Help me buy a tactical shotgun!

Another vote for Turknelli, S&J do a great build from the Revolution R4. Very accurate copy of Benelli M4 at less than half the price..

Also, these guns have adjustable comb on the collapsible stock, imo better than the original, desirable Benelli collapsible.

I've owned and built up several pump actions (wingmaster, shorty 870, fabarm), have never found a semi auto I prefered all around over a pump until the Turknelli. Excellent action, great cycle, great maintenance design, low recoil. Includes a pic rail and excellent adjustable sights. Really stays on target!

And they come with full length magazine. Five shells 3". Easily fits six 2.75"


1301 Tactical is another top contender for best tactical semi, I've done my homework on them and comparing head to head:

-1301 requires aftermarket parts to match Turknelli mag capacity (m4s also require aftermarket parts for full capacity)
-1301 may perform slightly better with lower-energy shells ie target stuff
-1301 slightly more felt recoil than m4/tnelli
-1301 is lighter, and Beretta has some really nice field/straight stocks on these
-1301 does not have an included excellent collapsible stock option, there are some expensive AR-looking stocks aftermarket
-1301 has more plastic parts, not quite as rugged as m4
-1301 has slightly quicker action cycle
-1301 has improved ergonomics

My conclusion: Beretta 1301 are totally awesome, but I'm going to get one in the Comp Pro model format (vent rib, kickoff recoil control stock, enlarged feeding gate, optimized controls). To build a 1301 Tactical which meets and/or exceeds Turknelli stock configuration, it will cost nearly 2 grand CAD (still, cheaper than an actual Benelli m4).

For most of my shooting the Turknelli fits like a glove and has performed near flawlessly since break-in period, it's definitely a keeper, and the most exciting shotgun I've owned in 20 years. I honestly don't think any other 12ga competes with its feature set at just under a grand CAD. Girlfriend loves shooting it too, she wants one of her own!

edit: link to Turknelli in Canada from S&J: https://www.sjhardware.com/product/turknelli-2-0/

(I'm really happy with the Cerakote on mine, that is also a great value for small added cost)


edit again: I know it's not a tactical shotgun, but here's the 1301 Comp Pro, definitely the best equipped of the family: https://www.beretta.com/en/1301-comp-pro/
(this one has a factory extended mag for comp shooting, likely not stock available in Canada but certainly the mag can be extended easily to five 3" shells)
 
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Everyone saying the turknelli is a bad investment doesn't own one. You want an entry level Benelli or a clone of their flagship? Unless you are going to be jumping out of helicopters into salt water and ####, go with the turknelli. I don't own a more fun, legal to discharge shotgun. Get a 590a1 if you want affordable quality.
 
I've got a few T's - Hatsan 14" Marine Guard pump, Hatsan Optima 26" pump, Girsan 26" MC312 inertia semi, Daly 19" 601 TAC gas semi. Very pleased with all 4, both semis cycle with target #7s up to slugs and ran about 1/2 the cost of 'Big Boys'. With patents expired on 'many' semi designs the field is open and Turks are great bargain. I've seen YT vids of 'multi-thousand round' function tests showing competition users trying to 'kill them'. :d
 
Of the 2 that you named, get the Benelli - they're an exceptionally good shotgun that won't let you down, and which have spares available in the unlikely case that something gets broken. Especially for wilderness use, you need something that you're more likely to get good hits with, it doesn't do you any good to miss faster. Also train with whatever gun you decide to get, you need to be able to run the gun in order to depend on it to keep you alive. I'm assuming also that the Benelli is lighter, that's important, you'll be carrying it for miles and you might only need it once a decade.
 
J.Hancock said:
Everyone saying the turknelli is a bad investment doesn't own one. You want an entry level Benelli or a clone of their flagship? Unless you are going to be jumping out of helicopters into salt water and ####, go with the turknelli. I don't own a more fun, legal to discharge shotgun. Get a 590a1 if you want affordable quality.
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If I had to choose between an actual Benelli or a clone of one I’d pick the real Benelli.
 
Butcherbill said:
If I had to choose between an actual Benelli or a clone of one I’d pick the real Benelli.
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Sure, if money is no object. Personally, I have more important things than guns to invest in, and a knockoff m4 for a third of the cost with all of the performance boxes checked, is a no brainer.

Had a blast today shooting clays with mine, 8/10 clays average on the first day shooting clays with a tactical shotgun, cycling Challenger target ammo without hiccups, was better than I could have expected!

https://imgur.com/a/f57UoaI
 
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Either shotgun will do fine for your intended purpose ; the real question is do you want a semi or a pump ? I know lots of folks who upgraded from a pump to a semi , but I don't know anyone who went from a semi to a pump unless they intended to have both guns .
 
ApoC_101 said:
Sure, if money is no object. Personally, I have more important things than guns to invest in, and a knockoff m4 for a third of the cost with all of the performance boxes checked, is a no brainer.

Had a blast today shooting clays with mine, 8/10 clays average on the first day shooting clays with a tactical shotgun, cycling Challenger target ammo without hiccups, was better than I could have expected!
Click to expand...

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not slagging the turknelli as it seems like one of the better Turkish offerings out there at the moment. The op didn’t give any price range or budget, just a which one would you pic. If I had to choose between a Benelli or a clone I’d choose the real one, same with the 870’s over the Grizzly’s, of which I’ve owned both and I’d still take the Remington. Not for reliability reasons but more for QC and weight reasons.
 
Same here, I've owned a few 870s and the Grizzly aren't as good. The mag latches/advancers constantly act up in my grizzly which makes it utterly useless for a reliable pump gun.

I'd love a Benelli m4 as well, though I prefer the stock on the Turknelli (adjustable comb, original Benelli is fixed height)

Weight btw is the same as Benelli. Similar materials throughout.
 
steamy teabag said:
I bend plastic sporks with my mind.
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Yea I dig that video, great coverage of the 1301. Still doesn't answer the "real tactical shotgun" gatekeeping tho.


What makes a tactical shotgun? It's quite broad:

1. Short enough barrel/OAL for "close quarters", tight spaces handling and operation (18.5" is very common, much shorter than sporting guns)

2. Ergonomics optimized for operation under high-stress scenarios (Defense, Competition, etc). Easy and rapid single-loading falls into this.

3. Greater magazine capacity relative to a traditional hunting/sporting shotgun (more than 1-3 shells, typically 4 or more shells).

4. Gunsights equipped, for single projectile delivery and high-stress repeatability, for example, shooting from a tight position.


All other considerations are secondary to those, whether it's accessory rails, a mil-spec color scheme, breaching chokes, actual military service, etc. All that other stuff is aesthetics and supplementaries.

The 1301 is "a real tactical shotgun" in both existing stock model offerings and further equipped as such. Many shotguns today qualify as tactical shotguns, due to the nature of their effectiveness in defense and combat-inspired competition or otherwise, with design enhancements to suit those specialties.

Typically, the intended application of Tactical shotguns are for competition and related practice, in addition to defense applications... They also make a great "one tool" non-restricted shotgun, so long as you avoid over-equipping and specializing the config (skip all those expensive attachments!). Traditional shotgunners may frown at your choice of a tactical shotgun for hunting, or clay sports, this is because they are secretly jealous, and frustrated from owning a dozen different shotguns which are each too limited and specialized ;)
 
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OP go with the SG you like most and the best warranty.


I'll just leave this other tactical stuff here.

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