View Full Version : Benelli - am I thinking correctly.
I want a general purpose, lifetime shotgun. I want it to look nice for field use, clays, etc. I'd also like it to be useful for defense and possibly 3 gun.
Here's my thought:
Get a field gun, 12GA, M1 or M2, wood furniture, 26" or 28" barrel (could use input here from clays/hunting guys). What can I expect to pay?
Buy an additional shorter barrel (20"?) to use for HD/3gun. What length? How much money?
Buy a Mag Extension (Nordic seems to be good?) Looks like $70 or so online.
Then, all I have to do to switch from one to the other is unscrew the mag/cap and swap barrels, right?
Sound good?
A Benelli M2S90 is a good choice for 3 gun, I've used a 21" M1S90 since before the '94 AWB. Mine is not the best choice for clays, but it could get you to the dance fairly well with a 24 to 26" barrel. The old SOF rules restricted barrels to 22" or under, but that's mostly gone away now.
A much better semi-auto choice for clays is the Beretta 391 with 28 or 30" barrel. In the proper SC configuration, assuming the stock is fitted properly, it's made specifically for that sport. Mine, took me to Sporting Clays A class in short order. (I was a serious skeet shooter in a different life so it's not just the gun). Know that some are unreliable unless you swap the 391 carrier for a 390. Deals can be had on the used market.
I would not jump into the expense of a spare Benelli barrel; they are very expensive and that money could go elsewhere. A 26" barreled semi will have about the same OAL as a 28" O/U, btw.
The M2's are nice shotguns. I'm shooting a Super Black Eagle II but that is because of wanting to be able to shoot 3.5" shells when goose and turkey hunting. Mine has a 24" barrel which works fine for me. This is an all around shotgun that I shoot waterfowl, upland game, turkey, clays and skeet. I do not compete at all though. The main difference between the SBEII and the M2 is that you cannot shoot 3.5" shells out of the M2. 3" max. To be honest though in 99% of most situations 3.5" shells are overkill. The M2 can be had for $1100 to $1300 depending upon version and where you are purchasing them from.
IrishDevil
11-09-11, 11:09
The cost of a second barrel combined with the hassle of barrel/ext. swapping is justification for a second gun. I use a M1S90 24" for 3-gun and a 26" M2 for hunting. I sometimes wish for a shorter 21" barrel(Benelli doesn't make a 22") on my 3-gun M1, but the 24" is nice for a little more velocity on long range steel. In the not so distant future I plan to add either a M2 21" or FN 22" to my 3-gun stable. If I was going to pick only one barrel length for competition/hunting it would be the 24", not too long and helps with a little velocity at range.
Gutshot John
11-09-11, 13:50
I went down this road a bit ago as detailed here (https://www.m4carbine.net/archive/index.php/t-83826.html).
What I found basically coincides with what others have said. You're really better off just getting two guns. I started off getting a Benelli M2 but ended up selling it in favor of an 11-87.
First a clays gun tends to be fairly role specific. It works well as a hunting gun but they tend to be a bit beefier/heavier to tame some of the recoil and control the swing. You might not need or want that extra weight in a hunting/tactical gun.
Second the M2 doesn't really make a great sporting gun. Besides being too light (which your wife or gf might like if she wants to shoot it too) there aren't a lot of options for weights and other things. The "American" version doesn't have a full set of chokes which you would need. The rib is suboptimal (too thin and too high) for clays/skeet. It might do better on trap.
Really though I wouldn't limit yourself to Benelli or Beretta. While Italian shotguns are the standard by which others are judged...and both companies make some outstanding shotguns...there are other equally viable companies out there. Among them are Remington and Winchester.
I initially had poo-poo'd the 11-87 until I was given one by my grandfather who was huge into clays/skeet until parkinson's took hold and it's really a nice gun. Utterly reliable, beautiful and it balances/shoots really well.
I liked it so much I ditched the Benelli (used) and got a (new) 11-87 Police with money left over. It also has been utterly reliable. I even shot wobble trap with it and it did pretty well.
Benelli is very proud of their barrels...to the tune of like $500....your well on your way to a second gun for that much. Just buying another barrel is a viable option for remington or mossberg, but not with benelli IMO
I shot a browning gold 3.5 for years with a 26" barrel and never wanted for another gun other than it would be nice to get a south paw version someday because I am left handed. I extended the magazine recently when I dove into 3 gun and have been doing well, but now I want something more purpose built for 3 gun so I just ordered an M2...today infact. But it will be sent out and built up into a full blown 3gun race gun
My gold will still do all the traditional shotgunning and the m2 will be competition specific race gun. I might not even shoot it before I send it off to a custom shop for transformation.
