I just can't talk myself into shelling out 875.00 for a shotgun.

[flip180]

I currently own an 870 HD which is a nice shotgun BTW but, I tried on a NIB Benelli M1S90 at my local gun store. It comes with ghost ring sights and the pistol griped but stock configuration. There is something about that gun:banghead: . It fits me like a glove in every respect and, I'm not one for pistol grip style but stocks on a shotgun. The gun balances perfectly, the sights are outstanding, the fit and finish is way above my 870 express HD and the safety is right there where I want it. Other than not shooting it, I can't think of a single thing about the gun that I don't like except the price tag. I would like some input on this. I really like this gun but 875.00 is a chunk of change. It doesn't feel like a shotgun at all. It feels more like an AR by the way it balances and shoulders. My 870 doesn't feel like this gun does. Are they worth it?

Flip.

[Dave McCracken]

Are they worth it?....

Only you can answer that.

To me, they're not. 870s have been answering my shotgun questions well for nigh 50 years.

YMMV.

Go shoot the snot out of your 870. Shoot it until it feels like a body part and you can operate it perfectly 10 seconds out of a sound sleep in total darkness.

Then shoot a Benelli of your choice and if it helps you do something you cannot do with your present 870, buy it.

['Card]

For me personally? No, not worth it.

Paying what I think of as way too much for an item tends to spoil any fun I might have with that item. Every time I use it I end up thinking "This is nice, but it's just not $875 worth of nice."

[PJR]

I think you said best. The gun fits you, balances perfectly, has the safety in the right place, outstanding sights, better fit and finish.

There's nothing wrong with an 870. I own one, always have and always will but this Benelli is definitely doing something for you and if it doesn't mean missing a mortgage payment, not paying the electrical bill or having to go hungry then buy it. Even if you fall out of love with it at some later date the Benellis are not hard to sell used. A quick scan of Guns America shows that $850 for an NIB specimen isn't an unreasonable price.

[lawson]

try getting the pistol grip shoulder stock for your 870 before you shell out $875 for a Benelli. that might answer your question.

[Lee Lapin]

#1- That ain't the only M1S90 out there for sale, don't get your hormones in an uproar over this very one. The guns are MANUFACTURED, they make THOUSANDS of them. No need to get excited over this one when there are thousands just like it available.

#2- Find someone who has one and shoot it. Look for 3-gun matches in your area, lots of gamers like 'Nellis, and someone who has one will more than likely be willing to let you shoot it a few times. My advice as someone who's owned a couple of M1S90s- shoot one before you buy one, especially with some fairly heavy loads.

#3- SHOP AROUND. As a rule Benellis are good guns, they last. They get sold used as well as new, and you might save money that way. If you just gotta gotta gotta buy new, search the online options (Gunbroker etc) and look for deals.

Have fun no matter what,

lpl/nc

[BozemanMT]

I'd buy it.
Actually, already have (a twin, a M2 tactical, very much the same as you describe)
however, as my wife can attest, when it comes to buying guns I pretty much have no self control. Just look at my safe. :what:

If you like it, buy it, you'll kick yourself if you don't. I will however echo someone's earlier comments that it can't be your rent money, obviously.
It's a good gun, you want it, buy it.

And i've spent way more than that on shotguns, already. :p

[Oldnamvet]

I guess I am of the opinion that if it won't cost you financial hardship, get it. Life is short so enjoy what you can when you can. In my family, it works both ways. There is usually something the other member would like to have too but just can't mentally justify it. So we would get both. That is provided it would not financially harm us. Having grown up without much money, it is hard for me to spend money on anything that is not really essential. But now that all the kids are raised and out, I'm working on it. Anticipating the purchase can be a lot of the fun of it.
And if it doesn't work out after a while, you can always sell it and recoup some of the money.

[ArmedBear]

HD shotgun isn't something I see as a fun toy. One might need it, and it's a valuable tool. The 870 will work well enough for the purpose, unless you have weekly riots in your neighborhood and really need a semiauto. There are things you can do, gun-wise, with $875, that will net you far more enjoyment than a modern blunderbus.

