First Impressions: Benelli Nova Tactical Pump

[CZ52GUY]

I've been trying to promote shotgun as an additional format within the Practical Shooting Program at my local club. One of the difficulties I encountered, is that I'm 5-7 with "raptor arms". To accommodate my unique physical requirements, I've acquired 12" LOP stocks for most of my shotguns, which makes it awkward to loan somebody a shotgun to try for demonstrate/try sessions with some of our shooters.

So...I went looking around for something that I could reach the action, yet the LOP wouldn't be so short as to punch prospects in the snout during recoil.

I found an excellent condition Benelli Nova Tactical Pump at one of my favorite local shops. This shotty has an 18.5" barrel, Ghost ring sights, and a long forend which overlaps the receiver. This creates some limitations for on-gun shell carry, but I've become quite comfortable with a butt cuff on my forearm. Capacity is 4+1, and I'll add a +2 extension to make some of my favorite drills a little more practical.

During my two short range trips after work (about 150rds with Birdshot and some slugs), it's pleasant to shoot, the action is smooth, and recoil is moderate. It's physically not very heavy, and while I'm accustomed to the operational controls on the Mossberg family (500/590), the safety and action release were intuitive. The feel of the action is a bit different, I suspect the 3.5" chamber may have a little to do with it, as well as the length of the forend.

While some raised concerns over the quality of Benelli triggers, I found no limitations which influenced my performance while doing my favorite drills.

Slugs at 10-12 yards went right where they were supposed to...I'll need to do some additional testing at 25yds and 50yds over the next couple of weeks. Buckshot patterning will also be conducted.

Allowing a few of my shooting buddies to give it a try, it appears that it will indeed be flexible to shooter stature and the sights were universally liked.

It'll never replace my Mossbergs, but it gives every impression of being a versatile tool that will accommodate shooters of various shapes and sizes. If extended use verifies reliability, it should be a very welcome addition to the tool box.

Safe Shooting,

CZ52'

 

[strat81]

Nice write-up, thanks.

 

[Gordon]

I keep one next to my bed, with a lazer and light. I lightened the trigger to 5 pound s(from 12) by finding a lighter return spring that wasn't a valve spring and careful honing. I shortened the stock to 12 3/4" with a Limbsaver, but it took a machinist to mill the stock lip again and fabricate an aluminum support with screw holes I fabbed up a bigger head paddle that extends rearward for the safety. The action release is not good still however and I can't figure how to upgrade it.
Tac star makes a 4 round side saddle thats very nice. It works well with a Nova as the mag cut off in the forend is a really nice feature. I use it all the time , like the other night removing the slug from chamber and throwing in #6 for a racoon trying to get in my hen house. Speaking of slugs; the gun is my most accurate slug gun-by far. I replaced the front and rear sight inserts with LPA tritiums (thats who made the factory sights).
Still after all this the gun is a good bedside tool, BUT is not a slick as an 870 and you will be at a loss with it in games against 870's 1100's and Semi Bennellis.It just doesn't quite handle as well under stress or going for speed, I've timed it in my and others hands.

 

[Gordon]

Here's a picture:

 

[CZ52GUY]

Nice Nova

The 870 just doesn't fit me very well.

I do just fine with my Mossbergs against most 870's and 1100's. In friendly drill-games last night, I did just fine with the Nova. However with me against me using the timer, the 1100 I borrowed was noticeably faster than the Nova on strait speed drills. At the same time, I couldn't reload nearly as fast with the 1100 as the Nova and I had some issues picking up the bead depending on the CoF and the lighting conditions in the Bays.

As usual, it all depends on who's driving .

Safe Shooting,

CZ52'

 

[CZ52GUY]

Update

I continue to be amazed how this shotty grows on me. I added the TacStar +2 Extension, and the 4-shell Side-Saddle. Both work just fine and have stood up to full powered slugs. I did find the Side-Saddle sits up higher on the receiver than some which requires a longer reach. It works, but I'm actually getting better reload times using a Butt Cuff as a Forearm Band.

