bambihunter

Yes they do ghost load, based on my experience, unless the original bolts were swapped out which does happen, all HK import models should have ghost load capability. The ghost load capability is actually a byproduct of their anti-jam design that will allow the gun to clear the carrier if a shell slips past the shell stop. The original folding M3's are very limited supply. I often hear 180 or so were imported to US. I'm not sure that is true, but they are uncommon. I've seen around a half dozen of them sell in the 15 years I watched for them and I bought 3. To the best of my knowledge, the M3's started being produced in 1989 and the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) stopped sales of this configuration. There's only 2 generations of bolts as far as I know. The bolts changed at S/N 104801. Both of the ones I still have are after that S/N and have the original bolt which CAN ghost load. So, you may be correct that there is another part involved unlike the M1, Montefeltro, Black Eagle, Super Black Eagle, etc. On the SBE2 for instance, simply dropping in the older bolt is all it takes. I am not going to pull mine apart. As for pictures of the bolt, here's an eBay listing for the earlier bolt: Early HK import Benelli M3 bolt If you want the early model's capability, it may be best to get one originally designed that way. They do come up for sale periodically. There's one right now on Gunbroker, although it is overpriced. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1058608563 Hopefully Remarkable or StrangerDanger (or others) will come along with the more precise info you are after.

Easy. List it on a reputable site such as Gunbroker. The market will tell you what's it's worth currently. During the peak panic buying during COVID, I saw one SELL for $7,200, but most were around $5k. The past year or so, I've seen them sell for as little as $3,700. That should give you some range. I'd say ~$4,500 for a nice example.

The picture above shows the difference in the bolt cuts. There is an extra cut in the later models that can be filled (welded or epoxy). That is for a different model, but the principal is the same. As far as changing the bolt brace, I don't know but since part of the lifter hits that 2nd bolt cut on newer models it may be possible to modify the lifter or other parts. I do know the bolt was the change the factory made back in the day.

I created a saved search on Gunbroker.com when I was looking. They do pop up on there every so often. The prices have came down some from the ridiculous COVID pricing but as you likely know, they are not cheap. Here's a search if you want to use it. If you have a Gunbroker account, you can save the search and have it email you when it finds a matching listing. This searches for 11711 and excludes the Cerakote model of H2O (11796) Good luck on your quest. Be patient and you'll find it https://www.gunbroker.com/Semi-Auto-Shotguns/search?Keywords=11711&Exclude=11796&Sort=5&PageSize=96

This is the other option, remove the catch. The one most people do is to make it like the original ones by epoxying or welding that notch until it is smooth depending on how permanent one wants it to be.

This is a picture I have that I grabbed somewhere. If I remembered where I got it, I'd note the source. Originally it was designed to clear the action automatically if a shell slipped past the shell stop and it was a reliability feature. However, people discovered that it could be used to load an extra shell on the carrier which allowed the unscrupulous hunters to have their gun plugged to only load 3 shots when done normally, during migratory bird seasons, but effectively they have 4 shots when loading one on the carrier. I actually figured this one out on my own SBE circa 1994. It is easy to do on that era's SBE, but the shorter chambered guns are more tricky with the bolt position. Anyway, the picture below of the bolts show the M1 and M2 bolt differences, but the ability to ghost load or not boils down to the notch towards the tail end of the bolt. If there is no notch, it should allow ghost load. From what I can tell, almost all Benelli USA models no longer have that capability, and almost all HK imported ones do (unless either has had the bolts swapped). Provided they haven't added any other differences recently, all one would need to do is weld or otherwise fill that notch. With that said, there's really little practical use outside of the few hunters trying to cheat the system. All other roles just add an extended magazine. It is faster and easier to load though with some practice one can ghost load in a few seconds. Admittedly, I did use this in my starting load with my SBE when toying around in 3 gun because I didn't want to modify the gun as it was my main "do-all" hunting shotgun. After that first loading, I just loaded the usual amount. I eventually bought an M1 and while it has the ability to ghost load, I just use the full length tube even for the first magazine full. I have a pair of the older HK imported M3T's folders which can both ghost load, but other than trying it once on each to verify the correct bolts were in them and it hadn't been swapped, I haven't done that since.

The much more desirable model 11711 which already has the functioning collapsible stock and extended magazine from the factory and NP3 coated only briefly hit around that price during the peak of COVID. I bought my 11711 unfired for $5k towards the tail end of COVID pricing and I have seen several go for less with one selling for $3,700 which was probably a steal. This one priced at $3,500 didn't even sell but it does have some blemishes: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1051735584 Of course it is your item so you can ask what you want. NIB items are not common, but on these things that it was known fairly early on that were going to be a limited run tend to be bought by collectors and as such many more examples are in NIB or LNIB than typical. I'm certainly not telling you to change the price, just citing examples of another NP3 model to temper your expectations. Regardless, good luck on your sale.

