shotgunNoob

Hey there- This question surfaced earlier, but I thought I would "renew" it. I have a SuperNova Tactical and noticed something weird going on with the interior finish of the chamber. There are 3 areas, all located where the barrel "slides" into the receiver chamber, that are missing the black coating found on the rest of the chamber interior. These areas are somewhat gold/silver in color and seem to be relatively symmetrical in their distribution. These areas extend roughly 2 1/2 to 3" into the chamber. When the barrel is installed you can hardly see them, if at all. Now, I contacted Benelli and they said that, upon looking at one of the shotguns they had, it is considered "normal" and would probably not be considered warranty worthy. They claimed that these areas were intentionally left bare for fitment purposes. Im somewhat dubious about this. Anyway, I have fired many rounds through this gun without issue and everything seems to work/fit properly. However, I am concerned about this exposed metal. I realize this is aluminum, but Im sure it can eventually begin to oxidize. I try to put a light coat of lubricant on these areas every 3 months or so. Still...this seems like an unneccessary problem. Any thoughts?

I agree with some of what this guy is saying. But, "2 1/2" loads? I assume you mean 2 3/4". Ive never heard of a "2 1/2" load, but Im fairly new to this so...Anyway, Im wondering if you consider anything less than a 3" load to be a "womans round"? Heck, I only shoot 2 3/4" 00-buck loads through my SuperNova Tactical. And these are low-recoil rounds!!! Of course, this has nothing to do with the problem at hand here. Regardless, I think the low-recoil rounds are great due to seemingly less abuse on the gun and greater follow-up shots. This is, IMHO, of particular concern when dealing with a home defense type situation. But again, I realize this has nothing to do with this guys problem. Just thought I would address your comments!

Congrats!! That is a very nice weapon. Wish I could afford such a beast. BTW-M1014...nice long gun arsenal you have there!! Im thinking you have waaayyy too much money to spend on such wicked weaponry. I can only imagine how many handguns you own!! Hope you have a nice safe.

In my case, Im thinking it may be due to the spring length. The spring that came with it was hella long..45" maybe? I cut it a bit shorter, but left it longer than probably needed as I was afraid of running into FTF issues. Oh well, one short doesnt bother me too much. If 4 rounds of 00-buck, which is what I keep loaded for HD, isnt enough to get the job done, one more round probably wont either!

Im sorry to hear about your negative experience with this shotgun. I would be sick to my stomach in your situation. Have you contacted Benelli regarding these issues? I d*mn sure would!! But.... While I dont own an M3, I was wondering a few things. First, regarding the various malfunctions you spoke of, did you bother to thoroughly clean and lube the weapon when you first acquired it? I have heard that some new weapons, particularly when semi-auto, may have issues such as these if not cleaned/lubed prior to shooting it for the first time. Just a thought. In terms of the brutal kick, what type of ammo were you using? 2 3/4", 3" or 3 1/2" rounds? Magnum loads? You get the idea. Im thinking that, in order to get some useful advice from other M3 owners here, more information concerning your issues might be needed. Again, sorry to hear about the bad luck.

Well, it seems this question has already been answered to your satisfaction. But, I will pipe in anyway. First off, its always good advice to RTFM!! But, in this case, I dont recall the Benelli manual going into too much depth regarding lubrication. Anyway, the old saying goes "if its shiny, lubricate it." For the shotgun, I would pay particular attention to the fore-end/bolt rails, the bolt itself and of course, the barrel. These seem to be the parts that require the most care. When necessary, I would then concentrate on the receiver chamber, firing pin (of course, located inside the bolt) and the trigger assembly. In terms of "how much", I would say a LIGHT film is all that is needed. Too much may gunk up the works and eventually make for a sloppy/dirty problem. If you can touch it and leave a slight fingerprint, it is lubed. Leave it at that. You dont want to apply lube so thickly that its literally "running" off the part(s)! Also, from what I understand, its always a good idea to run a clean patch through the barrel prior to shooting it. This removes excess lube and other miscellaneous particles that may have accumulated. Some adhere to this concept, others dont. Its up to you on this one! In terms of which type of lube, I wont even get into this. There are far too many lubes and opinions out there. Personally, I use Weapon Shield and find that it performs as advertised. I tend to stay away from grease as it seems un-necessary for my needs. However, the benefits of grease shine through when storing a weapon for extended periods.

