M4 vs 1301 for Bush bear defense?

Another side note is a gasser doesn't have to be on your shoulder to fire. Sometimes recoil operated guns jam when not being shouldered. I know of 3 m4 guns that will jam if shot one handed where my 1301 never fails. If youre betting your life on a scattergun I'm choosing one that will fire from any position
M4's are gas operated, M2's are recoil.
 
...*but I prefer a 14" pump with birdshead grip for carrying in the woods. ...
I mostly agree. The 14" birdshead options are just so much shorter and easy to carry, they're one of my top choices if I figure I should "maybe take a gun".

If it's a day where I figure I "definitely should take a gun", then it's going to be an option with a full stock.

For serious use, I wouldn't trust ANY of these options until I had run at least a few hundred rounds through the individual gun with zero hiccups.
 
Another side note is a gasser doesn't have to be on your shoulder to fire. Sometimes recoil operated guns jam when not being shouldered. I know of 3 m4 guns that will jam if shot one handed where my 1301 never fails. ...
Interesting. Possibly depends on the ammunition? I wonder how many semiauto shotgun owners test this.

You can get malfunctions with pretty much any repeating firearm, it's important to figure out what can make your choice choke. It's true that good gas operated semi autos tend to be less prone to user-induced malfunctions.
 
M4's are gas operated, M2's are recoil.
Correct. I should have started a new paragraph when I mentioned about the m4s malfunctioning when shot one handed. To be fair to those 3 guns they all have low round counts but still failed with 1.25oz heavy field load #4 and #4 buck shot. Loads any semi auto should not have issues with
My 1301 has been flawless. I did give it a 100 round break in with some old handloaded duck loads from the 80s. Max loads of 540 powder and 1.5oz lead. The action cycled so fast you could see flames out the ejection port. It now fires even my half oz loads

My buddy's 940 I think it's the pro model. Has the slate grey recover with gold accents has kept up with my 1301 comp and a400 xplor but I prefer the berettas handling
 
I've had good luck breaking in my M4's with 3" hunting shells, cheapest I can find. Usually one box does it. I like the weight of the 1301's, and I personally like that they make a vent rib version. My only gripe with M4's is no bead sighted models or vent rib. The M4 is noticeably softer shooting, but the 1301 is a lot better than inertia shotguns.
 
I agree with you, but some people might want extra capacity for warning shots. There's a topic for another thread.
LOL, I fired a warning shot at a Black Bear and the thing couldn't have cared less. It looked at me and then kept doing what it was doing ... which was ambling towards my two yapping dogs. :(
 
Another side note is a gasser doesn't have to be on your shoulder to fire. Sometimes recoil operated guns jam when not being shouldered. I know of 3 m4 guns that will jam if shot one handed where my 1301 never fails. If youre betting your life on a scattergun I'm choosing one that will fire from any position
THIS THIS THIS !!!!!

Years ago I saw a vid shot by a photographer who didn't understand guns. He was being stalked by a Polar bear and fired a warning shot from his spendy recoil operated shotgun. In the video you could see the action jammed up half open with a shell stuck in the port. He didn't know it but his unfamiliarity with his gun would have cost him his life had that bear been more motivated.
 
LOL, I fired a warning shot at a Black Bear and the thing couldn't have cared less. ...
Yeah it is scary just how habituated bears can become.

If you're in an area where they are regularly hunted, they tend to react differently - But not always. Every bear is different, and it's one of the reasons I like to have multiple options available.
 
Pump has been the go to for carrying in the back country and camp protection but me and the wife are getting on in the years and short stroking in a high stress environment is a real concern. Very happy with a 12G semi that is now the go to.
 
Pump has been the go to for carrying in the back country and camp protection but me and the wife are getting on in the years and short stroking in a high stress environment is a real concern. Very happy with a 12G semi that is now the go to.
Agreed - A good, thoroughly checked-out gas-operated semiauto will be less prone to user-induced failures, for sure.
 
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Beretta claims the 1301 will cycle 4 shots in under 1 second. If I were defending myself from a charging bear I think I'd go with whatever will cycle as many rounds as fast as possible. Beretta is conservative with their claim, when shooting our 1301s a couple of us have timed a best of 6 shots right at the 1 second mark

That being said, we weren't shooting slugs, so managing that type of shot string would take some getting used to.
 
I can only speak for mine. I haven't used it much this year, maybe 1000 rds. So a total of approx 5500-6000 in the 2 years since I bought it, never taken it apart and never cleaned it.

My go-to ammo is whatever is cheapest.
Can't ask for more than that.
 
Is the gas system on the 1301 as good as the one on the M4?
Better, except in terms of high round count longevity.

At this point Benelli's ARGO is getting a bit long in the tooth, although I understand its been slightly updated recently.
 
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