Tactical shotguns, especially semi-auto guns, are continuously improving. The Italians, known for their dominance in the market with the Beretta 1301 and the Benelli M4, are now facing competition from companies like Mossberg. While the M4 and 1301 are high-end options, Beretta has smartly tapped into the more affordable market with the Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol, offering a high-quality semi-auto tactical shotgun at a price that won’t break the bank.

Believe it or not, Beretta built the A300 Ultima Patrol in the United States, which helped cut the price. We also avoid 922(r) rules, and Beretta can release the A300 Ultima Patrol with a full-length magazine tube. Beretta has gone wild with the Patrol series and has released several different finish options. Mine is the newest multi-cam model, and it looks fantastic. The MSRP is slightly over a grand, but the retail sales point is around $950.

Specs and Features of the Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol

Barrel Length – 19.1 Inches
Overall Length – 38 Inches
Length of Pull – 13 to 14.5 Inches
Capacity – 7 + 1 (2.75-inch shells)

The A300 Ultima Patrol stands out from other semi-auto tactical shotguns with its slightly longer barrel length. This design choice is for enhanced reliability. Gas-operated shotguns can be temperamental, responding differently to various barrel lengths. The longer barrel of the Ultima Patrol is all about reliability and consistent performance.

Magpul’s SGA stock has been very influential and is a massive step up in the semi-auto shotgun world. The A300 Ultima Patrol includes one 1-inch spacer and one .5-inch spacer for a custom fit. The 13-inch LOP with recoil pad fit me well, so I didn’t make any adjustments. An adjustment range of 13 to 14.5 inches doesn’t sound like much, but it allows for a tailored LOP to fit the majority of shooters, both small and tall.

The magazine tube is extended, and Beretta wisely uses a metal follower. Metal tends to have a natural lubricity that keeps it from binding in magazine extensions. The magazine extension features a clamp with an M-LOK slot for accessories and a QD port for a sling.

The handguard also features a pair of M-LOK slots. As we move backward on the gun, we get an optics rail and a rear ghost ring that pairs with a high-visibility front sight. The rear sight is easily adjustable for windage and elevation.

Modern Ergonomics

One thing tactical shotguns got from the 3-Gun world is speed and modern ergonomics. Shotguns no longer come with micro-sized controls. The Ultima Patrol has a huge, massive charging handle, a huge push-button safety, and a large bolt release button. The loading and ejection ports are wide open for easy and quick use.

Beretta delivers a very aggressive texture on the front of the handguard and the rear grip of the stock, which allows for a great grip on the gun and better engagement with that real push/pull style of control. This design is very modern and easy to use, allowing for quick reloads, a comfortable fit, and workable controls.

To the Range

Reviewing a tactical shotgun means running the gun as if it’s a tactical shotgun. I did so by running the gun through a series of drills and the Lucky Gunner Home Defense Shotgun Skills test. This gives us an excellent idea of how the gun runs in a tactical space.

I ran these drills with Monarch 00 Buckshot, which moves at 1,300 feet per second. It’s a full-powered 2.75-inch load with full-powered recoil. It’s also cheap, which appeals to my pocketbook.

I practiced my ready-up drills and scored a single shot on target from the low ready in .54 seconds at ten yards. Ghost rings tend to be a little slower, but the use of a wide peep sight and a high-visibility front sight helps a lot, and I put that buckshot in the chest of an IPSC target.

Sometimes, one shot isn’t enough. I practiced a ready-up and fired two shots on one target at 10 yards. I was able to do this in .79 seconds. That’s 18 buckshot pellets on one target in less than a second. For reference, that’s a Glock 17’s worth of ammo in less than a second.

The Ultima Patrol’s high-visibility sights and low recoil make it so. The push/pull recoil mitigation technique helps a lot. The Ultima Patrol’s recoil impulse has an upward streak to it. The barrel is quite light, and the gun’s weight is focused on the rear rather than upfront. You have to work that front-pull technique to keep the gun down and on target.

Keeping It Fed

The Ultima Patrol holds a mere seven rounds, which, in reality, doesn’t sound like much. There is a great debate about shotguns and whether they are low-capacity or not. In most cases where a shotgun is deployed, it’s unlikely you’ll need to reload. However, being able to keep the shotgun fed remains a valuable skill.

Luckily, the A300 Ultima Patrol features a massive loading port and a fairly large ejection port. Pulling off both tube and emergency port loads is far from difficult. I can intuitively shove round after round into the gun and keep it going. The huge charging handle and the bolt-release button help keep things easy and intuitive.

I pulled a Shotgun El Pres drill in seven and a half seconds. That’s six shots on three targets with three emergency port reloads. The beefy controls and massive port made it a smooth move to keep the gun loaded.

On Target

The ghost ring sights offer more precision than a simple bead. They provide rifle-like sights and precision. With buckshot, the gun shoots to the point of aim without a problem. Federal Flitecontrol works like a slug at most ranges, and it gets delivered exactly where I want it. The same goes for slugs, and at 50 yards, I was keeping them inside a paper plate.

Near the end of a long-range day, I noticed that the front sight had become loose. The high-vis inserts move left to right unrestricted. I probably need to remove the entire sight to get to the screw to tighten the front sight. It’s certainly annoying, and I would hope it’s a one-off problem.

In terms of reliability, I ran into two failures to fire. Both occurred when I did an over-the-top emergency reload. It seems like the bolt failed to go into battery. I got the click, but neither primer had an indent. They both cycled on the next go around. I’m not sure if the gun is getting sluggish, but it got a squirt of Hoppes, and I didn’t have the problem occur again. The Beretta’s big charging handle helped with an immediate action drill, so that’s nice.

This only occurred those two times, hundreds of rounds apart, and both were over-the-top port loads. I went through an entire case of Estate birdshot, 200 rounds of Monarch buckshot, 10 rounds of Federal Flitecontrol, and 10 Fetter slugs with no other issues.

The Affordable Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol

The Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol performs quite well at the range. It’s quick and easy to get shots on target. I’d likely add a sling, light, and red dot to configure the gun and prepare it for home defense. Reptilia makes an awesome red dot mount that will co-witness with the iron sights and might be my next snag.

I was a bit disappointed with the front sight and two failures to go into battery. Those are minor problems, but this gun retails for close to $1,000, and I expect a little more. They might be one-off problems, and I don’t see them repeated elsewhere. Honestly, I’d also prefer metal to be used for the sight rather than polymer, but that might be nitpicking.

Would I trust the A300 for home defense? Yes, I would. The A300 Ultima Patrol would be an excellent home defense gun, and I think that it performs admirably in that role. However, I would probably go with the 1301 Tactical if I were looking for a patrol shotgun.

However, for home defense, the Ultima is a more affordable, widely available, 922(r)-free option from one of the most legendary shotgun companies in the world.