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Sell me on the M4


Nobama

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All right, what do guys like about your M4s and why would you recommended them? How do they compare to the other tactical type semiautos out there? I've handled a few in gun shops and liked the setup a lot more than I thought I would but I'm not sure if I want to drop the bucks for one.

 

I'm in Canada right now so 922r or most "assault weapons" related regulations beyond a 5 round magazine restriction don't apply nor are collapsable stocks hard to find {If anything it seems to hard to find the other kinds}.

 

OTOH, they {and just about every other gun} cost a lot more here, $2100 CDN is the cheapest I've seen lately, and there seems to be a lot of annoying restrictions involving ordering parts, aftermarket or otherwise, from the U.S.

 

Anyways your thoughts?

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Shoots 2-3" groups at 50 yards with cheap slugs.

Goes bang when you pull the trigger--every time (unless it's empty)

Runs on birdshot to slugs

Interchangeable chokes

VERY reliable

Does not require much maintenance to be VERY RELIABLE

Doesn't jam

Patterns large buckshot very well (both my M4's would punch 50% of the pellets into about a 14" circle at 50 yards using Remington OOO Buck).

Is not prone to malfunction

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Sounds good so far, the expense bothers me a bit, not that I can't afford it but because I could buy 2 decent guns for that much, then again this thing looks like it could handle their roles pretty well and my gun storage space is rather limited.

 

Anyway hows the recoil? It appears to me it kicks a little harder than most gas guns. I'm not exactly bothered by recoil but a reasonable level of recoil damping compared to a pump would be a nice bonus.

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The M4 was my first firearm purchase. I did a lot of research and I too was concerned about the price. I have two "gun buddies" that tried to talk me out of buying the M4. Being able to purchase multiple guns for the same amount of money was the exact argument they used. They were also concerned about the reliability of semi-auto shotguns and were concerned it would malfunction in a stressful situation. I looked at Mossberg pump guns in various formats but was not impressed at all. They looked really cheap. The stamped metal was poorly formed and the finish was wearing off on the action just from the sales clerks cycling it before handing it to a customer. I asked one of my friends, who is a big fan of pump guns, if he had ever short cycled a pump and he sheepishly admitted it happens occasionally. I really preferred a semiauto as I think it will be easier for me to use in a stressful situation.

 

The Benelli's fit and finish was superior to most other guns I examined. I seriously considered the Super Nova Pump from a purely economic standpoint. I like the M2 but a clerk at the local gun shop (he was one of the few that actually appeared knowledgeable) told me it needed to be solidly positioned against your body for it to cycle reliably. The M4 would cycle more reliably in unusual or awkward positions according to him.

 

I purchased the M4 and could not be happier. The first trip to the range was amazing. I had very little experience shooting shotguns, probably a total of 50 rounds decades ago in Boy Scouts. The first shot was a bulls eye and the second round practically went through the same hole. The two buddies that tried to talk me out of it loved it! Now they are just jealous. They kept referring to it as the "Frikken Nail Driver". We were shooting smiley faces and carving up the target it was so accurate. I never expected that level of accuracy out of the box.

 

Granted I do not have much to compare it against but I love it and it is very easy to shoot. The recoil is quite acceptable to me. I shot a couple hundred rounds of Highland Bird loads at the range with no discomfort at all.

 

My M4 is stone stock right now. I have a FL ti tube on order with Kip and I plan on purchasing his charger handle and muzzle brake when they are available. I really want to add a flashlight mount but have not seen one I like yet. I am considering a Trijicon tritium front sight and a red dot optic may be in the future.

 

My grandmother used to say "Buy the best and you will never be disappointed." I beleive there is substantial value in the M4 and it is worth the extra $$.

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Hmmm, I get the impression that the M4 is great for aimed fire but how about point shooting? I've handled one in the store and it seemed alright but unfortunately I can't really try before I buy.

 

That's the biggest concern to me actually, high speed point shooting with buck is most of a defensive shotgun's reason for being IMO and something it should be able to do well, all the rest is gravy.

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Hmmm, I get the impression that the M4 is great for aimed fire but how about point shooting? I've handled one in the store and it seemed alright but unfortunately I can't really try before I buy.

 

That's the biggest concern to me actually, high speed point shooting with buck is most of a defensive shotgun's reason for being IMO and something it should be able to do well, all the rest is gravy.

