[sixshooterfan]

Why did Benelli choose a gas operated action for the M4 instead of their inertia system? Was it because of the need to shoot odd non-lethal rounds or something that might not cycle an inertia action properly? It just strikes me as very odd.

[JohnBT]

Rubber bullets have to be hand cycled according to Benelli. I thought they developed it to meet U.S. military standards. I know it was submitted, tested and approved.

Maybe they just got tired of hearing about the infamous Benelli Click. :)

John

[earlthegoat2]

Less than lethal rounds wont cycle a gas gun either. I can only guess on the part of Benelli but it could have been as JohnBT said and it was specific for submission to a governement contract.

Or they just wanted to make up a cool new acronym. ARGO.

[waterhouse]

The inertia guns can have cycling issues if you hang a lot of weight from them; lights, shell carriers, scopes, other gadgets.

The story on the internet was that the military specs required a gun that could handle the gadgets.

[Hawk]

Waterhouse got it.

The rationale used to be in print on Benelli's web site but seems to have vanished. The inertia system caves when too many tactical doo-dads are hung off the thing. There was a specific reference to NV gear in the old blurb.


But, through the magic of the wayback machine:
http://web.archive.org/web/20051016000213/www.benelliusa.com/firearms/m4.tpl

The super dependable Inertia Driven system was a natural choice, but to fully equip a combat shotgun with night-vision scopes and other specialized equipment would add a lot of weight and could compromise the Inertia Driven system. To ensure reliability, Benelli engineers developed the ARGO system.

[waterhouse]

Nice work on the wayback search Hawk. I thought it was on Benelli's page as well but I couldn't find it.

[hags]

Simple.

Because a gas operated semi automatic shotgun is more reliable under a greater range of conditions.

[Youngster]

Simple.

Because a gas operated semi automatic shotgun is more reliable under a greater range of conditions.

The M4 doesn't seem to be any more reliable than the inertia guns, except when weighed down with more junk than a fighting shotgun should have anyway though.

[hags]

The M4 doesn't seem to be any more reliable than the inertia guns, except when weighed down with more junk than a fighting shotgun should have anyway though.

What are you basing this statement on?

Someone in the USMC must've thought it was pretty reliable, but what do I know.

What about braced against a wall or other obstruction? What about firing one handed? Soft grip? What about less powerful rounds? What about door breaching rounds? Bean bag rounds? I know of some inertia driven guns that have problems with target loads.

[Youngster]

What are you basing this statement on?

Someone in the USMC must've thought it was pretty reliable, but what do I know.

That seems to be the concensus among Benelli owners, I don't think the M4s are a bad design at all but military adoption don't necessarily make a gun the end-all and be-all.

[The Deer Hunter]

The super dependable Inertia Driven system was a natural choice, but to fully equip a combat shotgun with night-vision scopes and other specialized equipment would add a lot of weight and could compromise the Inertia Driven system. To ensure reliability, Benelli engineers developed the ARGO system.

That seems a little idealistic; mounting night vision scopes on a shotgun.

[hags]

That seems to be the concensus among Benelli owners, I don't think the M4s are a bad design at all but military adoption don't necessarily make a gun the end-all and be-all.

I absolutely agree. However, it usually means that the equipment in question has passed some kind of test fulfilling certain criteria. That's usually enough to ward off the naysayers.

[kcmarine]

That seems a little idealistic; mounting night vision scopes on a shotgun.

Could be useful at nighttime. Idk.

[Hollywood Marine]

Another thought occurs: The military has never before adopted a semi-auto shotgun, and has long experience with gas operated arms. Could it be that knowing this Benelli chose to show them something familiar? Military arms procurement officials tend to be pretty conservative. That said I think the Marine Corps has the best combat shotgun in service anywhere.

[JoGusto]

However, it usually means that the equipment in question has passed some kind of test fulfilling certain criteria. That's usually enough to ward off the naysayers.

That's the theory, at least, but we all have heard about the procurements that weren't as great as they should have been based on "testing and acceptance trials." My brother in law is a Marine aviator (CH-53E heli) and he says many of the guys dread the thought of flying IN an Osprey V-22, let alone try to pilot one.

I own a Benelli M4 and I love it; it's well-built and clever in design. It is working very reliably for me now that the "break in period" is over... but one sample (or even a "consensus of opinion") does not a scientific study make.

I wonder how one would go about finding out about field reliability of the M1014 based on field data collection and reporting, or if such data even exists?

[1KPerDay]

I'd like to shoot an M4 back to back with an inertia variant like the M3 I shot. The M3 kicked like a mule IMO.

[rodinal220]

Because the USMC wanted a gas operated shotgun.They put out the specifications they wanted and Benelli met them.

[hags]

I'd like to shoot an M4 back to back with an inertia variant like the M3 I shot. The M3 kicked like a mule IMO.

IMO, which counts for less and less these days, the only advantage to an inertia operating system is that it runs cleaner.

My 870P recoils less than my Beretta 1200FP and my Benelli M1.

One of the best gas operated shotguns I own is the FN SLP Mk1. Lessened recoil and super reliable.

[Onmilo]

Technical Data Package called for gas operation.

The Military ised recoil operated shotguns in the form of Remington Model 11 and Savage 720 shotguns long before they adopted gas operated shotguns such as the Model 1100.