GunCat

I have drilled and tapped several standard M2 receivers for optic bases. As far as I know none have ever had an issue. The front section of the receiver is quite thin. Use a sharp tap and don't get too heavy handed with tightening those 2 screws, 8-10 in/lbs is plenty. The back half of the receiver is much thicker so the rear 2 screws have more tread engagement, will do more of the support work, and can stand more torque.

There was a small group of Stoeger inertia springs known to have improper heat treatment. Stoeger will send you a new spring, or replace it with a Benelli inertia spring. Either way you'll likely never have that problem again.

Thanks for the kind words Frank, glad you like that Franchi. One bit of clarification, we did mill the groove in the front of the trigger guard. Out of the box the trigger guard is flat like most other brands.

Remove the bolt assembly, disassemble it, and check the cam pin for excessive wear or damage. Replace the cam if necessary, and make sure the cam pin and surrounding area is well lubed when you reinstall all the pieces.

The factory M2 "Compact" stock ? It is 13 1/8".

The end of the choke tube is actually about 1” farther down in the barrel. If the choke tube ripped loose and peeled up to the threads we see in your picture you will be able to see the missing section of the tube when looking into the bore....but your tube was not loose enough to cause this unless the choke tube was also not adequately concentric with the bore. Contact the manufacturer on Monday morning and see what they tell you.

Close...but the Bess still wins:

If it runs 1145 fps round now there is no need to change the recoil spring. The trigger group springs will not be affected by your choice of recoils springs.

See the gun on the top of this picture:

The +9 tube is approx 5” longer than the +7

The metal shim inside the stock? That shim is held in place at the top and bottom by the polymer bracket is sets in. After removing the nut on the stock bolt reach inside with a long screw driver or punch and slide/twist the shim to the side and it will come out of the bracket. When reinstalling the shim a magnet is helpful to lower it into the stock before twisting the shim into place.

I used to use and recommend the Walmart Federal 100 packs too... but the quality has declined in the past couple of years. Now I stick with Winchester AA (1200 fps Heavy Target) and don't worry about having any ammo related issues in my M2, SBE or 1301. Use good quality shotgun ammo and most of your shotgun cycling problems will go away. The extra few dollars it might cost you to shoot a match will be more than made up by better scores and less aggravation.

It wasn't that they “had no idea” …more of a case of changes in shotshell technology... The transition from card wads to one piece plastic wads/shot cups (1960-1970s) in shot shells helped promote the transition to longer forcing cones in shotgun bores. When shot shells were primarily loaded with card wads a short forcing cone (+/- 1/2”) was needed for the best internal gas seal when the shot column was transition from chamber diameter to bore diameter. As one piece wads (which could expand and seal the in the bore) became more prevalent the experimentation with longer forcing cones could start to show some advantage. Some manufacturers were quicker to adapt to the “new” thinking than others. Today most good quality target guns have a “longer” forcing. Over the past few years even some Remington870 barrels are coming out of the factory with a “longer” forcing cone.

MOA has produced an ingenious clamp that floats around the barrel ( to eliminate accuracy robbing pressure on the barrel) while still providing strong support to the mag tube (and the integral QD socket is a plus for attaching a sling)

Those bases, and any other you find, will still block your view of the rib when the base is installed on the receiver.

The Weaver 417M, or EGW Picatinny rail, for the Mossberg 500 has a .310” flat section underneath that will set right into the slot on the M2 reciever.

The MOA clamp is hinged (like a clam shell). When tightened around the mag tube* the “hole” the barrel goes through is large enough to not touch the barrel. If you are at the Blue Ridge match next week look me up and I'll let you check it out first hand. Another benefit of the MOA clamp is the integral QD socket on its side for those times you want to sling the shotgun. * The clamp is sized to fit around the locating groove in the Nordic MXT or MOA tube. It may not fit on other tubes.

1301 Picatinny rail The “new” (2017) 1301 Competition is still the same action. Just a change in the lifter shape and serial # location. The 1301 Competition receiver/action is a little longer than the “Tactical” version (with the 18” barrel and ghost ring sights)

I sling up on the left side for the very reason you mentioned...that keeps the bolt handle and bolt release off my back when the (VTAC) sling is tight

The actual Matchsaverz brand*, or some other shell holder? *Those are often so tight that some folks think they are made for a 20 ga. Are you leaving a shell in it for days at a time?

You could start with a Weaver 93A (M3000/3500 uses the same base/hole spacing as the Benelli M2 and SBE) then cut off the extra length from the base. EGW markets a Picatinny base for these guns too. Those extra screws that anchor the base to the receiver add a good portion of extra security to the set up. Every time the gun recoils inertia will cause the optic and base to tug on the attaching screws that are threaded into the aluminum base. The heavier the optic the more stress the screws impart on threads in the aluminum receiver. 4 screws, or even 3 screws, spread that stress over a larger area than 2 screws...just something to keep in mind before you put a short, cut off base on the gun.

If that Open class is not what you want then it might be possible to have the barrel cut off behind the ports and rethreaded for some type of choke tubes (so don't rush out and buy any Stoeger/Benelli choke tubes just, barrel wall thickness might dictate some other type of tube if you cut it)

The stock adjustment shim (fits between the stock and receiver) is the same for the 1301, A400, etc. I would expect the Speed Bead mount to be similar. See part 25

When this happens can you push the bolt release button in at all...or is the bolt release button “locked” until you press the cartridge release? And is the shotshell that was released from the mag tube stuck about 2/3 of the way back into the receiver? (Sounds similar to an issue we had with a M3K earlier this year)