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Truly new shotgun introductions at SHOT Show have always been a boom-or-bust proposition, with new guns everywhere one year and scarcely a semi-auto the next. At SHOT Show 2024, companies seem to be responding to customer feedback with increasingly niche products. So far noteworthy shotgun introductions include fun subgauges for sporting clays, lightweight upland guns, optic-ready autoloaders for waterfowlers, and a centuries-old company’s first crack at a snow goose gun. Here are the new shotguns of SHOT Show 2024 that have caught my eye, in no particular order.
Stevens 555 Sporting
Highlights
- 30- and 28-inch ported barrels (20 gauge and .410, respectively)
- Lightweight aluminum alloy receiver
- Manual extractors
- Adjustable cheek piece
- Turkish walnut stock and fore-end
- MSRP: $989
Savage introduced the Stevens 555 Sporting in 12 gauge last year, and now the company is adding a 20 gauge and .410 bore. I shot clays with the .410 and found it hard to miss, in part because the little gun was so nimble. The Stevens 555 Sporting has an adjustable cheek piece and is available in a compact model for smaller-frame and younger shooters. Savage reps reported their customers particularly enjoyed dove hunting with this model, which they credit, in part, to the ported barrels taking the sting out of high-volume opening days. These Turkish-made over/unders should be available at the end of February.
Browning A5 Hunter 20
Highlights
- Smaller frame size than the A5 12-gauge
- Weight: 5 pounds, 11 ounces
- Available in 26- and 28-inch barrels
- High-gloss Turkish walnut fore-end and stock
- Anodized black receiver
- MSRP: $1,980
After lugging my 12-gauge duck gun around all pheasant season, I found the new A5 Hunter in 20 gauge from Browning particularly appealing. At under six pounds and with a frame scaled-down from the larger A5 gauges, the A5 Hunter 20 is certainly handy. The model I shot this week cycled target loads without a hitch or any noticeable recoil, although I’ll be curious to see how it handles heavier field loads. The 20 gauge has a high-gloss finish on both the Turkish walnut and black anodized receiver. At nearly $2,000 it’s not a cheap shotgun, but the price is likely worth it if you’re one of the hunters who’s been waiting years to get your hands on this subgauge.
Beretta A300 Ultima Snow Goose Arctic Fox
Highlights
- Extended magazine tube
- Pic rail for mounting a camera
- Receiver cut for a red-dot
- Special gloved-finger groove cut in the receiver
- Weight: Not yet available
- MSRP: Estimated at $1,350
Although Beretta has previously offered its A400 Xtreme Plus in a snow camo, this Snow Goose Arctic Fox is the Italian shotgun maker’s first true snow goose gun. Beretta chose the A300 Ultima platform for the job, a model known for its Kick-Off recoil reduction system, oversized controls, and enlarged loading port. Apart from the obvious white finish and extended magazine tube, this shotgun is purpose-built with a specially grooved grip for bulky gloved fingers, a Pic rail under the fore-end for mounting a camera, and a receiver cut for an optic. Additional details are thin since the gun is new for 2024, and it won’t be ready in time for this spring conservation order, either; Beretta expects it to be available for order by mid-summer.
Beretta made additional cosmetic updates to the A300 Ultima, including an A300 Ultima Upland with an engraved receiver and bronze Cerakote finish (not pictured). To meet the growing demand for solid-colored duck guns, Beretta added two flat finishes for waterfowlers in Marsh (a coyote bronze) and Timber (which one Beretta rep called gray, but appears almost black).
Beretta Ultraleggero KO
Highlights
- Recoil-reduction additions
- Shim kit included
- Weight: Not yet available
- MSRP: Estimated about $3,000
In 2023 Beretta delivered on the eponymous promise of Ultraleggero (which means “ultralight” in Italian) with a trim 12-gauge designed for all-day upland hunting. Our 2023 shotgun test team panel was unanimous in our appreciation for its aesthetics and its innovation; Beretta managed to carefully strip weight from its 690 action without hindering handling. Those modifications came at a cost, however, since the recoil from the 6.4-pound 12-gauge made shooting even light target loads less than pleasant.
That’s exactly why, says Beretta shotgun product manager Logan Killam, they introduced the Ultraleggero KO for 2024. This version of the Ultraleggero is designed to honor the purpose of the gun and maintain its lightweight profile, but also mitigate felt recoil. Those wiggly lines snaking through the stock are part of the company’s Kick-Off system, which incorporates three shock absorbers inside the stock. Shooting editor John B. Snow spent some time shooting this gun on 5-stand this week and was impressed by how well the system seems to work.
Beretta took the Ultraleggero KO’s post-modern look a bit further by incorporating a shim system; the idea, it seems, is that a properly fitted gun results in a smoother shooting experience. This is, Killam confirmed, the first time Beretta has ever shimmed one of its break-action shotguns.
The MSRP is not yet finalized but Killiam says customers should expect to pay about $100 more for the Ultraleggero KO than its predecessor; any weight gain from the recoil adjustments is similarly unavailable. You could certainly argue the final product detracts from the sleek black-velvet effect of the original Ultraleggero, but it may not matter to loyal Beretta fans who want a lightweight pheasant gun without the bruises to go with it.
Benelli Montefeltro Ultra Light
Highlights
- Blued barrel, anodized receiver
- A-grade satin walnut
- Weight: 6.3 pounds (12 gauge); 5.3 pounds (20 gauge)
- MSRP: $1,599
Speaking of lightweight bird guns, Benelli has introduced the Montefeltro Ultra Light by shaving the 6.6-pound Montefeltro down to 6.3 pounds in the 12 gauge and just 5.3 pounds in the 20 gauge. Benelli managed the weight savings with a carbon-fiber rib, shortened magazine tube, and by cutting the barrels from 28 inches to 26 inches (12 gauge), and 24 inches (20 gauge). Our testers enjoyed shooting the Montefeltro at our shotgun test this past summer, noting reasonable recoil management for the already lightweight 12-gauge. I’ll be interested to shoot this updated model and see how much the weight reduction affects the experience.
Benelli has also announced additions to its other popular shotgun lines, including compact Super Black Eagle 3 models designed for shooters with a shorter length of pull, as well as a steel receiver in the company’s 828U over/under to help manage recoil.
Mossberg 940 Pro Optic-Ready Models
Highlights
- Receiver cut for Shield RMSc-pattern micro dot sights
- Available in waterfowl, snow goose models (the latter available in both 4+1 and 12+1)
- Turkey model comes with a Holosun Micro-Dot Combo
- MSRP: Starts at $1,246
Mossberg has taken its 940 Pro, which was designed with input from pro shooter Jerry Miculek for multi-gun competition, and added optic-ready versions for duck and snow goose hunters. There’s also a model for turkey hunters that includes a Holosun red-dot already mounted to the pre-cut receiver. Our shotgun test team gave mixed reviews to the 940 Pro Field, a model designed for wingshooting that we tested last summer. Personally, I shot the 940 Pro Field well but other testers found it clunky; ultimately we all agreed the price felt steep for the performance. Still, these updated configurations may deliver better results for their niche customers.
More Shotgun Introductions
Remington 870 FieldMaster Synthetic
RemArms is not exhibiting at SHOT Show 2024, but the company has announced an update to its popular pump. The company is now offering a Model 870 FieldMaster in a synthetic finish, which should boost the durability of the already-versatile walnut-stocked model that we awarded a Great Buy to in our pump shotgun test last year. You can read more about the FieldMaster line here.
Read Next: Best Shotguns of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Stay tuned for updates to this story as we review new products. In the meantime, check out our other SHOT Show coverage of new rifles, new handguns, and new knives.
