(Review) Benelli’s M4 Tactical shotgun
While most shooters are at least somewhat familiar with Benelli shotguns, they may not be aware of the fact that Benelli Armi SpA is an Italian firearm manufacturer that was founded under the name of Benelli Armi in 1967 as an offshoot of the Benelli motorcycle factory who sold motorcycles through Montgomery Wards! Today, Benelli is best known for producing high quality shotguns for use by military, law enforcement, and private security personnel, as well as civilians all over the world. In fact, Benelli has such total confidence in its products that they back every gun with an industry-leading 10-year warranty.
Consequently, due to their familiarity with tactical shotguns, Benelli originally designed the M4 (M1014) 12 gauge Tactical Shotgun (which is an unusual, gas operated, semi-automatic, shotgun specifically designed for military use in urban warfare) for the U.S. Marine Corps in 1998 and it was extensively tested at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Therfore, the Benelli M4 Tactical is now the official combat service shotgun of the U.S. Joint Services today. However, until just recently, Benelli did not offer a civilian version of this fine tactical shotgun. Fortunately for us, that situation has changed and thus, the Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun is now available to civilians. This shotgun features black, synthetic, stocks with a black finish, an 18” barrel designed to chamber 2 3/4” or 3” 12 ga. rounds, a magazine capacity of 4+1, a drilled and tapped Picatinny Rail pre-mounted on the receiver with either ghost ring or open rifle sights, a removable trigger assembly, a rotating bolt head, a bolt-lock lever, and screw-in chokes. But, the true heart of this extremely reliable tactical shotgun lies in Benelli’s piston-driven, Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated (A.R.G.O.), semi-automatic, action which uses a short-stroke, self-cleaning, dual-piston design to cycle the bolt. In addition, this self-regulating system is designed to handle everything from low-brass target loads to high-brass buckshot loads reliably with no internal or external changes required from the shooter.
Our first impression of this shotgun was that it is very solidly built and that it is obvious that this shotgun is specifically designed for use in rugged conditions. Also, the fit, finish, lock-up, and machine work were all as you would expect from Benelli and thus, it is immediately obvious that they did not skimp on the details just because this is a tactical shotgun and not a sporting shotgun. Also, the buttstock is nicely proportioned and the pistol grip is made of very comfortable rubber/ploy blend but, the synthetic forend was not as “grippy” as we would like for it to be. However, when the forend is removed and the ARGO system is examined, you can see that it is a very simple mechanism with very few moving parts and thus, its extreme reliability under adverse conditions. In addition, the pre-mounted Picatinny Rail with either the ghost ring or open rifle sights is a nice feature since it saves the owner the trouble of having this done aftermarket. However, with a retail price $1,899.99, most shooters are likely to have a sticker shock induced heart attack upon seeing this shotgun in their local gun shop! Therefore, we suspect that the main market for this excellent, is somewhat esoteric, tactical shotgun will be military and law enforcement personnel and private security contractors. But, if you want the best tactical shotgun you can get and don’t mind paying the price for it, the Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun will certainly satisfy your need.
In closing, although we found the Length of Pull at 14” to be quite comfortable, many experienced military shooters seem to feel that this is too long and, if the shooter is wearing body armor, it’s way too long. In addition, Benelli did not see fit to incorporate an adjustable or collapsible stock on the M4 and thus, it either fits you or it doesn’t. Otherwise, the Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun would make an excellent choice for the homeowner who feels the need for a serious weapon to defend their family against criminals intent on invading their home and doing them harm.