SLP or M2 ... Can't Decide

[Ben Diss]

I'm hooked on 3-Gun and shopping for a shotgun. I've considered M2, SLP, Vinci and VersaMax. Narrowed it to SLP or M2 so I realize the big difference between the two is that the SLP is gas operated and M2 is recoil operated. Having only fired a Rem 1100 in 20 gauge, I'm left wondering about the difference in felt recoil between an SLP and M2? If anyone has shot the two with like ammo, I'd be interested in your comments, particularly long term fatigue at a long match and how quickly one may recover for a follow-up shot over the other.

[mmchambers06]

Splits on the shotgun isn't what wins matches.

I feel more recoil with the M2. However, it points faster...it's lighter, and balances better. It's more reliable, and easier to load/operate.

The Benelli is king for a reason.

Edited November 4, 2011 by mmchambers06

[Alaskapopo]

The Benelli is king for a reason.

Yea its been around forever and has an established reputation and the FN is the new kid on the block. That said I own a M2 and use it for Tactical. I got it because that what was recommended and its a good gun. The down sides are the cost. I paid $1100 then I had to add around $200 in parts. With the FN you can buy they gun and just start shooting the matches until you decide you want to change something. With the M2 you at the very least need to get a magazine extension. A friend of mine who was a die hard M2 fan just switched to a FN and loves it. He says that it kicks less, the long hand guard allows him to shoot it with his support hand more foward like on an AR. He also likes the flip up sight for slug shots. I think if money is tight get the FN it allows you to compete with nothing extra needing to be purchased. Both are good guns.

Pat

[dchang0]

Some of the guys in my squad who run SLP Mk1s have been having problems with the piston and springs wearing/breaking at around 5000 rounds. M2s, being so simple mechanically, tend to run cleaner and longer without breakage.

The SLP Mk1 does have one awesome advantage--the sighting system is very slug-friendly. Benelli's intentional European six-o-clock hold is slower on the clock. People have tried everything from bending the barrel to installing taller front sights or adjustable rear sights, etc.

I own an M2 and love it; even though I suffered through several months of jams related to upgrade parts, after figuring it out, my M2 has literally run flawlessly for months on end.

Still, I am not entirely happy with its slug performance and will continue working on the sighting system to get it where it needs to be.

[Alaskapopo]

Some of the guys in my squad who run SLP Mk1s have been having problems with the piston and springs wearing/breaking at around 5000 rounds. M2s, being so simple mechanically, tend to run cleaner and longer without breakage.

The SLP Mk1 does have one awesome advantage--the sighting system is very slug-friendly. Benelli's intentional European six-o-clock hold is slower on the clock. People have tried everything from bending the barrel to installing taller front sights or adjustable rear sights, etc.

I own an M2 and love it; even though I suffered through several months of jams related to upgrade parts, after figuring it out, my M2 has literally run flawlessly for months on end.

Still, I am not entirely happy with its slug performance and will continue working on the sighting system to get it where it needs to be.

I was wondering about that. I have to hold about 6 to 8 inches low at 50 yards with reduced recoil slugs to hit slug targets.

Pat

[Ben Diss]

See, now all this makes me want to go with the SLP.

[Alaskapopo]

See, now all this makes me want to go with the SLP.

Either will work well for you.

[prreed10]

I've handled both and went with the M2. Lighter, points faster and loads easier than the SLP. I wouldn't base your decision on slugs. They account for 10-15% of your shotgun shots in most matches (well at least the half dozen or more I have attended this year).

Edited November 4, 2011 by prreed10

[CocoBolo]

I've handled both and went with the M2. Lighter, points faster and loads easier than the SLP. I wouldn't base your decision on slugs. They account for 10-15% of your shotgun shots in most matches (well at least the half dozen or more I have attended this year).

My SLP has run 100% with 1 1/8 oz loads, Wolf slugs hit POA, I love everthing about it except its a Berthabutt too heavy. Having said that I still won the 3-Gun last Saturday, with weak rifle stages, the shotgun carried me. Recoil is similar to a 1100 remington 12ga, a tad bit more than the 20ga 1100, which I gave to my 105 pound daughter.

I got my SLP when they were only $642.00. Before the dollar feel in the toilet.

