SweetM4

thanks for the quick reply. i thought it was plastic wad gunk and maybe some lead from the slugs. so the tornado brush really gets that crap off? i'll definitely try it will i still have to use the cordless drill or just a a few passes with the cleaning rod? any particular bore solvent or is hoppe's no. 9 good enough?

i have an M4 with a collapsible stock. after shooting hundreds of slugs the other day i felt like a mule kicked me in the cheek i tried to keep my cheek in the proper position, etc., but by the end of the day i was sore. i'm curious if there might be some kind of cheek saver (a thin gel pad of some kind i guess) out there that would help? does anybody have any advise for reducing "mule kick in the face pain" when shooting slugs all day long? also, i'm thinking about adding an Aimpoint T1 with the short Larue mount to my M4. i've read nothing but good comments on this forum about this optic on an M4, but i have a question about cheek weld when using the T1 with a collapsible stock (i set my stock to the middle position). i'm assuming that with the T1 you won't have to plant your cheek so deep into the stock like you do when using the Benelli ghost ring sights, right? if this is true, then i'm guessing/hoping it will reduce some of the kick to your cheek when shooting slugs. thanks for any feedback you can give me

i recently put about 200 rounds of cheap walmart shells (federal 7 1/2 shot multi-purpose load) and another 200 rounds of federal "low recoil rifled slugs" through my M4 in a single afternoon of training exercises. afterwards, i found that the barrel had a lot of what appeared to be plastic wad residue inside the barrel mostly in the vicinity of the forcing cone. there was no easy way to remove this gunk (hoppes No. 9, butch's bore solvent, gun scrubber) all did little to remove this gunk. i even chucked up a cleaning rod with a bronze bore brush soaked in solvent. no luck. i finally had to cut some strips of a scotch brite scouring pad and then wrap that with a layer of a copper scouring pad all soaked in solvent and then with a cordless drill it took about 10 passes up and down the barrel to finally get all the sh*t out. i enjoy cleaning my guns, but this was not enjoyable. i'm convinced that it has to be the particular shells i was shooting that caused the problem. assuming i'm right and, it's not normal to have to spend hours scouring your barrel with scouring pads attached to a cordless drill, what brand of shells would you recommend to avoid leaving excessive gunk in the barrel? can you recommend some inexpensive target loads, some 00 and number 1 buck shot and some good rifled slugs that you've used and can confirm don't gunk up the barrel with impossible to remove sh*t

Off topic, but I've been using cheap Walmart federal 7 1/2 "multi-purpose load" in my M4 (works great...no problems at all). However, after shooting a couple hundred shells, the barrel has a lot of plastic residue (wad gunk I assume) and it's very difficult to clean up the barrel. Have you had this issue? Any trucks for cleaning this gunk off the barrel? I've tried hoppe's no. 9 and even gun scrubber but still very difficult to remove.

i'm relatively new to the world of shotguns, so i still have a lot to learn. although it may not be strictly necessary to keep the M4's barrel "clean as a whistle", i like to keep all of my guns well maintained (it's a hobby... gives me something to do when i'm bored). here's the issue i'm having. i've been buying lots of cheap shells at walmart (federal 7 1/2 shot "multi-purpose load") to use for training and learning. works great in both my remington 870P and my M4. however, after shooting a couple hundred shells there's quite a bit of soot and grime so i like to give the M4 the once over. the problem is that the inside of the barrel seems to have quite a bit of gunk (i'm assuming it's plastic reside from the wads) all over the inside of the barrel. okay. no big deal. just clean it. but it is very difficult to remove. i soak patches with Hoppe's No. 9 solvent and slather the inside of the barrel and let it soak for a bit. then i soak a brass bore brush in No.9 and run it through the barrel several times. then i run a jag through with some clean patches and take a peak down the barrel expecting to see things "clean as a whistle", but it's not. still quite a bit of gunk scattered around the length of the barrel. i even nuked it with gun scrubber (soaked patches in gun scrubber and run them slowly through the barrel so there is plenty of gun scrubber inside the barrel) and then used the bore brush again (soaked in gun scrubber). then i run some clean patches through again. it still has lots of gunk caked on here and there. very frustrating. same thing happens with my 870P. i have some questions: what am i doing wrong as far as cleaning the plastic wad gunk out of the barrel? is there a more appropriate solvent? or more appropriate cleaning tools and/or methods? i enjoy cleaning my guns, but i don't like struggling with the damn wad gunk. what can i do to avoid this issue to begin with? i'll gladly stop using the cheap walmart shells if that will solve the problem. does everybody get this same wad gunk in their barrels? if not, how do you avoid this? if it's related to the cheap shells, then please tell me what kind of shells to use so i can avoid this headache in the future thanks for your help. i appreciate it.

