Creeper

As much as I love Nordic products, unless you want to shim a Nordic, as truckcop says, it ain't gonna' happen. Alternative? The very nice Mesa Tactical clamp, designed to fit the stock Benelli tube, and support a light. Downside, they are unusually proud of them. C

It's been done... with a few different brands of lights and many hours and designs in an attempt to keep it semi-simple yet high quality, reliable, mil spec durable and reasonably priced. Ultimately, not worth all the trouble... trust me. Saying that, go find yourself a gun, a light and a machine shop... and let 'er rip brother. C Oh, almost forgot. Why CR123s? Ever been someplace where there's no electricity... for maybe 8-9 days? CR123s rock.

GunsAmerica blog - Shot show info of interest... "For 2013, Benelli is offering its time-tested and field-proven Montefeltro in a black synthetic stock that moves the MSRP down to $1,139. The shotgun still harnesses the company's famous Inertia Driven system, and the 12-gauge can digest three-inch magnum shotshells. Perhaps more exciting is the introduction of what the company claims to be the world's first left-handed 20-gauge shotgun. The M2 Field ComforTech can chamber three-inch magnums, and the semi-automatic method of operation coupled with the company's recoil-handling stock, promises to make it one of the softest shooting bird baggers out there. MSRP is $1,519. Also new in the M2 line is a compact version with a shorter stock."

Common mods? Common kinda depends on your personal level of practical vs. tacti-cool. Most fit an aftermarket higher capacity mag tube... and sometimes a better follower. Nordic, DMW and Briley are the popular higher quality pieces. Some will fit a larger bolt handle, a larger slide release button or DMW "speedbar". Lots of styles and makers here... your call. If the stock is too long, The Mesa Tactical "Urbino" PG stock is nearly 2" shorter. If you don't like PG, MT will be coming out with a Urbino type straight stock... "project apache", in the next 6 months. Other options are a 1913 rail if you want to mount some sort of holo/reflex sight. Mesa Tactical. A barrel/mag clamp if you want to mount a light. Nordic is a good one. Night sights. A few makers. Side saddles. Several makers with varying quality and fitment methods. Modifications to the receiver for faster loading, including modified lifters to prevent "thumb pinch" if you have that problem. C-Rums, Accurate Iron, Wheaton Arms and Taran Tactical are a few 'smith services that support 3-gun competitors. That's about all I got... there's other stuff you can do, but no point in overloading your new "M2T brain" just yet. Cheers, C

21" ribbed M2 field for sale huh? Good length for HD or JFF 3-gun. Should sell fast if the price is kosher. Cheers, C

You would not believe how many times we hear that. Your first problem is your original question about getting a "flush" mag tube. Most don't get too concerned about that, or have spent the time or money to figure that out. That and it can be sketchy as to what your tube will hold if you do get a flush mag tube. M2 Tactical... Yeah, I seriously doubt that slightly-shorter-than-the-barrel tube holds more than 7. 7+1. See my example below. The Benelli "3-gun" has a 21" barrel and holds 8 in it's flush, Benelli spec, Nordic tube. 8+1. Odd huh? By the math, it could easily hold 9 shells. Why the light mag load? Functionality perhaps? A longer end cap could be installed and you could get 9 or 10... but then they didn't do that... M2 Field... all are 3 shell tubes. 3+1. This is from an old Nordic tube chart. In fact, I think Cactus Tactical still uses it... and it's really not dead nuts accurate, but it ain't bad. [TABLE=class: main] [TR] [TD]# of Extra Shells [/TD] [TD]Tube Length[/TD] [TD]Overall Length Installed [/TD] [TD]Recommended Barrel Length[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] +2[/TD] [TD] 6.250[/TD] [TD] 15.375[/TD] [TD] 18.5[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] +3[/TD] [TD] 8.622[/TD] [TD] 17.747[/TD] [TD] 18.5[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]+4[/TD] [TD]10.393[/TD] [TD] 19.518[/TD] [TD]18.5 / 21[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]+5[/TD] [TD]11.929[/TD] [TD] 21.054[/TD] [TD]18.5 / 21[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]+6[/TD] [TD]14.370[/TD] [TD] 23.495[/TD] [TD]21 / 24[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]+7[/TD] [TD]17.598[/TD] [TD] 26.723[/TD] [TD]24 / 28[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]+8[/TD] [TD]20.196[/TD] [TD] 29.321[/TD] [TD]28[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Example. I have a +4 Nordic tube on my M2T that extends 1.165" past the barrel (doesn't exactly add up to the chart does it). With a (longer) Nordic Teflon coated aluminum follower, this tube holds seven 2 3/4" shells. If I put the short Benelli red plastic follower back in I can stuff a 8th (Hornady) shell in... and it's a tight fit. If I cut a few dozen coils off the spring, I could run the Nordic follower and get 8 shells tight, but then the spring would be below the minimum required exposed length. It's enough to drive you nuts... ain't it. C

