This is my last planned update of the function of my new Beretta A400 Xplor Action. I've completed its break-in with Monarch moderate power ammunition with an additional 50 rounds, bringing the total to one hundred rounds. They work fine and I'll have no hesitation about using them in the future.
As previously, AA shells with 7/8oz at 1200 fps also worked flawlessly, though I've heard others have had problems.
I also used Baschiere & Pellagri Competition 1 - 7/8oz at 1210 fps and they also worked fine. For no particular reason, these will be the ones I buy when I can find them.
For an extreme test I tried Fiocchi Extra Low Recoil - 3/4oz @ 1075 fps, number 7-1/2 shot. They fired 100%, and did not eject or load the next round, but I didn't really expect them to. The instructor was watching the charging handle during the test and said it did not move. He suggested the way to use the rest of the flat was to use a standard power round in the chamber and these low power Fiocchi rounds as a second shot in the magazine. That way I wouldn't have to bend over to pick up the empties on the last shot. That's one way, while the other would be to reserve them for the 686 - basically making it a 28 gauge.
Recoil on all these different brands was interesting - with the A400 I could not tell the difference, even the Fiocchi. Thinking about it, it occurs to me that with the Fiocchi, I was getting no semi-auto recoil reduction, just as if I were shooting them from the 686 over-under. Basically, then, all of the loads felt like 28ga from an O-U. The Fiocchi were more pleasant than 7/8oz loads when firing them from the 686. However, while it might have been my imagination, the time of flight seemed to be a little longer. If I wanted the Fiocchi to function semi-automatically I'd need to generate more velocity than 1075 fps, but I see no point in that and will stick with 7/8oz at 1200 fps for all of my target shooting as they seem to work well.
I started this thread to document any problems I might have with the A400 and low power target loads in the A400 20 gauge - I've read about a few. I didn't find any problems with standard target loads, two brands, and one inexpensive hunting load. I have read about 12 gauge semi-auto shooters using 7/8oz successfully, but my A400 20 gauge can't step down so proportionally, at least at very low velocity; if I find a faster load in the future I'll try it. I conclude that the Beretta A400 20ga Xplor suits my needs for a combination hunting and recreational Sporting Clays shotgun.