bambihunter

Yep. Gotta love it. ?

I don't hunt near saltwater or brackish water, but I've had my SBE since '94 or '95 and hunt a lot of ducks and geese with them where they are exposed to the wet and cold. No rust issues. Once I get back home, I do try to wipe them off if they got wet. How new is the one you are experiencing this issue with? I think many people here will suggest Cerakote or, if the budget will allow it, NP3 finish. Both are great options but I too would suggest NP3 if one can afford it. You shouldn't ever have issues again with it.

All good man. First come first served. I guess that is what I get for only frequenting the forums once or twice a week. Sometime maybe I'll post up my own WTB for one.

I am not going to really be technical, but the extremely obvious difference between the SBE's and the rest of the autos is they have always been able to do 3.5" shells. As such, their receiver extension is longer than the rest of the Benelli auto line. The M2 lineage follows the M1 not the SBE. So much so that a lot of the M1 parts will work on the M2 without modifications including the barrel. However, the opposite is not quite true. M2 parts such as the barrel and forearm can be used on an M1, but require modification. I think the SBE is the best shotgun ever made for my purposes. I used to shoot one shotgun for skeet, another for trap, another for ducks, another for turkey, etc. It was fine, but every time I switched seasons or activities, it took me a bit to get back into the groove and start hitting reliably again. I first heard about this new brand of shotgun (to the US) called Benelli, that was at the time imported by H&K, had this shotgun that could shoot 2.75", 3", and 3.5" mags in any order and without adjustments. I drove a roughly 5 hour round trip just to go see one in person. I liked the fit and feel of it. I knew I wanted one. So, I started selling off my various shotguns and saved up the handsome sum of $1,000 (in 1994) and again made the 5 hour round trip to buy it. I haven't ever looked back. The only snag I've ever had was early on I discovered I couldn't shoot 7/8oz dram shells. However, ANY 1 1/8 oz dram shells worked fine, even the cheap stuff. I can't even begin to speculate the number of ducks, doves, geese, turkeys, and clays that have fell to this gun over the past 27 years. As I got older and had more disposable income, I saw a Benelli M3T top folding shotgun so I added it. That started my buying them just to collect. I now have M1, M2, M3, Montefeltro, M4, SBE, etc. I shoot these for fun occasionally, but the SBE is still the shotgun for me to grab when going shooting. SBE3: https://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/super-black-eagle-3-shotguns?eid=6 M3 Field: https://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/m2-field-shotguns

I think anymore, at least in the USA, any accidental discharge of a firearm would make national news since they love to take every opportunity for negative press. With our litigious society, I think firearms are torture tested before the model ever goes into production. Many also get drop tested. Personally, I carry my guns loaded in the field, or at home (if my defense gun). I trust the safeties that much on these. Only shotgun I can think of that I don't trust the safeties is the original Franchi SPAS-12 lever safety which can be fired simply by flipping the safety on and off repeatedly. Pretty much anything else of current vintage I don't worry about.

The whole point of the SBE platform is the capability of up to 3.5" shells. And, just because it is capable of 3.5", it doesn't mean you have to shoot them. Maybe another line would work if you don't need that capability though I don't know what all is available in left hand. My nephew is a southpaw and he learned to shoot right handed and has ever since. He shoots a SBEII and has never fired a single 3.5" through it in the decade he's had it. He bought it instead of a M1 because it was priced too good to pass up.