Crap... I never can remember this stuff, and I'm to lazy to go measure M2s. Go to Nordic here. Scroll down a bit, plug your M2T and gauge into the fields. Open the "12 ga length" field and it will show you capacity and length. The variance is because there are three different lengths of end caps available. Stick with quality tubes from Nordic, Briley or DMW... the cheap ones can cause grief.

Another way to go, if you don't like a slip on pad and don't mind spending a few bucks, is to install a Mesa Tactical "Urbino" stock. The LOP is shorter and it comes with a nice, thick soft Limbsaver recoil pad out of the box... turns a 3 box gun into a 10 box gun. Downside, and a heads up... the stock is actually made to fit the M2, so the lower edge of the receiver is not covered as the OE stock does. Most don't care, some get whiny about that sort of thing. C

Yeah... I was looking at the Numrich diagram, but I figured mcthracker already found it by now. When I go to Brownell's, I get schematics, brands, Benelli, R1 stuff. I don't see "Benelli schematics you then have to click on "Shotguns". Want to be a peach and link me to that truckcop? Gracias.

Actually, the Benelli website says: "A cylinder choke is recommended for shooting rifled slugs in a smooth-bore barrel." Kinda paranoid... ain't they? My M2s prefer a modified choke with Remington HV and Brenneke BM slugs. While experimenting with slugs and chokes... I find that with cylinder choke my groups open up to near double that of a modified. Happy New Year! C

Well... I like it too. Your link don't work for some reason, but it's easy enough to cut, paste and search. Here it is. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1852[/ATTACH] Happy New Year! C

Seriously? Man... that's a bit on the exclusionary side of things. What about the guys that run 24" barrel field guns... they hosed? A 24" M2 Field makes a great all around shotgun. I don't believe you'll find that to be the case. The difference in barrel weight is substantially less than the weight added to a M2T with an extended mag tube and a full mag... not to mention the clamps, lights, side saddles etc. etc. that people add to their M2Ts... with no cycling issues. Same holes... just the intended audience is different. Nothing wrong with that... lots of folks, me included, have used the 26" field M2 as a base for 3-gun competition. I actually prefer the vent rib for rapid target acquisition vs. the GR sights. I do keep a M2T at home for the HD application, but unless you have narrow hallways, you can get away with a 26". No one said (at the lameass country club shotgun range you seem to be stuck with ) you can't have a short (12.5" vs the stock 14.4") LOP stock, so you might want to look at the Mesa Tactical Urbino stock to reduce the OAL of the gun and provide a more tactically sound, square-to-the-target stance. (That last bit is just the way I've trained for the past 30 years... how you like to shoulder a shotgun is entirely your call) I'm all done. Hope anything I've said provides a little light... or total confusion. Happy New Year! C

