SPONSORED CONTENT Benelli’s over/under 828U Sport shotgun features both classic and innovative modern design features.
The design of over/under (O/U) shotguns has not changed dramatically for several years, and although improvements have been made, they have mostly been relatively minor. A recent game-changer in O/U design, however, comes from Italian manufacturer Benelli in the form of its over/under Model 828U Sport.
The aim of the Benelli engineers when they developed the 828U was to create an innovative O/U design with significant new advantages. Benelli’s over/under 828U Sport is a beautiful gun for both serious hunters and competitive shooters who want state-of-the-art design and solid quality at a very reasonable price. The 828U comes in two major versions: a lighter hunting model with an alloy frame weighing 6 1/2 pounds and a heavier steel-framed Sport model for target shooting weighing around 8 pounds.
Although target guns are heavier to carry in the field, in this case, they can also be highly effective as a double-duty hunting gun since it is what you shoot on a day-to-day basis on the skeet field or sporting clays course. In addition, target guns are built to handle high-volume shooting, thus proving to be better long-term investments for those who hunt regularly. That said, if a light gun is your must-have for hunting, then the 828U hunting models have all the new design features and are around a pound and a half lighter.
The 828U Sport comes with a solid, hard-plastic case, with well-padded and plaid material lining that looks classy.
Design features:
What makes the 828U so exciting are several unique new features that create a highly innovative package. The 828U has a cam cocking system operated by the top lever in place of a system of rods or levers. When the lever pushes open the gun, the cams rotate the bolt out of engagement with the monobloc, cocking the chrome-plated strikers. Avoiding having cocking rods or trip rods running through the frame simplifies the manufacture of the gun and has the added benefit of barrels that open more easily. The top lever is also curved to the left, putting it closer to the thumb of the firing hand to help with the operation.
The heart of Benelli’s Steel Locking System is a solid steel breech block that locks directly to the monobloc, containing all pressure from the shotshell and preventing its transfer to the receiver and hinge pins.
The patented internal steel locking system paired with a steel receiver puts weight in the center, creating a well-balanced gun and reducing felt recoil. The steel locking system has a solid steel breech block that locks directly to the monobloc, containing the pressure and stress from firing and preventing its transfer to the receiver and hinge pins. This reduces wear on the receiver and hinge, which can be an issue in other types of O/U.
828U Sport action showing strike face and receiver.
As the barrels close, they lock into a chrome-plated steel breechface that can rotate in multiple directions. At the bottom rear of the monobloc, there is a semicircular lug that engages a cut in the bottom of the breechface, while bolting is done by a pair of truncated cones emerging from the frame on either side of the top lever. This design creates a low-profile receiver frame much preferred by competitive shooters.
The barrels are matte-blued, have chrome-plated bores, and undergo a special cryogenic treatment to relieve stress during manufacture. On top of the barrels is a stylish 10mm stepped carbon-fiber rib, which reduces weight and is quite attractive. There is no mid-bead, but a sizable white bead is at the muzzle end.
Choke tubes are made from stainless steel with a nickel plated finish.
The factory choke tubes are also chrome plated and manufactured similarly to the bores. The chokes are 3 1/2 inches long with 3/4 inch extending from the muzzle and are knurled for easy removal when changing chokes. The gun comes with a cross-wrench-style spanner with a thread cleaner at the other end. The stock and forend of the 828U are made from AA-grade walnut with a satin finish. The textured surfaces on the buttstock and forearm are a fish scale pattern that, together with a palm swell, create a very effective grip surface.
Benelli engineers created an innovative system using a combination of small weights in the buttstock to change the center of balance to suit a shooter’s preferred shooting style.
A well-balanced shotgun is essential for good performance, but it is also very personal where the balance is. To facilitate this adjustment, the 828U Sport has a system in the buttstock to enable small weights to be added or removed to change the point of balance.
The 828U Sport has an adjustable trigger with a 6mm range that can be moved forward so that finger placement can be fine-tuned. The trigger is inertia-driven and removable. To facilitate correct gun fit, the 828U Sport comes with a shim system of five drop and four cast shims, creating up to 40 possible stock positions. The shim kit makes it easier for the 828 U Sport shooter to quickly adjust the gun fit to find a proper alignment without the added time and expense of stock modifications.