It isn't a matter of fixed choke versus screw-in chokes, it is the constriction of the choke that can cause issues with slugs. Most slugs recommend cylinder or improved cylinder chokes with their slugs. Your 11733 shows it has a fixed modified choke. That is the absolutely tightest choke I'd ever shoot a slug through personally, but I generally would use the CYL or IC chokes mentioned above. I haven't used a rifled choke for years however after I bought a rifled slug barrel for my Benelli SBE. I think this is the ammo you are talking about. Normally they list a max (or tightest) choke recommendation, but they don't on their site. https://winchester.com/Products/Ammunition/Shotshell/Defender/S12PDX1 You might actually want to look around at the reviews before you consider that ammo as many people say it is just a gimmick. I won't link those here, but they are easy to find with a quick search so you can make your own informed decision.

Oh, I thought it was happening every time. In that case, I wouldn't start by adjusting the carrier. While it still can be the part mentioned, it being a sporadic issue could also be because of accidentally hitting the shell release. Or, could be its spring, or the carrier spring I mentioned replacing if you replaced the carrier. I'm not as experienced working on these as some of the guys that I hope come along and respond. I've had an issue with one single Benelli that I added an extended mag to. Once I put it back to stock, it worked fine. Best I could tell is the longer spring pushed shells too fast for the stop to catch them. Ultimately I took the +4 off and put a +2 on it and it still worked fine like that. Since I didn't shoot competition with that gun, it was fine. Being an intermittent issue, it will be harder to solve. If you have access to a video camera on a tripod, you might try shooting with it looking into the bottom of the gun to see if it can pick up anything. Does it only happen when loading beyond a certain number of shells? I.E. if you always half load it, does it still happen? You might try mock speed loading in a quiet area to see (hear actually) if you are hitting the shell release under those conditions.

Providing you don't accidentally hit the cartridge release control and the guns action is clean, then it sounds like the cartridge drop lever is out of tolerance, or possibly a weak spring. If this is a newer model M3, it likely won't shoot like that. The older HK marked ones could clear a shell there just fine and in fact, some people put one there intentionally in a loading operation referred to as "Ghost Loading". If There are schematics on Numrich gun parts here: https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/benelli/shotguns-benelli/semi-auto-shotguns/m3-super-90 Note that there are a few different schematics on there depending on which version yours is. This is for the older tactical style with pistol grip or folding stock. Most likely the part causing your issue is the "Cartridge Drop Lever" (part 25). This part effectively times the release of the shell from the magazine, or when you manually release one. You most likely won't need to replace it however. They can get bent and with a little trial and error they can be bent back. If you do decide on trial and error to bend it back, it doesn't take much change to greatly effect it. So, go slow. A friend of mine has bent his countless times on his M1 that he uses in competition, but I've never bent one personally. If you end up getting a new one, I'd go ahead and replace the spring while you are in there, but it's most likely fine. Others may come along with other suggestions so if you aren't in a big hurry, you might wait and see if others have other suggestions. Good luck and report back.

Benelli is a premium brand and they make great products. Even so, things still slip by their quality control that are not to their standards. It happens... Keep on them until it works as it should. To me it looks like the most it would take to correct it is a replacement forearm. It does look like they are sold out of a lot of them online, so that may also reflect what they have in stock for warranty repair. https://www.shopbenelli.com/stocks-forends.html?Model=Montefeltro&Per_Page=-1&Sort_By=disp_order&gauge=20 Gauge

Providing you are pulling the bolt back and locking it in rearward position and fully seating the barrel, and the the foreend cap and spring are centered, it shouldn't do that. I think I can see what you mean in that last picture that it is off centered slightly. Double check the Montefeltro owners manual (refer to around page 50 for the part of it that refers to the fore end). If you are following that procedure to the letter, then I'd contact Benelli directly. It may be that the wood was inletted and drilled slightly off center. Do not do anything that could break the wood or a warranty claim might get denied. Depending on how much you are shooting, you probably don't need to disassemble the gun after every shooting session. Run a bore brush/wipes/rope down when you are finished unless it has gotten wet in which case strip it and make sure it dries out completely. The inertia system is so clean that these don't need to be cleaned as often or as thorough as a gas gun.

Very early M4's had different number of gas ports, but those should be older than the 11 years you are talking about.

Make sure barrel is fully seated. Also, I've found pulling back and locking the bolt helps with reassembly. Aside from those tips, I've not had any issues. Mine is an older HK import so it may be slightly different, but I can't imagine much. Pics would most definitely help.

