M3 CONVERTIBLE PUMP/AUTO price difference!

[benellioni]

I am kind of new to the Benelli line of shotguns (well, shotguns in general). I have a Benelli M3 CONVERTIBLE PUMP/AUTO (Standard with Ghost-ring sights) on order, and was thinking why the price for the regular Open rifle sights is higher. The main use is going to be home defense and some skeet shooting with an extra barrerl. Is it the capability for upgrade to a skeet gun?

Any ideas?

[Steve Beckman]

Hi,

Sorry to answer a question with a question but I'm still trying to resolve the conflicting information I'm given regarding the "Convertability" of the M3.

 

I'm completely new to Benelli shotguns also.

 

Every (both) local dealers I talked to have insisted that the M3 is NOT convertible, but the forend is simply unlockable with a spring loaded mechanism that allows for running the action (malfunction clearing they say). That this mechanism DOES NOT defeat the auto-loading of the next round.

 

Everything I read indicates otherwise but the mechanism on the gun I handled was in fact spring loaded and unless held in the unlocked position would not seem to "convert" the gun into a pump.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[jmikesteen]

Some dealers show have the guts to admit they don't know because in your case they don't. I have 2 M3's After you press the release and move the pump about 1 inch down, it stays unlocked as a pump gun until you lock it back in the semi auto position. Both of mine are HK's so that tells you how long I have had them. One is a M3T which is the old HK with a upward folding stock and the other is a pistol grip model. I have several hundred rounds through the pistol and only a handful through the folder. I promise you are right and the dealer is wrong.

[Svaurez]

I am an expert on the M3.

 

Benellioni-If you are going to shoot skeet with the M3 I suggest you order the model with open sights.The rear ghost ring sight is ATTACHED TO THE RECEIVER.I dont know how it is held on.Might be welded or maybe just screws but you would have to remove it every time you went clay shooting,unless you dont mind a big hunk of metal in your sight picture.I bought the open sighted model because I knew this would be a problem.I shoot skeet every week and Im glad I bought the open sights.

I dont know why the open sights cost more.I had always thought it was a typo in the catalog.

 

Steve-Most of these local gun dealers are puffy chested morons.They would rather give you bad information than admit they haven't done their homework.I got the same kind of information when I was shopping for my M3.Its hard to believe that these people actually get paid to spout their b.s.But anway,The M3 is most definately convertible.

 

If you want to demonstrate the pump action in a shop you need to load a few dummy rounds in the magazine so that you can properly cyle the action a few times.If you dont load the dummy rounds you have to first pull back the forend,it locks back,then you have to push the carrier release button ,then you can return the forend to original position.Its a very clunky procedure without the dummy rounds.

 

This shotgun is not for most people.Everyone says it is too complicated,and that is the reason I bought it.I like complexity.

 

I havent had much luck with the lighter target loads when shooting clays.I can shoot about 30-50 rounds in the auto mode and then it fails to eject the rounds.Thats when I convert it to pump and finish the day shooting in pump mode.I still think its not broken in yet so maybe it will cycle reliably in the future.

(Benelli recommends full power loads to reliably cycle the action,but who wants to shoot 00 buck at a clay target)

 

I hope this might answer some questions.When I was researching this gun I got the typical answers"too complicated",or "just get an M1".

 

I think the M3 is the most under rated shotgun in the entire Benelli line.Be sure to get the tactical barrel and the 26" barrel and you will have a selection of OPTIONS that the other benelli models cant provide.

[FN_FAL]

Well I'm a local gun dealer and I have a puffy stomach kind of (to many Bass Ales), my chest needs some bench press' though. Yeah just jabbing with ya gotta stick up for those in one of my professions. " Most of these local gun dealers are puffy chested morons." At least you used the word "most" and not all. If you had said all forget the jabbing I'd have to go for the rear naked choke sleepy time. That sounds kind of puffy chested but its to be taken in jest. Anyways you guy's covered the auto/convertible issue pretty well. One thing I don't think I read above was that the convertible was initally geared towards LE for non-lethal rounds that didn't have the uumph to cycle the bolt. This is my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think it was meant to double as a skeet gun. Especially the M3ST. It can be done but thats not what its inital design was for IMO. One of my favorite tactical shotguns of all time is the M3ST. Man jimikisteen your one lucky duck not one but 2! I think I recall you posting a pic. of the M3ST and it looked slick. Theres one for sale on one of the auction sites for 2000.00. Supposedly its never been assembled. Pics look good but you never know over the net. Keep those guns down range and happy shooting.

