Beretta A400
The Index's first Medium-band entry. Currently Non-restricted; the rubric flags it as structurally in the conversation. Medium ≠ "imminent ban."
Is the Beretta A400 banned in Canada? Not currently. The Beretta A400 is Non-restricted, but it scores 4/15 on the Holdover Ban-Risk Index. It is not currently eligible for compensation. The current amnesty for prohibited firearms expires 90 days after the latest Supreme Court appeal termination under SOR/2026-114.
Classification: Non-restricted · OIC/SOR: - · Ban-Risk: Medium · Compensation: Not currently eligible · Amnesty: SCC appeals + 90 days
Verdict
The Beretta A400 is the Index's first Medium-band entry — an unexpected finding 82 entries into the dataset and one that warrants explicit explanation. The rubric scores the A400 at 4/15: semi-auto action class (3 — the shotgun-aware reading treats semi-auto shotguns at the same band as semi-auto centrefires for action-class purposes), common shotgun gauge (1), zero across feature set, lineage, and policy momentum. The 4/15 total puts it at the bottom of the Medium band (rubric: 4–7 = Medium). The A400 is currently Non-restricted and has no apparent federal policy attention; the Medium reading is structural rather than predictive. What "Medium" means here per the methodology page: *the rubric reads this platform as structurally in the conversation that the SOR criteria reach — semi-automatic, common centrefire-class action — without any of the feature-set or lineage indicators that would push it higher.* Medium is not a prediction of imminent prohibition; it is the rubric's reading of the structural space the platform occupies. The A400 is a sporting clay / bird-hunting shotgun used across Canadian shooting sports without controversy. The verdict on this entry is the entry: a single Medium reading after 82 entries of empty Medium-band confirms what the methodology page predicted — the rubric will surface Medium when the platform sits structurally in the band, even when no policy attention exists.
Tracking a rifle on this list?
The Ban-Risk Index updates as classifications and the federal compensation list change. Get those changes, and the SCC + 90-day amnesty deadline reminders, in The Dispatch.
What would change the score
- A new SOR amendment naming semi-auto sporting shotguns as a category (no current federal signal; would shift the policy-momentum score to 3 immediately).
- Feature-set creep on tactical sub-variants of the A400 platform (a tactical A400 with pistol grip or threaded muzzle on a banned-class would score higher and might move the band).
- A future FRT reclassification by category — no precedent for this on shotguns, but the Sterling R9 MK1 case (pilot, FRT reclassification 2025-07-06) demonstrates the pathway exists.
Lineage
Parents: Beretta AL391 (predecessor sporting semi-auto platform, also Non-restricted)
Siblings: Beretta A300 (budget-tier sibling, also Non-restricted), Benelli M2 (sister-company Italian semi-auto sporting shotgun, Non-restricted)
Derived: A400 Xtreme Plus, A400 Lite, A400 Outlander, A400 Upland sub-variants
Primary sources for this entry
- RCMP Firearms Reference Table — RCMP. accessed 2026-05-27
- Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus product page — Manufacturer. accessed 2026-05-27
Safety note: the Ban-Risk Index is editorial estimation, not legal advice or a substitute for current official guidance. The classification field reflects current RCMP FRT status as of the last-scored date. For any transfer, surrender, deactivation, or transport question, consult primary RCMP / Public Safety Canada sources and, where appropriate, a Canadian firearms lawyer.
