country & shotgun | benelli The recoil was very light, reliability was excellent and would make a great all-rounder 12-gauge for any discipline No fancy shaped trigger guards, just a good trigger mechanism, triangular cross bolt safety and drop down cocking indicator Benelli’s BARGAIN BLASTER! They say that you get what you pay for; however, Bruce Potts discovers that with the Benelli M2, you get rather more than expected… 108 february 2019 | GUN MART View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net benelli | country & shotgun am a big fan of the supplied, so one can adjust the the stored energy within the Benelli M2 semi-auto M1 to suit your body frame and bolt spring thus opens the bolt shotgun. Not only are eye alignment as you wish. and the spent case is ejected. they a great looking and The moulded in chequering Extraction is via a single Iwell-made 12-gauge but they is actually quite good for a hardened claw extractor on the have superb handling and change and does grip the hands rotating bolts head, which was unrivalled reliability. Benellis are or gloves and the recoil pad is a very positive in use with all the a premium brand and as such large, black ventilated piece that loads tested. Ejection is similarly are a little more expensive than works very well in the field tests. brisk, with a hardened sprung some autos, but it shows in the The forend is short; the plunger set into the left side performance and longevity. But, M1 being an inertia not a gas wall of the barrel extension and like so many other rifle, shotgun operated semi-automatic. can be replaced, if required, and scope makers, there has However, the profile is really by drifting out two pins. been a trend good, as it has a deep, recessed The action itself has a matt to entice new finger groove running along the black, hard-anodised finish but or existing top edge and the base of the there are no scope mounts customers to forend swells to support the or tapped holes for a scope A small bolt release button but simple, easy access for loading buy an entry- palm and has chequering to fitment and the bolt itself is cartridges level gun at a competitive price. both sides. It gives you quite a smooth, blued finish. The bolt Enter the M1 Model 90. deliberate hold and is closer to handle is small and curved that support the choke as you The M2 runs at a retail price of the action, which helps keep with a serrated surface but unscrew it from the barrel. £1445, whilst the M1 is only the M1 in the shoulder better is fine on a sporter semi. Overall finish is a tough, £1045 and this is achieved and make sure that the inertia There is the typical hold- satin blue that compliments with less options i.e. barrel system operates to its best. open on the last round and the the action nicely and is marked lengths, three chokes instead bolt can then be released by a ‘Made in Italy, 12-gauge, 3-inch of five, matt black action, no Action, trigger, small button below the ejection 76mm’. The rib is typical Benelli left-hand option and redesigned safety and mag port and the slim, black, smooth and has a slightly raised look stock. But underneath is still This is the uncomplicated inertia trigger breaks cleanly and there and reducing height to the the superb mechanics of an system that uses the energy is a triangular shaped cross bolt muzzle of seven vents beneath. inertia type reliable 12g semi. from a fired round to cycle safety set into the trigger guard It is 7.5mm wide and has a To me, its design is not the action. Due to the fewer behind the trigger. The loading serrated finish and a single red only focused on a new Benelli moving parts, the forend is often port uses a ventilated lifter with Day-Glo bead for sighting. shooter but an existing Benelli shorter and slimmer and there a red anodised mag plunger; owner that does not want to is less to go wrong, but it does nice and simple, with easy In the field scratch their pride and joy, need a good load to operate access and smooth operation. There is a big sticker on the walnut-stocked beauty and 100%, see the field test. side of the Benelli stating “use want an honest pigeon or rough This Benelli, like other Barrel and chokes only 32-gram minimum shot shooters semi auto shotgun. Benellis, use the twin locking You have a 28-inch barrelled weight” in the M1. This is due to head to the bolt system, where option only with a multi choke the inertia action that requires, Stock the two large locking lugs system from Benelli and has like all inertia systems, a decent The tough polymer Tec stock up front are rotated to lock three instead of five chokes amount of rearward forces to is available as a black option and unlock the bolt from the of the M2 system. Here, the operate the recoil operating only at present and has an extended barrel chamber. The M1 has ¼, ½ and full options, system. Often, you will find on an overall hard plastic texture to M1 uses the delayed recoil three inches long and I fitted inertia semi auto that, if you do it, yet feels solid and not too locking system, where, as the the ½ choke, due to the steel not have it snug in the shoulder, echoey in the moulded rear gun is fired, it tightens the bolt shot pattern tests later. I really then the rearward force has section. There is no palm swell into the barrel until the stored like the choke key, as it has a nothing to work against and it s and the cast is pretty straight, energy from the spring within large handle and twin supports won’t cycle the action correctly. but you do have a selection the bolt now compresses and, of wedge type cast adjusters when the recoil reduces a tad, From a personal point of view, I think that the M1 represents excellent value for money and looks pretty good too "Overall finish is a tough satin blue that complements the action nicely" View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net GUN MART | february 2019 109 country & shotgun | benelli s 32-grams is quite heavy really; Large, well-polished and secure rotating shot on the 30-inch board, with so, I decided in the interest of twin locking lugs are at the heart an even density of 100 inner us all to test a few 28- and 30- of the reliable M1 and 131 outer hits, superb. inertia system gram loads too, in the shoulder Finally, another Hull loading, and with a sloppy hold. the superb, fast and hard-hitting I used a ½ choke, due High Pheasant Extreme with a to steel shot on some of the 36-gram loading of No. 4 shot loadings and set the pattern with a plastic wad. These cycled boards at 30-yards. The Benelli very fast and were spat out has that reducing rib profile rigorously from the M1. Pattern and any upward bias was wise, I had a well centralised really due to the lighter steel pattern with 104 outer hits and shot, which often happens. 58 inner strikes for a total of 162. First up were the Hull Steel I had a total of 177 pellets on quick succession. The larger A really nice hard-hitting load, this Game, which fill the M1 brief the board, with 32 inner 15-inch FE1 pellets resulted in 115 total one. Shooting off the shoulder as a wildfowl tool. These have hits and 145 outer strikes. There pellet hits with 37 inner and 78 a tad, i.e. like a contorted shot proven to be a really good steel was a high bias and so a slightly outer hits, again with a slight from a duck or pigeon hide, I load and it uses a 32-gram lower aim would centre the even high overall pattern density. only had a hang up or enough to loading of FE4 shot size in a pattern better with this round. I also tried an Eley Pigeon eject but not cycle a new round 70mm case and plastic wadding. Next up were the larger Select that used a 30-gram with the 30-gram Eleys, about Hull Solway Steel. This is a load of No. 6 shot with a fibre two out of 20 shots. A 28-gram 3-inch magnum loading with wad. This is 2-grams below the loading did have a couple of 36-grams of FE1 shot size standard 32-gram minimum no goes from the shoulder in and plastic wad. Firstly, I recommended but, under correct hold and you could feel was amazed how little felt witnessed shots, the Benelli the more sluggish action. So, recoil there was from these digested magazine full after yes, 30-grams are probably okay The 3-inch ½ choke fitted threw heavy hitters and, in fact, were magazine full, with no hang ups. but 32-grams and above 100% some really nice patterns down no hassle to shoot three in I had a total of 231 of the No. 6 reliable, as stated by Benelli. range Conclusion What does a grand buy you these days? A really good, well-bred semi-automatic from Benelli, that’s what.