MENeelz

First of all I hope nothing bad happened to him. Second, I'd like a post mortem on his project to get US made firing group parts made for the M4. Did the parts not work due to a technical problem? Was there a regulatory or legal issue that arose? Is there a financial reason why the project didn't go forward?

****man74, your post sounds like you might work on an offshore oil platform. Do you use helicopter transport to go back and forth? If so I'd like to PM you with a couple of questions.

I just snorted two lines of Blue Dot. I'll let you know what happens when I sneeze.

When a shotgun is chambered for a particular shell length, the chamber is cut such that there is sufficient relief for the opened crimp to be clear of the bore. Thus, a shotgun chambered for 3 inch shells may be able to chamber a 3 1/2 inch shell for this reason, but when the 3 1/2 inch shell is fired, the shot, wad, etc. will be constricted as it exits the hull, because there is no relief for the opened crimp. This can cause either shearing of the front crimp portion of the shell at best, or at worst, a dangerous overpressure in the chamber and breech.

If you have an American made semi auto shotgun, you can do whatever you want to it with American made parts EXCEPT shorten the bbl to less than 18 inches OR shorten the overall length to less than 26 inches. The restriction you refer to above applies to shotguns assembled from imported parts, which of course the Benelli M4 is. Use the search function here and you'll find numerous lengthy threads about the relevant US Codes and ways to work around them legally. The most common approach is to buy enough US parts to replace 5 of the 15 that put the Benelli M4 over the 10 imported part limit. If you want a bbl less than 18 inches or a shorter OA length than 26 inches, you have to submit a BATF Form 1, application to make and register a short barreled shotgun, along with a $200 tax payment, and wait for approval.

I would hazard a guess that it's doubtful you did any harm. If the choke isn't bulged and the threads are fine, it's hard to imagine what other problem there would be.

Either trade your 1014 for an M4 or just buy a recoil spring tube for an M4. The standard factory M4 recoil spring tube already has the flats and notches. Have a gunsmith install it for you unless you are knowledgeable in such things. Unscrewing the old tube requires application of significant heat and will also require a padded vise. You can risk several kinds of damage if you don't do it right.

I am 90% sure that I could win a court case regarding possession of a Benelli M4 with extended magazine and adjustable stock. I am 10% sure I could afford the cost of the case. 10% of the cost of the case is still more than buying or even having custom made, enough US parts to be able to support the claim that it does not violate the terms of the 922r statute.

The stud to which you refer screws into the end of the buffer tube and it's only function is to hold the nut that holds the sling attachment point in place on the stock. The threads at the front of the pistol grip hold the stock in place and the threaded stud has no other function. The buffer tube into which the stud was threaded is held in place by a very strong locking compound that requires high heat to loosen. There is very little chance that you moved the buffer tube. Put the stud back in, with the sling attachment and nut in place, tighten it firmly, put the recoil pad back on and don't worry about it. If it ever comes loose all that will happen is the sling attach point will fall out.

Where'd ya get that bbl shroud?

There's still hope for enough US parts. In addition to the SOCOM magazine tube and Sure cycle follower, there is a Surefire handguard available. Now you're down to needing two parts. A while back one of the members of this forum who goes by "yallknowwho" was going to have trigger, hammer and disconnector made in a US machine shop and available to purchase. That project may have come off the tracks though, because he has not reappeared for quite a long time.

It's a damn good question. If Benelli wanted to endear itself to American consumers, it would do exactly as you suggest. If Benelli wanted to endear itself, or at least stay on the "good side" of BATF, it might do otherwise. Since Benelli's right to operate in the US is determined largely by BATF and to a far lesser degree by US consumers, their calculus will lead them to try to keep BATF happy. Free market economics benefit consumers. Regulated markets benefit the regulators. 'twas ever thus.

Gorgeous piece of walnut for a stock!

The hammer in an M4 doesn't know whether there's a round in the chamber or not. It hits the firing pin and stops against the rear face of the bolt. The firing pin is supported by a surrounding return spring, and if it doesn't strike a primer, it is buffered somewhat by the spring, which will reduce it's inertia at the end of its travel, plus when it stops, absent a primer to strike, it bears against a flange that will exert even stress on the pin, so the chance of firing pin breakage is very very low unless there's an inherent defect in the metal. This is a 1 cent engineering analysis, and it's worth every penny.

I doubt you could dry fire it enough to cause any damage. I dry fire my pistols (all models) thousands of times, and have yet to see any ill effect. With pistols, dry firing is the only way you can develop and maintain a precision trigger stroke without spending thousands of dollars on ammo.