Which Benelli For Trap and 3 Gun?

[PaigeB]

I want to buy a semi-auto Benelli, that I can use for both trap and 3-gun competitions. I am hoping there is a semi-auto Benelli with changeable barrels. I'd like to do both with the same shotgun. Any suggestions?

[Buck]

It is hard to two things really good at the same time, but if you want one Benelli for both I would buy a used M1... There is a very large accessory market for them and you can get a 28 inch trap barrel, an 18 inch fighting barrel, and any number of different stocks, fore ends, side saddles, magazine extenders, bolt handles and the like...

Just my .02

Buck

[Nick S]

Get a M1 or M2 w/ 24" VR barrel and FO bead for double duty. Benelli barrels are a pain in the ass to come by and the 18.5" barrels suck ass for 3 gun. M1 and M2 barrels are interchangeable. In addition, get a Nordic Components magazine extension and clamp and you should be good to go. Be careful hanging too much trash on the side of a Benelli as the increased mass/weight can cause problems w/ cycling however thats not always the case.

Hope this helps.

[Pat_D]

Pabiron 1,

I'm with you. I am trying to buy 1 semi auto shotgun that can do it all but in my case I lean mostly to the 3 gun side of things.

There is a 21" VR barreled Benelli M2 that I have been considering. Supposedly it's the cat's pajamas for 3 gun. The Nordic componants mag extension seems to be the hot ticket and with a 21" barrel the mag tube should be flush with the end of the barrel. This setup allows 8 in the tube and 1 in the chamber. The most you can have in the gun if you are playing in Tactical. The 24" may be the better all around setup and I am considering that one as well.

It's not only hard to come by extra Benelli barrels, it's also pretty expensive. $350.00 to $400.00. I have an M1 Super 90 18.5 inch gun that I was going to rebarrel but I think I am going to just sell it to a teammate and man up for a new M2.

[cactustactical]

For those who are interested in the Nordic Components (http://http://www.cactustactical.com/osc/product_info.php?cPath=412&products_id=1169) extension tubes, we provide a quick chart showing the length of the extension tube and its overall length once it has been installed. Makes it pretty easy to figure out what extension works with your barrel length.

# of Shells - +3
Tube Length -8.622
Overall Length - 17.747
Recommended Barrel Length - 18.5

# of Shells - +4
Tube Length - 10.393
Overall Length - 19.518
Recommended Barrel Length - 18.5 / 21

# of Shells - +5
Tube Length - 11.929
Overall Length - 21.054
Recommended Barrel Length - 18.5 / 21

# of Shells - +6
Tube Length - 14.370
Overall Length - 23.495
Recommended Barrel Length - 21 / 24

# of Shells - +7
Tube Length - 17.598
Overall Length - 26.723
Recommended Barrel Length - 24 / 28

# of Shells - +8
Tube Length - 20.196
Overall Length - 29.321
Recommended Barrel Length - 288

[Rembrandt]

I want to buy a semi-auto Benelli, that I can use for both trap and 3-gun competitions. I am hoping there is a semi-auto Benelli with changeable barrels. I'd like to do both with the same shotgun. Any suggestions?

The Benelli is a good choice for three gun, as a trap gun....there are far better selections. Trap guns use a sight picture that places the bird above the beads...similar to the configuration of a snowman. Lower part of the snowman is the rear bead, center chest is the front bead, and the target will be the snowmans "head".

Trap guns are generally long barrels and tight chokes. If an O/U and semi-auto are the same overall length, the O/U will offer more barrel length because it doesn't need the action length an auto does.

Trap is a one or two target game where you need to retrieve your empties....either during the round by removing hulls from the chamber or picking them up off the ground after everyone is done. This is why over-unders are the gun of choice for trap.

[Robb Jensen]

I don't know anything about Trap. A good Benelli for 3gun is a M2 w/comfortech stock.

[cactustactical]

Benelli's have easily changed barrels, takes just a few minutes to swap out a barrel.

A 18.5 or 21 inch barrel is great for 3 gun competition. A 28 inch barrel can be used for skeet or trap, although as previously mentioned, there are better alternatives.

We have taken the Benelli's to the local trap and skeet range a few times a year and shot a few rounds. We get some strange looks and comments from the skeet / trap snobs, but it is great practice using a competition gun to shoot at fast moving targets.