For you or anyone else that comes along that doesn't already know how/why guns recoil and how a muzzle brake would help: Muzzle brakes do reduce recoil in nearly all guns. However, the amount it helps largely comes down to the cartridge caliber/ammo, the weight of the gun, and the design/size of the muzzle brake. You may remember Newton's Third Law of Motion - for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Most of the recoil that we feel is from the energy (gas) that normally all comes out the muzzle creating a "jet effect" pushing the gun rearward as the projectile(s) leave the barrel. With a muzzle brake, it It helps by redirecting some of that energy (gas) sideways and/or rearward. The rearward portion gives a somewhat offsetting gas "jet". For the gas that vents to the side only, it doesn't have this reverse jet effect, but it still helps due to the fact that the gas is being dispersed equally to the sides instead of from the muzzle. There is another minor recoil that a muzzle brake does not effect in any way. When the gun is first fired, it has to get the weight of the charge and projectile moving. This recoil is slight comparatively, since one is talking about a few hundredths of a pound compared to a 7-15 pound firearm, but I mention it to be thorough. A muzzle brake on my light weight, short barrelled 450 Marlin is a welcome addition. My 10/22 Ruger has a removable muzzle brake that I can't tell if it is on there or not (I bought it because it was threaded already in the right threads for my suppressor). One last thing to mention is that a muzzle brake is louder for those to the sides and behind the firearm than one that fires only out the muzzle. Large weapons (like main batteries on tanks and ships) also can utilize muzzle brakes. The largest of these can be dangerous to be near due to the muzzle blast.

I just saw (and answered) your PM and then saw this post. If JT doesn't get it. I'll take it.

Really? I hadn't heard that before.

To elaborate on lubrication... Run the bolt wet, but only ever use dry spray for the magazine tube. They will gunk up big time, especially if you are a hunter. I have bought a lot of shotguns from fellow hunters over the years that are "biggest jamming P.O.S ever created". Nearly all were resolved by cleaning out the mag tube. Hunting in the fall, all the foliage is dry. Drop a shell, it picks up grit, or lint in your pocket. It sticks to the oil in the tube. First it feeds too slow to function, and I've seen a few that started using their semi-auto as a single shot after it stops feeding all together. I have to LOL a bit at the guys who have always said the M4's will feed anything and cycle 100% of the time. While it is safe to say my M4's aren't probably past the 500 round mark, so maybe not broke in, I have already had more feed issues with it than I did the last 25 years of my SBE 1. Both are fine gun models though and fully expect it to loosen up. Some of my 1911 10mm's wouldn't feed properly from the factory but a couple hundred rounds down the pipe and they are great; and accurate too. I think the close tolerances that caused it not to feed 100% at first, is also what contributes to the accuracy...

You are probably right. Not as popular, but those that have and use them still love them. At the local shooting 3 gun and other shotgun competitions, any Benelli's used are almost universally the M1/M2. I have M1, M3, M4, SBE, Montefeltro, etc to choose from. I haven't participated much, but I am always the odd man out with my SBE. ? With my back issues, any shoot and move competition, I don't have a chance at winning, so just do it for fun. Might as well use my preferred gun that I use for hunting too.

I had no kids, so or me to set one up for duty use. It involves me loading it to capacity. Ideally, it would be after taking it to the range and shooting enough to know it is reliable, but if that is my only option, I'll load it anyway. Regarding one in the chamber... If I can't trust a firearm to not fire when it isn't supposed to by leaving one in the chamber, then I don't trust it period and it won't have a place in my house. ALL my guns that are for that type of role are loaded to full capacity, including one in the breech.

LOL. I know you enough from these forums to know better than that. ? One part of the brain thinking one thing, the other part thinking another.

I think you mean collapsible stock, not folding stock. I personally have a pair of M3T top folders that I really like. Personally, I like them better than the collapsible on the M4's though truthfully, the C-stock would be better for many situations. I like my folders as they fit in an otherwise unused portion of the safe. ?

Hopefully that middle one (SPAS-12) is a safe queen. It still has the original safety on it. At least the one on the right has it. I bid on one with box and papers and upgraded safety right as COVID took over a year ago and for some reason I didn't get my auto bid in right and I didn't get it. Within weeks, the prices had shot up a grand. I'd still like one of those, as well as a SPAS-15.

Dang. 14 hours too late. ?

I've only got two other shotguns models aside from Benelli. Remington 1100LW .410 with 4 barrel set (they were all fixed choke in that era) Savage 24. I've got several of these. The one I use the most is 22/410. I've got a couple others that I inherited. I don't really care for them but keeping them out of respect.

