https://www.beretta.com/en-us/product/a300-ultima-patrol-FA0007

I understand that this is an inertia driven instead of gas operated system and so will probably have more recoil than a Beretta 1301.  That aside, how well do these hold up to heavy use and and how reliable is the feeding?

The A300 Patrol is a gas gun like all the other A300 models.




ETA: https://www.eurooptic.com/Beretta-A300-Ultima-Patrol-12ga-191-Bbl-Black-Synthetic-7-1-MC-IC-Semi-Auto-Shot.aspx


Features of the A300 Ultima Patrol:
Gas-operated action with compensating exhaust valve & self-cleaning piston
7-round extended magazine tube
Modular ghost ring rear sight & interchangeable front sight post
Oversized textured bolt release, charging handle, & safety button
Amplified checkering around the grip & fore-end
Receiver mounted MIL-STD Picatinny rail
M-LOK attachment points on the forend & barrel clamp

Beretta doesn’t make inertia guns that I’m aware of.

This, it uses an older type of gas system design used in the classic model 391 shotgun, but modernized a bit.  The 1301 uses the newer BLINK gas system (same is used in the A400) with rotating bolt and a few other advancements.

But the system in the A300 is still an extremely reliable and robust design.  I own an A300 Outlander and a newer A300 Ultima, and they've been nothing but dead nuts reliable for me.

Technically they own Benelli so………

I think the 1201 was the last inertia shotgun.

IMO, the nice furniture/front sight features dont offset the chrome bolt/chamber, adjustable rear sight, single vs double action bars on the 1301.

I went 1301.  Buy once, cry once.

I think I understand how the OP's post count is so high.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Armory/Beretta-A300-Ultima-Patrol-12-Gauge/1-542085/

I'm leaning more that way. I had an A300 and while it was a nice gun I never really cared for the single action bar, just seemed like a way to cause binding. The non chrome lined barrel also made it a major PITA to clean the barrel(it fouled up bad)after a few boxes of slugs/buckshot.

I have one and love it but mine has a issue with the finish bubbling up and flaking a little bit (all black model). Not terribly concerned though since I was planning on a M81 cerakote job anyway. The Beretta Pro Lifters were finally in stock again yesterday with 25% off for Black Friday so I ordered one but I think they sold out quickly afterwards.

The downsides to me are the fact it can't use M4/1301 front sights unless you buy a front sight nut and drill the FSB on the A300. Rear sight isn't adjustable and the barrel isn't chromed. The sights can be replaced and/or modified so not that big of a deal.

I handled a 1301 Tactical a couple months after I bought my A300UP and I have to admit I probably would have went with the 1301T if I had handled it first and knew about the small differences with the sights and the fact the 1301 can use a Magpul stock when the A300 cant. I don't regret buying the A300UP at all and I generally feel like it's the best bang for your buck tactical shotgun you can buy but if I did it again I'd own a 1301T (and probably will eventually)

The A300UP uses Benelli M2 tactical front sights.

The 1301T is superior in every way. I thought the handguard and milled loading port were improvements but after using them I don't think either make a difference. I don't need to load a tactical shotgun on the clock and the handguard is poorly thought out.

It doesn't use M2 sights (as far as i know the M2 uses the same sights as all tactical Benellis). When I ordered a XS Big Dot for my A300UP it was one that fit Benelli M1/M2/M3/M4/SuperNova and Beretta 1301 Tactical. When I received it I knew instantly it was the wrong sight for the A300UP. I contacted XS and even they thought that sight fit the A300UP and were very easy to work with and refunded me quickly. Now I wish I had just kept it as it looks like I can simply drill out the front sight block, buy a 1301 front sight nut and install it.

It's this style: https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/pmn301

Great shotty.  Love mine Attached File

The A300UP is a great gun but the 1301, especially used 1301s are so close to it in price that you’re better off getting the 1301.

I like mine. I only have 5-6 hundred rounds through it but it’s been solid.

I had one and sold it. It's not a bad shotgun, but it just feels like a poor man's 1301. And they're so close in price that I'd just spring for one of those. I'm not really a shotgun guy, but definitely want a solid semi auto. So once I get my bonus in early spring, I'm gonna get the 1301

Agreed. I only have the A300UP but im not going to sell it, even when I buy a 1301T this coming year

A300's are great guns in general.

