Who owns a Benelli M4

[dpo2o]

In my quest to decide on which shotgun to buy, I have started to lean towards the M4. Now to convince my wife and considering the price tag, I need as much info as I can get. I am looking more towards what people have been using theirs for. The actual quality and uber-cool looks are not in question. I have thought of trying the "as many guns as pairs of shoes she has argument" but I would need a gun safe the size of Fort Knox.

 

[667]

i do.

 

[F22_RaptoR]

I have one.

So far just target shooting and blasting stuff at the range.


It originally short stroked a few times on the cheap remington target loads, however once it was "broken in" it eats the target shells for supper!

Feeds all full power shells no problems asked.


The Ghost ring sights are nice, some people say it may limit skeet or clay type shooting (haven't tried any though) although I have heard of some people having good luck with it.

Its pretty much perfect out of the box, the grip (pistol grip, both synthetic and tele stock) is nice and rubbery so it doesn't hurt your hand, although I find that the tele stock needs to be modified in order to shoot it comfortably in the semi-collapsed position.

The fixed pistol grip stocks are relatively easy to shorten up, as long as you have some ability to use hand tools.

 

[870P]

Are all the telestocked M4s in Canada 3 position or is a mix of each?

 

[sprint]

In my quest to decide on which shotgun to buy, I have started to lean towards the M4. Now to convince my wife and considering the price tag, I need as much info as I can get. I am looking more towards what people have been using theirs for. The actual quality and uber-cool looks are not in question. I have thought of trying the "as many guns as pairs of shoes she has argument" but I would need a gun safe the size of Fort Knox.

They are great guns.

Be aware that non-combat loads do NOT typically cycle well in them. 000, 00 and Slugs all cycle flawlessly in them, but the cost is commensurate. Just don't envision spending a fun summer digesting ubber cheap birdie shot through it. As F22 has said, some owners find that once "broken in" the cheap stuff will cycle. Though I know this to be a fact through seeing it on the guns of others, note that this was not the case with mine.

The exception is the 4 gas hole "low impulse" model that is not designed to fire the big stuff.

 

[F22_RaptoR]

Are all the telestocked M4s in Canada 3 position or is a mix of each?

Mine is a 4-position, although im guessing that is what the 3 is called.

Fully Collapsed
13.5" LOP
Corner Shoot "sideways" mode
15.5" LOP

The corner shooting setting is kind of silly, but neat in its own way.

 

[667]

Be aware that non-combat loads do NOT typically cycle well in them.

Oh contraire mon frere...

[youtube]pJVcbWBTEHM[/youtube]

 

[F22_RaptoR]

Oh contraire mon frere...

[youtube]pJVcbWBTEHM[/youtube]

Yep, once Mine had about 200 or so full power 2-3/4 inch buckshot shells through it, it shot cheap-o target shells like nobody's business

It may need a bit of a break-in cycle before it runs target shells properly.

FWIW mine only ever choked on target shells when it was -20 C or colder out.

 

[667]

First time out with mine I fed it a variety of loads.... Even mixed 'em in the mag... 'never a problem then or since...

Oh.. If you don't know already... Remove the mag spring retainer clip and you'll get 5 shells into the mag. Learn to "ghost load" her and you'll have a max of 7 shells at your disposal... One in the chamber, one on the carrier and 5 in the mag...

 

[sprint]

First time out with mine I fed it a variety of loads.... Even mixed 'em in the mag... 'never a problem then or since...

Oh.. If you don't know already... Remove the mag spring retainer clip and you'll get 5 shells into the mag. Learn to "ghost load" her and you'll have a max of 7 shells at your disposal... One in the chamber, one on the carrier and 5 in the mag...

What you are describing is actually called "free carrier operation".

Regarding last post, key word is "typically" does not cycle target loads. Lots of similar postings and findings over on the Benelli forum. Some people's guns break in far enough. Others never. Bottom line is that the ARGO gas system was not specifically designed to handle low impulse loads.

Both as per USMC M1014 manual TM 1069A-10/1.


FWIW, Benelli does produce what is known as a "low impulse" barrel with 4 gas ports instead of the two you likely see on yours. This is the original barrel design.

From what I understand, you can tell old stock from new by the "low impulse" marking on the new mfg. barrels. While that might appear "win", consider carefully that the reason Benelli went to the 2 gas port design was that the 4 port design was resulting in violent cycling that was prematurely destroying the guns. IIRC, the barrel with ARGO gas system complete runs around $1000. Don't quote me on that price. I just know it is far from economical. I have seen these go used for $600 USD.


As per Pat Rogers:

http://tacticalforums.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000714.html

posted 06-17-2002 21:59


Louie had it about half right in his article.
The stock is way too long. Perhaps they grow men bigger in your neck of the woods, but the 14" LOP is typically Benneli/ HK nonsense, just as with the M1. This becomes apparent when wearing body armor. It becomes exceptionally apparent when taking a 5 day course. The longer LOP is harder to mount, resulting in a lot of shots being taken from a poor mount.

Louie knows from where he speaks on this.

The collapsible stock on the M1014 makes sense Only if it had intermediate adjustments.