In drills I do routinely to try to stay sharp, the Benelli has allowed me to achieve several personal bests. I've kept it pretty simple, added a cheap sling and I'm continually amazed at how it just plain FITS me. I still won't be giving up my Mossbergs any time soon, but this was a VERY PLEASANT surprise.

I was able to do a more rigorous sight in out to 50yds and consistently kept them in a softball size hit area off-hand, and even ventured some 100yds shots Prone. At 100, I put 2 out of 3 in the down-1 zone of an IDPA target. I was shading low to avoid going high on a short berm. If I'd believed the sights and went for it, I would have gotten them both in the 8" circle...not bad for a fat old guy. At medium range, Head shots on IPSC targets at 20-25yds seem effortless.

I may need another one , maybe with a fixed pistol grip stock just for a little bit of variety.

Safe Shooting,

CZ52'

 

[groundedclk]

With that kind of performance, I might need to look at investing in one. From the short time I spent behind the wheel with it. It performed clean, and was much more comfortable then the mossberg. The thing with the comfort level especially with me transfer to controlable.

The more control I can have the faster I can be. It does sound like a great platform. Even though it cant do a 1.0sec Shaw drill.

 

[Fred Fuller]

" teach... your children well..."- CSNY

I went looking around for something that I could reach the action, yet the LOP wouldn't be so short as to punch prospects in the snout during recoil.

Ummm... CZ52GUY,

Some problems are hardware problems, and some problems are software problems.

Hold your shooting hand out in front of you so you can see all your fingers.

Place the ball of your shooting hand thumb against the first knuckle of your trigger finger (i.e., where your finger joins your hand).

Keep your hand this way as you grasp the stock of your shotgun.

Teach your prospects to hold short-stocked shotguns this way, and they won't bust their snoots with their thumbs under recoil. A few hundred thousand GIs learned this trick in World War One shooting Springfield rifles, guess they forgot to pass it on in your neck of the woods. 8^) This is the software solution to the busted-snoot problem, of course in your case the hardware solution to the same problem netted you another pumpgun- not such a bad deal I suppose, unless funds were limited.

BTW, be sure you don't let sm/Steve get his hands on your 'Nelli... he'll break it.

lpl/nc (6'3" tall, 37" sleeves and I shoot the 12.5" LOP 870s that fit my 5'4" wife with no problems)

 

[CZ52GUY]

Thanks Lee,

I've found that with many of the "prospects", they are quite frankly intimidated by the 12ga. Some hardware that helps "play some %", I'm hoping will get them over that first hump.

I'll have to try that technique you mentioned. My approach to the "snout issue" has been to "show it who's boss" . The 12" is really too short for me (a 13" LoP would be ideal) but I love the feel of the Hogue, and I'm too lazy to cut down their full size.

Yeah, I got another shotty out of the deal which has been great fun, and the "brain food" out of playing with something different and being pleasantly surprised has been the greatest reward. I'm blessed with a good job which allows some amount of discretionary income so it wasn't a fiscal hardship.

Keep Safe,

CZ52'

 

[CZ52GUY]

With that kind of performance, I might need to look at investing in one. From the short time I spent behind the wheel with it. It performed clean, and was much more comfortable then the mossberg. The thing with the comfort level especially with me transfer to controlable.

The more control I can have the faster I can be. It does sound like a great platform. Even though it cant do a 1.0sec Shaw drill.

I think Lee is dead on with HW vs. SW. The Benelli Nova Tactical I'm finding is one of the great values out there. It has great ergonomics and a GR sight setup on a pump for about $320 NIB, I can't find anything to match it. I wouldn't discourage anyone with the resources from giving one a try.

That being said, my fastest time with a pump on that Shaw Drill was with a Bone Stock Mossberg 20" with a 14.5" LoP that I could barely reach the forend.

Paraphrasing Cooper, it's the Man, not the Machine.

Get thee to the range and practice!! .

You'll be kicking my butt in no time kid.

