Benelli-M1,M2, or M4

[M4Fundi]

Today all the Benelli's appeared to run well, but the M4 owner suffered a Popper to the finger(it was bloody) and did not shoot the M4 but says it has been very reliable.

The Saiga 20g was a different story it was a jammaholic and we could not get the adjustable gas system to adjust. I see the guys at Magpul have some great looking custom Saiga shotguns and I wonder what it takes to make them run reliably???

If shooting a Benelli M1 "well" with heavy loads separated the men from the boys, well, today I felt like a Girl Scout with crushed cookies I shot faster than I ever shot before just to get it over with

ps This means that Zak S. is one of the "Men"...Zak thanks for the loaner I owe you shells

[WS6]

I own a benelli m3. (pump and semi) it has a similar mechanism as the m1. I would say it took some time for the semi-auto to work efficiently. In fact you should have the right posture in shooting the benelli. it's inertia system can be easily fooled by bad posture and hanging too many stuffs on your shotgun.

but so far. after shooting like. 500 rounds of full load bird shot. It's been working fine.

I can shoot bird-shot in my Benelli M4 holding it straight out from my body by only the pistol-grip portion of the stock. Cycles until it runs dry.

My other M4 was the same way.

Everyone else's M4 I know of runs great also. I hear of a lot more problems with other weapons than I do the M4.

[M4Fundi]

How does it compare in recoil to say an 1100?

[WS6]

How does it compare in recoil to say an 1100?

I have not shot an 1100 to compare. I have shot an 18.5" bare-bones 870 pump. I was only 15 though, so that's not really a fair comparison. I don't find recoil to be bad at all personally. Then again, TOTALLY subjective there.

ETA: 3" 1oz slugs at 1760fps from a bench was uncomfortable after about 15 rounds. I was tender all afternoon after that and a bit the next day.

[esskay]

On recoil ... I can't compare to 1100s either -- but the FN SLP and M4, both gas guns, seem pretty similar IIRC. Can shoot full power slugs, buck, etc out of them almost all day long. Then there's a big gap in recoil to the M2 with a ComforTech stock, shooting full power slugs sure gets uncomfortable. Then the M1 is the worst, full power slugs are downright punishing.

On light loads, in my experience M1/M2 will not cycle 1oz birdshot reliably at all, and the M4 cycled that load about 75%. Move up to 1 1/8 oz birdshot and all three models will run all day long.

BTW, my understanding on the design objective for the M4 was to enable the gun to cycle reliably regardless of various accessories being mounted to the gun, not to shoot light loads. The inertia Benellis are known to get less reliable as you load them up with stuff and make the gun heavier (lights, sidesaddles full of ammo, etc).

[esskay]

I can shoot bird-shot in my Benelli M4 holding it straight out from my body by only the pistol-grip portion of the stock. Cycles until it runs dry.

My other M4 was the same way.

Everyone else's M4 I know of runs great also. I hear of a lot more problems with other weapons than I do the M4.

WS6, curious if your M4 cycles 1oz birdshot 100%? Mine wouldn't...

[WS6]

WS6, curious if your M4 cycles 1oz birdshot 100%? Mine wouldn't...

Mine is more velocity than weight dependant it seems. IIRC I shot 1oz@1300fps 3-dram and it KICKED the stuff out, I shot 1-1/8 STS Target 2.75 dram at 1145 and it BARELY kicked it out, but was 100% when held properly (not 1-arm or from the hip unless I REALYL gripped it, lol).

Gas is the factor here, as it is gas operated. Weight of the charg, imho, is unimportant. Volume/velocity of the gas escaping into the ports is. Then again, weight may determine dwell-time in the barrel, spiking gas-pressures. I don't know. All I know is dram was more indicative of ejection performance than shot-weight.

I will buy the weakest crap I can find next time I go out. See how it does with like 1125fps stuff or something. I have yet to run something it wasn't 100% with though.

Also of note, I run my M4 wet like an AR, with LaRue MG lube. Much slicker, and also against the official TM. It works though, so I don't knock it.

[M4Fundi]

Thanks for all the great info!

[johnnywitt]

The problem with a M1 is that you need a vent rib, or at least no sights except maybe a bead, to properly shoot a shotgun. A field M1 would be a good gun with a short 24" or 21" barrel.

[Alaskapopo]

The problem with a M1 is that you need a vent rib, or at least no sights except maybe a bead, to properly shoot a shotgun. A field M1 would be a good gun with a short 24" or 21" barrel.

I hate bead sights except on bird guns. You can shoot a shotgun just fine with Ghost Rings.
pat