[LE Benelli M4 Purchase]

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

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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.

[Point me in the right direction...Benelli shotgun]

“Dual purpose” by definition means there must be compromises along the line. The optimal defensive use shotgun will not really be suitable for hunting/clays and vice versa. Therefore, if you’re limiting yourself to one shotgun, compromises must be made.

 

First, the M4. Yes, it would make a good home defense shotgun. Shorter length, high capacity. Standard stock or pistol grip stock options. More options for hanging stuff on it, i.e., extra ammo, optics, lights, etc. On the down side. It’s already heavy. Start hanging extra stuff on it and it gets heavier. Would that be an issue with the wife? If it’s a home defense gun, she’s got to be part of the equation. It would not make a great field gun. Did I mention that it’s heavy? Run a couple of rounds of sporting clays or skeet with one and you’ve gotten a pretty good upper body workout if you’re so inclined. And I don’t care what the advertising copy says, the M4 does not like low-power target loads that are best suited for things like shooting clays. Higher velocity field loads will work but you’re likely to get tired of shooting a bunch of them in a short period of time. Ghost ring sights suck for clays or wing shooting. They would be fine for slugs on large furry creatures. And you’re stuck with them because there are no other barrel options for the M4. Do folks use them for sport? Absolutely. Like I said. Compromise.

 

The M2 has many more options in terms of configuration so I’ll just mention the high spots. It’s lighter. You still have the ability to hang stuff on it. You may get into cycling issues the more weight you add but for most home defense-type loads that probably won’t be an issue. With the 18.5 inch barrel you have the option of going rifle sights or ghost ring. At home defense shooting distances, either one would be suitable. Standard stock is available for either configuration. If you’re talking about changing out barrels then go with the rifle sights. You don’t want to be screwing and unscrewing the ghost ring on and off the receiver. The receiver is aluminum and the more you do that, the more chances you have for stripping out the receiver. Again, limiting yourself to one shotgun, I like the 21” barrel because it’s a good compromise between home defense and field use. It isn’t that much longer than the 18.5 inch version so it is still maneuverable inside yet easily used in hunting/sporting situations with changes in chokes. You can add a bright fiber optic front sight to the rib that works well in both situations. I use my 21” for skeet/trap/sporting clays/pheasant hunting. If I was limited to one shotgun I would not hesitate to use it as a home defense gun.

 

There are more considerations in all of this discussion so I’ll let someone else put their two cents in. I need to go out and get a life.

 

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.

 

m2 barrel cannot fit on a m4, also the m4 does have a straight stock option

 

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.

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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.

[Point me in the right direction...Benelli shotgun]

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.