Not a Patrol model, but I took my new Beretta A300 Ultima 28" Max5 Camo to Canada late in the fall for a two week waterfowl hunt.  When I say new, I mean I bought it new and ran about 75 rounds through it before the trip. The weather ranged from 2F to about 50F.  Most mornings started around 6F.  One particularly nasty morning the windchill was -27F.   We field hunted (layout blind, a-frame blind and snow-goose chairs) the entire time (9 hunts in all) so the gun was never exposed to water (apart from snow).

I fired about 256 Federal Speed Shok 3" Steel Shot (BB and #2) plus two Winchester #6 Steel Shot (took a partridge).

In total I experienced the following malfunctions:

6x the gun chambered a follow up shot but failed to detonate the primer. Light primer strikes.
3x the gun failed to chamber a second or third round.
1x the gun failed to eject a spent hull.

FWIW the two fellows that I was hunting with both had Benelli SBE3s.  One had a light primer strike and a couple failures to eject.  The other guy's gun had over 5,000 rounds on it and didn't fail once.

We all maintained our shotguns every night, and followed weather appropriate protocols.

I had my Benelli M2 as a back up gun and nearly switched after the 4th light primer strike.  It was very frustrating.

My final analysis of the A300 Ultima, based upon this limited data, is ....

Great shotgun for the money, but I wouldn't buy it again. I have never experienced any issues with any of the Benelli's I've owned and this spans 1994 to 2023 (29 years of ownership and use).

ETA: the "leader" of our trip has been to the same region waterfowl hunting 9 times in the past 11 years.  He takes a different group every time.  He said, after seeing me struggle with the Beretta, that while they're extremely well spoken of on the internet he's seen more failures with them than any other brand / model.  He's so into waterfowling, he bought 39 acres near his home and built blinds on the property.  His SBE3 has over 20 cases (5,000 rounds) of 3" on it.

You bought it new and ran 75 shells through it before the hunt? Did you do the standard field strip, clean and lubricate it when it was new before shooting it?

Went with a Streamlight 69451 TLR RM 2  on left side as of now . Next what to do on sling . Attached File

First things first... take the crappy plastic mag extension cap and the crappy plastic mlok barrel clamp off and throw both away. GGG makes an AWESOME replacement made from aluminum and is much mo better. I actually pulled the imbedded nuts out of the factory barrel clamp as I was tightening it down. MOST DEF a failure point. Next, while you have that extension cap off, pull the factory magazine spring out, and place it in the same place the first two components belong... in the trash. Spend the $20 or so and get either a Wolff or Nordic spring. Cut to fit, and get rid of the pesky last round not properly feeding issue. The factory spring was def crap and wouldn't even push the last shell all the way down to feed properly. This fixes that issue. You will have to cut to length and tune it, but, it is def the fix.

Once all that is done, add a damn good sling, light, and if red dots are your thing, a red dot. I personally prefer the ghost ring setup. But you do you...

I bought an A300 Outlander for waterfowl about 5 years ago, and it has been 100% reliable, no matter ammo manufacturer, shot size, high or low brass, velocity, it just eats everything.  

It led me to buy an A300 Ultima Patrol...and...same thing.  Accurate (with a Holosun 407C on the top, I can ring a 10" steel at 100y with what has become boring reliability), no feeding issues thus far (>450rds of anything I could feed it with no hiccups), and you can ghost load it for a 9rd capacity.  It's a great shotty.

 ETA:  I guess I already answered this thread  .....but yeah, still same answer.  Great scattergun.

Your experience mirrors others that I have seen who have used the A300 for hunting.  The benelli M2 seems a much better and more reliable shotgun based on reports I've seen and comparisons between the two from people who have used both.  

I also don't like how they cut out chrome plating in critical areas which further hurts reliability, and other cost cutting measures.  The only thing "cost cutting" about the M2 vs the M4 is that it uses a different operating system.  

As others have suggested, just save up the extra couple hundred and find a used 1301 or M2.

I've killed LOTS of ducks and geese with my A300 Outlander, throughout the many times sub-zero Idaho winter, and have never missed a shot because the gun malfunctioned. I've missed a lot of shots cuz I'm a shitty bird hunter.

ETA: I've never hunted with a Benelli, as my A300's reliability has never caused me to seek another option.