Included in the 828 U Sport shim system are 5 drop and 4 cast shims, creating up to 40 possible stock positions.
Field testing of the 828U Sport:
Sam Le Cras tested the gun on a 5-stand with a significant round count to get a good feel for the 828U Sport. The moving strike-face was an attractive feature that caught his attention. Other notable features were the split barrels and the carbon fiber rib. Although the test model was a 32-inch-barrel gun, Sam found that it moved like a 30-inch-barrel gun, as it was very lively and agile, and changing directions felt effortlessly fast.
A cut in the top barrel makes for easy shell extraction on 828U Sport.
Another feature that made the 828U Sport stand out was the cut in the top of the barrel, which was very comfortable and pleasantly easy to remove shells from the gun. So, if the brass from a shotshell gets stuck under the ejector, this cut creates easy access for clearing malfunctions.
Sam also remarked that the stock had a very nice palm swell that was very well placed and helped lock his hand so that it did not slip even when his hands were sweaty. The trigger was crisp and had a smooth pull to it. It was comfortable for people who like a trigger with a lot of curve as the finger fell into the same place. The combination of the palm swell and curvature of the trigger made for easy and consistent hand placement for every mount.
As shipped, the gun balance was about a 1/4-inch in front of the hinge pin. On a fast swing, the gun did not feel stock-heavy, and on a slow swing, it did not feel barrel-heavy. The gun handled recoil well, even with 1 1/8-ounce loads. There was minimal muzzle rise with each shot, which was good given there was not a lot of weight at the muzzle end of the barrels.
The action was not at all stiff. The 828U opened and closed smoothly and felt solid at lockup. The lever cocking the firing mechanism felt very solid and is a new concept you don’t see on other guns. The matte-blued barrels and receiver helped reduce glare and seemed to be of high quality.
The sample gun came with a decent set of extended chokes, including cylinder (C), improved cylinder (IC), modified (M), improved modified (IM) and full (F) chokes. The patterns that the chokes provided felt true to the stated constriction. A light mod (LM) choke would be good to include, but additional chokes are available to order. The 828U Sport also comes with a solid, hard-plastic case, with well-padded and plaid material lining that looks classy.
The 828 U Sport’s trigger can be moved forward or backward so your finger sits exactly where you want. Customize it to your finger length.
The forearm release has a button near the muzzle end that is operated by squeezing the forearm to the barrels and then pressing the button to release it. There were no loose parts, and the gun felt solid. At the end of shooting, Sam said that, while he was a bit skeptical when he first saw the gun as it is such a different design, he realized that it handled very well. “This gun must be tried to be appreciated,” he remarked. “It breaks targets easily and has a light feel.”
Given this gun’s innovative design features, it is certainly worth trying for yourself. The price point is very reasonable given the quality and performance of this gun. Furthermore, while Benelli is better known for its great semi-autos, the company is clearly making a statement with this bold venture into the O/U market.
Benelli 828U Sport over/under
Gauge: 12, 3-inch chambers
Barrel Length: 30 or 32 inches
Overall Length: 47 3/4 inches
Weight: 8 pounds
Length of Pull: 14 3/4 inches
Drop at Heel: 2 1/8 inches
Drop at Comb: 1 1/2 inches
Case: Hard case fitted to the gun.
Accessories: Eight drop and cast shims; four balance weights; hex key; Torx key; trigger removal tool; full (.685-inch), improved modified (.695-inch), modified (.703-inch), improved cylinder (.713-inch), cylinder (.726-inch) choke tubes; carrying case; accessories case. Standard hard case fitted.
MSRP: $4,399
Manufacturer: Benelli Armi SpA, Urbino, Italy
Importer: Benelli USA, (301) 283-2185, benelliusa.com
Tim Le Cras is a freelance writer, photographer and NSCA-certified FITASC referee, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. To contact Tim email: timdlecras@gmail.com
Sam Le Cras is on the University of Alabama Clay Shooting Team and a multi-Ohio and National SCTP Champion. To contact Sam email: Samlecras.buis@gmail.com