The things you added shouldn't really be an issue. I do always recommend using things as they are for a bit to see how they work as it is before swapping stuff out. This is true for cars as well as guns. Otherwise, one won't know if the part(s) they added is the issue, or if it never ran right to start with. When feasible, I always try to do one thing at a time to make troubleshooting easier. On every new Benelli I've bought, I've always felt there was too much oil. I do know once I get a couple hundred rounds through it, I switch to dry lube nearly exclusively. I've been on too many duck hunts were someone is having issues with FTE or FTF and it is almost always due to wet oil attracting dust, dirt, and small debris from dried out vegetation that gets in the works; usually the magazine tube. I have made some nice scratch over the years buying guns from fellow hunters that were, in their words, "jam-o-matics". Took them home, cleaned them up, and then take that gun on the next hunt. A fair amount of people end up buying it back once they see it working perfectly again. These were mostly Super Black Eagles and M1's.

Not normal to not cycle on any of the higher powered shell options. It sounds that those are. I have had issues before when using 7/8 oz loads in my Super Black Eagles. It would eject the empty, but not come back far enough to trigger the shell release so it would then close on an empty chamber. You didn't say which gun this was for, but it is more common for the 3.5" SBE's to have this issue than it is for the 2.75" - 3" guns. I'm guessing due to the enclosed top of the receiver and the stop ring on the barrel that it is likely a M2 or newer style M3. That gun sure doesn't look new, or even one that has had 100 rounds through it, but pictures are hard to read sometimes. It is not uncommon for guns to need broken in a bit. You also might try using DRY lube on the rails for the bolt.

I assume it is a plastic bottle. If so, then no. Think of it another way, think about how solid a projectile is and every shot fired goes through the crown. That said, I'd never oil a barrel that way. It could possibly leave too much oil in the barrel which, though unlikely, can cause too much resistance when the projectile encounters it and could potentially cause the barrel to burst since liquids are not compressible. Also, any excess oil will run down the barrel and into the action if you stand them upright like they are in the typical safe. It is recommended to clean the bore from the breach end if that is possible on your rifle. If it is not possible, get a muzzle guide to keep the rod from hitting the crown or use a coated cleaning rod. When cleaning from breach, push the brush or patch to the end, but not so far that the whole thing comes out the muzzle. Repeat until it is cleaned to your satisfaction, put a clean, lightly oiled patch on the rod and push it through in the same way. You can do it several times rotating the patch slightly each pass so that it will cover all the surfaces. This will keep the oil light as well as evenly distributed and it won't run down the barrel. On guns in good condition or that doesn't shoot blackpowder or corrosive ammo like some military arms, I actually then run another dry patch down the barrel to wick up any extra. For those with existing rust or that do shoot corrosive ammo, I apply the oil a little heavier and don't wipe excess out. I will then wipe the extra out before I shoot them. In my safe, I use the "Rifle Rods" to hold my long guns upright. Those that need this extra oil, I use an orange rod to denote I need to wipe them before firing.

There's actually 3 choke types. Mobil, Crio, and Crio Plus. M1 is the only one on your list that takes Mobil chokes. The early M2 might take Crio, but for sure current M2's and all M4's take Crio Plus. One way to get a rough idea unless the barrel has been changed, is if it is an HK imported model (Montefeltro, Black Eagle, early Super Black Eagle, M1, original M3, etc.) all use Mobil chokes. After that they went to Crio and as far as I know, anything made after maybe 2006 or 2007 should be Crio Plus. Another, always accurate way to tell what you need, is to remove the choke in the barrel and look inside (unloaded obviously). If the threads are at the very end of the barrel, they are Mobil. If they are ~3/4" or so down inside the barrel, then it is Crio Plus. I will note however that Crio does screw into the Mobil choke barrels, it is just extended. That said, Benelli wouldn't give me a clear answer whether that is a safe configuration so I have never fired it that way. This might help a little: https://www.choketube.com/choke-tube-information/ https://waterfowlchoke.com/benelli-crio-and-crio-plus-the-key-differences/ https://waterfowlchoke.com/benelli-choke-tube-chart/

