M4 vs 1301

rcwhat

rcwhat

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Bought both brand new and took them both to the range today for the first time. I was hoping and expecting to like the 1301 better. It has better ergo’s and definitely cycles faster than the M4. However it also has significantly more recoil than the m4, possibly because of the faster action. Put only 30 rounds through both for 60 total and my shoulder was thanking me for switching back to 9mm sbr’s. I left the range today a little underwhelmed with the 1301. It’s sexy AF with the full grey finish, but I think I’d take the M4 if I could choose only one. 🤷🏻‍♂️ IMG_2200.jpeg
 
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rcwhat said:
Bought both brand new and took them both to the range today for the first time. I was hoping and expecting to like the 1301 better. It has better ergo’s and definitely cycles faster than the M4. However it also has significantly more recoil than the m4, possibly because of the faster action. Put only 30 rounds through both for 60 total and my shoulder was thanking me for switching back to 9mm sbr’s. I left the range today a little underwhelmed with the 1301. It’s sexy AF with the full grey finish, but I think I’d take the M4 if I could choose only one. 🤷🏻‍♂️View attachment 918225
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Search around here - I posted some years ago about installing anti recoil system into 1301 stock.
Pricey but helps well.
 
M4 is my choice. That weight/recoil mitigation keeps you on target for tube dump. That's my opinion. For carry distance the 1301. Regardless, your shoulders will hate you.
 
Pick up both. See which one you want to carry over hill and dale. It's not the benelli. Could have afforded either, went the lighter. I'm not a 20 yr old marine.

Afterthought. The weight difference affords more ammo carrying.
 
rcwhat said:
Bought both brand new and took them both to the range today for the first time. I was hoping and expecting to like the 1301 better. It has better ergo’s and definitely cycles faster than the M4. However it also has significantly more recoil than the m4, possibly because of the faster action. Put only 30 rounds through both for 60 total and my shoulder was thanking me for switching back to 9mm sbr’s. I left the range today a little underwhelmed with the 1301. It’s sexy AF with the full grey finish, but I think I’d take the M4 if I could choose only one. 🤷🏻‍♂️View attachment 918225
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Quite a few people I know have bought the 13 oh one and while I think it’s a great shotgun I swear it kicks more than my Mossberg pump guns lol. My friend has a Mossberg 930 JM pro that has a quarter of the recoil and I’ve shot all types of Benelli‘s. The 1301 for sure is way overpassed. It’s not an enjoyable shotgun for me to shoot at all and I’m not recoil sensitive at all, no problem shooting buckshot through a stagecoach gun which I notoriously awful. I want to love the 1301 but every single one I have shot has recoiled completely unnecessarily heavy.
 
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So much so that they designed and sell a special recoil reducing stock apparently.

Edit - is the stock actually $500+?! And it doesn’t work with the pistol grip?
 
If it matters, I love my benelli M2. I have several 12ga shotguns. None bother me.

I’m pretty much immune to recoil… so there is that.

No regrets on the m2. I bought it over the beretta years ago.
 
FMH2016 said:
Quite a few people I know have bought the 13 oh one and while I think it’s a great shotgun I swear it kicks more than my Mossberg pump guns lol. My friend has a Mossberg 930 JM pro that has a quarter of the recoil and I’ve shot all types of Benelli‘s. The 1301 for sure is way overpassed. It’s not an enjoyable shotgun for me to shoot at all and I’m not recoil sensitive at all, no problem shooting buckshot through a stagecoach gun which I notoriously awful. I want to love the 1301 but every single one I have shot has recoiled completely unnecessarily heavy.
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I suppose it’s all subjective. I love my 1301 and it feels damn comfortable to me. My 590 is awesome but definitely leaves more of a mark on my shoulder after 100+ rounds of buck and slug. Yes, I went full James Reeves and bought a fanny pack. It’s honestly awesome if you’re in a bay and don’t want to keep walking back to reload. I was pissed that the stock 1301 handguard basically sheared itself off though. Plastic… so I dumped a few hundo on a Briley.

With that said, you don’t know what you don’t know. I’ve never shot an M4 (or an M2)so I don’t have a basis of comparison, but would really like to. Shotties are awesome.
 
I’ve owned both.
The 1301 is light and fast cycling but not to any great aid to a regular shooter it’s more marketing if you ask me. What really turned me off was all the polymer parts. When I think of shotgun I think of ruggedness. Polymer mag tube extension, front sight post, optic rail, rear sight, and charging handle are lame for the price point. A price point that keeps climbing as time goes on mind you closing the gap between the M4 price.

The M4 is all metal minus the trigger guard which can be swapped out and plan on it. The cycling feel better probably due to the weight and the gas system.

The M4 easily, hands down. Unless you want to be Jerry Miculek with a 12 gauge tactical shotgun and reallllly need that “faster” gas system.

Just my take
 
FMH2016 said:
Quite a few people I know have bought the 13 oh one and while I think it’s a great shotgun I swear it kicks more than my Mossberg pump guns lol. My friend has a Mossberg 930 JM pro that has a quarter of the recoil and I’ve shot all types of Benelli‘s. The 1301 for sure is way overpassed. It’s not an enjoyable shotgun for me to shoot at all and I’m not recoil sensitive at all, no problem shooting buckshot through a stagecoach gun which I notoriously awful. I want to love the 1301 but every single one I have shot has recoiled completely unnecessarily heavy.
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It kicks more than pumps for me as well. I’m not a small guy either.
 
chris_1001 said:
If it matters, I love my benelli M2. I have several 12ga shotguns. None bother me.