Keep Safe,

CZ52'

 

[Fred Fuller]

CZ52GUY,

Start your noobs off with light kicking birdshot loads to get them over the hump. A gun that fits the shooter helps a lot, but a too-short stock is easier to handle than a too-long one- if the shooter knows to keep the shooting hand thumb on the finger side of the stock.

My li'l ol' 60 year old absent minded professor type wife is 5'4" and 135 pounds and handles the 12 gauge house guns here with aplomb. It's all in the training.

lpl/nc

 

[CZ52GUY]

Thanks Lee,

Yeah, birdshot on steel is generally a good get acquainted approach. From my experience, I concur that fitting to the short side is better than going long, especially with a pump (you can't pump a forend you can't reach). However, recoil sensitivity and intimidation is something that can't be ignored. Their perception is their reality, and they perceive the short stock and close proximity of the receiver the same way they might a short-relief scope on a 300 Win Mag', with tremendous "respect".

It's been an interesting character study with several of our shooters, most competitors in IDPA style events, several very competent with a carbine. There is something about the "mystique" of a 12ga that gets into their heads. It's strange for me because I'm essentially "recoil immune". As long as I don't do anything stupid, I don't feel much recoil at all, never have a mark on me. I've seen the very REAL bruises on some of the guys who essentially flinched from the gun. I can't shoot the gun for them. All I can offer is the opportunity to try a 12ga, some encouragement and basic instructions, and with the Nova, a gun with a decent LoP with a long forend that accommodates multiple shapes and sizes out of the gate.

After that, they typically get past the intimidation, move on to their own gun properly fitted to them, and move up from Bird, to Buck, to Slugs, and some of the real sicko's (like me ), even try the 3" Magnum loads.

Some never really take to the shotty...some have gone with gas semi's and find that works better for them. Some have shown some real talent. However, I don't know any of them that really "got the bug" like I did and do .

Safe Shooting,

CZ52'

 

[copaup]

I bought a Nova tactical when they first came out and its a pretty good shotgun. I ended up buying an 870 for commonality with what I carry at work and don't shoot the Nova much anymore. Just curious, does your shell lifter have a tendency to stick a little in the up position after loading and drop the first round when you go to chamber it? Mine does and it makes it hard to store the gun "car ready" with a loaded magazine and empty chamber unless I physically pull the lifter down. Works fine if I load the chamber and fire it as recoil seems to knock the lifter down and it catches the first round out of the mag. Its my only gripe with an otherwise solid gun, and fairly minor.

 

[CZ52GUY]

Shell Lifter

I don't believe I've experienced the specific issue you describe.

I have found that occasionally a similar issue would occur with the lifter and at first I couldn't pinpoint the cause. After a fair amount of dry-fire to try to get the phenomenon to repeat itself, I believe I finally figured it out.

Doing some speed reloads (or attempting to when I first started shooting the gun), I found that sometimes I would try to start the action forward concurrent with inserting the shell into the port...so far forward sometimes that the lifter would come up and the shell wouldn't fit. It's an operator induced malfunction that required use of the action release button to move the action all the way forward, then cycle back and hold until the shell was inserted.

Now I try to make sure that shell goes in before action goes forward at all.

My Mossbergs sometimes will drop a live shell similar to what you're which I've put down to being "out of timing with the gun". I've found that most pumps have a "timing cycle" of when they expect certain things to occur and the greatest cause of issues is human error on my part trying to "cheat the cycle". The pumps need to have a full action stroke to operate correctly. I think that "in the heat of the moment", we sometimes try to cheat the stroke and that can manifest itself differently depending on the pump. I try to do a fair amount of dry fire with each pump to "find the cycle", and be faithful to what it needs. Because I'm going through a period of trying to improve my speed capabilities, I'll often bump into some issues that are of my own creation.

Bottom line, I have to slow myself down, find the stroke for that gun, and work up the speed to the stroke that pump wants, and it works out pretty well. Because of this, I'm finding that I'm better off sticking with one specific gun for several sessions, and then switching after a few weeks to another to allow for a consistent timing with the next shotty and so forth.

Keep Safe,

CZ52'