You are looking at $1200-1600 depending upon which specific model you want and store mark up.
I love Benelli, in fact my first gun ever was a Benelli M3S90. With that being said, I have two M1S90's and a Montarfeltro(sp?) Silver model that I use for sporting clays. Each gun has it's purpose in my collection. The Montrafeltro Silver, is my sporting clays gun, the M3 I'll never give up. The M1's are home/office defense. They all have the same manual of arms and I'm very confident with them.
In other words I just went with the multi gun for multi role/purpose way.
I really want to get a Benelli.
I want to get into 3gun, but I am still trying to find a place that has some good competitions here in VA. I did ACTS matches back in AZ which was rifle/pistol stuff, and I gave my shotgun to my dad for last Christmas.
Soo..I need a new shotgun in general. I'm just torn on what to get. Ideally, it would be for 3gun-esque competitions. It'd play a secondary role as a HD, clay, hunting shotgun--although most of its time not competing will realistically be in a safe.
Something else that's factoring in on my choice is that I am getting ~$1300 from a refund (from something long ago--so its like finding $1300 in an old pair of jeans :)) and I already bought a new pistol with it which leaves me ~$500 of 'free money' to play with. I can get some pretty nice pump shotguns for that price. I wouldn't even have to touch anything else--which is pretty appealing. But those Benelli's look soo pretty on the shelves at the local gun stores. ..
thespaceghost
12-02-11, 12:43
Summit Point Shooters shoot 3 gun in West Virginia about once a month at the Summit Point Race Track (just across the border and NW of Dulles). Look em up online. Nice people good courses.
Get the Benelli! You never feel bad about having one...or a few!
For less money, but still Benelli, believe it or not, a number of guys run the Benelli Nova and Super Nova pumps in 3 gun and do just fine.
I really want to get a Benelli.
I want to get into 3gun, but I am still trying to find a place that has some good competitions here in VA. I did ACTS matches back in AZ which was rifle/pistol stuff, and I gave my shotgun to my dad for last Christmas.
Soo..I need a new shotgun in general. I'm just torn on what to get. Ideally, it would be for 3gun-esque competitions. It'd play a secondary role as a HD, clay, hunting shotgun--although most of its time not competing will realistically be in a safe.
Something else that's factoring in on my choice is that I am getting ~$1300 from a refund (from something long ago--so its like finding $1300 in an old pair of jeans :)) and I already bought a new pistol with it which leaves me ~$500 of 'free money' to play with. I can get some pretty nice pump shotguns for that price. I wouldn't even have to touch anything else--which is pretty appealing. But those Benelli's look soo pretty on the shelves at the local gun stores. ..
Get the Benelli with a 24" barrel to cover everything from 3 gun to HD. Should be a nice compromise.
Your in GA I see. Four of team benelli's 3 gunners live in the greater Atlanta area. They can be found at most of the local ga 3 gun events. They can show you their set ups and answer any questions you might have about the platform.
For less money, but still Benelli, believe it or not, a number of guys run the Benelli Nova and Super Nova pumps in 3 gun and do just fine.
I run a Benelli Nova quite often. I have also used a friends Super Nova, but I can't tell any difference in the two. YMMV
Get the Benelli with a 24" barrel to cover everything from 3 gun to HD. Should be a nice compromise.
....
The 24" will also be a better choice (over a 21 or shorter) for any of the Clays games. I've often wished I had a 24" instead of my 21" M1S90. Especially since I shoot 28 & 30" barrels on my dedicated clays guns.
I have an M1 with a regular stock that I use for both 3gun and hunting(actually my 14yo uses it during hunting season). I have a 21" barrel with a DMW mag extension on it for 3 gun and a 26 inch barrel that goes on in Sept. for doves and stays on until February for ducks, deer, etc. Been using it like this for years although I mainly hunt with an SBE. Like others said though, the barrel prices are expensive but if you want it go for it. Mine definitely works for both and only takes a few minutes to change over. If I could have only one semi auto shotgun it would be this set up with both barrels.
Gutshot John
12-03-11, 17:00
Out of curiosity Spence, do you shoot those guns to skeet/clays at all? If so could you give an assessment how well they work in that regard?
Yup, I shoot sporting clays with both shotguns. That said I'm not a serious shooter, 6 - 8 times a year. Usually some during the spring/ early summer and a couple/few rounds leading up to dove season. Some years less. My 14 year old does use the M1 as a clays gun and has taken it to a 6 day clays summer camp for 2 summers running and not reported any issues. He does have a recoil shoulder shield he wears though:D
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