I understand what you are saying as well and will concede your point. I have the Noridic Components +2 mag extension and it will, however, only allow for 6 in the tube (essentially a 6+1) when installed on a SN tactical. This is using 2 3/4" shells. Their +3 unit does indeed extend beyond the barrel. This, as you have stated before, probably is due to the larger nut involved. However, length is length regardless of where the mag tube "starts", in terms of capacity. It is also interesting to note that I am still using the original spring retainer with my set-up. Of course, it is now re-located to the end of the Nordic Tube. I left this retainer on to keep the Nordic spring from scraping against the soft aluminum of the tube. It does not seem to have an effect on capacity, however, as it is a hollow device which simply "shrouds" the spring. I may have lost an 1/8" or so, but this hardly worries me. Anyway, its also possible that different springs have varying tension/length, thus allowing for possibly one more mag in the tube vs the expected capacity. For instance, I have heard that the +2 mag extensions offered by Tac-Star do actually allow for an increase to 7-2 3/4" shells. This is due to the Tac-Star spring having lighter tension and possibly being shorter in length. The Nordic spring must have greater tension and/or length as it simply will not extend my capacity beyond 6 in the tube, w/o going with the +3 unit...which WILL extend beyong the barrel. This is regardless of shell size. I think it all basically comes down to semantics and tolerances.

I understand the thing about "aftermarket" parts. Actually, I have already had problems with such "parts" even though they are of high quality. However, tapped aluminum receivers dont offer too much confidence vs steel, based on what Ive heard. Im thinking about having mine re-threaded to accept Heli-Coils. Regardless, the problem he is having with the sights is still worrysome. Yes, checking the screws is a good idea. But sometimes stuff like this happens regardless. Its the very fact that Benelli parts are hard to come by that makes situations like this so paranoia inducing!....and frustrating as h*ll.

I thought the +3 tubes, in terms of an 18.5" barrel, were mainly for the M series Benellis. There doesnt seem to be near enough room on a SN tactical for a +3 tube w/o it extending beyond the barrel. Interesting....

This is yet another thread that worries me. I have seen MANY threads such as this relating to various items coming off of these Benelli guns. Im sure that, at their core, these guns are very durable. But, its seems to me that when it comes to items that are screwed into these guns (sights, receiver mounted sidesaddles, etc.), its not IF but WHEN you will lose a part. This is very scary to me, considering how hard it is to get parts for a Benelli.

I could be wrong, but I dont think such an item exists yet. Most, if not all, of the fore-end mounted lights Ive seen have been made for the Remingtons. I would suggest you try an Insight M3X tactical light mounted on a rail-equipped barrel/tube clamp. If nothing else, try doing a search for the item of which you speak. You might get lucky....I didnt.

For the mag extension, I would look at a "+2" type. Anything beyond that would probably extend beyond the barrel. Nordic Components and Daves Metal Works seems to sell the best mag tube extensions. If you can find a Benelli factory model,great!!! But, good luck. Anyway, a +2 configuration would give you 6 shots in the mag tube (using 2 3/4" and possibly 3" shells), assuming you remove the plug. With the plug installed in a stock tube, I believe the capacity is 2 or 3 shells..depending on the length. With the plug removed, the stock capacity should be 4-2 3/4" and 3" shells and 3-3 1/2" shells. In terms of HD ammo...I think 3" or more is overkill. For this, 2 3/4" 00-Buck should do just fine. Some also recommend #4 or #7 birdshot. Keep in mind, for home defense purposes, we are talking about less than 25' or so, practically speaking. As far as the red dot sight goes..depends on whether or not you need it enough to justify the cost. In terms of accessories, personally, I would recommend you check out the following items: Mesa Tactical 4-shot SureShell sidesaddle, Nordic Components +2 extension mag, InSight rail-mounted light w/ remote switch and the Urban E.R.T. hybrid sling. This should, if nothing else, give you an idea of how you may customize your Benelli tactical. Below are some links for you. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. http://www.urbanertslings.com/2point-modular.html http://www.mesatactical.com/index.php?id=56 http://www.opticsplanet.net/insight-technology-m3x-tactical-illuminator.html http://www.cactustactical.com/osc/shotgun-accessories-c-412_458.html?osCsid=3503a35bacfc780bcb1e5aac363e3334

I guess that answers my question about Benelli reliability. I am curious to see how many thousands of rounds my SN tactical can actually take before "major" service is needed. Of course, with only 150 to 200 rounds per year, it would probably take me a lifetime.

Why dont you like one shot lube? Personally, I use it on occasion. Mainly for mag springs, mag tube(s) and/or magazines. Basically, anywhere that ammo is "stored" within a weapon. But, as I mentioned before, barrels, frames and chambers get the Weapon Shield stuff.