Just MHO.

[Chuck R.]

Are they worth it?

After all the advice pro and con only you can answer that question in the end.

There are folks that don’t think that Corvette’s, BMWs, or Land Rover’s are worth it either, but they still sell, so somebody must think so. (Except for the Land Rover, I’ve got 1st hand knowledge on that one)

For some, myself included, a Benelli is.

I own two Benelli’s a M1S90, and a SBE, and 14 other shotguns (Browning’s O/Us, Remington’s, Winchester’s, SKB’s, Fox, Parker, etc). The choice for me was pretty easy after owning my SBE for a few years. I really like the Benelli operating system, I like an auto that shoots “clean”, no gas system to screw with. I like the fact I can break it down for routine cleaning without tools in about a minute. The aluminum receiver not only saves weight, but also doesn’t rust, and the bore is chrome lined. The gun is quick in your hands and quick to cycle.

IF you want one, and that one you saw is outside your budget, then shop around. They can be had used, but they do retain their value pretty well.

Chuck

[JohnBT]

"I can't think of a single thing about the gun that I don't like except the price tag."

The price tag comes off so you don't have to look at it.

I'm a big help, aren't I? It's only money.

John

[Ironballs]

The M1s90 is a timeless classic.
Although i prefer my 870 for just about everything... the benelli is just an awesome piece of tactical assalt hardware imo.

-I built up a project 1201fp and love it,... and recently picked up a m1s90 'tactical' with the intention of keeping nib and eventually selling. Its a pretty cool model, rifle sights, pistol grip, and a funny looking brake/comp that will help with breaching. But what is really attractive to me, the sigts are set at 14" so if you reg. it as a aow/sbr then cut thebbl down, you dont have to mess with the sight. There are two of them on gunbroker now, pretty 'tacticool' imo, plus only 400 ever made, so its much more rare than the standard m1s90.


Pics below taken from two diff. gunbroker sellers, i have no affiliation with them..

http://nas3.atlanta.gbhinc.com/GB/054130000/54130482/pix1009795734.jpg

http://www.ssgknives.com/benellientryc1.jpg


there are also rifle sight standard m1s90's new for $705 up there...

[toivo]

Paying what I think of as way too much for an item tends to spoil any fun I might have with that item. Every time I use it I end up thinking "This is nice, but it's just not $875 worth of nice."
An old friend of my folks was complaining about costs of everything these days. He had just been on vacation and one of the motels had quoted them a price of $100 a night. His response: "I don't think I can sleep $100 worth."

Coming back to shotguns, I think durability is a factor. Nice is nice, but nice that lasts a long, long time is worth something. If you think you're likely to keep the gun forever and enjoy it the whole time, then it's probably worth it.

[Quintin Likely]

If it fits you well, the controls are in the right place for you, it balances well for you and so on, it sounds like you've got a winner.

Benellis can be quirky guns however. If possible, try before you buy. I own the same model you're looking at, except mine has rifle sights and a straight stock, and I don't plan on going to another shotgun anytime soon.

The neat thing about Benellis is that they do hold their value pretty well, so if you buy it and later on don't like it, you won't take too bad a hit selling it.

[Scottso]

$875 for an M1S90 is a fair price NIBw? Ghost rings! If you like it, which I believe you do, and it won't break the bank get it. Wait till you fire it if you like it now, you will love it!!! Fast cycling, handles great, recoil not bad!! Have an M1s90, and I just got an M3S90 auto/pump, love them both. Its a very nice shotgun all around!! Enjoy!!

[Cyanide_357]

Benellis are great guns. I own a M1S90 -- same config as you are describing.

It's definately a big piece of change, but damn are they fun. I haven't had any problem with mine -- talk about a fast shooter.

Trust me... come over to the dark side.

Regards,

Cyanide

[bigcim]

I as well as many others have spent a lot more on a shotgun if you want it buy it or you'll wish you had it. "from experience" it gets more expensive when you buy an 870 then buy the benelli later

[hossdaniels]

if you like it and can afford it, go for it. empty spots in a safe make me angry.

