BamBam

Well said. It’s like displaying 2 identical year/model Corvettes, but each one has a different exterior color. Then ask 10,000 customers to select/vote for which of the two color Corvettes they prefer, and the color that results with the majority chosen is the winner. Yet afterwards, somehow the objective of choosing the preferred color offered of the two Corvettes gets totally lost..and gets turned subjectively into; why only 2 colors? the winning color is ugly, flawed, old, difficult to see at night, etc.

Umm..ya you missed my points of reference and facts regarding what the intent of the Benelli M4 was envisioned & built for. Compare objectively with intent, apples-to-apples. I never suggested the Benelli M4 is suitably built for a wide variety of users and different types of shooters, therefore making it versatile. Precisely as you mentioned, that WAS the intended audience for which the Beretta 1301 was envisioned & built for. When designing the 1301, Beretta did not have to adhere to guidelines/meet the absolute requirements set forth by the U.S. DOD combat shotgun proposed back in 1998. Regarding cost, to be clear the 1301 tactical model went into production for purchase in 2014(its predecessor was the 1201 model) and initially the 1301 tactical was ONLY available for purchase to the US market and the MSRP??..approx. $1,000..and as demand increased so has it’s price to date. Identically, the same market demand drove the price up after the Benelli M4 went into market 25 years ago. I own two M4 LE models(11715) and purchased both new several years ago, legally as a civilian thru an established FFL dealer..paid $1600 for one and $1700 for the other..so the LE models are difficult to acquire but they can be found. I also have an array of others shotties, including a 1301 tactical I like very much, but it’s objectively & intentionally different from my M4’s.

Mind boggling how people continue to make comparisons with the Beretta 1301 & A300U vs. the Benelli M4. IMMEDIATELY, people point out the Berettas are noticeably lighter and handle/swing easier..OF COURSE..because the Berettas are not platforms designed to meet the request proposed in 1998 by the United Sates DOD/USMC for a COMBAT 12 ga. semi-auto system proven effective & reliable in the harshest of any conditions..which is precisely what the M4 did-won-proved superior and functioned reliably for 20,000+ rounds before needing to be cleaned. The M4 was/is purpose built for the rigors of combat..so 25 years later & counting newer semi auto platforms are brought to market but without one tiny exception, go through/meet the requirements in place by the US Military that the Benelli M4 was built for. The Genius of the M4 is it’s ARGO system, a total of just 4 moving pieces to minimize fouling & maximize going boom when it matters most. Beretta owns Benelli, and the piston systems of the 1301 & A300U are similar to the M4 ARGO system..BUT NOT identical & the Beretta piston systems absolutely have more moving parts to cause fouling. So ya the Benelli M4 is heavier & slightly cumbersome(to some)..because it was not designed to go bird hunting, or for sporting clays/skeet/trap, or paper targets or put in a glass display case..although it can do ALL those things just fine and shoot any load made. The Benelli M4 was purpose built for combat, people always conveniently forget/dismiss that fact..yet at the same time all these years later every 12 gauge semi-auto “tactical” platform made gets compared to the M4, which is the ultimate validation. Of course the M4 always loses two feel-good categories; it’s overly expensive and not light enough, meanwhile the cost for a new 1301 tactical is approx. $1,600 & counting.

I own a Genesis Arms Gen-12 shotgun. It is solid build quality and to me is superior vs. other mag-fed shotguns such as the VEPR 12 or M26 MASS..both of which I have some time behind. I really enjoy shooting the Genesis Arms 12, particularly the AR-platform mechanics & ergos that provide familiar handling. I’ll spare this forum of my own user-experience along with any comparisons, advantages/disadvantages vs. Benelli M4. Having said that..if both the Benelli M4 & Genesis Arms 12 are sitting next to each other fully loaded and I can only choose one to take with me..it’s an easy & quick decision..the Benelli M4 all day & every day.

Real-Deal-NP3-H2O!! Whatever the price was to buy..worth every penny!! I was shooting shotguns recently with a bunch of guys, one guy has a newer H2O Cerakote model and he was making a point to tell everyone that the place he purchased it new told him the Cerakote-titanium-finish is just as good & durable as NP3!!😳 🤭 When we asked him where he purchased it??..SHOCKER!!.. he said Cabela’s. None of us had the heart to tell him the difference.

“I’m a gunsmith”..”are you a gunsmith? People like this who are legends in their own minds feel compelled to self-proclaim & pronounce themself as being superior-validated on a particular subject matter when their opinion is not shared. These are the same people who stand alongside & hold hands with all those people that proclaim they were standout athletes in high school and/or college but were kept from stardom because…”the coach hated me”. World champion & expert recognized shooters are often sought out to test various firearm items, including newly introduced optics & scopes that..”they’ve never had their hands on”..which according to kenw111 makes their words “useless”.

Well said as always Stranger! The BM4 is a quality firearm..and firearms are often referred to as a tool. I never have nor will understand why so many people are incapable of due diligence/homework that is so easily accessible today to establish what is cheap-gucci-crap to avoid because it may fail/compromise their firearm..vs. what is known to be a quality replacement part that provides a purposeful upgrade. Good lord that Speed Bar abuse test??..pure ignorance..next that dude will torture test the Briley mag tube with a hammer or Map torch until failure. Agree about Strike Industries..a strip-center beauty salon for dressing up firearms with you know..essential style.