[carbon9]

Like others have said, the SLP has less felt recoil(very similar to an 1100), the M2 is faster and feels better to me in just about every other way and loads much, much easier. I bought a Salient M2 and built my SLP into a similar configuration just to see which I liked better. I still have my M2. Don't worry about the recoil it is completely manageable even if you aren't a big guy. I weigh around 150 and it simply doesn't matter. It doesn't affect my shooting and I'm not sore after 120 rounds. Once extended mag tubes are on the market I will do the same thing with a Vinci just to see what I like better. If you buy an SLP get one with a 24" vent rib barrel it will handle much better then the cantilever barrel as it weighs less. You will also be faster on 98% of your other targets except for a few slug shots. The flip up sight is unnecessary and not worth the extra weight.

[sdm74]

I got my SLP when they were only $642.00. Before the dollar feel in the toilet.

Wow! That just made me sick..400 less then what they go for now

[Shadowrider]

Caveat. I've shot both, but I own an SLP MK1.

They are both excellent. The SLP is very soft shooting, the M2 points and handles better PERIOD. I also have to aim very low at 50yds with low recoil slugs. I say get a M1 or M2 unless you find a good deal on an SLP like I did. Any of the three are good.

[dchang0]

I've handled both and went with the M2. Lighter, points faster and loads easier than the SLP. I wouldn't base your decision on slugs. They account for 10-15% of your shotgun shots in most matches (well at least the half dozen or more I have attended this year).

In the matches esskay and I shoot, our M2s' awful slug sighting (as the others have said, hold very low at 50yds to hit) has cost us many, many stage points. At the last match I went to, there were three steel plates about 3/4 the size of regular IPSC targets, placed between 40 and 70yds. Because I'm used to holding under the bottom edge of a full-sized IPSC target and had no idea where I was holding in the space below these smaller targets, I missed all three, and those penalties alone added up to around 50% of the best time on that stage (it was rifle-shotgun). If that were a shotgun-only stage, the penalties may have added up to over 100% of the best shooter's time.

Since then, I've been on a mission to raise my front sight to POI using shims. That was the LAST time I'm going to have to visually estimate hold-unders--I'd much rather hold-over a teeny bit, like with iron sights on a rifle, than hold-under in the wide-open space beneath the target.

Anyway, to the OP: given the choice between an M2 that's been corrected for POA=POI slug shooting and an SLP Mk 1, I'd definitely go with the M2. Given the choice between an M2 that HASN'T been corrected for POA=POI and an SLP Mk 1, I'd go with the SLP.

[9X23Guy]

I am bias as I own an SLP but I have shot both in competition as well. The Benelli feels like a more "traditional" shotgun. It's light and swings well. Now I'll admitt up front that I started shootings shotgun from a tactical aspect right off. Other than taking a few birds I did not start as a trap or skeet guy. I shoot a shotgun the same way I shoot an AR, support hand way out there low stance, really fast. The SLP, for me, was the far better choice. It's shorter than the Benelli and I personally think it loads MUCH easier than the Benelli. I've nearly left my thumb behind in a Benelli but not in my SLP and I've never done a thing to it which brings me to my next point. The FN can be modified but is ready to run right out of the box and has a much better price point.(After good initial cleaning) It does, as a fact, cycle faster than a Benelli too. Now does that mean I'm out running a Benelli, no, but the sights come back to me quicker. The FN has less felt recoil. The fit and finish are excellent for the FN. The flip up rear sight is a nice touch too though not necassary. Another thing that I noticed was just how good the trigger pull was on SLP out of the box. I never put a gauge on it but it is among the best that I have ever felt on a shotgun. I personally think the picatinny on the barrel is a great touch, lets remember, it didn't start life as the FN 3 Gun shotgun, it's the self loading POLICE shotgun, made for tactical use. I use the light piston and it has eaten everything that I have put in it. The Benelli has the "advantage" of having a magazine cut off which is great for a slug select drill but what I've found that no matter what gun I use I usually just feed the mag and burn the round of shot because it is faster, period. I have never seen the malfunctions in mine or my buddies SLP and we run them pretty hard. The SLP is a gas gun so no problem shooting in strange positions as opposed to the inertia driven Benelli. Both can be had with different barrel lengths so that is a non issue. For me it's the FN all the way but both guns are excellent. For a guy just getting into the game I would and do recommend the FN for price and the ability to run it right out of the box.

[Ben Diss]

Thanks everyone for all the great feedback. Since I can find a couple of places to buy the SLP right now and not one short barreled M2, I think that's what I'm going to go with.

[Red_SC]

I shot them both side by side when making my decision. The m2 felt like it cycled much slower, but there wasn't enough difference in recoil or cycle time to make a practical difference. I bought the FN based on price, I got a like-new SLP for not a lot over half of what I'd have had in a new M2 set up. I do like the slug sights.

