shaun1826 Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Looking to buy my first 3 gun shotgun. I've handled both and don't have a strong preference to the feel of one over the other, but would give a slight edge to the A5. Did a search and read through all the posts I could find, but didn't see a whole lot of comparison between the two. Can anyone with experience with both compare reliability, weakpoints, parts made better on one versus the other, etc.? It sounds like the autoload feature of the A5 is a definate plus. Any input would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebwake Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 M2 and I love browning, I have about 10 browning something or anothers in my safe... More aftermarket parts, longer history in 3gn. If you break an M2 I would be beyond shocked. Ask Pat Kelly or taran about how many rounds they have in their M2's. Another cheaper option would be a Stoeger 3000. There is a intensivly long M3K thread on here with lots of details. I have one and love it. it has been extremely reliable. is it an M2? no, will it slow me down, no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxymajor Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 The only thing the Benelli has on the A5 is that it has a great history of reliability and you can get a shorter barrel. I've put 10,000s through my M1/M2 with hardly any repairs. Kurt, Pat and many others have 100,000s through their M1s. Their great guns and I have a few. If you are buying for 3 gun the A5 has big advantages for the new 3 gunner. The auto load feature is a HUGE feature for newer shooters. Not only are there no dry chamber reloads, you will have much more flexibility with the stage plans. Another plus is that you don't need a whole lot more than a welded lifter, tube and a port job (The extended bolt release, extended bolt, and stippling are muted by the auto-load feature and the rubberized coating). There are also many smaller advantages over the M2; better trigger jobs, 4 shell length forearm, rubberized stock, better tube port location (easier loading with quads), flat lower forearm/receiver (not in the way when loading quads). The M2 and A5 are both super light weight, both use the Benelli "inertia recoil" system, both POA/POI out of the box. Of course both have more recoil than gas guns. I hope that helps. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSwift Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I'm still amazed that the practical A5 is even a thing. If I heard 12-18 months ago that people were going to A5's for competitive shooting I would have thought that they made the vintage cutoff for cowboy action or something. I might have one of these salt rusting in a locker somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsampson Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 New model A5 Stalker. Not yer paw paw's duck gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Unless you aren't dual or quad loading I don't think the A5 lifter needs to be welded. It isn't nearly as wicked as what comes on most other guns and I have never caught anything on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billdozer Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Lifter doesn't need welded, nothing need tuned inside. Open port, throw on tube. Make sure and run a little hotter ammo until it gets broke in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaZeNuTZ33 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 I have both a 24" M2 (had a 26" M2 and liked it better) and 26" A5. M2 has high round count reliability and durability on it's side. With match savers on guns, you negate some of the autoloading advantage of the A5, once tho. There are more options to modify/adjust the comfortech stock and cheek piece than the A5. Chokes are plentiful and easy to find. Easy to swap on a mag tube extension or full length RCI XRail monotube that is stronger. the inside of the M2 barrel is chrome lined or something, and never seems to rust. The outside of the barrel is another story. Aftermarket welded lifters are available, or you can send yours to C-Rums to have it welded and extended. If quad loading, it loads MUCH smoother once the lifter is welded and extended. A5 is newer, but Greg Jordan and Tommy Thacker have tossed a lot of rounds through them. The stock is less adjustable, but foam could be added if the angled pieces for the stock don't do enough for you. The autoload feature is nice when you don't want to learn/practice port loading, but is slower than port loading when on the clock and compared to someone who practices port loading. Chokes are easy to find and the factory Browning chokes are available in flush and extended length, you can also get a spreader choke from Pure Gold now too. Full length mono-tubes aren't possible right now for various reasons I guess, but RCI and Taccom both make some stout extensions. The inside of the barrel will rust quickly if you shoot when humid out and do not clean and lightly oil the barrel. My gun is camo, so I'm not sure how the outside of the black barrels do with rust. Don't mess with the lifter or any part around the auto-load feature, you're searching for a solution to a problem that does not exist. Having both and shooting both fairly well, I do not see a BIG advantage of one over the other or any way that you're able to change a stage plan other than dumping rounds to empty the A5, chucking in slugs, emptying the gun, then chucking birdshot in again....but that's still slower than a good stage plan with either gun. The A5 is kinetic driven (read "inertia") and the recoil feels about the same as the M2. I shoot the same Winchester LoRecoil slugs in both guns, the same Winchester AA 1145fps 1-1/8oz 7.5's in both guns, and the same low recoil buckshot in both guns. Both are expensive, but quality, guns......but neither is a magic pill that's vastly better than the other. I'd recommend shouldering both and seeing what fits you best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 The autoload feature is nice when you don't want to learn/practice port loading, but is slower than port loading when on the clock and compared to someone who practices port