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Growing up in the 90's, I had a M121 Benelli that had a full length magazine tube and a pistol grip. Somehow I got myself signed up for a a mailing list with Benelli. In the propaganda, they started showing photos of the Benelli M4 which was being tested by the Marine Corps at Aberdeen. Obviously it looked awesome and the ARGO system sounded promising. At the time it wasn't released to the public in America. At some point they released the M1014 to the public in its limited 2,500 run with its non-functioning collapsible stock. A while later, the 11703 model was released. This had a ill fated four port barrel and the same neutered receiver extension. This model came with the pistol grip stock and was generally cheaper than the limited edition. In 2004 I cashed out a bunch of vacation time and bought it for 1,350.00 from gunbroker. I promptly broke the shotgun firing high base loads through that horrible 4 port design. Shotgun went back to Benelli for repairs. I then broke it again since that barrel battered the bolt carrier to the point that it was peening the face of the bolt carrier from the pistons. Back to Benelli again where they replace the bolt carrier, the barrel with a 2 port design and the handguards. I then figured out how to replace the receiver extension with a 11707 models and added a collapsible stock. So I pretty much took the longest road possible to making a 11707.

I didn't especially like the idea of bear defense with a bolt action rifle or pump shotgun. Did some research and decided the m4 seemed like the most reliable system for the loads I would be using... and the rest (and another m4 and an m3) is history

I knew of the Benelli M4 for quite a long time, but never felt like paying that much for one. I had a house fire, no one harmed, but the home had a LOT of smoke damage and it was totaled. I rounded up all of my firearms and some had a lot of corrosion due to the corrosive smoke. I disassembled them all, scrubbed them down inside & out and slowly began restoring them. In the mean time I showed the wife that most all of my guns are out of commission. We had tip top insurance so we had a lot of insurance money accessible so with her on my side I just shelled out for the Benelli M4. Anyways ... I was able to restore all of my corroded parts to better than original thanks to a local Cerakote shop. It was a win win deal. It pays to have really good insurance because our home was rebuilt on the existing foundation, the new home is nearly twice the size and twice the value. Taxes certainly went up, but still a blessing in disguise.

I bought my first Benelli, an M1 Super 90, because it looked cool at a LGS and I wanted a semi auto (I still have it). When the M4 came out I thought it was too expensive and waited and waited. Seeing the LE version available to the public I wanted one and finally bought my 11721 M4. It was still too expensive, but I watched on Gunbroker for a while and felt I got a good price. Already spending more anyway on mods.

I don't use it as a "hand grip". I use it as a "hand stop" making it easy to rapid reload from the forward 2-shell holder. Also, cant' be seen from the picture but there is a side-mounted flashlight on the other side with a pressure switch on the Magpul vertical grip. I used the pictured Magpul vertical grip because I had it in my box of picatinny attachments that I've gather over the years.

The M4 issued to me was a service shotgun for duty and it was keep in the a military armory when not issued. I rarely got the same serial numbered M4 issued, but they all shot the same.

I had never fired a shotgun, when i got my permit to buy and own one at first i really wanted a (dont know if its appropriate to say on this forum but cough.. Vepr12.. cough.. But then the ruskies attacked Ukraine and the manufacturer Molot got in to the sanctions list and could not find one in europe let alone in my country.Was bummed for a while and searched for shotguns manufactured in europe, and then found the glorious Benelli M4.Did not had a chance to touch one nor to shoot one but i decided this is the shotty i need. Ordered one from my local gunstore, had to wait 6 months to have it delivered from Italy. My first shotgun i ever shot was my very own M4.It ate EVERYTHING i threw at it from the nastiest shoulder busting slugs i could find locally to the mildest birdshot (24gram 2.0mm bb size) like a champ. I had read that the US marines use it and it was supposed to be the pinnacle of 12gauge, mil spec and what not and i really like it but unfortunately mine started to leak from the gas block(which i tried searching but found nothing that nobody has ever had happened to theirs) now here i am waiting again for the third month to get my beloved M4 back which is under warranty in Italy.

I first saw the M4 on the cover of a publication by USCCA. I think it was written by Mark Martin and it went into all the basics of defending yourself and others using a pistol, rifle and shotgun. I fell head-over-heals with that picture.., it was like seeing a hot blond in a red corvette convertible. Just had to have it! At the time there didn't seem to be many shotguns with pistol grips, pic rails and ghost sites on them so this thing was just all-out sexy to me. I went fishing on Gun Broker and finally landed the deal for $1,525 in January of 2014. My buddy and I went trap shooting and I pulled out my M4 after a few rounds using my O/U. I stood at the trap house and had him launch 6 clays as fast as the machine would launch 'em. Turning clay into little black clouds of dust as fast as I could was a blast! Giggled like a school girl! Later-on with an extended tube, I did the same thing -- this time with 12+1. Try it, you'll like it! As I got involved with some local 3-Gun shoots and started tricking out my M4 I had a little bit of "lover's remorse" as I think I would have gone with an M2 or FN purpose-built shotgun for 3-Gun. Gone is the pic rail and after market side saddle. Gone is the ghost site housing -- replaced with Scalarworks mount and an RMR. And gone is the pistol grip so I can do weak hand load 2 and 4. So, after a little bodywork, I guess I'm sticking with the hot chick in the 'Vette! In the works is a send-off to Briley to open the loading port and maybe shaping the forcing cone. Also get an A&S trigger housing. Once I get all the parts swapped-out and Stranger Danger gets the NP3 coating thing figured out, that'll be my next step to perfecting perfection! One thing I'd like to do is attend a tactical shotgun course. I can run the gun ok but would like some bootcamp style instruction and techniques. Any ideas? Also, thanks to the many folks on this forum for all the help and advice. Who knew I could still learn something new everyday!! ;-{)

I read about it in a magazine article. The article was specifically talking about how it was the choice of the Marines as a battle shotgun. At the time I was trying to decide whether I wanted a pump home defense shotgun or a semi-auto. I think it was a combination of the M4 reputation and also the fact that not everyone owns one. I guess I like to buy something other than the commonly owned guns. Since my purchase, I've replaced the mag tube with a titanium 7 rounder and made the necessary replacements to keep it 922r compliant. I've patterned it with #00 buck and #4 buckshot out to 20 yards. I've also shot offhand slug groups at 25 yards and I'm extremely satisfied with my purchase. Now, I have 7+1 rounds of Federal 34 pellet #4 buckshot loads for intruder discouragement.

A M4 was issued to me while in the US Navy and attached to 5th Fleet in 2002; best shotgun I had ever used - reliable, accurate, good trigger, and well balanced. I bought my civilian M4 in 2012 and by 2013 had completed several 922r compliant upgrades.