if it sold that quick, then it may have actually been underpriced...

there is a difference between the 870P and the 870 Express models. they have several flavors of the 870P for LE (but also available to the public) http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/Firearms/Shotguns Pump/870P.aspx Here's what Remington says about the differences between the Express and the Police: REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, LE DIVISION Important differences between Remington 870 Police and 870 Express shotguns The 870 Express has been an important part of Remington’s offering to the sporting market. It was designed to meet a price point in the commercial market while still providing classic 870 functionality. All of Remington’s 870’s have interchangeable parts, even if they have cosmetic differences. It is also important to note that many manufacturers use the 870 Express platform for their Police / Combat models. Without exception, every manufacturer who utilizes our 870 platform serves to upgrade their system to a more efficient, street worthy platform. While the 870 Express is still an 870, the best pump shotgun on the market, there are some very important cosmetic and functional differences between it and the 870 Police. To our customers in Law Enforcement, Military, Corrections, and Security, whose lives depend upon the unfailing performance of Remington shotguns, the Police modifications are of paramount importance. Synopses of the variances are provided below. • 870 Police shotguns go thru a special 23 station check list – ranging from visual inspection, functional testing, test firing, and final inspection. • All Police shotguns are assembled in a “special build area” at the plant in Ilion, NY. This section is secured and serves only to build LE and Military shotguns, with the same factory personnel working at that assignment each shift. • All parts that enter the “special build area” are visually inspected by hand to ensure top quality and functionality. • Due to heavy recoil in buck and slug loads, all 870 Police guns have a longer magazine spring which ensures positive feed and function. • A heavier sear spring is used to generate a reliable, positive trigger pull between 5 and 8 lbs. • A heavier carrier dog spring is used to ensure when the carrier elevates the shell, it will be held there until the bolt can push it into the chamber. This ensures positive feeding when using heavier payload rounds. • Police shotguns do not have an ISS (Integrated Safety System) which is a locking mechanism on the safety of commercial shotguns. This type of locking mechanism can cause delay to an officer who needs the weapon but does not have the appropriate key. LE shotguns have the standard, proven, cross bolt safety. • The fore-end on the Express model is longer and not compatible with many police shotgun vehicle racks. • The Police shotguns utilize the heavy duty SPEEDFEED Stocks and Fore-ends. • The Express model will not allow for the addition of an extension tube without physical modification to the tube and barrel, which can nullify the warranty. • The Express model has a BEAD BLAST BLUE finish while the Police models utilize either High Luster bluing or Parkerization. • The Express model utilizes a synthetic trigger housing while the Police models use a compressed metal housing. • The Police shotgun barrel is locked down with a “ball detent” system in conjunction with the magazine cap vs. a lesser grade “synthetic magazine spring retainer” lock down as used on the Express system. • The receivers used in Police guns are “vibra honed” to smooth out rough finishes and remove burrs before parkerization or bluing. • Police shotguns use machined ejectors and extractors, as opposed to powdered metal cast which are utilized on the Express models.

this is probably obvious, but i want to ask to make sure. is this the "recoil link pin" that you recommend keeping well lubed?

thanks bighat. i agree. i am happy to move on. and i want to apologize to m4p226n for getting so bent out of shape over this issue. i'm going to contact benelli support and ask them if there is anything that i can do (or adjust or lubricate, etc.) to help me unload using that dang cartridge release lever i'll post any advise i get from benelli. i guess it's even possible that my particular M4 has a problem? hey, maybe this is obvious, but i just noticed the"p226n" in the jumble of characters in m4p226n. i'm new to sigs, but i'm guessing that means you have (or want or like) sig P226 pistols? that's the one used by navy seals, right? nice. very nice. especially given recent events i just purchased a sig p220 carry elite dark to add to my arsenal. i would have bought a p226n but it's only chambered in 9mm which is fine for those of you who are good shots. i'm not that good a shot so i need a .45 LOL.

it's fun to watch you try to convince people (and yourself) that you know what you're talking about you quote the manual chapter and verse but you're still wrong. benelli doesn't "recommend" unloading the magazine by cycling. sure, you can unload by cycling, but the section in the manual titled "unloading" instructs how to unload by depressing the cartridge retaining lever. my complaint is that unloading by depressing the cartridge retaining lever frequently does not work well for many people (not just me) for some reason... perhaps something not quite right with the design or maybe it's a break-in issue?? i was hoping to hear from others in this forum who have experienced this problem and have something constructive, informative or even mildly amusing to say about it it seems that a lot of people have the same problem, but they just live with it. yeah, i'll live with it also, but i think it's fair to point this issue out as a legitimate "issue" with the benelli M4. but because you've liked guns for 30 years if an issue doesn't bother you then it's not a legitimate issue for others to be concerned about. i don't care what you think about anything. you are irrelevant. i just hope you don't spout off incorrect information someday that might hurt somebody.