 

The range I go to would not allow off the shoulder shooting with bird shot. Apparently the risk of shooting down the wire and target sled is greater with bird shot. I just purchased some 00 buck and some rifled slugs to test off the shoulder point shooting. The M4 is supposed to have very low felt recoil as compared to other shotguns so I am looking forward to trying it out. I think I found a good outdoor range nearby that I plan to check out this weekend or next as well.

 

I'm not sure what factors would affect point shooting other than recoil and shot pattern. Even at home defense distances I still think you need to aim. I was thinking a mounted flashlight with a strong center spot and diffuse ambient lighting would be the best point shooting guide but I have not looked into it yet.

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Newbie here...

I am sold, just ordered one, thats why I joined this forum, glad to see all the great reviews!

Another newbie from HKPro I see... : )

You could just buy a HK marked M1S90 with the pistol grip and factory extended mag tube. That's what I was thinking, not sure why I bought an M4...it's just really bad a.. I guess

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Another newbie from HKPro I see... : )

You could just buy a HK marked M1S90 with the pistol grip and factory extended mag tube. That's what I was thinking, not sure why I bought an M4...it's just really bad a.. I guess

 

LOL, you caught me, YUP I live over at HK Pro, but I have been looking for a Hk 512 for a few months now and cant find one, and then I kept reading the reviews on the M4...so I went with it!

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Hmmm, I get the impression that the M4 is great for aimed fire but how about point shooting? I've handled one in the store and it seemed alright but unfortunately I can't really try before I buy.

 

That's the biggest concern to me actually, high speed point shooting with buck is most of a defensive shotgun's reason for being IMO and something it should be able to do well, all the rest is gravy.

 

I shot a bird once without hardly thinking. Was about 30 yards off. Just came up and BANG before I knew it there was a bird on the ground. Worked well for me.

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Hmmm, I get the impression that the M4 is great for aimed fire but how about point shooting? I've handled one in the store and it seemed alright but unfortunately I can't really try before I buy.

 

That's the biggest concern to me actually, high speed point shooting with buck is most of a defensive shotgun's reason for being IMO and something it should be able to do well, all the rest is gravy.

 

I rarely ever use the sights on my M4. I've shot it enough that I can point shoot most everything ... if I do use the sights, I use only the front sight, and adjust for elevation with my body. You get used to it.

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I've never been a fan of ghost rings, the M4 is about the only shotgun I'd even consider with them because of the way the gun fit me, and then only when the telestock was in the intermediate position. Anyway thanks all for the replies and I'll be making my decision between the M4 and another nice shotgun within the next few weeks pending some insurance hassles.

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I got my M4 unplanned, and it was one of those 'love-at-first-shoulder' moments.

 

My wife and I went to the gun store looking for a shotgun for her. While she couldn't find anything that she liked, the store happened to have a M4 just arrived the day before.

 

I tried the M4 myself. As soon as I shouldered it, I told myself, "The fit feels good."

 

Mind us that the M4 is actually not the lightest, and its standard fix stock has a relatively long LOP.

 

However, when I shoulder the M4, it feels very balance for me. The weight becomes a non-issue, my body comfortably leans into position, my cheek naturally rests on the stock, and my eye looks right into the center of the ghost ring.

 

I can be shouldering, aiming, and standing steadily with the M4 for minutes without feeling a bit of tiredness. I can even leave my support arm off and still maintain my posture.

 

Even I already had a M1S90 at home. My wife, as she knew the solid price of the M4, stood next to me and told me, "I think this is your gun. You should get it."

 

With best regards,

- Alex.

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Well I still haven't gotten my insurance situation settled yet so I'm still waiting on that, but I did get a chance to put some rounds through an M4 today. I have to say that's one slick and refined piece of machinery!

 

The sights, the controls, the telestock, everything worked great for me, I liked the fact that the action took the edge off the recoil but didn't feel "uncoupled", spongey and distracting like some gas autoloader designs can when they cycle.

 

The only thing i didn't like, which I didn't notice when handling one previously, is that it seems surprisingly muzzle heavy for what it is, even when running empty. I don't know if I could get used to that.

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Upon very careful reflection I can say the only thing I don't like about my stock M4 is the bolt charging handle. Fortunately, being a semi-auto, it cocks itself after the first shell. Still, my figure hurts after a day at the range and I'm developing a callous at the joint used to pull back the bolt. It's easy enough to replace it and we should have some high quality options available pretty soon.

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