REXtheDOG

Its possible to clean the recoil spring and everything w/o removing the magazine tube. Just can't clean the actual mag tube. Anyway I just got back from the range. It ran fine with Remington 2-3/4" 3-3/4 DR EQ. 9 pellet buck. So it works fine with full power loads but just won't shoot the light stuff. BTY it kept all pellet on target in cneter of mass out to 20 yards. At 25 1 pellet flew.

I have already disassembled and cleaned everything. Reallly well too. I threw all of my cleaning supplies at it in stages switching when I got bored. MP7, CLP, Kroil, JB bore cleaner, Otis, dewy rod with brush, boresnake. So it is really clean. Only part I havn't taken off is the magazine tube / recoil spring on the M3. It seems to be on the receiver very tightly and the manual doesn't show how to remove it so I didn't mess with it. As I recall without getting up or referring back to my original post The Federal Game load I had was 3-1/4 but only 1 oz so maybe that will make the difference. I wouldn't think that failure to cycle and hold the bolt back on the last shot wouldn't have anything to do with a worn out recoil spring. Would it? This is a pretty clean gun but it is approx 12 years old. I'll try to find some more powerful shells. Until then, any other ideas?

link to photo of shortened stock http://images6.fotki.com/v161/free/4929e/1/16132/1947396/MMBenelliM3-vi.jpg?1110681444

[ 03-12-2005, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: REXtheDOG ]

Does onyone here have experience shortening their stock? I'd like to cut about 1" to 1.5" off the back of my M3 pistol grip stock. There is plenty of room to cut that much off and not interfere with the mounting tube, so the cut is the easy part ,but I need to figure out how I am going to reattach the butt pad. Ideally I'd like to use the stock pad so it retains the Benelli name and won't cost me anything. I've seen that Speedfeed offers a shortened 13" pistol grip stock but it does not specify if it is 13" LOP to the trigger or physically 13" in length. Also not real appealing asthetically and would cost extra $$. Concerning my desire to shorten the stock, It was interesting because I decided I wanted to shorten the stock and then saw at the Military Morons site a photo of a shortened stock M3. I had seen the photo before but never realized that it had a shortened stock. Also read about an attendee at a shotgun course that shortened the stock on his M1 during the course.

Recently got a preban M3 (imported June 1993) and took it to the range. Sample size of test was total of about 60-70 rounds. I like the gun a lot, my shoulder was not sore at all but had function problems. Overall the results of the test was poor reliability hopefully due to the ammo I had on hand. 1) Failed to cycle correctly every shot with Federal 2-3/4" Game Load 3-1/4 Dram 1 oz. shot 6 shot w/ stated muz vel 1290 FPS 2) Failed to cycle correctly all but once with Federal Tactical 2-3/4" 9 Pellet 00 buck (LE132 00). No Dram or muz vel stated on box. 3) Cycled about 20-25 round of 2-3/4" Federal Tactical Hydra-shock HP 1 oz. Rifled Slug (LE127 RS) flawlessly. No Dram or muz vel stated on box. I did some research on the net and see that Remington Tac 8 00 buck is recomended in improved cylinder semi autos. The M3 is cylinder choke but I'd like to give it a try. Does anyone know where the Remington Tac 8 can be purchased on the net or in Michigan? Any other recomendations of premium defense load to try for reliable semi auto function.? Any recommendation for cheap practice load? How does the M1 field/SBE cycle bird shot reliably? If this gun could shoot birdshot reliably in semi mode I'd probably get the longer 26" barrel and a standard stock for hunting. Thanks,

Hi, I recently bought a preban M3 and am interested in a replacement wood stock to look PC for hunting. I believe that the M1/SBE Satin walnut stock will fit the M3 but am not sure if the foregrip will fit without fitting. The M3 foregrip is 6 3/4" long not including the protector tab for the semi/pump selector and is 7 3/8" including the protector tab. 1) how long is the M1/SBE wood foregrip? 2) Anyone have a photo of the inside of the M1/SBE foregrip so I can see how it mounts? Thanks

Win, Cals and Impact guns have the M4 package with stock and extended magazine advertised on their websites. They aren't selling the guns assembled, or at least Impact isn't. I had an order for the M4 package I placed over a month ago. I canceled it yesterday because it was clear to me that until some US parts can be made it will not be legal to assemble the shotgun into the preferred configuration. I emailed Impact and thier response was that the owner could assemble it but Benelli could not import it. Seems very much like the problem of dealers selling preban featured uppers and it being the owners responsibility not to put it on a post ban lower. Anyway, between the legal stuff and the reports of some of the guns breaking I decided to hold onto my $1,500 for a while. I may be interested in getting a M1014 and putting a regular hunting stock on it with the extended magazine. Or I might just get a regular stock M1.