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Benelli M4 -- Interest in a true 4 point rail system?


stevenb

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Thank you for your continued interest in the FCAM.

 

Unfortunately, as reported above, we hit some snags in the development once we produced a handful of first

articles. Things didn't fit together the way we liked (this system must be field-strippable without tools),

and then Benelli dropped the bomb on us: the current production barrels are much wider at the chamber than

the one on our development shotgun.

 

So we have gone back to the drawing board.

 

Since the SHOT Show, we have had a number of other priorities in front of FCAM development (not least,

shipping lots of orders), but very shortly we intend to dust off the protos and first articles and set

about resolving the issues and finalizing the design.

 

Here is what we have today (and what we hid under the table at the SHOT Show):

 

mesa_tactical_fcam_benelli_april_06_grip.jpg

 

The nylon grip allows a comfortable familiar hold on the forend.

 

What isn't visible in these photos is our SureShell shotshell carrier system. The FCAM will be available

without the integrated SureShell, or with 6- and 8-shot SureShell. The bracket would be integrated with

the top rail, and the shells would mount along the left side of the receiver.

 

You will also be able to purchase SureShell carriers for the sides of the forend of the FCAM. This is not

illustrated either, but operators who choose this configuration will probably want to use the ventral rail

with a vertical grip instead of the nylon grip:

 

mesa_tactical_fcam_benelli_april_06_rail.jpg

 

Note that this configuration probably violates 922®.

 

The side rails are removable and can be installed on either side (or both sides). The FCAM will ship with

a 7.5" ventral rail and a 3.5" side rail. Additional rails are available, including a 5.5" rail. The

ventral rail can also be installed on the side, if desired.

 

So no word yet as to when we will be shipping these. The MSRP is still supposed to be between $350 for a

basic assembly to $415 or so for one with an 8-shot SureShell.

 

By the way, this weekend we are taking this push-button sling loop mount to show to the Marines:

 

mesa_tactical_benelli_m1014_sling.jpg

 

[ 04-07-2006, 02:50 PM: Message edited by: Mesa Tactical ]

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Originally posted by deasmuth:

how does the push-button mount attach (and where?) Thank you.

The sling swivel mount uses a hole that passes through the pistol grip of the skeleton stock. This hole

normally holds a rolled pin that secures the nylon outer part of the pistol grip to the metal (steel, I

think) armature.

 

For the example we demonstrated for the Marines, we replaced the rolled pin with a screw that held the

flush cup for the sling swivel on one side and was secured on the opposite side by an acorn nut.

 

The Marines were not happy with this, as they said Loctite (which we recommended for the acorn nut) has a

nasty habit of going soft in the heat of Iraq. So we are now working on a slightly different version of

the one pictured that uses a clevis pin and cotter pin combination. We anticipate the Marines will be

much happier with a clevis pin.

 

Regarding 922®:

 

Since there is no strict definition of a "non-sporting" configuration by which the ATF judges weapons for

922® compliance, we generally assume that any specifically military configuration or feature would

violate the statute. After all, according to the ATF, the Brady Center and even a lot of alleged gun

rights defenders, the only "sporting" use of a firearm is to kill an animal. Foreward vertical grips

don't help in killing animals.

 

It's just a guess.

 

[ 04-12-2006, 10:32 AM: Message edited by: Mesa Tactical ]

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Originally posted by Mesa Tactical:

The sling swivel mount uses a hole that passes through the pistol grip of the skeleton stock. This hole

normally holds a rolled pin that secures the nylon outer part of the pistol grip to the metal (steel, I

think) armature.

Great feature! Please also make a loop for the HK style hooks of my tac sling! A close to the reciever rear mount is really missing on the M4!

...How about a universal shell holder that attaches direcly to the top mounted picatinny rails. You would be able to mount this on all tactical shotguns (Benellis, Fabaram, FN ...) Please!

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The sling swivel mount uses a hole that passes through the pistol grip of the skeleton stock. This hole

normally holds a rolled pin that secures the nylon outer part of the pistol grip to the metal (steel, I

think) armature.

I like this! are you currently offering it? I assume after the rollpin is removed the hole needs to be enlarged? Thank you.
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We are working on it. Ironically, we have already paid for all the expensive tooling (injection mold and extrusion dies), so no one is more desparate to see this go on the market than we are.

 

Benelli really threw a zinger at us with the larger barrel diameter. We have to scrap our entire inventory of custom fasteners we made for the FCAM and come up with a new assembly mechansim.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Originally posted by rjk:

Just for clarification will the FCAM and shotshell carrier be a one piece unit?

The upper rail will optionally support a six- or eight-shell carrier integrated into it. In addition, four- or six-shell carriers can be added to either side of the assembly above the forend.
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Originally posted by rjk:

How's the re-tooling coming along?

Well, we apologize for the delay, but it's coming.

 

One of the problems we had with the initial design was the choice of fasteners used to secure the interlocking studs that held the two halves together. We have since decided to go with nutserts. This should represent a big improvement to the design.

 

We sent the shotgun out to our photographer for some pics of the sling mount, and while he was at it he took a shot of the complete system:

 

mesa_tactical_benelli_m1014_fcam_200606.jpg

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