[bigcim]

i get angrier when i need a bigger safe so does the other half

[1911JMB]

I've now got 4 rifles and only one shotgun. Just an 870. I used to have a CD semiauto, but I gave it away. You can kill any animal in North America with a properly outfitted 870 just as fast as you could with any other shotgun, including a fancy schmancy Benelli. Do I think its worth it? Only if you really want a fun toy, but it sounds like you've got better sense than that.

[flip180]

It seems this has been on my mind off and on though out this past weekend. I thought about if they are worth the price they command. I looked in my safe the other night and saw another gun I own that the same question about price has been raised a time or two. That gun is my Springfield M1A Scout. I shelled out 1400.00 for that gun and don't regret it one bit. I guess if I like it then I should buy it. The benelli like the M1A will hold it's value should I decide to sell it. I'll pop in tomarrow and see if I can haggle the price down just a little bit. If I don't like it, I'll sell it. That's is what's fun about trying new things out.

Flip.

[bigcim]

:)

[flip180]

I went down there today to pick up a box in order to ship a rifle. I looked at the Benelli once again. They won't come down at all. They said they can't even get anymore for that price. I have another option to use my money for but after thinking about it, it would take an almost unrealistic commitment on my part and that option is taking a class. Scheduling is the biggest problen with that. I have to work that weekend and getting that weekend off by switching my schedule around is difficult to say the least the way thing are going at work. I'll have to mull it over for a while. I visited with a friend who is on the local county sheriff's dept swat team and he was really impressed with the benelli's he's seen on his dept.

Flip.

[HSMITH]

Skip the M1, they don't run all that well and especially poorly for the $900 price tag. The used racks around here are full of them, not because they are cheap....

Mine ran great on the target field, but get in an awkward shooting position and it would puke. It needed just enough support behind it, shoot it without enough support and it would puke on command. I can usually jam one with typical 3 dram 1 1/8 ounce loads within 5 rounds, and wound a couple guys up doing it. There are a couple custom gunsmith types with flawless reputations that work on the Benelli, and most of the 3 gun top dogs shoot the Benelli after modification, so there is something there or those guys wouldn't use them. Regardless of cost they use what works best, period.

I think the 1100 Competition Master and the X2 Practical models are much safer bets. I still want to play with a Benelli after blessing by one of the custom shops......

[flip180]

What kinds of problems showed up with what types of shooting postions?

Flip

[sm]

Whatever floats your boat...

Couple us are ticked we did not know about , much less snag some JC Higgins that went for $85.00.

Yep , these are HD guns, fellow buys up old bone stock pump guns, he refuses to pay more than $150.00 for these...he'll pay $160, or $170, but he will fuss and only do so if serial number is such&such or some other something.

Same Fellow bought every single Rem Nylon 66 butt fed model at a gun show too...I mean everyone. "These are for grandkids". See he bought two dozen Marlin 60s back when they were $39.95 NIB for his kids and neices and nephews...

His HD stuff - well it might be a Natural Disaster, since he , myself and others have been thru these...

He had hoarded Med frame Revolvers too, not paid ,more than $200 for any of them.

I guess it depends on one's definitons of "defense" , "defensive tools" , and "defensive needs" I guess...

[theCZ]

The title of this thread just cracks me up! To each their own I guess, I easily talked myself into spending $1800 for my shotgun, and that was after talking myself down from the $2500 Browning O/U that I really wanted. Of course, I'm one of those silly skeet and sporting clays shooter that thinks he "needs" an O/U for games so he doesn't have to pick up hulls for reloading. How silly is that? Ok, so I didn't really buy an O/U for just that reason but looking back I could have just stayed with my Remington 1100 and been happy, but I don't regret my decision for a second.

Do enough research so you don't make a decision you'd regret and you'll be happy with whatever course of action you choose.

[45R]

I've owned both and started off with the 870 Express.

