Shotguns

[Michael Carlin]

So now are you going to have to buy the mag tube extension?

Yes, Nordic seems to be the one everyone I have asked mentions.

Michael

[J-Ho]

What I'd like to know is why once you get a Benelli why would you want to send it to Benny?

Be careful. Don't let Merlin get anywhere near it. You might get $200 back instead of your shotgun.

[walangkatapat]

Look at the top 10 shotgun shooters, what they shoot . There is a reason why.

Do the top shooters even spend more money into the Benelli to make it run or will it run fine out of the box?

[walangkatapat]

They seem to be at least a couple of hundred more than the Remington, Winchester, FN, etc. What I'd like to know is why once you get a Benelli why would you want to send it to Benny? I do need a back up shotgun, parts so that's why I'm asking questions. Should I shop around for another SX2/FN SLP or should I put out more and get the Benelli?

I don't have first hand experience but I'm sure you can just slap on some parts and you would get a decent performing Benelli.

When I priced it a couple of months ago a complete worked up Tactical/Lim Benelli M2 was in the $1900-$2000 range. Now with the weak dollar it's a couple of $'s more.

From what I have researched stuff that most of us can't do is lightening the bolt and welding up the shell lifter (?) so you don't mess up your thumb. In addition smoothing out and polishing the the feed area can be done by the home gunsmith... but I would rather leave that to experienced hands. I plan to add an American made stock and along with the American made follower and an American made extended shell tube and the gun will be good to go.

That's what I'd like to know, is the Benelli good to go out of the box or do you having to spend $$$ to get it where it needs to be.

[zhunter]

Be careful. Don't let Merlin get anywhere near it. You might get $200 back instead of your shotgun.

That is just flat out funny

[walangkatapat]

So now are you going to have to buy the mag tube extension?

Yes, Nordic seems to be the one everyone I have asked mentions.

Michael

Would you let me know how the Benelli runs once you get the tube on?

[Chuck Anderson]

They seem to be at least a couple of hundred more than the Remington, Winchester, FN, etc. What I'd like to know is why once you get a Benelli why would you want to send it to Benny? I do need a back up shotgun, parts so that's why I'm asking questions. Should I shop around for another SX2/FN SLP or should I put out more and get the Benelli?

I don't have first hand experience but I'm sure you can just slap on some parts and you would get a decent performing Benelli.

When I priced it a couple of months ago a complete worked up Tactical/Lim Benelli M2 was in the $1900-$2000 range. Now with the weak dollar it's a couple of $'s more.

From what I have researched stuff that most of us can't do is lightening the bolt and welding up the shell lifter (?) so you don't mess up your thumb. In addition smoothing out and polishing the the feed area can be done by the home gunsmith... but I would rather leave that to experienced hands. I plan to add an American made stock and along with the American made follower and an American made extended shell tube and the gun will be good to go.

That's what I'd like to know, is the Benelli good to go out of the box or do you having to spend $$$ to get it where it needs to be.

I've seen some people that have Benelli's that run right out of the box. I've seen other folks that never get one to run. I "think" a lot of it has to do with shooting style and body size. Since the gun is recoil operated, it seems to be sensitive to this. I can't seem to get a Benelli to run with anything other than 3 3/4 dram or higher ammo, which is why it is on the list to send to Benny to get it fixed.

[Larry White]

Most will run out of the box. They will run better after Benny. They aint sending them to Benny to make them run( most of the time) Theyer sending them to Benny so they can be all they can be. Enhance and protect the investment.--------Larry

[busyhawk]

Just a small correction...the Benelli is not a recoil operated system...it is a Inertia Driven® System. If you are a bigger person a stock Benelli can be a little problem-matic for sure. Being Inertia driven the shotgun must move, meaning the shotgun must have some Inertia to get it going. It is said if you put the Benelli stock up against a solid object, it will not function. Now I have yet to try this but it does make some reason. Get a large recoil pad (like limb saver) and the gun will move without the shooter even feeling it, that is a good reason the new Benelli's have the comfort-tech stock, to make it move.

Since I am a smaller shooter, mine worked great out of the box. Now if I shot light loads (1 oz 2 3/4 dram) it would give me problems. After some help from shooters here on BE I shaved some weight off the gun and now it will cycle anything (only took a file and some time with a dremel). Now the Benelli gives me more felt recoil than a Remington but has yet to fail me! At the MGM IronMan 2 years ago I took both my Remington 1100 comp-master and my Benelli as a backup. My thought process was this match was long and I needed to save my body for the next 3 days so the Remington should do the trick. During the 3rd stage the Remington went south and I picked up the Benelli and have yet to ever look back! I love my Benelli and would not trade it for anything...at least until I have to shoot OPEN!

