Benelli Super Nova

[dispatch55126]

Has anyone fired one of these and how do they compare to a 870 or 500? Thanks.

[O/U]

Hi,

I've been a lurker at the High Road for awhile now. This is my first post. I'm a fan of the Benelli SuperNova so I thought I'd chime in here.

I purchased a SuperNova this spring for turkey hunting in Vermont. It's been steadily reliable and an extremely fun shotgun. I've recently put many hundreds of rounds through it while shooting clays, and though it's not a clays gun per se it held its own against a Beretta over and under quite well. It performed without so much as a hiccup. I did a lot of looking before I bought it. My father and grandfather both had Remington 870's, so I was initially partial to those for tradition's sake. After shopping around and comparing the shotguns, the Benelli came out on top.

What put the Benelli over the 870 for me?

-chrome lined barrel

-synthetic receiver that doesn't rust (like many 870's I've seen)

-switch that allows you to eject a chambered round without chambering a round from the magazine.

-shorter stroke with the pump for fast follow ups

-action release is in front of the trigger on the right side instead of behind the trigger on the left side

-takes 10 seconds to field strip the Benelli, and you can do it without tools

-comfort tech isn't a make or break issue for me, but it DOES take the edge off the bigger rounds

-overall fit and finish is absolutely top notch. All of the components seem to be of excellent build.

And I found out after I purchased the gun that Benelli has extraordinary customer service. I cleaned it when I brought it home and noticed that the barrel was damaged. Benelli sent me a new barrel in 4 days before I even had sent the old one back. I had the new barrel before turkey season began.

Of course, it all comes down to personal preference in the end. Is the 870 a good pump? Absolutely. It's a great pump gun with a huge following. I would never knock 870 owners because Remington has a tried and true product. The Benelli suits me better for many reasons, however. It's primarily for turkey, but when the weather gets bad in the fall and I want to leave my nice wood double in the vault, the Benelli will come with me to the uplands for partridge.

[ilmonster]

O/U, did that SuperNova come standard with the stock shims to adjust the drop and cast? Been thinking of a SuperNova, but the ones I've shouldered in the store have too much drop in the stock, and I would like to be able to raise the stock without having to buy additional shims.

[Slater]

Didn't know Benellis came with chrome-lined barrels. Is that for barrel durability when using steel shot, or something to that effect?

[O/U]

Yes, that's another advantage to the Supernova that I forgot to mention: they come with a kit to adjust drop and cast of a stock. The regular Nova does not have this feature as the stock and receiver are one molded piece.

The chrome lined barrel does provide a more durable surface in the barrel that is less prone to rust and corrosion. The also seem to be easier to clean in my experience. They are rated for steel shot.

Of course, how many generations of hunters and shooters used unlined barrels? Many, but this was also before the heavy use of steel shot.