RPC

I can’t believe my eyes... Good get!!

You 100% nailed it. The quoted round count for the weapon I bought was “~200”, and it looks it, so I really wasn’t thinking about replacing anything initially. But boy when I loaded each mag for the first time one was 2x as hard to load than the other one. I stripped each down thinking maybe I’d find an aftermarket spring in one but nope, they were both factory but someone had just stretched a couple of the coils in one of them. After that the designed spring rate will be forever compromised. Not knowing what kind of other amateur gunsmithing had been carried out, I placed the order for all new springs and am going through the weapon with a fine tooth comb looking for other tweaked parts (“a little polishing here, a little file work there will produce X amazing result“)... First private-party weapon purchase I’ve made, already learned a TON about doing them.

Seconded. I’ve got tens of Glock mags, some that have been loaded for 10-15 years (having been shot in between but they stay loaded in wait), and I’ve only ever had to replace mag springs when I start to get FtF, and it’s always on the most used mags, not necessarily the oldest. That said, I just purchased a nearly new Glock from a private party and ordered new springs throughout, including mag springs, because their cycle count & general life before me is unknown.

Good copy, something for me to keep an eye out for throughout the life of my own M4. Appreciate it.

Interesting. Seems to be the exception rather than the rule based on responses above. Out of curiosity, what symptoms does one experience which leads to replacement of the carrier latch?

Appreciate it, SD.

I recently switched the HD ammo in my M4 from 00 buck to 04 buck. Even though they’re both 2 3/4 Federal Premium, the 04 buck shells are apparently just enough shorter that I can now fit 7 shells in my ti CC mag tube whereas of the 00 buck I could only fit 6 in the mag. While the 7th round of 04 buck does clear the shell stop, its just barely and I can only shove it further into the mag tube by 1/8”-1/4” and releasing the stack of shells back onto the shell stop seems to put quite a bit of pressure on it. Am I at risk of doing any damage to the shell stop by leaving it so tightly loaded, or am I overthinking this and if 7 shells fit, that’s the end of it?

I think this is the most impressive zombie thread I’ve ever encountered.

Good luck with this.

I’ll take them both for one dollar!

Welcome DEPK, 1st time SG owner myself (owned handguns for decades though). The 9-pellet Federal 00 was exactly the ammo I also had issues with. This particular thread might be six months old, but you’ll see this topic come up just about monthly if you stick around. Heck, this thread was revived just a couple of weeks ago. Awesome info and even better folks here. Ask any question that comes to mind, never seen someone be given anything but genuine info outside of the occasional (and obvious) troll. -Rex

Seconded. Mr. Danger has also been instrumental in my own M4 journey. Here Here!

Sorry, at the risk of asking a ridiculous question: Is this legit?

Interesting idea. I much prefer this style of tailcap and hadn’t even thought of removing the shroud for this application.

Answers in line!

Funny enough, the next stop was Target where she probably bought a bunch of sh*t we didn’t need. I fell right into her trap...

Thanks SF, she’s amazing. *As amazing as Jolly Roger’s story, only real...

Mine is kind of a funny story... I’d had a Glock pistols for a bunch of years and carry regularly in a few states we’ve lived in. Somewhere in the last year I decided that the home needed a shotgun and I started doing research. I’d always been aware of the Benelli brand, just like Mossberg, Remington, etc. but I had limited experience with SGs, let alone had an opinion on a SG manufacturer or model. In April I decided I just needed to make a decision on one, narrowed it down to a Mossberg 590 or a Remington 870 after a bunch of review reading and video watching, and finally settled on the 870. Throughout my research I’d show various models to my wife, she’d see me watching videos, etc. so she kind of knew what was on the table and the various prices. She’s always been cool with guns in the house and was fully supportive of getting a SG. On May 4th, I said to her that I was going to head down to the LGS the next day and tinker around with some SGs, might even start the paperwork on one. She mentioned that we had some other errands to run anyway, why not just take her and the kids (6 & 8 years old) and they’d poke around the store while I did my thing? OK cool, sounds like fun. She asked me what I was thinking about buying, I told her the 870 but joked that I was going to ask if they had a Benelli M4, you know, just to actually hold, fantasize about owning and then come back to reality as I handed it back to them. The next day we roll into the LGS as planned and the clerk asks what he can help with. It’s early, nearly no one else in the shop except employees so there are 3-4 of them listening to our conversation. I tell the guy I’m there to check out some SGs, have the 870 at the top of my list and can I hold one. As he’s turning toward the racks and racks of long guns, my wife says, “Wait one sec” to the clerk, turns to me and says, “What’s that other one you were talking about? A Benelli?” The clerk looks back with this goofy “yeah right”/“what did I just hear?” grin and I say, “She’s kidding, I joked about getting an M4.” Shit you not, my wife looks the guy dead in the eyes and says to the clerk, “Please grab him an M4”, guy looks to me and I just shrug stupidly, so he puts one in my hands. After shouldering it (and a bunch of others for fit/feel), Benelli won out and that was all she wrote. Wife even further elevated her legend status around town that day. The last one they had on the rack had clearly been handled, had some marks and scratches on it, so they ordered a new one from the gettin’ place and after some paperwork and installing a new long gun safe in the home, I was the proud owner of my very own Benelli M4.

YMMV, but a couple of months ago I changed the original mag tube on my six-month old M4. It needed maybe 30 seconds of medium heat from a new DeWalt heat gun. Could have “needed” even less than that, potentially even none(?). My point: If your M4 is within a year old, your experience might be like mine and need nearly no heat to break the original mag tube free. Best of luck.

Love it... I currently have a CC mag tube + spring + follower onboard. Extended carrier by who do you recommend, JR?

Damnit, I was cautiously optimistic about FFT’s offering but quietly expected this response. Appreciate you both. I have a USA-made mag tube and follower. Can I be so bold as to ask for recommendations on what that 3rd compliant piece should be? Thanks again.

I’m looking to complete my 922r compliance journey and have a couple of questions about FFT’s forend for anyone who has experience with them: -From a feel and fit & finish perspective, is it largely identical to the stock Benelli forend? -Any reason using one would cause issues with my IWC M4 Light Mount? -Anyone gone to the FFT forend and been unsatisfied? -Any other other options that are similar to the stock Benelli forend that I should consider over FFT’s? Thanks in advance.

Appreciate the input, multiple last-round cycles indicate adequate power. That said, Remarkable: Thanks for the words of caution. I bought two springs from Kip for exactly this reason and may just put the unadulterated spring in and let six rounds suffice.

I modified my CC mag tube spring to accommodate my preferred loads and I want to verify it maintains enough power to reliably cycle all 7 rounds. At the risk of asking a stupid question, is there a way I can safely cycle through the tube to test this other than go run through a bunch of rounds at the range*? Is it as simple as just cycling a bunch of times using the charging handle and ensuring the last rounds make it onto the lifter? *I will be visiting the range immediately after I install the Meprolight sights, just trying to answer the tube spring question in advance

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