franch1se

from first hand experience, after visiting my local bass pro shops, i was able to get hands on trial with even dry firing (with permission from the clerk behind the counter). the benelli felt smoother when chambering a round, it's definitely lighter… and from personal experience (i purchased a benelli) the benelli recoils a tad more than an FN SLP (some reference for a gas gun) the 1301 wasn't as smooth when i was fiddling with the bolt, it's quite a bit more heavy vs the benelli (though weight could be a good thing for recoil management). in saying all that, my next gun will probably be a versamax. my only regret was not going with a 24" benelli (i purchased the 21").

i took my m2 field out to my local range to see where the POI landed @ 25 and 50 yards… well, what's really scary is that @ 25 yards, i have to aim 8 inches below the target to hit center mass, and @ 50 yards i have to aim 12 inches below. keep in mind i was using Kent 1690 fps loads … either a taller front sight or maybe a lesser fps shot would yield better POA/POI results.

not to rain on anyone's parade, but i bit the bullet after handling a stoeger m3000 … then immediately handling a benelli m2… i'd still iike to think that the stoeger is the "poor-man's" benelli … i'm an even poorer-man after the benelli purchase (albeit a happy one)

from everywhere i've read, the 24" is easily another $100 vs the 26in or 28in … most folks here opt for the 26" (everyone loves an extra 2in)

thanks a bunch, i've been lurking for quite some time now, and all the info i've read on this thread alone convinced me to go with a m3000. not to mention my budget and skill set lol thanks

where are you folks finding the M3000? I haven't seen any available locally… I'm in the New Orleans area. Also, what kind of prices are we looking at? i've read everything from $400 to $700 *shrugs*

thanks for the info! i ordered a set from Shooters Connection as well!

i had a few promags hang up. the follower would get hung up on the slidestop actuator tab. by flattening and creating a bigger surface, it was no longer grabbing. for the price and a bit of tweaking, the promags work flawless for me. i've even replaced the base plate, spring, base plate catch and follower... it's pretty much a promag shell with s&w factory internals.

not sure if the dimensions of a p30L 40cal would be the same as a 9mm. but i ordered a holster from hkparts.net for my USP45 fullsize and it fits my P30L 9mm perfectly. trigger isn't exposed, but the paddle lock doesn't work (wouldn't need it to lock for competition carry anyways)

Hello all, Fresh crawfishbait from New Orleans, LA here. With 3 matches underneath my belt, the bug has bitten me hard. Currently I'm shooting production. I plan on utilizing the collective information on this forum, as I have heard nothing but good things from the local shooterists.