CAUS Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 I got a chance to shoot many rounds with my new Enhanced Beretta 1301 Tactical along with my Benelli M4. To make a fair comparison, I used Urbino pistol grip stocks (with limbsavers) for both shotguns. 10 rounds of same types of shells, switch to another shotgun, and repeat. From hot shells to low-recoil shells. It really made me wondering who said Beretta 1301 is smoother than M4. I found that M4 has softer recoil, better accuracy, better stability, and more fun to shoot! The differences were quite obvious. I still like my 1301 a lot. But, it's not "M4 contender" as some people kept saying online. And, it doesn't eat all rounds as people claimed either. Maybe my new 1301 hasn't been "broken in" yet. But It didn't eject or feed some of the low recoil rounds. (That's what we should expect on any semi-auto shotgun anyway.) Being lighter isn't totally an advantage either. It kicks more, making it less smooth for quick following shots. So, IMHO (if it's worth anything), 1301 is a great shotgun for HD with an excellent value, but it is still not at the same level with M4. M4 is definitely superior, if we ignore the price difference. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilyung Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 This is an interesting post as I picked up a 1301T because I felt like I was missing out on something special. My M4 has limbsaver on c-stock vs my 1301T with limbsaver on Magpul SGA. Using the same FFC 00-buck, the 1301T seems softer recoiling but I would expect that with more padding. The M4 does feel smoother though and quality seems to also favor the M4 - not that the 1301T is a slouch. In any case, I’m glad to have the 1301T as I think it’ll be a better shotgun for classes as reloads are easier for me than the M4 - pistol grip vs field stock makes a difference - especially (I hope) after I install the Pro lifter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAUS Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 I got 1301 for the same reason. I didn't want to miss out what some people kept saying is better than M4. It is much easier to load 1301 for sure, let alone double load and quad load. I can hardly imagine people speed-loading M4 in competitions! As for loading M4, I learned to keep my thumb fully bent and rigid, and use the forearm strength to load, instead of the thumb strength. I am not sure if I can still do so when I get order and have arthritis someday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doge Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 I think the recoil spring being up front like my M3 has something to do with it. My M3s across the board are all little more wobbly than the M4. The trade off is that you can actually fully strip the M3 down in the field. The Gen 2 1301 I have is actually pretty smooth. Also before the 1301 came along, there was the TX4 Storm. It was like 1600$ MSRP whereas the Gen One 1301 was like 1050$ with a street price like 900$. They did a ton of cost cutting like plastic rails and plastic rear sight. The 1301 is way better at 1000$ than the TX4 Storm was at 1600$. The 1301 of today is really hard to beat. I see the trend more people leaning towards Turkish M4s or the 1301 lately. Its basically ready to go out of the box with stuff Benelli M4 owners usually add on immediately after purchase (big charging handle, bolt release, flat lifter, wider loading port). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12508 Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 I have a new 1301 and I don't care for it. The comparisons to an M4 have no merit. The 1301 has too much plastic and a thin walled barrel. Mine lasted 50 rounds before the barrel bulged, rear sight came loose, and some plastic in the action broke off and fell out. Luckily it was all fixed under warranty. The M4 is a robust military weapon; the 1301 is a commercial gun with black furniture. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'zaster Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 I recently purchased a 1301 Tactical LE. Mine has the Mesa pistol grip and limbsaver pad. I like the light weight. It certainly seems to have a lot of positive reviews but I'm not anticipating it will be better than the M4. I have not yet shot it but I can appreciate the M4 will have less felt recoil due to weight difference. My plan is to do a similar comparison and report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAUS Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 (edited) 13 hours ago, Doge said: I think the recoil spring being up front like my M3 has something to do with it. My M3s across the board are all little more wobbly than the M4. Yes, M3 design is closer to a long-stroke piston design, even though it uses inertia (or manual) to cycle. The bolt carrier group has the bolt and a big long "carrier" to accommodate the big spring in the front. It's much more weight to move in cycling. It causes more wobbles. Beretta 1301 is a long-stroke piston design. Examples are AK-47, Sig 556, PWS MK-series, etc. Benelli M4 is a short-stroke piston design. Examples are SIG MCX, SCAR, LWRC, etc. Long-stroke and short-stroke have different design philosophy and tradeoffs. But, in general, long-stroke piston designs have larger and heavier bolt carrier groups, which tend to cause more wobbles and reduce accuracy. I was so curious why Beretta 1301 long-stroke design could be "better" than M4's simple design as people claimed. Well, it's not. I went through the whole nine yards to confirm my thought. But, anyhow, I don't regret getting 1301 at all. It's still a great shotgun. Just not "military" level. Back to M3 vs M4. I read the recent article in American Rifleman saying that USMC should adopt M3 instead of M4. Well, I am not sure if the author really got the fundamental differences of the two designs. Using inertia to cycle a heavier bolt carrier group wouldn't be the most robust solution for combat. M3 is a great tradeoff if one switches between lethal and non-lethal rounds, and is a perfect shotgun for civilizes. For marines who don't care for non-lethal rounds, M4 is more appropriate. P.S. I am not against long-stroke piston designs. I got Sig 556 and PWS. Edited December 16, 2021 by CAUS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doge Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 M3 action is much more open. It can quickly run sluggish if sand gets on the recoil spring. M4 is better sealed in this aspect - of course dirt can get in the ejection port or loading port on both. The 1301 came from the Tx4, which came from the A400 series. So basically a sporting gun turned tactical. The M1014 was solely made to go to war. M3 was more for police units. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Dawg Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Greetings I also have a 1301 and find it to heat up faster than the M4, with just shooting regular remington 2.75 slugs .? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.