[smokshwn]

I have quite a bit of time on both platforms. My open gun was a benelli and my tactical shotgun was an sx2. Hands down the sx2/sx3/fn will shoot softer than any benelli.

Don't dismiss the ability to shoot slugs accurately. Locally you may be shooting large targets at minimum distance but often at bigger matches you are asked to hit 8-10" plates at distance. Holding 6-8 inches off of those can be difficult and losing 10-15% of the points in a match can be very detrimental.

With respect to weight you can significantly narrow the difference by choosing either the SX2/3 over the FN SLP. The VR barrel is approx. a pound lighter than the slp barrel. The difference with the benelli becomes much less here.

With respect to price, it isn't even close. The benelli starts at $1000-1100 then you add a tube, bolt handle, and bolt release. Whereas a little shopping will produce the SX2/SX3/FN and all the goodies for well under the benelli's starting price.

I don't think there is much to the loading difference as both guns can be made to load very easily with a few simple mods (search) at home with a dremel, some forend trimming, and sandpaper.

Good luck.

[BradGannaway]

AAHHHHH!!!!! I should have never read this thread!

Now I REALLY can't decide what to buy.

I can dismiss the prioe point, since that is not an issue on my end.

I would go ahead and buy the Vinci, but I want to have an extension in hand.

Sooooooo, I think I'll go with the crowd and get the M2......if I don't like it......I'll just sell it and buy something else.

BSG

[dchang0]

Brad-- it'll probably take you as long to find an M2 in 21" or 24" as to wait for Nordic to produce the Vinci tubes...

Too bad SLP Mk1s went up so much in price. They were a no-brainer when they were less than $800. Now, a used M2 can be found for less, all ready for 3-gun.

[speederx7]

Now, a used M2 can be found for less, all ready for 3-gun.

where? been looking for months!

[smokshwn]

Now, a used M2 can be found for less, all ready for 3-gun.

where? been looking for months!

Please show me one example of an M2 with 3 gun mods for less than $800

[dchang0]

Now, a used M2 can be found for less, all ready for 3-gun.

where? been looking for months!

Please show me one example of an M2 with 3 gun mods for less than $800

New SLP Mk1's aren't $800 any more. They run around $1020 to $1260 on Gunbroker as of this writing, which isn't that hard to beat with a used M2, especially if the M2 doesn't have Comfortech.

Now, my friend Jerry--he got his M2 via word-of-mouth all 3-gunned up, and IIRC he paid $1050. The rest of us in his squad were so blown away by the deal that we all told him that if he didn't buy it, any one of us would buy it as a spare.

So deals like that do exist.

Currently, on Gunbroker, there aren't any 21" or 24" M2s, but when they do pop up, they're surprisingly reasonable. Right now, a used 28" is up there at $950. I figure a used 24" would probably be $1000 and a used 21" would probably be $1100. Add the Nordic tube for $80 and you're still barely beating an SLP Mk1 brand new. (SLP Mk1s do not come with welded lifters or oversized bolt releases, etc., out of the box, so don't count that cost on the Benelli.)

I think you guys think the SLP Mk 1 "out of the box" has as many upgrades as people typically put into their M2s, but that's not true. Really, all it's got is the extended tube.

[Mark Stephens]

Went thru this same process this summer. I shot a sx2 for a year and half and switched to a m2 this summer. The sx2 is definitely softer to shoot and nicer to reload, very smooth. I made the switch for three reasons. First was that I was having intermittent problems with failure to go into battery, mostly with slugs. I finally had it running birdshot flawlessly but I kept having issues that for some reason would only show up during matches. Kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. Also got tired of the rail on top. Felt I wasn't seeing targets as cleanly as I should. Loved the rear sight tho. Third reason was the weight. Just too darn heavy. Looked at building a sx3 but ended up with an m2. Bought a 26" American version new for $875, put on a Nordic tube, fiber front sight, opened up the loading port and installed a flip up 10-22 rear sight. Gun runs flawlessly. I just need to adjust the gun to fit me a little better but no regrets on switching. Everyone seems to want 24" gun but the 26" with a 10 round tube is the bomb!!

[Ben Diss]

I ordered a SLP. It should be here Wed or Thurs. I'm taking off the 11th, so hopefully I'll get to shoot it then.

[glazer1972]

One thing no one mentions is the extra cost and headache to add the required US Parts to the Benelli to satisfy 922r with the extended mag tube. I know some folks think its nonsense but it should be mentioned. The FN doesn't need those extra parts.