you not only posted "thoughts", you also made statements about unloading the M4 that were completely incorrect and you claimed the source was the benelli manual. why don't you read the manual again and then correct yourself? then you can either take the high road or keep complaining when sopmebody points out a problem with the M4 that doesn't happen to bother you.

i always enjoy being lectured by someone who knows everything i double checked the manual and you are wrong. read the manual before you start telling people what it says. or at least warn us that you "think" this is what the manual says. in fact, the manual WARNS that the gun can be unloaded by cycling...it does NOT recommend it. IMHO, the benelli M4 has a "shortcoming" pertaining to unloading that aggravates the sh&t out of me. it may be petty to you, but it's not petty to me. i paid $1500 for my M4 and it's reasonable to expect routine functions (such as unloading) to work as per the manual. btw, here's how the manual says to unload the M4: Unloading (this operation must be carried out with the gun safety catch engaged - see “Safety”, page 15 and the barrel pointed in safe direction) To unload the shotgun, proceed as follows: 1) open the bolt: the cartridge in the chamber will be extracted and ejected (fig. 25); 2) close the bolt: gently releasing the clocking lever (fig. 26); (i guess nobody proof reads anything nowadays) 3) reverse the gun and - thrusting the carrier towards inside - press the cartridge retaining lever from the front with the right hand index finger (fig. 27); the first cartridge will come out. The carrier latch must be pressed for each released cartridge. WARNING: Gun can be unloaded by repeating the operation, as described under point B, this section above, of the chapter: ”Cartridge replacement”.

i cus and swear every time i try to unload shells from my M4. i can usually get the first few shells to unload (not without effort), but the last shell just won't budge no matter what i do. i'm shocked that this well known "problem" seems to acceptable to benelli. i can unload shells all day long from my remington P870 using the same technique without any difficulty. i'm curious if anybody has contacted benelli about this problem (and i define it as a "problem"). the procedure described in the M4 owner's manual simply does not work easily or reliably. period. very annoying. they charge enough for their shotguns and they should function properly or they should redesign whatever is causing the f*&king problem.

okay, i understand that the gas cylinders and pistons are NOT to be lubricated, but shouldn't the o-rings get a dab of light oil periodically to keep them from drying out? also, to be clear. it's okay to "clean" the gas cylinders and pistons with something like CLP, but wipe the parts down afterwards, right? i just like the idea of a bit of corrosion protection on all metal parts.

i liked the "look and feel" of the benelli collapsible stock on my M4. all things being equal i would also like the "functionality" of the collapsible stock, but since a "collapsible" stock opens a can of worms (especially in commifornia) i opted to simply have a gunsmith "lock" my collapsible stock at the midway point. problem solved. i no longer have a collapsible stock. it's now a "fixed" stock that just happens to "look" like a collapsible stock.

when you get the new part you should paint it bright orange in case it pops off again. that might help you find it next time

i don't think anybody ever claimed that this forend added any special functionality, right? it's my understanding that the only reason this part was made was to help a LOT of people with 922 compliance issues.

3. "hybrid titanium/steel" tactical charging handle (bolt handle) (apparently titanium is not the optimal material for the bolt handle)

the carriercomp FL mag tube (which includes a US follower and spring) and picatinny rail that i ordered on january 18 have been shipped now all i need is the FFT forend and the carriercomp hammer and/or disconnect and i'll be 922r compliant. i'm sure that i'll order both as soon as kip makes them available for sale). any guesstimate as to availability of these parts?

why not consider this very nice quality 3-slot rail mounted barrel clamp from CDM Gear? i brought this up in another post, but the guy wanted to be able to field strip his M4 without having to go to the extra step of removing the barrel clamp. i have this clamp on bot of my shotguns and i really like it.

i ordered my FL tube and a top rail from carriercomp on january 18. not here yet, but i think i heard that it takes 4-6 weeks?? btw, stradale, do you have a stradale? what color? with or without factory stripe?

sorry for getting off topic, but is that the optional "aluminum strike plate" and the "enhanced rubber butt pad" on your Magpul UBR stock? i like your style

hey, maybe we found another part that kip (carrier comp) can rework for improved functionality? kipster, what do you think?

Please elaborate.