M4 collapsable stock help?

[cold_snap]

So first off I'm new to the Benelli world. I finally bit the bullet and purchased a M4 1014 limited edition offline. When I received the shotgun to my displeasure it had the collapsable stock equipment on it but after further research has the one position buffer tube versus 3 position. I was able to aquire the 3 position tube from beneli parts. Anyone know how this is installed?  Seems like it would be a PITA. I live in the Alabama River Region area anyone know of any knowledgable gunsmiths that could tackle this in my area?

Also what is the consensus on ammo I can run. Bird/buck shot should be no prob. Can this run slugs?  I have heard the shotgun has a built in choke and no ability to change anything out since it's built in. Sorry new to the shotgun world just want to make sure I don't blow the barrel up. However seems people run slugs in M4's but just trying to gather the knowledge.

Edited January 3, 2021 by cold_snap
Misspelled word

[GTTom]

Welcome to the forum! 

Here is a tutorial that StrangerDanger posted awhile back on receiver removal. I have an M4 with removable chokes so not totally sure on the slug question but someone else should chime in soon.

 

[StrangerDanger]

If you’re mechanically inclined at all, you can do the job yourself with maybe a few tool purchases that you might not have like the torch. It’s pretty safe to do, you’d have to really go out of your way to do any damage. I’d be glad to walk you thru the process. 
 

The link posted gives a pretty good run down on the process. 
 

If you don’t want to try it yourself, I do replace these for customers several times a month. I hold a FFL to make transfers painless. 
 

Briley will thread your barrel if you wish with the Benelli mod choke system. I just had a customers done by them on a 14” barrel and it came out quite nice and didn’t take very long to do. 
 

You can shoot slugs thru your current barrel no problem. 

[cold_snap]

1 hour ago, GTTom said:

Welcome to the forum! 

Here is a tutorial that StrangerDanger posted awhile back on receiver removal. I have an M4 with removable chokes so not totally sure on the slug question but someone else should chime in soon.

 

Thanks for the tutorial of instructions. I'll have to ponder for awhile if I feel comfortable doing it myself versus someone else while I'm waiting arrival of my parts. Is there a certain temp you set the heat gun to to ensure you don't damage the aluminum reciever or a temp you do not want to exceed?

[cold_snap]

59 minutes ago, StrangerDanger said:

If you’re mechanically inclined at all, you can do the job yourself with maybe a few tool purchases that you might not have like the torch. It’s pretty safe to do, you’d have to really go out of your way to do any damage. I’d be glad to walk you thru the process. 
 

The link posted gives a pretty good run down on the process. 
 

If you don’t want to try it yourself, I do replace these for customers several times a month. I hold a FFL to make transfers painless. 
 

Briley will thread your barrel if you wish with the Benelli mod choke system. I just had a customers done by them on a 14” barrel and it came out quite nice and didn’t take very long to do. 
 

You can shoot slugs thru your current barrel no problem. 

Is the Weaver tool necessary to use? If not what do you recommend instead. For the tube is it necessary to fully take it apart of the new tube I'm receiving has all the components inside it?

[StrangerDanger]

If you have a big enough flat screw driver, you can probably remove it. The screwed in plug isn’t in there very tight. I reinstall them most of the way with my thumb by pushing on it and rotating my thumb until I can’t reach it anymore. 
 

You’ll want the max heat setting for a heatgun. I prefer the MAPP torch since it’s faster and the receiver seems to soak up less heat. A lot of heat guns just aren’t man enough to do the job. If you’re picking between the heat gun and torch to buy, go with the torch. They seem scary to use, but they aren’t really. My 12 year old daughter uses it on projects and to light our pellet stove.
 

They’re pretty cheap too. Most of the heat is applied to the old receiver extension. The receiver will certainly be hot to the touch, but it generally isn’t over 200 degrees near the extension. 
 