Im sure its entirely possible to break into a home without waking up the dead. Or better yet to already be in the home when the owners arrive. At that point, dealing with illumination is trivial. Oh and one simply needs a small flashlight to find their way around an unfamiliar area when in the dark. Now granted, all of this is taking away such factors as dogs, truly effective alarm systems and the like. Either way, I agree that "busting" into a home does not coincide with "stealthy" methods. Regardless, Im not really trying to make any "strong" points here as I certainly am not interested in pondering the best way to invade a home. Nor am I an advocate of such activity. Im just throwing out random thoughts for the h*ll of it..nothing more.

Personally, I plan on putting roughly 150 rounds or so per year through my SuperNova tactical. Im just curious how many YOU put through your shotty per year. Also, Im wondering just how long these Benelli shotguns are supposed to last. It seems that, in terms of handguns, longevity is measured in terms of thousands of rounds...usually ten-thousand or more. I wonder how shotguns are measured. Thoughts? BTW- Dont feel obligated to attempt an answer the "longevity" question if you have no idea. I would still love to hear what kind of numbers, in terms of rounds, people here are putting through their shotgun on a yearly basis!

It varies...but for the most part I use Weapon Shield on all of my firearms. From what I understand, this is essentially an "updated" version of Breakfree CLP.

Personally, I would just have a gunsmith take a look at it and hopefully, he/she will provide you with some good options. Taking it upon yourself to do a "home remedy" fix might be too risky. In terms of a "used" trigger assembly, I would think this would be rather rare. Better off to replace the whole thing with a new part. But, this would more than likely be quite expensive. Again, just take it to a good gunsmith. If worse comes to worse, send it back to Benelli in order to have it done right. Good luck man.

I stand corrected then, about the lettering. Thats why Im here...to learn!! Thx for the info. Its weird that their tube wouldnt work with the factory Benelli nut. I would assume that in order for their, umm..nuts, to work with the Benelli tube, then their tubes should work with a Benelli nut. Maybe the nut they sell is dual threaded. Weird.... If this sounds confusing, dont worry...I think I just confused myself!!

Personally, I like the Nordic nut better. But, then again, my shotty is a SN tactical, so the original nut wouldnt have worked anyway. In my case, the threads all match up. I am, however, experiencing a weird upward "tilt" when the nut is screwed in all the way. Its not too bad though...only 1/10 of an inch, if that. I think I have seen several other shottys with extension tubes showing the same effect. Oh well.... as long as there are no feeding issues. Anyway, it seems the M1 does indeed have a different print than the SN tacticals. So, I guess, keep this in mind when considering capacities!!!

Actually, now that I think of it, this has been covered before. Go to this link: http://www.benelliusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16884

Cool deal..Im a Nordic fan, but as has been mentioned before, I dont like the aluminum thing. But, it will serve its purpose. I have heard good things about the DMW set-up though! BTW- The Nordic tubes have no white lettering on the actual tubes they sell, that I know of. They only use the lettering for advertising pics. Again, congrats on your set-up!

I believe the barrel for the SN tactical is a Cyl choke. Supposedly, good for effective buckshot patterns out to around the 12 to 20 yard range...given the right ammo.

Personally, I am using the Nordic Components extension. It is a +2, giving me a 6 shot capacity using 2 3/4" or 3" shells. As far as I can tell, it is roughly 1/4" or so shorter than the barrel. I believe anything more, ie. +3 or more, would extend beyond the barrel. The 18.5" barrel does not seem to afford much lattitude when it comes to mag extension length. The "7 round" tube mentioned earlier would, more than likely, be a +3 unit. I think this would extend beyond the barrel. But, then again, my weapon is a SuperNova tactical w/ 18.5" barrel. I am not sure if both weapons share the same "footprint" or not.

First of all..congrats. I own the same weapon. Now, due to the fact that this is a smoothbore, Im not sure why you would even be concerned about chokes. They do not come with any choke system that I know of. Most people seem to use the SN tactical for home defense purposes, practically speaking. Either way, if you must "choke" it, research the "vangcomp" system. From what I hear, this is a very effective system. However, due to the need for de-chroming and re-chroming the Benelli barrel, it can be fairly expensive. Below is a link just in case you are interested. Also, unless I am mistaken, Sabots are mainly for "rifled" barrels. A rifled slug is what you will need for optimal accuracy when firing out of a smoothbore shotgun. In terms of the 3" ammo, according to the Benelli manual, the SuperNova tactical will hold (minus plug) 4 - 2 3/4" or 3" shells and 3- 3.5" shells. The good thing about a smoothbore is that it will fire just about anything. The bad thing about a smoothbore is that, particularly with a shorter barrel, you will be limiting the effective range of the weapon. https://www.vangcomp.com/Home.html