David Cleveland Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) Looking for advise on placing a shotshell side saddle on my new Benelli M4 tactical law enforcement version. The model that i have is the latest version of the Benelli M4 with the guard with numerous location to place picatinny rales. Anyone have pictures and the make and model of saddles that were installed would be great. Thanks Edited July 30 by David Cleveland 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Doe Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) I fully endorse and recommend the Airidus Industries QD Universal side saddle. It works amazingly well and has held up to everything that I have thrown it through. Some would recommend the Esstac velcro side saddles or mesa but with the Airidus side saddle you can have extra carriers in your AR mag pouches and they are built of aluminum I believe and are very tough.(EDIT: You can also carry the Esstac velcro holders in your AR mag pouches as well but, I found them to be too flimsy and will have to buy more over time as they wear out) They also look so much better attached to the M4 imo over the velcro ones. The only downside to them that I have found is that they are a bit pricey, but that is kinda the name of the game when dealing with Benellis. If you can get past the price point you will never regret getting it. Edited July 30 by John Doe added additional content Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Cleveland Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 Thank You. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blain Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 (edited) Esstac shot cards are what you seek You save a TON of weight and they can hold 7 shells vs 6 for most standard bulky side saddles. It is nice to also remove them if needed. Almost all serious users have gravitated over to the velcro shotshell cards now for this reason. Edited August 4 by Blain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Doe Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 3 hours ago, Blain said: You save a TON of weight I don't know about a TON of weight. The Airidus setup is actually pretty light for what it is and does not add any real significant weight to the weapon, imo, but I am also a pretty big guy and the weight of my weapons does not bother me. That is unless you planning on doing any real work with it such as hunting etc, then yeah it will start to bother anyone. 3 hours ago, Blain said: they can hold 7 shells vs 6 for most standard bulky side saddles This is true, but a lot of the ones I see people carry are the 6-shot over the 7 because it becomes too much and takes up a lot of space on the receiver with the 7-shot card. This is not to say that people dont have the 7-shot because there are a lot that do, but I see a lot of people also running the 6-shot. And again the Airidus is not that bulky and the weight is almost nonexistent. 3 hours ago, Blain said: It is nice to also remove them if needed. You can remove the Airidus carriers as well and they fit perfectly in an AR pouch. 3 hours ago, Blain said: Almost all serious users have gravitated over to the velcro shotshell cards now for this reason. What do you mean by serious users? Most people that I have read and talked to that use the shot cards over the Airidus is due mostly to price. When you look at the Airidus up front cost of $185 and $50 for extra carriers over say Esstac which is $15, so yeah most go with the Esstac or similar shot card not because of the things you mention, but for the price point. I would be curious to talk to someone else who has used both systems and in the end chose to go with the Esstac shot cards over the Airidus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavia3 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 (edited) 1 hour ago, John Doe said: I don't know about a TON of weight. The Airidus setup is actually pretty light for what it is and does not add any real significant weight to the weapon, imo, but I am also a pretty big guy and the weight of my weapons does not bother me. That is unless you planning on doing any real work with it such as hunting etc, then yeah it will start to bother anyone. This is true, but a lot of the ones I see people carry are the 6-shot over the 7 because it becomes too much and takes up a lot of space on the receiver with the 7-shot card. This is not to say that people dont have the 7-shot because there are a lot that do, but I see a lot of people also running the 6-shot. And again the Airidus is not that bulky and the weight is almost nonexistent. You can remove the Airidus carriers as well and they fit perfectly in an AR pouch. What do you mean by serious users? Most people that I have read and talked to that use the shot cards over the Airidus is due mostly to price. When you look at the Airidus up front cost of $185 and $50 for extra carriers over say Esstac which is $15, so yeah most go with the Esstac or similar shot card not because of the things you mention, but for the price point. I would be curious to talk to someone else who has used both systems and in the end chose to go with the Esstac shot cards over the Airidus. I have the Aridus setup on my 1301 and I do like it, except for one design quirk. When the shell carrier is removed, you are left with an inch and a half long bracket sticking out the side of the receiver. I would like to see an update that allows for attaching the shell carrier to a bracket that is completely flush to the receiver. Edited August 4 by Pavia3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Doe Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 12 minutes ago, Pavia3 said: I have the Aridus setup on my 1301 and I do like it, except for one design quirk. When the shell carrier is removed, you are left with an inch and a half long bracket sticking out the side of the receiver. I would like to see an update that allows for attaching the shell carrier to a bracket that is completely flush to the receiver. Why is that a design quirk? Has it caused you any issues or been damaged? I do agree that it would be nice to have something that is made to the same quality and sat flush, but ultimatley it has been a non-issue and would only be a preference and not an absolute need I guess. Curious, would you trade in your Airidus and replace it with Esstac cards? If yes, why? If no, why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavia3 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 9 hours ago, John Doe said: Why is that a design quirk? Has it caused you any issues or been damaged? I do agree that it would be nice to have something that is made to the same quality and sat flush, but ultimatley it has been a non-issue and would only be a preference and not an absolute need I guess. Curious, would you trade in your Airidus and replace it with Esstac cards? If yes, why? If no, why? I wouldn’t trade for Esstac. In fact, I just bought three more Aridus shell holders. It’s just that the bracket could be more streamlined in design. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Doe Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 10 hours ago, Pavia3 said: I wouldn’t trade for Esstac. In fact, I just bought three more Aridus shell holders. It’s just that the bracket could be more streamlined in design. Same. Yes, I agree it would be nice if it was more flush, but again it hasnt caused me any issues, yet, lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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