TheHolyCannoli

Does Benelli actually sell anything direct to consumers? Would be nice to know when I start looking for specific stocks and/or barrels.

Ordered...I know I'll have a **** of a time finding a ComfortTech stock but to be honest, I think it would be more difficult to find an 18in barrel later down the road for anything less than $500. Seems like the field barrels can be found with just a bit of searching. Now, let's see if this order actually ships with all these new gun restrictions being brought to the table. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Lots of good insight there. I realize that this really comes down to which compromises I want to make. I'm leaning heavily towards fulfilling home defense purposes over hunting. In regards to barrel length, I'm very, very fond of the 18.5" as it simply feels great in my hands and when moving around. My thought is that getting a single 21in barrel is actually yet another huge compromise rather than getting a second barrel dedicated to hunting. I'm not a millionaire by a long shot, but if the M2 platform proves to be as good as most people claim, I would rather spend a good chunk of cash on a 24 or 26in barrel, rather than buying an entirely different gun just for hunting. Not to mention, I've actually seen a few people shooting slugs (rifled and non rifled slugs) out of a smooth bore 18.5in barrel with shockingly good accuracy out to 75-100yds. I'm nearly convinced that the tactical barrel would be adequate for the occasional, casual deer hunt. Haven't personally seen anybody trying to use the 18.5 for turkey or pheasant, but with the proper chokes I don't see why it couldn't be done with some success. So maybe the short barrel would be the smart, most versatile option until I decide if I really want to get serious about hunting. Crazy thinking? As far as the sights, I never really thought about repeated removal/installation of the ghost ring sights potentially stripping out the threads. Going to have to look into these sight options a bit more. The straight stock option is a must (preferably the comfort tech), but the inability to add a true hunting barrel later on is a complete deal breaker. Lots of options to be decided upon, but the BIGGEST problem is actually finding one of these for sale. Seems like every M2 Tactical I find online has the pistol grip or a standard non-ComfortTech stock. I've been on GunBroker, GunsAmerica, and numerous forums and online dealer sites....striking out every time.

Thanks for the replies...my plan was to get the M2 tactical. Obviously the M2 platform satisfies what I'm looking for, but since I'm primarily using it for home defense, I wanted the ghost ring sites or the ability to add a picatinny rail. The field version doesn't have the drilled/tapped receiver to do this. (Figured I could always remove the rear site if a field barrel was mounted) I also wanted the shortest barrel 18.5', although I suppose a 21" wouldn't be completely impossible for home defense, although not exactly ideal. I figured that worse case scenario I could use the 18.5" and play with the chokes for casual hunting. But eventually, I'd be willing to spend the money on a longer, devoted field barrel if I got more into the hunting scene. As for the M4, I was a bit torn because from what I understand, it has less recoil and ability to easily shoot light loads because of the gas recoil system, and obviously extreme durability. However, based on those two points alone, and for my purposes, I'm not convinced that it would be worth the extra cost. I'm not a huge an of pistol grips, and there doesn't look to be a ComfortTech option in stock configurations. Also, can the M4 barrel even be swapped for a field barrel? None are listed for the M4 and I'm not sure if M4 and M2 barrels are interchangeable. Just wanting some confirmation that my logic is rationale in trying to build a dual purpose weapon with the primary purpose being home defense.

After doing lots of research and comparisons both online and in person, I've decided that my first shotgun purchase is very likely to be a Benelli. So, I think I've decided on which model, but before I tell you my pick, I want to here your recommendations (benelli models or other). Here is a summary of what I want and my intended uses: 12ga Semi auto high durability (would be nice to be able to pass this along to children/grandchildren) interchangeable barrels (am aware of the cost of these Benelli barrels) interchangeable chokes uses will be 75% for home defense, but needs to be adaptable for pheasant/turkey/deer hunting I've got tons of questions and I'm looking forward to some helpful discussion.