[jmikesteen]

Thanks FN_FAL, some of my best friends are dealers and you are right, in fact most of the know it alls at gun shows are privates with a table full of S--t that they have buggered up and they are now trying to pawn off on newbies. I have a 26 inch barrel, standard butt stock and a long plug for my M3 that I sometimes put on to domesticate my beast for a little dove hunting but I will admit that I usualy take along my Beretta 686 Silver instead. It is just fun to see the looks I get with the M3 sometimes.

[FN_FAL]

Hey no sweat a nice firearm is just that, well maybe even a baddasss firearm is just that. And once again IMO the M3ST is one of the top dogs. (tactical which is all I really care about really)Man I love that friggin firearm. I told the guy thats been trying to sell his on one of the auction sites that with the sunset ban the ST's wouldn't be as valueable. Same thing for hi-cap mags, retractable stocks, etc. Basic supply and demand. (Why I oh so love machineguns, great investments and FUN) I offered him a slightly lower price and he didn't want to budge. Here it is almost 2 months later and he's got no bids. I go off topic with just about everyone of my posts so why break tradition? I think the SPAS-12 has to get some credit when one talks about the M3. I'm not 100% on this but I've handled both firearms and the M3ST is much sturdier IMO. B-U-T I do believe the SPAS-12 was developed prior to the M3. I'd have to do some research but I'm pretty sure the SPAS was the original modern (kind of) convertible shotgun. Maybe Franchi and Benelli were (are) one in the same somewhere along the bloodline. I don't know, just a guess cause the SPAS and M3 have some serious similarities. Maybe Benelli paid Franchi a hunk of cash for some patents. Kind of like the S&W Sigma that lost to Glock in court for patent violations. jimikesteen like I said above I'm pretty much 100% tactical in my shooting. I have plenty of offers to go skeet shooting but never end up going. Its that full auto MAN!! Anyway I here how it is on the skeet ranges, I can imagine the looks an M3 gets. Kind of if a guy came to my range with an O/U he'd be sticking out like a sore thumb. But who says sore thumbs can't look nice? To each his own. Adios

[jmikesteen]

I like the SPAS-12 just OK but the LAW 12 is a killer. It is a gas gun so recoil is low and the stock folds over tight unlike the big stickup on the Benelli. I can load 8 in the tube with one in the pipe and one on the gate and I know of no other 10 round tactical on the market. Don't get me wrong, I love the Benelli but the divertor and low recoil of the LAW makes me have to keep both of them. The Benelli wins on looks but still can't turn my back on low recoil especialy now that I am getting longer in the tooth.

 

Take care, FN-FAL and stay tactical

[benellioni]

 

 

[ 10-03-2005, 02:45 AM: Message edited by: benellioni ]

[benellioni]

Thank you guys, lots of good info. I am going to pick up my m3 sometime this week. It is essentially a semi-auto with a pump option.

Like the guy says;

"It's better to have the option and not use it, than to have the urge to use it and not have."

[FN_FAL]

benellioni, I apologize for turning this thread upside down. The M3 was NOT originally designed to double as a home defense/skeet shooting gun. Can it be done, yes. As jimikesteen pointed out he takes 1 of his 2 (lucky *******, and ones a M3ST) to the skeet range occasionally. I think he said he just does it for kicks, not because it is a superior skeet gun. The M3 is a GREAT home defense shotgun. If you want to shoot skeet you may look into buying a shotgun specifically designed for that. The reason I say this is barrels are notoriously expensive (you can find deals, but generally barells are at leats a couple hundred dollars). You could probably find a used skeet gun for the price of just a barrel at your local gun shop. Thats is what I'd do without any hesitation. Oh yeah and you have ghost rings on that M3? I'm a huge fan of these sights for tactical purposes, but at a skeet range I'd imagine they'd intefere with your sight picture, so you would not have much fun at the skeet range. Look around for a decent used 26-28" length pump shotgun with a bead. Keep your options open, I like Benelli's but there are other less expensive brands that are very capable out there. Good luck.

[FN_FAL]

As I typed the above you edited your post. I thought you re-posted your inital post becuse you didn't get the answers you were looking for. So you don't think I've lost all my marbles. Congratulations on your new baddass M3, Happy shooting!!

[benellioni]

Thank you again, FN_FAL

[FN_FAL]

My pleasure.