Actually..and not to get into a pissing contest here..the BM4 is offered in quite a few different variety models. Albeit the heart/primary nomenclature of receiver-barrel-system does not change, but that is also fairly standard of how other shotgun manufacturers offer their platforms. The BM2 is a terrific overall & lighter platform vs. the M4. The M2 has been proven extremely successful/popular, particularly amongst 3-gunners and other competitive shooters..where it is often tricked out/customized & further lightened in weight than factory OEM. However, sticking to & emphasizing reliability in any/all environmental conditions?..the ARGO system of the BM4 always comes out on top vs. the inertia system of the M2. This is because the BM4’s ARGO system utilizes a short-stroke, 2 stainless steel piston design that totals only 4 parts. It has been compared numerous times vs. the M2 and validated the BM4 design cycles faster..and also against the Beretta 1301 which utilizes a long-stroke design piston system that involves more parts and results in slower cycling vs the M4 system. Totally concur regarding technology advancements and users embracing change vs. never changing. I am a long time owner of a variety of 1911’s, I always stuck my nose in the air & dismissed any mention of the newer 2011’s. Then about two years ago I handled & thoroughly shot an Atlas Athena double stack, incomparable trigger, highest quality & performing semi auto pistol shooter I’ve ever experienced..so I custom configured & ordered and now my Athena is my every day CCW cocked & locked complete with RDS(also used to be frowned upon!) Also agree regarding Youtube videos, etc. Flannel Daddy makes a video advocating how great a product is and then the price doubles..or he shits on a particular LPVO and that makes gospel with internet trollers without real user experience.

Try Limbsaver #10403.. should work.

Good Grief, I have fairly long rant that I hope will be appreciated here. On other various forums, it is mind-boggling to me how people constantly inquire/compare/suggest/..if the Benelli M4 is a good shotgun for 3-gun, race competitions, hunting or for shooting sports. Immediately the universal responses (I mostly agree) are that the M2 is lighter & better suited for 3 gun & other race/speed applications, hunting & shooting sports. Then of course, all the Beretta 1301 advocates chime in, due to it’s lighter weight as well. Lighter weight & better swing/overall balance are valid reasons relative to race-competition shotguns, shooting sports, and some hunting applications. However, what gives me major eye-roll..is when so many people continually make ignorant claims comparing reliability. I hear this all the time & everywhere ..”the M4 gas system has softer recoil but it’s not as reliable as the M2 or Beretta 1301”..”the M4 is heavier than the M2”..”the M4 is way overpriced”..”the M2 has more aftermarket support”..”the Beretta 1301 is less expensive/a better value” It’s as if people are unable/don’t want to comprehend the BM4’s purpose built intention..requested openly for submission in 1998 by the US Military for manufacturers to provide a 12ga. combat-reliable semi auto shotgun platform that goes boom when it matters most in the harshest of conditions. Many Beretta 1301 owners are unaware that Beretta owns Benelli. Additionally, most 1301 owners are clueless their 1301 piston system somewhat replicates the BM4 ARGO system, however the difference is the 1301 piston system is heavier with more moving & complex parts as failure points. As a long time owner of two BM4’s both of which are fully modified with known parts, I have used them occasionally to hunt various creatures, with various loads including birdshot..very successfully. I love bringing my M4 to all sorts of shooting clays/sports..and every time other shooters I have never met come up to me puzzled and often ask to handle & shoot my M4 live with a full spread of discs..they always smile & shake their head as they pass the gun back to me. However, the BM4 cannot compete with purpose built & tricked out over/under shotguns for shooting sports..something BM4 owners know & we don’t insist otherwise. Relative to 12ga. semi auto platform reliability, battle-proven by US & other world wide militaries for near 3 decades across conflicts in extreme conditions, in firearms history there has never been a more reliable semi auto shotgun than the Benelli M4 and it’s ARGO system..always copied but never duplicated or improved upon yet!

Understood and thanks for the insight. We’ll “see”..lol!

Damn skippy! Thank you for providing another overdue, excellent & practical-application item for our M4’s!! This will micro-adjust the comb height of my stock in the middle position using Trijicon SRO w/Scalarworks mount. I’ll be ordering two when available..thanks again!

If the cost of the Benelli M4 was cut in half and cost $1,000 vs. $2,000..it wouldn’t matter..people would still; compare, analyze, criticize, complain about how it could be improved upon for shooting; 3-gun, competition, clays/trap/skeet and hunting purposes. Of course, the intended purpose the M4 was built for had nothing to do whatsoever with any of those markets..because it was purpose built as a trench gun, now called a combat shotgun that fulfilled all the requirements requested by the U.S. military/marines. Never understand how people constantly compare apples-to-oranges in this manner..precisely why there are never any comparisons or criticisms made for taking 3-gun shotguns and issuing to soldiers for war.

That’s a solid shotgun line up!

Damn..Stranger has the Ferrari’s of M4’s..and those bad boys are built the for the harshest of business while still looking sexy asf!! Every time he post pics of those things, particularly the bronze one..I just smile & get all warm & fuzzy inside..followed by an urge to go find my wife lol!! Benelli should hire Stranger as a Consultant!