None that I'm aware of. Just the general M2 manual, that is available on the Benelli site. The are only a few parts that are unique to the M2T, so it makes sense that there would not be a unique manual. I suppose you could simply print only the pages that apply. "Commando" had a link in this thread, but it leads to only R1 gun info on the Brownell's site. If you do find one... I'll be pretty impressed. Happy New Year! C

The petition linked to by the OP Zeke has been closed. You may have already seen parts of this White House response in a speech, or have read it... but for those that have no clue what's going on, please read at this link and scroll down a few inches. Happy Holidays! C

The current number of signators on 'our' petition is 50,828. This anti-gun petition currently has 193,659 signators... and although it's been available for two additional days, our averages are found to be, ah... somewhat lacking. Which petition would you like to see, with a stunningly overwhelming number, cross the President's desk? Happy Holidays ladies 'n gents! C

What truckcop said is absolutely right on the button. Unless you are a very mechanically handy fellow, with the appropriate tools/skills, the cost of replacement will certainly exceed the added cost of a GR sighted M1T. It will run you nearly $200 for the non-tritium LPA sight set that is fit to the M2T... now add labor. Cheers, C

Did it yesterday when GunsAmerica sent me an e-mail. There are a whole bunch of "Nervous Nellie's" that think registering on a Gov'ment site will cause the black helicopters to descend on to their super secret lair. Don't be so delusional folks... they've known about you for years. ;)

Without pics.... [ATTACH=CONFIG]1804[/ATTACH]

Fixes are like that....................[ATTACH=CONFIG]1803[/ATTACH]

What the ****... second time's a charm. Right?

The M4 will handle really light loads better than the M2. The M2 is inertia operated... too weak a load and the gun won't cycle. There is no "best"... only the gun for the application. The military uses M4s. The M2 is historically the most popular semi-auto in 3-gun competitions. There are practical, logical applications for each. Do some more reading of actual facts and figures. Be objective about your needs. Most folks in the world would be just fine with a 24" 870... but thankfully, there's a few more to choose from.

And all is right with the world.

I looked at this thread a few hours ago and decided to ignore it, and the other one that basically asks a similar question. I was curious who would respond and how. Thanks for saying what I've been thinking. Sure... there's a certain degree of visual appeal with firearms, but looks determining how long the mag tube should be? That's taking it a bit far, don't ya' think Augustine? I'm so used to seeing mag tubes that are a little to a lot longer in 3-gun, that flush or under both look weird. How's that for an answer? Cheers, C

I give up... time to take the end cap off and see if the tube itself will take 5.

What do you have now... 18.5" barrel with ghost ring or rifle sights? Funny thing... it used to be if you had a vent rib barrel, you had a field gun, and if you had a shorter barrel with iron sights, or just a cheesy little bead, you had a tactical/defense gun. With the advent of 3-gun, people discovered that a (relatively) short barreled shotgun with a vent rib is a formidable rig for tactical use. I started 3-gun comp a few years ago with a Benelli M2 Tactical with GR sights. Eventually got a 24" M2 because it's faster on target and the 24" barrel length offers a balance that I'm personally really comfortable with. I'm contemplating fitting a 21" ribbed barrel to the M2T... because, once again, it's faster on target than any iron sight set. The only place where the GR or rifle sights are advantageous IMO, is shooting slugs (precisely) at distances of 50 yds or more. You could get a M2 Field with a 21" or 24" vent rib barrel (models 11026 & 11021 respectively), which is what a large number of serious Benelli 3-gun competitors use as a starting point. The number one major change is of course the (usually Nordic and Briley) extended mag tube. What you end up with is a first class, "universal semi-automatic shotgun"... that works just as well in the fields and marshes as it does in a dark hallway at 3AM. No ,it's not a dedicated gun and no, it's not a traditional gun... but it flat out works anywhere. If the semi-auto is a bit too much cash, there's always an equivalent in the Nova & Super Nova pumper lines. Cheers, C