rajczak_kashka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Surrey, B.C.
Thanks for the pic. Why couldn’t they simply permanently plug the high cap tube from the factory instead of putting that hideous thing on it?
Benelli M4 with Advanced Impact Choke system!
- Thread starter Al Flaherty's
- Start date
Did they explain why they only made 50 for Canada and when this batch is gone they are gone? I just don’t have the funds to pull the trigger!I'm really looking forward to receiving mine. A limited edition Benelli M4—I couldn't resist. It's the first of its kind, and since the Advance Impact technology is fairly new, I haven't been able to find any data on resistance testing or long-term durability.
As I understand it, a barrel designed specifically for tungsten ammunition with pressures exceeding 1,300 bar should perform at least as well as, if not better than, the standard M4 barrel. If anyone has any additional technical information on the metallurgy or durability of these AI barrels, I would be very grateful to receive it.
Another question: the seller at Tenda mentioned that only 50 units were imported for Canada. Is this series really that limited? Can we expect more batches, or is this a one-off production run like the NP3 H2O? I'm curious to hear from collectors or anyone who has handled one.
By the way, I ordered mine from Al Flaherty this week. It was my first order with them—excellent communication, a smooth transaction, and very fast delivery
rajczak_kashka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Surrey, B.C.
Not a big deal to replace with an S&J tube extension that looks much much better than OEM offering on these “Canadian legal” variants …however at $4k …you’d think these would come with something other than the hideous old style oneThey must be thinking the same thing as HK: "Because you suck. And we hate you."
Benelli, who is owned by Beretta, seems to be using different verbiage to describe the 1301 "steelium" barrel and characteristics. Extended forcing cone, hard shot compatible. I wonder what this Benelli is using for a choke tube?I'm really looking forward to receiving mine. A limited edition Benelli M4—I couldn't resist. It's the first of its kind, and since the Advance Impact technology is fairly new, I haven't been able to find any data on resistance testing or long-term durability.
As I understand it, a barrel designed specifically for tungsten ammunition with pressures exceeding 1,300 bar should perform at least as well as, if not better than, the standard M4 barrel. If anyone has any additional technical information on the metallurgy or durability of these AI barrels, I would be very grateful to receive it.
Another question: the seller at Tenda mentioned that only 50 units were imported for Canada. Is this series really that limited? Can we expect more batches, or is this a one-off production run like the NP3 H2O? I'm curious to hear from collectors or anyone who has handled one.
By the way, I ordered mine from Al Flaherty this week. It was my first order with them—excellent communication, a smooth transaction, and very fast delivery
It's very likely they used the same production quality as their Steelium barrel, but the bore is much larger at 0.775 inches, which is more like the bore of a 10-gauge. As for the choke, I haven't found much information. Probably an AI modified choke. I'm getting mine early next week. I'll get back to you with the answer. These AI parts seem very hard to find.
Here is an interesting article about Benelli's Advance Impact cannons.
Outdoor Life reviewed another Benelli model using the same Advanced Impact system, so the bore numbers are still relevant for the M4 AI.
However, according to Outdoor Life's measurements, it is classified as "modified," but based on the exact dimensions (0.775-inch bore / 0.765-inch choke), it is actually a 0.010-inch reduction, which corresponds to a Skeet caliber according to the chart provided by Briley. Therefore, the "modified" AI is not a traditional Modified. Its designation does not conform to SAAMI standards.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/benelli-advanced-impact-barrel-test/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.briley.com/p-69582.aspx
Outdoor Life reviewed another Benelli model using the same Advanced Impact system, so the bore numbers are still relevant for the M4 AI.
However, according to Outdoor Life's measurements, it is classified as "modified," but based on the exact dimensions (0.775-inch bore / 0.765-inch choke), it is actually a 0.010-inch reduction, which corresponds to a Skeet caliber according to the chart provided by Briley. Therefore, the "modified" AI is not a traditional Modified. Its designation does not conform to SAAMI standards.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/benelli-advanced-impact-barrel-test/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.briley.com/p-69582.aspx
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I went down the rabbit hole trying to understand everything about Benelli’s Advanced Impact barrels. The performance gains that third parties measured with the 30-inch Advanced Impact barrels are already pretty minimal… so imagine what that translates to on an 18.5-inch Drone Guardian.… let’s just say the difference in performance is about as big as the difference between a normal M4 and one wearing a fancy coat of paint.
Is it worth the price? Depends on what you want. Limited edition? Check. Cool factor? Check. Circle-reticle Steiner MPS that no one else seems to get? Check. Ability to impress people at the range who mostly shoot Turkish pumps? Double check.
The chokes are impossible to find, the marketing is strong, and the gun is expensive — but honestly, it’s an M4. If the Beretta 1301 didn’t make you smile and the Drone Guardian does, then that’s your answer.
At the end of the day, it’s not about logic — it’s about owning the only tactical shotgun with more hype than a Call of Duty bundle
Is it worth the price? Depends on what you want. Limited edition? Check. Cool factor? Check. Circle-reticle Steiner MPS that no one else seems to get? Check. Ability to impress people at the range who mostly shoot Turkish pumps? Double check.
The chokes are impossible to find, the marketing is strong, and the gun is expensive — but honestly, it’s an M4. If the Beretta 1301 didn’t make you smile and the Drone Guardian does, then that’s your answer.
