The last of the world’s major shotgun manufacturers to embrace the 12-ga., 3 1/2" shotshell, Beretta based its Xtrema (October 2002, p. 67) on the successful A391 Urika. The gas-operated Beretta A391 Xtrema 3.5" closely followed the lines of its progenitor, but borrows elements from other designs as well (notably Benelli and Franchi, both of which are owned by Beretta) to better withstand the constant pounding of heavy 12-ga., 3 1/2" hunting loads. Beretta’s Xtrema2 includes a number of performance enhancements that focus on improved handling, reduced recoil and increased durability.
Although it will cycle some 1-oz. loads, that is not the gun’s intended role. It is a field gun, pure and simple, and Beretta recommends that only 1 1/⁄8-oz. or heavier shotshells be fired in it. With that in mind, the Xtrema2 is offered only with a synthetic stock, either in matte black or in full-coverage Realtree Advantage Max4 or Hardwoods. Efforts to reduce felt recoil start with the Xtrema2’s 4140 steel barrel, which is overbored to 0.742". Hammer forged and fitted with the “Optima Plus” bore system, the barrel features lengthened forcing cones and choke tubes that are longer and thinner than Beretta’s other designs. The full vent rib is crosshatched to reduce glare and topped by a gold bead at its front. The barrel extension is a separate piece firmly screwed to the barrel and left in the white.
Extraction is via a hook on the bolt’s right side, and the ejector is pinned into the receiver’s left. The ejector is a tapered rectangular stud that rides in a channel in the wall of the barrel extension as it is pushed forward along with its guide under spring tension. Depending on the force of the recoiling shell, the extractor will travel rearward as much as is necessary to clear the ejection port before kicking the case free.
The Xtrema2 employs a gas system with two ports. Gas drives a piston rearward that, in turn, drives the operating rod rearward. Excess gas is vented forward and out of vents at the bottom front of the fore-end. A steel ring with a toothed face reduces fouling around the piston and makes the system, to some extent, self-cleaning.
The bolt, operating rod and recoil spring are removed as a unit for cleaning. The two-piece bolt has a rotating head reminiscent of the Benelli Black Eagle. The recoil spring slides over the magazine tube and is surrounded by a polymer tube below the dual, white-metal action bars. This arrangement leaves room in the buttstock for the two hydraulic cylinders that make up Beretta’s Kick-Off recoil-reduction system, which is available as an accessory.