yep i've called benelli
this is what they told me...
Go see a gunsmith that has worked on a benelli before. told her we have gunsmiths in our area but since most of the benelli's in my area are extension tubes, nobody has tried removing the tube from the reciever.
she told me it's locktited. so I ask her if the plastic thing wont' be damaged by the heat gun. she told me....
THAT'S THE GUNSMITH'S CALL!
relayed that to my smithy and he said bull****. In fact this was my gunsmith's idea to call benelliusa.
Im in the Philippines by the way.
My smithy studied gunsmithing in the U.S.