loading. How do you figure this? Do you mean if you are only loading one shell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaZeNuTZ33 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Time yourself doing both. Ty Starling and several others have done shot to shot match savers under 1.5 sec. You aren't going to your belt and back to the loading port to chuck in a single shell, or dual/quad, and get another shot off in 1.5 seconds. Now, if using the match saver in your stage plan (I have before), it is added movement compared to just shoving shells into the gun. That's not the intended purpose of the match saver tho! For the record, I've been shooting primarily my A5 in matches.... keeping my M2 as a back up and loaning it out to shooters who have their shotguns go down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Time yourself doing both. Ty Starling and several others have done shot to shot match savers under 1.5 sec. You aren't going to your belt and back to the loading port to chuck in a single shell, or dual/quad, and get another shot off in 1.5 seconds. Now, if using the match saver in your stage plan (I have before), it is added movement compared to just shoving shells into the gun. That's not the intended purpose of the match saver tho! For the record, I've been shooting primarily my A5 in matches.... keeping my M2 as a back up and loaning it out to shooters who have their shotguns go down. So for loading one shot only the advantage goes to a port load off of a match saver. That's why I have a match saver on my A5. Loading with anything with more than one round on a locked back bolt advantage goes to A5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaZeNuTZ33 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Having both has its advantages for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billdozer Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I'm considering adding a match saver up by my support hand, so if i run it dry and only need one, i can stuff it without dropping the gun down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun1826 Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 I really appreciate all the responses. I've shouldered both, and I give a slight preference to the A5. I think that is the way I'm going unless someone points out some reason I shouldn't. I've only shot the M2, but I figure they shoot about the same since they are both inertia guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jswhitesell619 Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 I'm in the same exact boat! I thought I had a m2 lined up and ordered but that fell through. I'm back to square one, I keep thinking m2 simply due to its record of being reliable and able to take the abuse. For the guys with an a5, any parts or anything wear out faster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwikel Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I have been running an A5 for coming on 2 years now and I can't see any signs of wear but I only have a little over 8k thru it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glock52 Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Are you guys running your A5s with or without lubrication? My last match I cleaned it and started out no lube but had failures to eject on two stages. I then lubed the bejeebers out of it and it ran the rest of the match. I have had this problem off and on since I bought it. I haven't quite figured out why. Is anybody using a load hotter than 1145fps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwikel Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 I run mine wet. I run from 1145 fps to 1500 fps shells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard762 Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 I've got several thousand through my A5. Only thing I've ever replaced was a $6 Carrier Latch Spring. My lifter is not welded. No reason to. I run mine lubed but not soaking wet ( Iike FP-10). Never rusted inside or out. I prefer 1200 fps 1.125 oz shot and Remington reduced recoil slugs. 100% reliable. I've owned Remingtons, FNs, and Benellis. I wouldn't go back to any of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsampson Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Which carrier latch spring did you replace? The little one under the button or the funnel shaped one under the back? Also, did the funnel shaped one have a spring within a spring, or just the funnel shaped spring? The reason I ask is that my gun is new, only 3 or 400 rounds, but now when you push the shell release button, sometimes the shell does not pop back onto the carrier. Looks like the back spring is too weak. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Which carrier latch spring did you replace? The little one under the button or the funnel shaped one under the back? Also, did the funnel shaped one have a spring within a spring, or just the funnel shaped spring? The reason I ask is that my gun is new, only 3 or 400 rounds, but now when you push the shell release button, sometimes the shell does not pop back onto the carrier. Looks like the back spring is too weak. Thanks With how many rounds in the tube? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 How much has the port been opened up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsampson Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Rounds in tube makes no difference. Could be 10 could be three. The front of the shell latch does not get out of the way and the round does not move back to the shell carrier. The port is opened, but not overly aggressively. It looks like the funnel spring in the back of the latch mech is not strong enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Who did the port? Can the shell move side to side in the mag tube, or is it fairly centered with little play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Who did the port? Can the shell move side to side in the mag tube, or is it fairly centered with little play? I made that mistake with mine. Made it a bit more finicky when I try to fill the tube past division capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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