ThisShouldDoTheJob

Well, let the gun match the man. Here's a simple, bare bones version that works for me. I know it doesn't look like it LOL, but I actually learned a ton from this forum in arriving at this version after researching each and every M4/1014 add-on known to man and figuring out what works and doesn't work for me. Many thanks for all the knowledge and insight posted here. The truth be told, in a total fantasy world of course, if the recoil reducing ARGO system could somehow be magically matched to a simple, bare bones Coach Gun, that's the gun I would get.

LOL. I was thinking the same thing. I believe Magpul and others offer a 1" adapter strap for the rear. That's what I like about the Specter Gear ones. They just plain fit.

Agreed. Single softest finish on any gun I've ever owned - pistols, rifles and shotguns. I read Benelli outsources the finishing process to Crayola so that would explain it.

Specter Gear has a couple of different options for the M4 ... https://www.spectergear.com/searchresults.asp?Search=benelli&Submit= I'm not a tic tac tech kind of guy, and knowing I'd probably just wind up strangling myself to death trying to manipulate too many straps and buckles in an emergency, I went with the very basic Recon 2 Point Sling that I mated to this ... https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tec-Neoprene-Shoulder-SHPAD12/dp/B00UFCVK8O I hope that helps. Have a good one.

For anyone thinking about one, the TTI Extended Carrier (https://tarantacticalinnovations.com/tti-benelli-accuguide-extended-carrier/) I installed has made loading a lot easier for me. However, unloading - especially the last shell or two - every morning after having the gun ready for HD at night, by trying to press that stupid, tiny, well-hidden Shell Retaining Lever continues to be a PITAxe. This is regardless of the OEM or an Aftermarket Carrier, and regardless of the OEM or an Aftermarket Spring. I've tried various combinations, and a quick Google search will show I'm not alone with this problem. No, it's not an issue at the range where I rarely unload the gun, and there are alternative ways to unload the the last shell or two at home, but IMO, this is just a lousy design. I still like the gun - which is good because the alternatives still come in a distant second - but it's not without its quirks and shortcomings - like anything else I suppose. Any thoughts/workarounds/aftermarket options/bend this/polish that suggestions? Does it work better with time? Thanks!

Based on the diagram below for removing the bolt handle by first rotating it to the right, you could try rotating it to the left after inserting it. But it should it naturally rotate to the left when you pull it back. @RxArms - who knows a lot more about Benelli products than me - probably has the right answer above in that the manufacturing standards/tolerances are off. You are probably doing everything right. If this continues, I would contact Benelli for a repair because there are few things more seriously wrong than a bolt handle falling out of a gun! No bolt handle, no bang. In fairness to Benelli, they took care of me by covering the shipping costs when I had to return my barrel to have the magazine cap retaining spring and pin re-staked after they just fell out of it and onto the floor before I even fired the gun. I hope this helps. Best wishes for a successful resolution.

They all rotate but some have more pronounced and more angular detents than others. Others have more shallow more universal detents that appear to run uniformly all around the end of bolt handle. If you study the different options out there, you will see what I mean. So far I've had good luck with this one ... https://botach.com/kz-benelli-m4-oversized-charging-handles/ That said, it is more worrying that the OEM one is falling out. Not cool at all and I'm sorry to hear that. All good now, I had my own woes with OEM Benelli parts on my gun. Manufacturing standards and tolerances are in a sad state of affairs these days.

PM sent with a question.

Yep. Mine is off too. Many have come that way from the factory. Great work there, Benelli. Nice attention to detail. 🙄

Yeah, those pliers are OK seeing I don't see myself ever using them again on this gun, and I didn't want to spend $150+ bucks for the real deal, but a real gunsmith would look at their imprecise build and laugh. I didn't need to, but you could always clean up/sharpen the prongs with a file or a Dremel if you had to. Before pretty much everything got outsourced to China, I remember how precise USA Made tools used to be. [Heavy sigh.] Yep, I wear safety goggles all the time too now. Like many others have experienced - as you can see via a quick Google search - I too "shot" myself in the face with a 1911 pistol recoil spring plug when I got frustrated with the bushing wrench and moved the gun to better see what the hell was I was doing wrong. No real damage, but it did scare the hell out of me, realizing I came that close to losing my right eye. Others have been less fortunate. I love the Old Tymey design of the 1911 pistol and its classic lines, but it's always been my least favorite gun to tinker on - even before I "shot" myself in the face with one. 🙂

The retaining pin and spring for the magazine tube cap just fell out of the barrel. They had not been secured correctly into the barrel at the factory.