Just don't "wet lube" the mag tube / spring area. I am not exaggerating when I say I have literally bought and sold dozens upon dozens of Benelli's from fellow hunters that complained that it was the biggest POS they ever owned. With very few exceptions, I'd take them home, take the mag tube spring out and give it a very thorough cleaning and put in DRY lube. Most of the time that fixed it, but there were a few that needed similar treatment to the recoil tube. Probably 85% of them got resold to other hunting buddies, to include the guy that sold it to me (after them seeing how flawless it shoots when it isn't dripping with oil until the dry field debris gets in it). I'm not a 'smith like Remarkable, just a guy that loves Benelli inertia guns. I have an HK import Montefeltro that my wife shoots skeet with. For her, it was a first shot love. She hit with it right out of the box and the gun has never malfunctioned in the ~25 years we've had it. You did good. ?

I thought everyone knew... The blue ones are the special "back from a wild weekend" Monday hangover edition. ?

Most people that buy a M3 know what it is and wants that selective action capability. Personally, I am not going to be shooting CS shells or beanbag rounds, but I do sometime shoot lightweight loads because they are cheap. I also have an affinity for semi-auto/pump guns. I also am a big fan of Franchi SPAS-12 (as long as it has had the safety switch upgrade) and SPAS-15. I always loved Benelli because they were NOT gas-operated. Simplicity, lighter, narrower forearm, and easier cleaning area all great features of inertia system. I bought my first Benelli brand new in ~1994. It was a HK import SBE. Within a very short period after I bought it, all other shotguns except for a .410 were sold. It didn't take long to figure out the quirk that it required 1 1/8oz dram shells but it didn't matter if they were name brand or high brass. It shot Wally World cheapo stuff as long as it was 1 1/8oz. Since then, I have bought a pair of M3T folders, M1T, Montefeltro 20 gauge, and have bought and sold SBE II and III. I finally decided I'd get a couple M4's too since I had most everything else I wanted from the brand. I got a standard pistol grip model that had been converted to full length mag, collapsible stock, etc. I also bought a NIB 11711. To me, Benelli IS inertia driven. The M4 is a fine gun for sure They may be the better choice for those going all out with the tacti-cool look with tons of gadgets hanging all over (which I am not really in to anyway).

Really any Winchester rifles, including their bolt guns.

This thread is certainly a blast from the past:

There are numerous reasons really. Some of the ComforTech stocks kind of break down after a while. I don't need/want it anyway. I don't really hunt geese anymore. When I used to travel to Canada and we would shoot boxes and boxes of 3.5" shells at high angles, it might have been nice. The amount of 3.5" I shoot now, I can handle it. I believe SBE1 is slightly lighter than later models (feels like it to me anyway). Contrary to popular opinion, I prefer the "low rib" of the original HK imports, plus those can do ghost loading if you are into such things. I also like the older bolt handle and round safety button but I'd guess those can be changed for a similar style. The only things I do not like about the older ones versus the newest one is the "Benelli Thumb" issue has improved. Not as much as aftermarket options have, but still better. However, that is only one thing you will do once if you are a hunter. But, if you shoot 3 gun or similar fast load competition, you WILL do it. I guess the other thing is they no longer make the low rib barrels and SBE1 barrels are quite hard to come by. One can use SBEII barrels on the SBE1, but they have the taller rib, and they have a longer recoil lug which requires modifying the forearm (or buying a factory modded one). If you aren't familiar with the difference, you can see the differences on my pictures below. This is a pair of HK SBE's and a complete barrel set of low rib barrels and most of the SBE II high rib's. I also have an M1T, a pair of M3T Folders's, and a pair of M4's including the 11711 H20 model and also a 20 gauge Montefeltro. I've shot many of the others (lightweight, M2, 828U, and did own an SBE II and III. I think most people will love any Benelli they choose.

I was going to suggest looking for an older, used Benelli SBE. Until I started collecting Benelli's, I only had a SBE that I bought in ~1994. Even after I started buying other models, I still preferred the original SBE over II and III (yes I owned and shot them too).

I would think some of the bigger Cerakote coating places have done these before. Might be able to send it to one of those instead. Or, if you prefer someone local, can you lend them a part for them to color match? Some of the bigger, more advanced paint stores have this device that you place something in and it shines lights on it in various wavelengths and fairly quickly comes up with the numeric paint color. I don't know if that would work for a coating or not.