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Beretta 1301 Problems with accuracy, specifically with Flitecontrol


kuduman

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So I have a new Beretta 1301 Tactical, with the factory 7-round tube.  It is certainly reliable-- eats light trap and heavy 3" turkey loads back to back for example.  Zero problems with that.

 

But it's not accurate.  I've tried three kinds of slugs (not easy during "Let's Go Brand0n"), but struggle to shoot a 20" group at 100 yards.  I can do that with the bead sight on a 26" Stoeger.  I was expecting better.

 

Worse though, it seems to be messing up Flitecontrol buckshot.  5 out of seven (and that's all I'm going to waste for now), scattered shot all over the target.  Like 16" group at 15 yards.  Then the next shot worked right-- 1.5" hole.  This is with the impossible to replace #1 buck, FWIW, and the factory Cylinder bore choke tube (yes, this 1301 Tac is threaded for chokes, though I am beginning to wish it were not).  It also seems to be shooting a couple of inches left (with buck) at 15 yards, even though sighted in at 100 with slugs.  Not good.

 

I am not a shotgun expert, so not sure what the problem might be... other than a bad barrel.  Behavior is same with included IC choke tube, so it's not just the Cyl choke tube.  Gun has about 50 rounds through it.

 

I can't use this thing if one shot is 2" and the next 16" with the best defense loads money can buy.

 

It has some design problems, for anyone looking at buying one.  The barrel clamp has the sling attachment on the bottom, and the accessory slot on the top-- reversed from where they should be, so the sling will attempt to turn the gun upside down.  No attachment points on the fore end, so no good place to put a light.  No cast plates for the pistol grip stock... and no instruction manual at all covering this model.  But I digress.

 

I'd be OK with all the rest, but it's the Flitecontrol failures that are the deal-killer for me.  None of my other shotguns have ever had a problem with FC.  Before I get pushy with Beretta, anyone got suggestions for something _I_ could be doing wrong?

 

 

Edited by kuduman
Spell check mangled what I wrote
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Just a couple of quick thoughts and you may have already checked these.  Is the barrel tight in the receiver (mag tube tight)?  Are there any burr's in the barrel at the gas port holes?

 

  Jeff

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Check the rear sight mounting screws CAREFULLY, the rear sight is plastic.  Mine were barely finger tight and the rear sight moved around quite a bit.  The peep sight was also slightly loose within the assembly.  I mounted a red dot, which fixed all those problems.  I also hate pistol grips on shotguns, so I bought the cheapest model, ie. no extended tube and put the Nordic extension and clamp which comes with a sling mount and pic rail.

 

Check your rear sight, throw a red dot on it to check the accuracy, swap the Beretta mag tube and clamp for the Nordic.

 

https://nordiccomp.com/categories/beretta-1301-tactical-mxt-extension-kit/

 

Nolan

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41 minutes ago, Nolan said:

Check the rear sight mounting screws CAREFULLY, the rear sight is plastic.  Mine were barely finger tight and the rear sight moved around quite a bit.  The peep sight was also slightly loose within the assembly.  I mounted a red dot, which fixed all those problems.  I also hate pistol grips on shotguns, so I bought the cheapest model, ie. no extended tube and put the Nordic extension and clamp which comes with a sling mount and pic rail.

 

Check your rear sight, throw a red dot on it to check the accuracy, swap the Beretta mag tube and clamp for the Nordic.

 

https://nordiccomp.com/categories/beretta-1301-tactical-mxt-extension-kit/

 

Nolan

Nolan,

 

The new version is 922-R compliant, and has a 7-shot single-piece magazine.  You cannot add to it.  So no dice there-- but the old arrangement is better-- it allows for attachment points that the "new and improved" version does not.  Accessories that fit the old one don't fit Gen 3, even though some websites erroneously claim that they do.  And no one makes a magazine clamp that will fit the new plastic shroud over the 7-shot tube.

 

I have no interest in a red-dot, so while I could mount one to test accuracy, it doesn't solve my problem.  I've already pulled all the screws on the sights and rail and Loc-tited them down.  Didn't help.  But it's disconcerting to hear yours were loose!

 

I didn't hate pistol grips until I bought this gun; I'm wishing I'd just bought a normal stock.  Then it would have cast adjustment, be easier to short-stock, etc. 

 

I've emailed Beretta; maybe they'll answer this query (though they ignored the one last year to get the instruction manual they neglected to include or post on the web).  I think I'm talking myself into dumping this turkey.

 

Nolan, does yours shoot Flitecontrol correctly?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I guess mine is a Gen2/3???  It has the new raised lifter, and new shell latch, but the serial number is still near the front and close to the loading port.  Yes, mine shoots everything to point of aim, although I've only shot it out to 50 yards.  While it's not a rifle, I had no trouble hitting 10 or 12 inch gongs at 50.  I didn't shoot it for groups 'cause it's a shotgun.  Bird, Buck and Slugs all shot pretty much to the same place, except for some old Rio double ought which would throw at least 2 pellets way wide, but that's probably why I still have a couple boxes of it on the shelf.

 

My suggestion is sell or trade yours for a basic 5 shot model, IF you can find one.  I believe mine is model J131T18C.

https://grabagun.com/firearms/shotguns/semi-automatic-shotguns/ber-1301-12g-18-5-4-5rd-1.html

https://grabagun.com/firearms/shotguns/semi-automatic-shotguns/beretta-107.html  In Stock Flat Earth otherwise known as MUD.

 

Nolan

PS This is not my shotgun in the video, mine just has the same lifter and controls, but doesn't have the Taciticool handguard which looks like a major roadblock for quad loading.  The short receiver and loading port already make that hard enough without adding that abutment.

 

 

Edited by Nolan
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On 5/12/2022 at 9:55 PM, kurtm said:

It sounds as if your shotgun shoots flite control correctly, it just doesn't shoot them accurately. How do you bore scope a receiver?

No, 2" groups is correct.  16" groups with is not.

 

 

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I was pointing out that it shoots them, cycles them and feeds them. Beretta is going to look at that as "Shoots correctly". Yes you are correct that is wildly inaccurate. There can be many causes for that, but most of those reasons are on Beretta. Just for a final test, if you haven't S canned it yet, fire a few slugs or buck with no choke. Contrary to popular lore you won't hurt the threads in your barrel in the least, but it would show if it was a choke/barrel problem right away. Just a thought.

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  • 1 month later...

I dropped it like a hot potato-- got all my money out of it and moved on.  Worthless to me if it can't shoot Flitecontrol consistently.

 

And it occurs to me that whatever's wrong with the barrel might be why it shot slugs so inconsistently.

 

Between the bad barrel and the lack of attachment points, the rattling Mesa stock, the somewhat different manual-of-arms, long lousy trigger pull, the cheap-feeling extension shroud and forend, consider me unimpressed.

 

But it was 100% reliable for feeding and shooting, and I've never worked with another autoloading shotgun that was.

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