, I took my new favorite gun out to the field five times. So it isn’t like I didn’t give it a chance.
I oiled the safety, I worked it back and forth. I really wanted this gun to work for me.
But I finally found the design flaw in the Benelli 828U.
The safety is recessed into the grip. I don’t know how you miss that in the design phase, but it doesn’t work in the field. It is pretty bad when other people are telling you to go back to your old gun.
Bottom line: If you are thinking about a Benelli 828U work the safety before you buy.