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Got a New M4 - Should I be concerned?


Ghost Dancer

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I received a new Benelli M4 today with all three stocks (came as a package). Picked it up at noon and was REALLY excited, so I called a friend to let him know.

 

He said "You bought what? Those guns really suck. I have two friends who bought them and have sold them because of constant malfunctions."

 

Jeez, I thought to myself that now I am really screwed. Spent $1500 and I have a POS shotgun that I can't depend on.

 

Someone please help me out.....I will be up all night agonizing over this. Was this a good decision for a home self defense shotgun? I sure hope so.

 

Ghost Dancer

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When I bought my first Benelli (it was the M1014), I took it to a local shoot that we had. I told everyone in advance to bring different brands and types of 12-guage rounds. I took my brand new virgin shotgun right from its box and we fired various slugs and shotshells of various shot size. We had absolutely ZERO malfunctions.

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Phew, feeling better.

 

When I get home tonight I will clean it up (still has oil on it) and will get ready to do some shootin tomorrow.

 

Sometimes this "religion" stuff preeached by self proclaimed gun experts (especially those that never used a specific gun) drive me nuts.

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Just so you know, your M4 *might* need a little break in period. When I first got my M1014 (special edition of the M4) it cycled slugs and buckshot fine, but had the occasional fail-to-load when using lighter rounds. However, after a nice cleaning and more shooting, my M1014 shoots any type of load just fine. Here is the range report I made after my first range trip.

 

Anyway, don't ever feel bad about your buy. I sing praises of joy every time I look at my beautiful shotgun. They are very solidly built, very reliable, and very good looking. smile.gif Oh, and if by some fluke you run into trouble with your gun, Benelli customer service will take good care of you. Welcome to the forum and we hope you continue to keep in touch.

 

[ 06-09-2006, 04:24 PM: Message edited by: jakjakman ]

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Blah!!!!!.....never take crap from the 870 owners~L of course you will hear things like that when they do not have one themselves. I also have the spec. edition M1014 I was a bit taken back by the cost of the weapon at first and tried to justify the purchase by makin sure I used the Benelli for every situation instead of my other shotguns, I even began deer hunting with my Benelli during the firearms season and now would use nothing else!..as far as ammo i guess it would be like any rifle you ever had, mine prefers the Federal slugs with the new "foster point" with this slug my Benelli will out shoot my brother's 1100 Rem. rifled barrel, big scope all shiney with premium wood furniture $15 dollar a box sabot slugs~S hands down and thats a fact. I'm not sayin 870's are a bad gun at all, shoot i had one when I was a kid too but when I grew up I got not only the fastest shotgun in the world but the badest!!!!!...~keep shootin~

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Very well put Wingbone, Ghost dancer I can't compete with Brother M1014 but I have 2 M3's and a M1014 and have owned most of the other "tactical" scaterguns out there, No comparision. As M1014 put it "your friend don't know S**T."

 

[ 06-09-2006, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: jmikesteen ]

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So my self esteem is once again riding high. Got home, cleaned my new little (big) friend, took the wife out for a bite and now have the M4 sittin next to me.

 

Will head over to Outdoor World or Walmart tomorrow for some ammo.

 

So tell me, what is the difference between the M4 and M1014?

 

[ 06-09-2006, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: Ghost Dancer ]

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Your barrel is the heavy barrel that gets issued to the troops. Never shoot the sucka out. The M4 comes with a thinner barrel that accepts chokes. Oh, like M1014 says we got the FLAG!! you are one of 2500. Dignity, Pride! Yea!

 

[ 06-09-2006, 09:04 PM: Message edited by: jmikesteen ]

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My m4 11707 is the best 1200 I ever spent.

 

By far.

 

Don't judge anything in the first 50-60 rounds. Once you have shot it a few times and cleaned it a few times, it will never, ever jam. I've put multiple thousands of rounds through mine now without a single failure to fire after the inital break-in period.

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Originally posted by Ghost Dancer:

So tell me, what is the difference between the M4 and M1014?

The M1014 (#11701) was the first version released to civilians. It was a limited edition run of 2500 shotguns, each denoted by a special serial number and an engraved American flag on the right side of the receiver. It has a fixed choke barrel and comes from the factory with a fake telescoping stock.

 

The newest M4 (#11707) is identical to the earlier M1014, with a few exceptions:

 

1. The 11707 M4 barrels have the newest upgrades: screw-in chokes, the exterior flange where the barrel meets the receiver, and an added flange on the barrel extension.

 

M4 Barrel Revisions

 

There have always been rumors as to the M1014 having a thicker barrel. This could be proven/disproven rather quickly if someone would use a micrometer to measure both of them.

 

2. The 11707 M4 has the same recoil spring tube as the military version, which allows a telescoping stock to work correctly.

 

3. The 11707 M4 does not have the laser-engraved American flag or special serial number.

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As for home defence ammo, I would recommend buck shot. I use 00 in a 3 inch shell that has 15 pellets. Really any buck shot size will work but I would go to much smaller then #1. But to each his own.

 

As for bird shot, its name says it all. It's for use on birds, not some one threatening you life. Bird shot does not penetrate enough to be consitantly effect.

 

Slugs will put anyone down, but penetrate alot and if you have loved ones in the house it can be dangerous. Hope this helps.

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Whatever happened to the "secret recall" of 4 port barrels? I believe the 4-port barrels were at issues since they put too much gas into the cylinders with full power loads and beat the pistons and even a bolt or two to death. Does this new M4 have a 2 or 4 port barrel?

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My 11707 M4 LE...originally had the 4 ports...but was sent to Benelli for a retune & they replaced it with a New 2 port style.....

I will add that I have run every kind of 12 ga ammo thru it..even the cheap Wally mart stuff....Without one single failure or malfunction

Just for fun the other day..I put two of those Agulire Black mini shells thru it...& altho it seem'd to be a bit slower to cycle..it still tapped em both off wo mishap...

One of my crew tried the minis with about 12 loaded in the tube..& it malf'd on the 4th shot because it would try to try to load two minis at a time..

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Originally posted by M4Madness:

There have always been rumors as to the M1014 having a thicker barrel. This could be proven/disproven rather quickly if someone would use a micrometer to measure both of them.

I did this little exercise 8 months ago when I got tired of hearing this factoid for the umpteenth time. I measured my M1014 (11701) and M4 (11703) barrel O.D.s with my dial calipers, picking several spots along the tapered barrel lengths for comparison.

 

M1014 _____ M4

1.260" _____ 1.265" - Barrel extension collar as it enters the receiver

 

1.157" _____ 1.155" - Barrel immediately in front of bbl extension collar

0.868" _____ 0.863" - Barrel at the front of the handguard

0.837" _____ 0.832" - Centered over magazine tube threads, halfway between handguard and front sight

0.922" _____ 0.918" - Barrel below the front sight assembly

0.922" _____ 0.922" - Barrel at the muzzle

0.702" _____ 0.702" - Bore I.D. (M1014 fixed, M4 using the modified screw-in choke)

 

From this, I would hardly say the M1014 barrel is 'heavier'. I'm writing off any differences due to individual tolerances and my poor technique of wrestling the 8 lb shotgun in one hand and the calipers in the other. The M1014 really does appear heavier when viewed from the muzzle due to the fixed choke/solid barrel wall, but simple measurement dispels this 'fact' easily.

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