870's are no doubt great shotgun. They are affordable. They are like the AKs of shotguns. Rugged, built like tanks and will eat just about anything you load into them.

That said I prefer the Benelli. Its definetly worth the price in my book. Its a fun gun and I don't regret spending the dough on one. As far as shooting positions my shotgun runs flawless with light to heavy loads. Its been shot sideways, from the hip, upside down and one handed. It won't choke and snickers everytime it converts an 870 owner to the dark side of the force. :neener: :evil:

In all seriousness there are alot of THR folks that prefer the 870 for various reasons, try both and decide which platform is the best for you.

[Longbow]

I'de buy two Saiga's intead. :)

[harrydog]

Buy the Benelli.
If you really like it and $875 won't break the bank, I would grab it. The M1 is no longer made so I don't think new ones will be that easy to find. $875 isn't a bad price. I've never seen many used ones either. Most people who buy them, love them.
I've had an M1S90 for over 10 years and it's a great weapon. I've got 18.5" and 26" barrels and straight and pistol grip stocks for mine, so I can use it for many different things.

[stiletto raggio]

I won a M1S90 and have an M3 on the way. Benellis are world class guns, retain their value, are lightweight and easy on the shoulder, and simply feel more nimble than other designs. I know I will catch flack for this, but an M870 is simply not the equal of a Benelli, no matter how much stuff you hang off it.

Buy the Benelli. Keep it for a while, shoot it a little ibt. If you don't feel like it was worth it, you can almost guarantee you will get within $50 of what you paid for it.

BTW, I paid 800 shipped in a case for my barely used M3. That makes it the fourth most expensive shotgun I own. Shotguns, more than any other gun, are forever.

[HSMITH]

Flip, mine and most I have seen, will jam in awkward shooting positions. It is usually FTE, bolt closes on the empty hull with the next live shell trying to chamber.

I hunt hard, and I hunt a lot. I have hunted with a lot of guys that say their Benelli runs perfect, but what I see is something else. Most guys I have hunted with that had a jam blamed it on something other than the gun. Whatever.

I couldn't sell mine, and I couldn't sell them for a LOT less than new prices. I took it high and hard in the shorts when out of desperation I traded them in. I spent right at 2 grand on the two of them, and got less than $1300 in trade value. Both were in fantastic condition too. They could have given me a good kiss but I didn't even get a peck on the cheek.....

The used racks around here are covered with them, especially the SBE. Mine sat on the rack for a LONG time.

[ArmedBear]

Military applications are different from home defense. Maintenance is completely different, training is completely different, risk assessment is completely different, scenarios are completely different.

Use by the military does imply that the gun has passed certain stringent tests of durability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness for the mission. There isn't a military weapon of any era I can think of that's complete junk, except the "potato digger" machinegun. Doesn't make it your best choice for any given application, but it's often a good choice.

I wouldn't hesitate to spend $875 on a gun, but not on that gun. Once you've shot up a few rotting watermelons and gotten over the initial excitement at owning the thing, it'll sit under the bed. An 870 will fulfill that role as well, or better, and will get plenty of lead downrange if/when you ever need it to.

I know that I'm being practical. But we gun buyers can throw away our money far too easily.

Would I drop twice that on a trap gun (if I had it to spend right now)? SURE. Because I'd use it weekly, or sometimes more often. I'd be getting a LOT more enjoyment per dollar, even if it cost ten times as much.

[flip180]

"Once you've shot up a few rotting watermelons and gotten over the initial excitement at owning the thing, it'll sit under the bed"