Removal of the extension is pretty easy. Timing the new one while the red 271 Loctite clock is ticking is the pain in the ass part. Use my later discovered trick of chilling the parts in the freezer to give you more time. 

[StrangerDanger]

If you don’t remove the spring from the old receiver extension before heating, that spring will likely be trash. You’ll also get more smoke from the lubricants on the spring and internal parts. 

[cold_snap]

6 minutes ago, StrangerDanger said:

If you don’t remove the spring from the old receiver extension before heating, that spring will likely be trash. You’ll also get more smoke from the lubricants on the spring and internal parts. 

 

8 minutes ago, StrangerDanger said:

If you have a big enough flat screw driver, you can probably remove it. The screwed in plug isn’t in there very tight. I reinstall them most of the way with my thumb by pushing on it and rotating my thumb until I can’t reach it anymore. 
 

You’ll want the max heat setting for a heatgun. I prefer the MAPP torch since it’s faster and the receiver seems to soak up less heat. A lot of heat guns just aren’t man enough to do the job. If you’re picking between the heat gun and torch to buy, go with the torch. They seem scary to use, but they aren’t really. My 12 year old daughter uses it on projects and to light our pellet stove.
 

They’re pretty cheap too. Most of the heat is applied to the old receiver extension. The receiver will certainly be hot to the touch, but it generally isn’t over 200 degrees near the extension. 
 

Removal of the extension is pretty easy. Timing the new one while the red 271 Loctite clock is ticking is the pain in the ass part. Use my later discovered trick of chilling the parts in the freezer to give you more time. 

Is the locktite a necessary component to reapply?

[StrangerDanger]

On the receiver extension and the jam nut, yes. You’ll want red 271. If this comes loose on you, you’re going to have a bad time. The stock could twist on you during recoil and end up socking you in the mouth under 12 gauge recoil. 
 

The receiver extension never bottoms out and tightens against anything. You can spin it freely by hand on the threads 8.5 full rotations in. The only thing that keeps it indexed is the thread locker and the jam nut. 
 

I put on a lot of Loctite. Every part of the thread is coated. Even the jam nut where it makes contact with the receiver is essentially glued to the receiver. After everything is tightened and the timing is checked, the excess Loctite is then wiped off so that you don’t see any of it. 

[benelliwerkes]

SD-

I fabricated a couple of simple tools that make installation / removal of the threaded plug a controlled situation for me.

After removal of the retaining clip I use a twin lug screw driver fitted to the plug mortises.

For installation I use a cut away hollow punch to compress the spring into position, capture it with a slave pin / punch, allowing plenty of room to get the threaded plug

into position. 

Agree about removing the spring, as it will be trash from the heat.

[StrangerDanger]

Now those are some cool custom tools!

Mine is much less involved. I put a Glock disassembly tool thru the drainage hole to retain the spring. Remove the c clip with snap ring pliers, then unscrew the stock retainer plug with the Weaver bit. With the Glock tool in place, the spring will only extend a few inches past the end of the extension. I then cover the end with a rag and pull the Glock tool to set the grease snake free. The spring tension isn’t too crazy. Then the plunger dumps out with gravity. 
 

Reassembly is pretty easy. I put the shotgun upside down in the vice so gravity is on my side. Drop the plunger in, then start feeding the spring in. I hold the  bottom of the receiver extension with my left hand and feed a few inches of spring in at a time. I then grasp the newly compressed section of spring with my left hand thumb and pointer finger. Repeat until it’s flush with the receiver extension. Insert the Glock tool thru the drainage hole and only a couple inches of spring will extend out the end. It’s then easily compressed with the stock retainer plug and screwed into depth. Remove the Glock tool from the drainage hole and release the spring. Reinstall the c-clip with snap ring pliers. 

[cold_snap]

On 1/3/2021 at 1:13 PM, StrangerDanger said:

On the receiver extension and the jam nut, yes. You’ll want red 271. If this comes loose on you, you’re going to have a bad time. The stock could twist on you during recoil and end up socking you in the mouth under 12 gauge recoil. 
 