I’m pretty much immune to recoil… so there is that.

No regrets on the m2. I bought it over the beretta years ago.
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I owned a 1301 tactical. GREAT shotgun.

But I LOVE my benelli M2 tactical. I got a youth comfortech stock and used a product from finland to fine tune the length of pull. I added a benelli proshop bolt release and a taran tactical loading lever. I prefer it over any shotgun I've owned. Yes I had to put a little $ into it but I love the thing. I even went full retard and bought a 28" barrel to shoot sporting clays with it. I shoot it better than both of my silver pigeons-don't judge me!
 
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Tinkermatic said:
I suppose it’s all subjective. I love my 1301 and it feels damn comfortable to me. My 590 is awesome but definitely leaves more of a mark on my shoulder after 100+ rounds of buck and slug. Yes, I went full James Reeves and bought a fanny pack. It’s honestly awesome if you’re in a bay and don’t want to keep walking back to reload. I was pissed that the stock 1301 handguard basically sheared itself off though. Plastic… so I dumped a few hundo on a Briley.

With that said, you don’t know what you don’t know. I’ve never shot an M4 (or an M2)so I don’t have a basis of comparison, but would really like to. Shotties are awesome.
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the velcro saddles that james reeves shows in his 1301 videos are awesome. feels weird using velcro but they work!!!!!!!

my 1301 had the same recoil whether i shot light bird shot or slugs/buckshot. great shotgun for sure.
 
Toe Knee said:
I owned a 1301 tactical. GREAT shotgun.

But I LOVE my benelli M2 tactical. I got a youth comfortech stock and used a product from finland to fine tune the length of pull. I added a benelli proshop bolt release and a taran tactical loading lever. I prefer it over any shotgun I've owned. Yes I had to put a little $ into it but I love the thing. I even went full retard and bought a 28" barrel to shoot sporting clays with it. I shoot it better than both of my silver pigeons-don't judge me!
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I did the loading gate and a few other items also, I thought about getting a longer barrel like you did, but at the time they were impossible to find so I decided to get a Benelli Ethos Sport for clays.
 
chris_1001 said:
I did the loading gate and a few other items also, I thought about getting a longer barrel like you did, but at the time they were impossible to find so I decided to get a Benelli Ethos Sport for clays.
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I like the m2 better than my ethos sport for clays. I actually got rid of it. traded it to a fine member here.
 
chris_1001 said:
Really?

I see a lot of guys doing sporting clays with the Ethos... Obviously trap and skeet are more geared to O/Us
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We all know that it all comes down to how well the shotgun fits you for sporting clays. I chalked it up to the m2 just fits ME better.

The ethos is an extremely sexy shotgun. The only complaint would be you can feel the action cycling almost in a weird way. Seems slower to me.

All that said-I use an o/u for sporting clays now and found myself never shooting the (hunk of sexy) ethos sport so I passed it on to someone who will shoot the snot out of it.

Edit: this is the bolt release I have for the m2. I believe it’s the same they use for their pro shop shotguns.

www.benelliparts.net

Benelli M4 / M1 M2 M3 large bolt release

Upgrade large bolt release for Benelli m4 shotguns. Will also fit M1, M2, M3 shotgunsNo modification needed.Drop in fit, since the latch is a factory part.It uses the factory bolt release latch to accommodate the large 1/2” stainless steel cerakoted machined button.Note: It is recommended that...
www.benelliparts.net www.benelliparts.net
 
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Toe Knee said:
the velcro saddles that james reeves shows in his 1301 videos are awesome. feels weird using velcro but they work!!!!!!!

my 1301 had the same recoil whether i shot light bird shot or slugs/buckshot. great shotgun for sure.
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I may also have those too… and a holosun 509T on top.
 
Tinkermatic said:
I may also have those too… and a holosun 509T on top.
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I have an rmr on mine and the only thing I’d change about the m2 would be loosing the sites.

I prefer NOT to have them.

I had two 1301s. The tactical and the comp model. Both sweet shotguns but the tac model had a better bolt release system while the comp model had no ghost ring sites.
 
Toe Knee said:
I have an rmr on mine and the only thing I’d change about the m2 would be loosing the sites.

I prefer NOT to have them.

I had two 1301s. The tactical and the comp model. Both sweet shotguns but the tac model had a better bolt release system while the comp model had no ghost ring sites.
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I’ve got the tactical. The aforementioned plastic bits definitely give cause for concern, especially since the handguard already bit the dust. Otherwise it runs like a champ. Short brass to magnums and everything in between. The reliability is a huge factor as is the size. It just seems like a SBS without being one; Light and nimble, easy to wield. I can handle recoil.

That said, I still want an M2 or M4.
There’s a shotgun out there for everyone. I think the combat shotgun basics video with Clint Smith really turned me from a shotgun enthusiast, to an addict.
 
Agree with OP. Had a 1301 and an M4. Sold the 1301 and kept the M4. Ergos on the 1301 were better, and it is lighter. But it recoils much more. The M4 is smooth, and smooth is fast.
 
Apparently I need to shoot an M4. Recently got a 1301 and love it. Haven't shot it a ton but I did shoot some 00 buck shot and some ancient trap reloads that all cycled fine.
 
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