That's a very good point. Although I love my M1A and enjoy shooting it, I haven't shot it that much. It's not from a lack of ammo. I have over 7000 rounds on hand for it here at the house. I took my 870 out today to see if I could rekindle my relationship with it. I put it down after about 35 rounds and shot about 400 rounds out of my G19. Now, I felt I did real good with the 870. I did some drills that involved timing the action under recoil while transitioning between multiple paper targets. I loaded up six rounds of birdshot (that's all I had) and every time I pulled the trigger I used the period of time the gun was under recoil to pump the action and transion to the next target. When the bead was on the next target I repeated the same steps. I got hits on all of the targets and before I knew it the gun was empty. I'm talking less than five seconds. I don't see me getting any faster with a semi auto because, I can't shoot anything when the gun is recoiling. It's just there is more to do with a pump to get it ready for the next shot during recoil than with a semi. I just have to transition to the next target with a semi. I don't know where the answer is to my problem. I'd be happy if I could just get me hands on a Benelli to ring it out for a little bit just to see what they are about. I shot the snot out of my glock because I've taken classes with it and am almost scarry good with it plus, it didn't give me a head ache shooting it like the 870 did.

Flip

[stiletto raggio]

With improved technique, recoil reduction measures and practice, you can get faster with any shotgun. Your peak speed will be faster with an auto than with a pump.

How many pump guns are used in open class competition, or even limited, with much success? Sure, competition shooting isn't a pefect correlation to defensive shooting, but when the military and competitive shooters go to the same action type, you can bet it has something going for it. Will I ever be able to outshoot my Benelli (as in, pull the trigger on target faster than it will cycle)? Probably not, but I know I can outshoot my 1300s with my Benelli, my 1100, and my Beretta.

[Striker]

Though I've spent that much and more on various shotguns, I'm with Dave McCracken on this one especially if the gun is to serve in the HD role. I've got more then a few various types of shotguns for skeet, trap, hunting, and three gun matches, but the HD shotgun for me is the 87O. None of the others are have proven as reliable, easy handling, and simple as an 870. If limited to only one shotgun for all things, it would be a 2 barrel 870 combo.

Having said that if you like the Benelli get it, even if the only reason is that you can! :p

Just my opinion.

[Rob1035]

Old thread I found, but I'd like to add my $.02 if I may

Cliff Notes: Between a cheap Mossberg 500, and a pricey Italian gun, cheap and simple will be my choice for defensive purposes.


Spend Sunday at the outdoor range, with plans to focus on my Mossberg 500, which is my only shotgun. Its a typical, not very tactical HD weapon, 18" factory barrel, synthetic furniture, recoil pad. That's it. I mean it. I brought a few different types of buckshot and slugs to test out POI and groups, and a few boxes of birdshot to play with. All I really wanted to accomplish was get the gun hot and dirty to ensure it'll go bang. A friend at the range had 200rds of bird that he had no use for, and asked me to dispose of them:evil: So I shot my stuff, was pleased with the gun and my performance, and then proceeded to put 200rds of birdshot through it as fast as I could load the gun and shoot them. Anyway, it of course did not choke, even with the barrel too hot to touch.

The point of this story? Well after that, I put another 150rds or so through a pair of Benelli M2 Tacticals, again a mixture of various types of ammo. And darned if I didn't really enjoy the autoloader. Obviously faster cycling, but the Benelli's felt fantastic, light weight, naturally pointing, etc. I'm currently shopping for a similar model (including the M1S90).

Will it replace the 500? Nope, that thing is worth too little to sell, to simple to mess up with "cool" accessories, and too familiar to get rid of. In all honesty, if I end up with the almost 4 figure Benelli, the Mossberg will still be my primary HD weapon, not because it is better, but because it is what it is, a simple, cheap, ultra reliable pump gun, perfectly suited for defending my home.

[zinj]

I would ask myself:

"Do I want a Benelli in particular, or just an Autoloader?"

There are many great automatics (both new and used), that in all honesty work just as well as the Benelli, and cost a lot less. And there isn't any real additional difficulty in keeping a good auto running over a pump. Just keep it maintained and it will take care of you. Plus they are easier to shoot (less recoil and all).

[Robert Hairless]

One of the few things I can do for my fellow man is to help a guy out by buying his unwanted Benelli semi-automatic shotgun. I'm willing to pay in the $400-$500 range for almost any one that's NIB or in excellent condition. The way I look at things is that if I can help by taking that junk off his hands I want to do it.

Just contact me by private mail, with photos if possible, and we'll work out the deal. A simple "thank you" would be nice too.