Scott Hawkins

[Merlin Orr]

I find it ...Odd? that a person will continually go to the price of the Benelli and point to it as a make or break feature. We take off work for 2 or 3 days - travel a 1000 miles and stay over in a hotel for 3 or 4 days to shoot a match that cost 150.00 to even get into.. Then we pick up a (insert a POS) shotgun that we know will crap on us 50% of the matches and then when it does crap on us we zero a stage .. Jeez...

[Religious Shooter]

Were you referring to me?

50% of the time it malfs? Give me a break.

How about we spend $1,000 for an optic with mount, $1,700 for the rifle, $2,500 for the pistol, $250 for a Beta Mag, say $300-500 in holster and ammo holders, $400 in pistol magazines, $60 in 30 round mags for the rifle, $80 for a 40/45 rounder and $1,000's for ammo, gas, rooms, match fees, etc.

After all that... excuse me if I am a lttle slow in plunking down $2,000+ for a shotgun when an $800 one will be OK 98% of the time. BTW... that $2,000+ shotgun can malf on you as well. I've seen enough Benellis choke to know that that cool aid isn't all that good.

[Chuck Anderson]

50% of the matches seems about right for me when I was using the Remmy. Not horrible malfunctions but bad enough to cost time. The Browning still occasionally give me fits but it's been a pretty good gun for the most part. That said, Merlin is right. How long would I hold onto a pistol that malfunctioned every other match, or a rifle. I'm annoyed if I have one malfunction per year with both of those guns combined.

[Religious Shooter]

Well my 1100 doesn't malfunction in 50% of the matches I've shot. If it did that I wouldn't be happy either.

When and if I finally get an M2 I'm sure I'm gonna feel like a real dork for spending the $2,000 when it malfs on me.

[walangkatapat]

I find it ...Odd? that a person will continually go to the price of the Benelli and point to it as a make or break feature. We take off work for 2 or 3 days - travel a 1000 miles and stay over in a hotel for 3 or 4 days to shoot a match that cost 150.00 to even get into.. Then we pick up a (insert a POS) shotgun that we know will crap on us 50% of the matches and then when it does crap on us we zero a stage .. Jeez...

Not all of us can afford to take 2 -3 days off of work without pay to shoot a match let alone even afford the entry fee of a big match. So the cost of a good shotgun is an investment in my shoes. I'd just like to know if a Benelli is out of my financial reach.

[el pres]

Yes your Benelli will run out of the box ! (Well, maybe) Like I mentioned before if its

clean and has the right ammo. Because they are inertia driven the carrier

needs to be kept clean and free to move to the rear, kind of like a lightened AR carrier.(lube it)

As for ammo I found that it was not just the load but the ammo brand. I have an M2 21" field gun

with comfortec stock . I have a few thousand rounds through it of Remington premier target load 1 1/8oz handicap

dram equiv. #8 without one failure (I think thats like 3 1/4 dram, vel.1235, not sure)(shells are almost teflon like)

I have ran other ammo through it even 7/8oz light loads with no hic-ups but the Wallyworld Federal for

instance had all kinds of problems. It was not the load as much as the gritty shell plastic getting caught up

on the way in. Maybe I've got a lucky gun (knock on wood) but all I did was put a DMW tube on it, a Otto side

saddle and +2 pack and went 3gunning. I love my Benelli and would not use anything else, my Remmy feels

like a brick, too heavy too even pick up yet run a stage.

Also most M2's I have seen with problems were the pistol grip models. Shooters may be getting too good of

a grip on them and I hear that the tactical guns have a tighter inertia spring for high end tac loads. Changing out

that spring to a field model is supposed to do the trick ??? Or just buy a field gun !! For mods, I am thinking of doing

the gate weld up, I had my thumb caught in there a few times but nothing major, I think the Remmy mousetrap

is more dangerous. My $1.75

[walangkatapat]

Thanks for the info Dirty Chamber.

[walangkatapat]

Sportsman's Warehouse has a 5% to 100% off today if you're one of the first customers to get a number, then they'll pop a balloon at checkout to see what percent you get off. So I went, get to the gun counter and there's a Benelli M2 field synthetic staring me in the face. I'm looking at it waiting for some service, the barrel looks a lot shorter then the other shotguns around it, am I going to get lucky?? Clerk gets to me and I ask whats the barrel length? He says 24" figures, I'm looking for the 21". Had my platinum card with me and was going to take the plunge.

Edited March 15, 2008 by walangkatapat

[warpspeed]

You know, shotguns are a lot like pistols. Some are willing / able to spend $ 4K on a gun and others only, say $ 1500.