The receiver extension never bottoms out and tightens against anything. You can spin it freely by hand on the threads 8.5 full rotations in. The only thing that keeps it indexed is the thread locker and the jam nut. 
 

I put on a lot of Loctite. Every part of the thread is coated. Even the jam nut where it makes contact with the receiver is essentially glued to the receiver. After everything is tightened and the timing is checked, the excess Loctite is then wiped off so that you don’t see any of it. 

Does heat need applied to remove the magazine tube? Seems like this might be a good time to install a 7 round tube verusus the 5. Also if there is locktite on the tube threads would it need reapplied when installing the new tube?

[StrangerDanger]

1 hour ago, cold_snap said:

Does heat need applied to remove the magazine tube? Seems like this might be a good time to install a 7 round tube verusus the 5. Also if there is locktite on the tube threads would it need reapplied when installing the new tube?

You'll need heat to remove the magazine tube, but it comes off a lot easier than the receiver extension. Loctite isn't mandatory for the magazine tube, but I usually use Blue Loctite 243 on it.

[cold_snap]

22 minutes ago, StrangerDanger said:

You'll need heat to remove the magazine tube, but it comes off a lot easier than the receiver extension. Loctite isn't mandatory for the magazine tube, but I usually use Blue Loctite 243 on it.

Awesome thanks for the advice!

[cold_snap]

On 1/5/2021 at 12:51 PM, cold_snap said:

Awesome thanks for the advice!

Stanger Danger have you heard of anyone milling some slots into the one position tube versus buying the 3 position tube. I don't know If that would be any less work and in the end might actually cost more but just curious if it's been done?

[M2_shootr]

I would think the tube would need to be removed anyway. 
You might save a bit of money if you find someone that knows what they are going. 
I haven’t ever seen dimensional drawings from Benelli

[StrangerDanger]

A machinist would charge you more than the cost of an extension. Then you’d have the issues or it needing to be heat treated like the factory does and refinishing. It would definitely have to be removed from the receiver to do the work. 
 

I have never seen anyone post pictures of a successfully done one. 

[cold_snap]

2 hours ago, StrangerDanger said:

A machinist would charge you more than the cost of an extension. Then you’d have the issues or it needing to be heat treated like the factory does and refinishing. It would definitely have to be removed from the receiver to do the work. 
 

I have never seen anyone post pictures of a successfully done one. 

Copy that. I got my parts in so just waiting until I feel motivated to tackle the job.

[StrangerDanger]

If you want, I can send you my number and you can text or whatever when you’re doing it in the event you run into any issues. I’m sure we can work thru it quickly. Definitely read the tutorial a couple times to get feel for the job. I feel the only difficult part is timing the new extension correctly and getting everything torqued.
 

The disassembly side is easy. 

[Doge]

I am taking assembling a bunch of these tubes so I ended up making my own version:

My prior solution was this Wera 16mm. You need to modify this to be 2mm thick.

https://www.amazon.com/Wera-Sheet-Metal-Slotted-16-0mm/dp/B00A8QYK34

[Milspec]

I would buy one of those little gems you fabricated. That’s awesome.

Edited October 14, 2021 by Milspec

[Doge]

On 10/14/2021 at 5:05 AM, Milspec said:

I would buy one of those little gems you fabricated. That’s awesome.

I am finishing up some other projects and then I'll make a very very small batch available.

[bambihunter]

I'd be interested too.

 

[Doge]

On 10/14/2021 at 5:05 AM, Milspec said:

I would buy one of those little gems you fabricated. That’s awesome.

https://www.dogeparts.com/shop/p/driver16mm

okay it is setup. Please note I am not doing this full time.

[kilyung]

2 hours ago, Doge said:

https://www.dogeparts.com/shop/p/driver16mm

okay it is setup. Please note I am not doing this full time.

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