[Skunkabilly]

So you guys who have dedicated forend lights for your Benelli, what do you feed it? I just put a light on and it malfed with the classic buck. Worked pretty much most the time with the premium buck. Gonna take the saddle off and run some tests.

What did you guys end up with?

[HSMITH]

Not to be a jerk, but I ended up with a SuperX2. The Benelli malfs are not worth the name, and all I put on mine was a sling.

Shoot 100 rounds, at least 20% from the hip (tucked up under your armpit), 10% ONE HAND unsupported, 10% one hand shouldered and 20% kneeling from behind cover. When you are done with that come back and tell the story.

[JNewell]

What did you guys end up with?

An M4 Benelli, or an 11-87?

Seriously, my impression reading the mail over a number of years is that with the Benelli you can usually have either the sidesaddle or the light, but not both.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Skunk- I have the SureFire forend and a Wilderness sling on mine Tac S90 and it cycles just fine with standard high brass buck; won't cycle the Fed tactical buck at all. I tried putting a sidesaddle on it and it wouldn't cycle with either.

'the Benelli you can usually have either the sidesaddle or the light, but not both.'

This does seem to be the case.

I know Benelli has a 'low-pressure' spring kit to ensure cycling with the light loads, but it seem like such a hassle just to be able to hang more crap of the shotgun. I figure the light and 8 rounds of '00' buck are enough; more rounds on the side of the reciever aren't going to help.

[dport]

I see an excuse to buy an M4! :D

[Harold Mayo]

It is amazing to me that people report so many malfunctions with Benellis. I shoot with a group of civilians and LEOs who use tricked out Benellis almost to the exclusion of any other shotgun and no one ever has any problems at all.

We also don't have problems with those pesky, unreliable 1911's, either.

Sorry to go OT a little. Have you tried shooting it a lot with the added equipment? Is anything slightly bound up due to overtightening of screws or tolerances of the aftermarket stuff being a little off?

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Harold Mayo- I've got around 500 rounds through my Benelli; the problems I had were within the first 100 or so rounds, with the SureFire forend AND the sidesaddle mounted. Removing the sidesaddle and the problem disappeared. The mounting screws binding the action, was the first thing I checked.

Now that I have a couple hundred more shells through it, I may try the sidesaddle again.

[Kampfer]

I think the people that have problems cycling their benellis may have a problem with their form. Its an inertia recoil gun so you have got to take advantage of its kick and transfer energy to the cycling action, not absorb the energy. Like what shooting from the hip does and bad mounting techniques.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

bad mounting techniques


Wow. That's the first time I've ever been accused of that.


:D


Seriously, in my case, I have to disagree. I'm no Awerbuck but I know how to seat a shotgun properly. I think it has to due with the added weight on the shotgun itself causing the shotgun itself to absorb the recoil as opposed to cycling the action.

I think.

[Harold Mayo]

I've heard that before but I either don't understand how the shotgun works or the statement isn't quite right. Since the shotgun should, ideally, stay completely immobile and only the action should cycle, how is more weight detrimental? If you place the gun in a vise and lay on top of it but leave the action clear, will it NOT cycle? I need to try it, I guess. I'm significantly heavier than a light mount and sidesaddle.:D

I just think that sidesaddles on a Benelli can be a bad idea. I wouldn't think that a light mount would matter, though.:confused:

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Where's the 'scratching my head 'cause I'm not sure' icon when you need it.

Well... something in the whole dynamic of the shotgun changes (in my experience) when I add the sidesaddle; the bolt hand cycles smooth with no binding, yet when I fire the round it refuses to eject.

This is funny; I just went through the process of explaining all this to our resident physical engineer- even used a white board and everything and now I'm more confused than ever.

I just think that sidesaddles on a Benelli can be a bad idea.

I'm going to take that plan and run with it.

[BillL223]

A Benelli needs a little free recoil to cycle well. I lent mine to a buddy to shoot a side match and he had cycling problems. It seems he pulled the gun very tightly into his shoulder. After trying a more relaxed hold the cycling problems were gone. I have shot this gun in matchs with 7 + 1 in the tube, 6 on a side saddle, 2 at the ejection port, and 5 on the buttstock without cycling problems. I feed it 1 1/8 oz x 3 dram min. I have had problems with Federal Tactical Slugs.

[jthuang]

My M1 (w/ 617F) has never malfunctioned with any ammo. It runs fine with Federal or Remington low recoil buckshot or slugs. Also runs fine with garden variety birdshot.