At the end of the day, it’s not about logic — it’s about owning the only tactical shotgun with more hype than a Call of Duty bundle
Great write up. I want it just not money this time of year! How limited is it? Will it be restocked in the new year?I went down the rabbit hole trying to understand everything about Benelli’s Advanced Impact barrels. The performance gains that third parties measured with the 30-inch Advanced Impact barrels are already pretty minimal… so imagine what that translates to on an 18.5-inch Drone Guardian.… let’s just say the difference in performance is about as big as the difference between a normal M4 and one wearing a fancy coat of paint.
Is it worth the price? Depends on what you want. Limited edition? Check. Cool factor? Check. Circle-reticle Steiner MPS that no one else seems to get? Check. Ability to impress people at the range who mostly shoot Turkish pumps? Double check.
The chokes are impossible to find, the marketing is strong, and the gun is expensive — but honestly, it’s an M4. If the Beretta 1301 didn’t make you smile and the Drone Guardian does, then that’s your answer.
At the end of the day, it’s not about logic — it’s about owning the only tactical shotgun with more hype than a Call of Duty bundle
Personally, I really hope they don’t restock it — because nothing kills a “limited edition” faster than finding it back on the shelf a week later. And let’s be honest, dropping this thing right before the holidays was probably the worst timing imaginable. Great way to empty our wallets when we’re supposed to be buying gifts for other people.
In the end, my Christmas list looks like this:
– Me: $4,000 shotgun
– Everyone else: $20 gifts
Seems fair.
Haha love it. Terrible timing and not to mention all the safe queens I have makes it hard to spend this kind of money. If I knew this is the last and only stock mah make me spend money I don’t have.
You are correct and validating my findings. Information on Stoeger Canada's site informed me that Beretta does not recommend slugs through anything tighter than their Improved Cylinder chokes. I thought wtf!? Slugs have ALWAYS been gtg through a modified choke, so I started down the information rabbit hole and found that at least with Beretta's Optima HP choke tubes, they are all tighter than our standard SAAMI specs. Not by much mind you, but tighter.
Edit: slugs pattern just fine out of their modified choke tube btw. Despite Beretta's recommendations, it's what I use, as it also patterns flightcontrol buckshot best.
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Here’s a video from the French YouTube channel Sauvage. In this video, he claims that the Benelli Advance Impact barrel can safely shoot steel with a full choke, and he actually demonstrates tighter patterns compared to a standard barrel — which normally should only shoot steel through an Improved Cylinder choke at most.
I haven’t found this information on Benelli’s official website, but considering he was invited directly to Benelli’s presentation in Italy, his claims seem credible. If this is accurate, it definitely makes the price of the M4 Drone Guardian more justifiable.
That said, I still haven’t been able to confirm which choke Benelli used during their pattern tests, and this could explain the vague wording in their presentation. If they used a tighter choke (thanks to AI’s steel-rated full choke), the improved performance would simply come from that, rather than from the barrel alone.
“Just a quick clarification”
Just to keep things safe, even if the AI Full choke is steel-rated, that isn’t new — steel-rated Full chokes have been around for years. What I’m not completely sure about is whether it’s really meant for anything larger than #4 or #2 steel.
If someone here understands choke design better than I do, I’d appreciate any clarification.
Just to keep things safe, even if the AI Full choke is steel-rated, that isn’t new — steel-rated Full chokes have been around for years. What I’m not completely sure about is whether it’s really meant for anything larger than #4 or #2 steel.
If someone here understands choke design better than I do, I’d appreciate any clarification.
The information you provided is very interesting, and it definitely helps explain the choke recommendations—especially in cases like the Optima HP, which can be tighter than standard SAAMI chokes. It also made me think a bit more about the subject, because I'm not extremely familiar with it, and I wanted to compare this with my good old Maverick 88 using a Modified Accu-Choke.
For slugs, Mossberg recommends an IC choke.
For buckshot, Mossberg recommends a Full or Modified choke.
Mossberg also specifies that slugs, buckshot, and steel shot should not be used with an Extra Full “turkey” choke due to the excessive constriction.
From this, we can logically deduce that using slugs, buckshot, or steel shot in a standard Full choke is acceptable. Of course, when it comes to steel shot, the choke must be designed for steel use.
What I find interesting about Mossberg’s guidance is that the focus is mainly on accuracy, not safety. We hear so many different opinions, and honestly so much nonsense, about choke selection that it becomes confusing. For example, many people claim that using buckshot or slugs in a Full choke is dangerous, and so on.
But from what I understand, if you have a quality shotgun with a quality choke, there is no real danger when using lead projectiles, because lead can deform as it passes through the choke—unlike steel shot, which cannot. That's why following the manufacturer’s recommendations is so important.
In the end, with lead ammunition, it really comes down to performance and accuracy rather than safety. Yes, you can fire a slug through a Full choke, but is it optimal? Probably not.
Whether it’s a slug or buckshot, the best approach seems to be to start with the most open choke and progressively move toward tighter constrictions to see which one patterns best. A choke that’s too tight can actually cause worse dispersion with buckshot, making it less effective.
Please let me know if I’m misunderstanding anything.
I finally received mine, and after checking, the Drone Guardian indeed comes with a black mate Modified choke, identified by the three notches at the muzzle
As for the optic, the MPS that comes with the Drone Guardian is basically the “special simplified edition” of the Steiner MPS — a version made exclusively for this model.
Only 3 brightness levels, no NV settings, no auto-off, and a rotary switch you could probably operate while wearing oven mitts.
This is actually consistent with Benelli’s own promotional videos, including the one with Finnish champion Kim Leppänen.
What’s misleading, though, is that Benelli Defense shows the real MPS on their website, and even in some product presentations — including the TFBTV Show Time video — the Drone Guardian is displayed with the standard MPS instead of the simplified one.
Any regrets after getting it?