If I shot 3 gun a lot I'd probably shoot something different than my 1100.

I had Benelli. It was a gift so I got it for free. Instead of building "the ultimate" shotgun I sold it. I love 3gun. I just don't shoot it enough.

Perhaps, if I did I'd look at something different.

Now, as to my 1100, It has been a good gun. It has had one problem. The shell latch became unstaked. That was understandable as the receiver had seen considerable use. IIRC something like 40,000 rounds. So it was restaked and has been problem free ever since.

[bigbrowndog]

Someone said, They'd feel like a DORK, if they paid 2000.00 for a Benelli and then it malfunctioned on them??????

How do you feel after paying 15000.00 to 40000.00 on an automobile, or 60000.00 to whatever for a house, and then you have a problem with it,???????????????? a really big Dork???

For the record my M1, was pretty much box stock for the first 2 or 3 years, then the recoil spring wore out and Benny shaved the bolt carrier on it for me while he had it. Other than that modification, its still pretty stock inside. the malfunctions that do occur are usually attributed to ME or the ammo, not the gun. It can be very hard for shooters to admit that they are the cause of malfunctions, most want to blame someone or something else.

Trapr

[el pres]

Someone said, They'd feel like a DORK, if they paid 2000.00 for a Benelli and then it malfunctioned on them??????

How do you feel after paying 15000.00 to 40000.00 on an automobile, or 60000.00 to whatever for a house, and then you have a problem with it,???????????????? a really big Dork???

For the record my M1, was pretty much box stock for the first 2 or 3 years, then the recoil spring wore out and Benny shaved the bolt carrier on it for me while he had it. Other than that modification, its still pretty stock inside. the malfunctions that do occur are usually attributed to ME or the ammo, not the gun. It can be very hard for shooters to admit that they are the cause of malfunctions, most want to blame someone or something else.

Trapr

Hey Trapr, what did shaving the bolt do for you ? Did it change the feel at all ?? Curious to the advantage !!

[Religious Shooter]

Why would you feel good if your $2000+ Benelli craps out on you when a $700 Remmie would have done the same thing?????

$60000 for a house?????

I'd feel like a real dumb ass if I spent $40,000 for a car and it broke down on me. How are you supposed to feel????? Good??????

????!!?!!@@?!!!!!!!!!?@#$@!!!!!!!!!!

[Brian Payne]

Walangkatapat.

To hopefully answer your question. (you should have picked up the 24" barrel Benelli by the way).

I have two Benelli's. An M1 field w/26" barrel. Never a malfunction, box stock with Nordic component tube and clamp. I traded for this because I had purchased a new M2 Tactical (it said "tactical" so it had to be good, right?) w/pistol grip. Numerous malfunctions with that bad boy, Benny Hill explained the reasons for that so I traded for the M1 field. I shoot the cheap Federals found on special at Walmart and have no problems with it.

I then took a shotgun class from TRUBL (THE Nordic Components TRUBL) and got a chance to shoot his 20ga. Benelli. Needless to say, I now compete using a 24" 20ga. M2 w/Nordic Component tube (9 rounder comes even with the end of the barrel). The loading port has been hogged out so my fat thumb fits in there better, Tom Knapp Fiber Optic sight, and some Briley extended choke tubes, other than that it is stock. Not one malfunction since new. I shoot the cheapest 20ga shells I can find and it still fires every time. I normally shoot Winchester Shells because the plastic of the shells is very smooth and makes it easier for me to load weak hand without fumbling. For some reason the little ribs on the Federal hulls makes me drop more shells. YMMV.

My Remington 1100 has been passed down to my son to use in competition. He likes it better because it doesn't kick as hard as my Benelli 12ga. It has cost him several stages at different shoots due to malfunctions but it does have less recoil.

[No.343]

I started with an 11-87 and bought an M2 from Benny. Me and my shooting buddy bought the 11-87s at the same time. His crapped out on him in a few months. I was trying to learn to load and shoot and I found that I simply could not do some of the things that other shooters could do. A gun tuned by Benny does not hold you back. For example: My strong side shoulder is just not that strong. I could not hold a Remmy in my shoulder and load it. I can hold my M2 in my shoulder pointed downrange while I stuff shells in it. I don't know if this is inherent of the M2, or if it is part of Benny's efforts, but putting shells in the tube seems effortless in comparison to the 11-87. I would say that the best reason to buy an M2 from Benny is that it will reduce the amount of time it will take you to be proficient with it. It's kinda nice that it hasn't malfunctioned, too.

[bigbrowndog]

As for the shaving of the carrier, I haven't felt any difference

[Chills1994]

I paid $200 for my 1100 "Fudd" gun at a gunshow and it runs.