Last month we took 8 M1014's out and put 9000 rds through them.

No one collapsed the stock accidentally, can't comment on that, and weight is weight.
Louie was incorrect when he stated that the gun was designed for a specific Marine Corps unit. The Marine Corps acted only as the agent for DoD, and all services had input.
The shotgun is not, despite what the name states a "combat" weapon in the Marine Corps.
Instead, it is a Table of Equipment weapon issued for specific guard functions- ammunition supply points, special weapons and the like.
The pistol is generally considered a useless weapon for combat.
I-MEF, which has 45,000 Marines and Sailors in place, appx 32%- 14,397 carry the pistol. The shotgun totals 1%- 523.
It is not the least used weapon. Until 1998, the Marine Corps- that is, the entire Marine Corps, had 819 sub caliber machine guns. They were replaced by the M4A1, and few remain.

We had no buck or slug, only birdshot, and we had a lot of malfunctions with some of the guns.
However, since that is not what they were designed for, no biggie.

The choke is exceptionally tight. Why can't remington get that figured out?

Force Reconnaissance uses shotguns only for breaching, and the M1014 is uniquely unqualified to do that, as it can't cycle breaching rounds.(
They are hoping to keep the 870's in the Company for that purpose.

The shotgun is pretty much a non issue in the Marine Corps for a lot of viable reasons.
I'm sure a lot of money was spent on R&D, and we probably didn't get anything significantly better then the 870's it is replacing, but it is a TE weapon, not a TO weapon, and will not have any major impact one way or the other- except in Force, who cannot use it at all.

We talked about this a few months ago, no?

Don't get me wrong. Glad to see your M4 reliably cycling with birdshot.

But it's not occurring by design, and I've seen too many weird suggestions for break in posted (far exceeded common sense suggestions like firing a box of 250 full power loads) to not proactively say anything. These methods have included wining statements like prematurely wearing the bolt carrier with slide compound or re-boring the gas port holes to a larger diameter.

All in the name of making a combat shotgun designed to digest the strongest combat loads all day long digest birdshot instead.



For me there was little that a $2200 M4 could do that an 870 could not, and a few things like this that it just couldn't do well at all.

 

[pa]

Great shotgun!! Worth the price. I broke mine in with the heaviest & nastiest loads I could find & now it cycles anything (including light target loads).
You will not regret buying one.

 

[667]

For me there was little that a $2200 M4 could do that an 870 could not,

That's the thing about the M4... The price is a little high here in Can.
I wouldn't have paid the $2100+ being asked for 'em here. I got mine in the US for about $1500Cdn all in...

 

[angryeyebrows]

Mine did not like birdshot at all. ONLY cycled heavier loads. I guess each gun is different.

 

[boomer271]

I have one. Still not certain how I pulled it off with my wife, but here's how it went down:
I brought my wife into the gun shop to meet an old friend who happened to be the owner. By sheer coincidence -- -- the M4 was on the shelf and I asked to see it, while I was there. Let the missus play with it . . . put it back . . . and waited until she said, "Remember that shotgun you were looking at?" a few days later. She brought it up, not me. I explained that -- if I were to make the investment -- it might be the last shotgun I would ever need, since it is the "go to gun" for any game, any season, any situation including seriously social ones. OK, I have bought a couple more shotguns since, but they were different; a Dlask 8.5" and an Outlaw. Who doesn't need one of those? [rhetorical question, don't clog the thread with reasons I don't need an Outlaw. I have an M4 and I still like my Outlaw. 'Nuff said!]

I agreed to sell a car or something equally insignificant, and brought it home.

Mine didn't feed trap loads the first time out, either, but now after a couple of hundred buck and slug loads it feeds them -- and breaks clay -- consistently.

My method not guaranteed, but good luck! Let us know if and when you bring it home. Best shotgun investment I have ever made, and probably ever will. Unless my wife buys me something . . .

 

[870P]

I've thought about getting one but I'll probably pass as I'm not a huge fan of ghost rings. I find it a little strange that a combat dedicated design wouldn't offer different sighting options, or a stock that's more usable with body armor or heavy clothing for that matter.

 

[sixxx]

I love mine! You won't regret getting one.

 

[ENIGMATIC1]

I got one as well.

Got it last winter. Wouldn't cycle those target loads in the Winter time.

Come spring, cycled target loads fine.

I've used it for shooting clays (not at a club or anything), shooting birds, shooting air...

Works well for all those

 

[sprint]

I got one as well.

Got it last winter. Wouldn't cycle those target loads in the Winter time.

Come spring, cycled target loads fine.

I've used it for shooting clays (not at a club or anything), shooting birds, shooting air...

Works well for all those

I suspect that, all things being equal:

• the gas volume is lower in winter time; and,
• the parts are slightly tighter due to contraction from the cold

 

[promac]

+1

Recreational target shooting and competition. You won't be disappointed!

 

[banger]

My M4 has been eating everything since day 1. I've sold all of my other shotguns, even my o/u. Some of the fudds look at me funny and ask stupid questions when i shoot trap with it but who gives a #### what they think. Unless we can get Saiga's in Canada, i doubt i'll ever buy another sg.