Regarding the receiver extension tubes, one has to watch on the older ones as at least on some models they changed the nut size and if memory serves, the thread pitch too. You asked "Is the comfort worth the switch?" Are you referring to the Comfortech stock? If so, I don't think so but I haven't used them all that much. When they first came out I tried some of the friends SBE's that had them. To me, it was there, but if I wasn't thinking about it, I likely wouldn't have noticed the difference. For those 3.5", the difference was less than going from inertia Benelli to gas Beretta for instance. The Benelli's are lighter so that contributes to the recoil. One can also add a mercury buffer which is supposed to help with that as well. There are new LimbSaver pads that are quite cushy too. I have one on my .338 Lapua and it made a noticeable difference over that old Remington r3 pad that was on it (that turned all gooey). However, for shotgunning that requires quick shouldering shots, I think I'd snag it constantly on my clothing. Not a problem for a single calculated shot from a rifle, but could waste time in a fast paced wing shooting hunt. I'm an old waterfowler and while I'll admit to anyone shooting 3.5" at high angles is painful, normal shot angles and 3" I don't really notice much. Not trying to be macho, but I think it is like the old adage that you never feel recoil when you shoot that trophy buck but you sure feel it on those long sessions while sighting the rifle in, especially if it is a caliber that thumps you. I have saved searches set up on Gunbroker and a few other places keeping an eye for me for the things I want. It is handy since it seems most stuff I like is out of production. That top picture with the M1 shows a barrel with the blued extension. The gun in the picture and the barrel in the gun is a couple years newer and has the typical silver extension. I haven't ever owned a Nova. Even though I have a pair of Benelli M4 (one factory NP3 one, plus a blued one assembled out nice), I like Benelli because of the inertia action. I do have one pump gun that I inherited, that I never use. I would like to get an Ithaca 37 "Sweet 16" for no other reason than because I have always wanted one.

Receiver differences between M2 (left) and M1 (right)

Early, very early. I believe in your question, you are referring to not the bore being chrome lined, but rather the receiver extension being blued versus chromed. With that assumption... I have one M1 ~20" smoothbore barrel (pictured on top below) with rifle type sites that was purchased new in Nov. 1989. I am going from memory, but I think the barrel code showed it from 1988. Every other Benelli barrel extension I have regardless of the model are chromed aside from the SBE. On the SBE, that is part of the receiver instead of going IN the receiver. I am sure most people ignore this plea, but for those of us with an M1 plead that M2 owners will buy M2 barrels instead of buying up all the M1 barrels. Yes, the M2 can use the M1 barrels without modification, but the opposite is not true due to a longer recoil lug and the stop ring on the barrel that goes against the receiver. This makes those out of production M1 barrels harder to find and more expensive when found.

Not a chance. I searched way too long. I wouldn't sell the low ribs, slug barrel, and additional modified forearm. I still haven't decided for sure on the rest. I had initially bought the 2nd SBE at the top just for its barrel and was going to swap the newer type onto it and sell it but ended up keeping it. I might make it something of a 3 gun setup with extended mag, flared mag well, etc. I've got other guns like the M1, M3, or M4 that would be a better fit, but for all other shotgunning activities, the SBE is the one I use so it makes sense to use it for more practice. I know I'll never be at a competitive speed in competition but as long as I have fun and improve, I'll keep at it. Without actually trying, I seem to be a bit of a collector of Benelli barrels. I've got extra for all of them except a 20 gauge Montefeltro that my wife uses.

You are in for a long search. How I finally bought mine, was to set up a search term on Gunbroker.com where it alerts you if an item matching your search shows up. For mine, over the course of probably 8 years, I bought a 26", and the rare 24" to go along with my factory 28". I had already bought the same in SBE II configuration in the meantime so I have both now, but I don't want to switch back and forth between the high and low ribs so most are still in the box in the safe. I also bought a slug barrel and the required modified forearm (which is also required for the SBEII field barrels). Good luck on your endeavor.

The thread difference is all the older HK, and early Benelli USA models have the thread at the very end of the barrel. Those are called Mobil chokes and they are maybe 1" or a little more. All new ones for quite a while, I am guessing around 2002 maybe, have Crio chokes. Those are longer maybe around 1.5" and the threads are maybe 3/4" down inside the barrel. They are about the same length as many extended chokes in the Mobil style, but it all fits inside the barrel. You can do a search on the threads here and find who does the threading, cost, limitations, etc. But, for a quick recap I'll tell you that some barrels are either too thin, or they have to run another choke type that is thinner such as Rem-Choke's. Briley is who is most often recommended if I remember right for the cutting and threading. They'll keep everything legal too and make sure you don't go too short where you'll need to register it as a Short Barrelled Shotgun (SBS). If that is actually what you are after, I am not positive they do that, but they might.

No it is not normal if it came from the factory that way. But, if they had, it should have been addressed at that time. With normal use I've found these camo wraps will wear through the image with extended use, and any impacts will tear chips out like it shows in yours. I've had some bumps and rubs that seemed so insignificant do this. I know the same impact wouldn't have looked as visible on regular blued or matte finishes which penetrate the metal. As a result, long ago, I went back to standard metal finishes on all my hunting arms that will see any extended service. This "weakness" is fairly industry wide. If they are painted on instead of a wrap, they last a little better, but not as well as blued, NP3, etc where it penetrates the metal. It's maybe not the best analogy, but I liken it to the idea of bed liners can take a ton of abuse. The same abuse against the original paint would be very evident. Like Remarkable said, it's worth a call to Benelli. Be nice and politely plead your case. You never know.