Huckster1234

I had the exact same issue last fall in deciding which gun to buy. I ended up buying the 28" Cordoba, and a hunting buddy of mine bought the 26" SBE2 this spring - both of them are 12 ga with black synthetic stocks. I really have enjoyed shooting my Cordoba. I have shot both of them and here are my thoughts: If you want a shorter barreled gun, go with the SBE2, as the Cordoba only comes in 28 and 30" 1. You didn't specify if you are looking at a camo or black synthetic. The grip coating on the black synthetic Cordoba has a really nice feel, much much better than the SBE2 that doesn't have the grip coating. I have heard lots of comments from people that they really like the "feel" of my Cordoba. 2. The ported barrel makes a small but noticeable difference in the muzzle rise over the SBE2. The downside is that it really barks, fine if you are shooting sporting clays with ear plugs in, but not as good if you are in the duck blind. 3. The extended chokes are nice to have and are easier to change out faster (if you change a lot of chokes). You can also buy the extended Crio chokes and put them in the SBE2 (I have verified that they fit). 4. Removing the plug on a SBE2 is a pain in the rear and requires some dissassembly. The plug in the Cordoba can be removed in about 20 seconds. Dumb design by Benelli, I don't know why the SBE2 doesn't have the better design. 5. In theory, the Cordoba should be a faster shooting gun, as it only has 3" of travel for the bolt, whereas the SBE2 has 3.5". 6. The Cordoba has a slightly better balance "feel" to it in my opinion - it is a really nice swinging gun. Let me know what you end up deciding.