These are not gunsmith quality, but they worked good enough for me at a great price to both remove/install the magazine tube snap ring, and remove/install the trigger guard pin C-clip when upgrading to TTI's AccuGuide Extended Carrier on my M1014 ... https://www.amazon.com/TOOLEAGUE-Circlip-Internal-External-Retaining/dp/B092C5SJ3J/ref=asc_df_B092C5SJ3J/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=507830687971&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3542218472012117637&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032006&hvtargid=pla-1288564654067&psc=1 According to the owner's manual, you can use the bolt handle to remove the magazine tube snap ring, but it wasn't clear to me exactly how, and I didn't want to mar up brand new gun parts finding out. I'm not familiar with the 11715, but if possible, I would just unscrew the plus 2 extension and install your new spring that way without messing with the snap ring, having it go flying, and/or marring up new gun parts. Whatever you do, keep the tube away from your face and/or horizontal to your body and keep a good grip on it. I know that sounds obvious, but even experienced gun guys who have been around pistols, rifles and shotguns all their lives can get lazy or frustrated with a part under pressure and get a real good painful reminder. Ask me how I know that. LOL

1. IMHO, a follower is more or less a follower, and the least important upgrade for this gun. Far more experienced M4 owners than I on this forum use the stock follower with no complaints. 2. You are correct in that the stock spring is designed for 7 shells, but now Benelli itself apparently offers ... https://www.benelliparts.net/products/benelli-m4-7rd-magazine-spring-new-thick-gauge. (???) What the hell? If the stock spring is designed for 7 shells, then why offer an OEM upgrade? And the answer is, of course ... wait for it ... money. With other companies making money on upgraded springs, Benelli simply jumped in on the game. Who can blame them. Hell, their upgraded spring may very well be made by one of the other companies. Moves like this reminds me of Harley Davidson where for each and every stock part, they offer an upgraded, more expensive Screaming Eagle part. Very smart. I have spent a small fortune in my lifetime on upgraded, more expensive Screaming Eagle parts. What a sucker. LOL Anyway, I imagine the stock spring - the same one being used by militaries around the world with nary a malfunction - is just fine. That said, when I purchased DMW's beautifully made magazine tube extension kit, an upgraded spring came with it, and that upgraded spring is clearly beefier, longer, and more confidence-inspiring than the stock one, so that's the one I'm using.

Yeah, manufacturing standards are just not what they used to be. It sucks, but that is the state of our lovely modern world these days. When I sent my barrel back to Benelli two weeks ago after the Magazine Cap retaining pin and spring fell out of it, I was told the turnaround time was three weeks, but who knows what that really means. The good news is that I was sent a prepaid UPS label to cover the shipping and insurance costs. I hope that helps your decision.

I bought this one ... https://www.shotgunheatshield.com/Mossberg-Heat-Shield/ ... from SHS. Yes, it's plastic, but so are the M4/M1014 forends, so that's not a problem for me. In fact, I like the feel/grip of the plastic better than metal. This heat shield easily attaches to the barrel near the front sight, but figuring out how to attach it near the receiver is the hard part. In advising me on what not to do, the owner of SHS sent me some hilarious photos of M4/M1014 forends that had been amateurishly hacked to bits by owners trying to jerry-rig some kind of attachment near the receiver. Yeah, no thanks. The Professional Automobile Detailer 😆 in this classic of a thread ... https://forums.benelliusa.com/topic/24550-cheap-heat-shield-for-m4/ ... used a Ranger Band and IMHO it's the cleanest jerry-rig I've seen so far. I may follow suit or use something like ... https://www.voile.com/voile-straps-9-inch-nano-series.html. The holes in the Voile strap kinda/sorta match the holes in the heat shield so it looks a little more artistic/classy. My barrel is still being repaired by the factory so I haven't had a chance to figure this out yet. Heck, I haven't had a chance to even fire my gun yet. I guess I should start there before I start adding stuff to it. 🙃