Benelli Inertia System

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SKILCZ

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Thus far, I have only fired pumps. My understanding is that with pumps and O/U, all the recoil goes into your shoulder since there are no moving parts during firing. I keep reading that the Benelli semi-auto inertia-driven system has a lot of recoil by design relative to gas-based systems. I assume it's not any more recoil than a pump or O/U, correct?

I'm in the market for a semi-auto and am considering Benelli since everyone keeps telling me that they are the top of the line and light weight. I like the theory of a cleanliness and modularity of the Vinci, but have read the trigger guard beats up your middle finger. I've also looked at Remington (VersaMax & V3).

Ignoring price for the moment, does anyone have any thoughts on the above?
 
Any semi-automatic shotgun, whether inertia or gas operated, uses "some" of the recoil energy, or gas pressure, to operate the action. Gas operated guns may feel "softer" than long recoil or inertia operated guns. I personally notice little recoil shooting trap, skeet or hunting but sure do when patterning or sighting slugs.
FWIW, a Beretta 300 something series a friend had seemed to be the worst semi-auto as far as perceived recoil goes I ever shot.
Best advice, go to your local trap club, make a few friends and offer to buy some ammo, then see if you can try out a few different models.
I can't see how a semi-auto can have more recoil than an equivalent weight pump or o/u firing the same ammo.
 
Gas operated semi's tend to weigh 1/2-3/4lb more than inertia operated Benelli's. That alone will make a difference in recoil. The gas operated system spreads the recoil out over a fraction of a second longer so the recoil "feels" even softer. There is no doubt gas guns are more comfortable to shoot. If I shot a lot of the clay games one of the gas guns would be my choice. Probably for some of the high volume dove hunting available in South America as well.

But in guns of equal weight the inertia actions and pumps, doubles etc, are all just about the same as to recoil. Since the Benelli's can often weigh less than many pumps and doubles then there is some truth to more recoil.

But everything is a compromise. As primarily a hunter the lighter weight and simple design of the Benelli's have sold me over. For ME, the added recoil is worth the other advantages. For some people it is a deal killer.
 
I have a S-90 M1 12 gauge that I deer hunted on horseback with for a number of years. Light, handy and never failed to fire. Simple mechanism, easy to take apart and clean. I never noticed the recoil except when patterning. I don't care for the newer models; they look too "Europeany" for me.
 
I've got an older Montefeltro. It is a fairly light and nimble gun, but you feel it when you shoot it. My crappy Remington 870 field gun is more comfortable to shoot than the Benelli. Likely I'll end up selling the Monte at some point because of that.
 
Felt recoil is subjective, but to me the inertia guns kick harder pound for pound than even fixed breech guns. They do have their advantages over gas guns in ease of maintenance, but most modern gas guns run pretty clean and don't require much more attention. Most gas guns will cycle a wider variety of loads than an inertia action, which is important to me for an all-around gun, but less so for a dedicated waterfowl or slug gun.
 
Same here.

I bought a M1 Super 90 a few years ago to replace my old Browning A-5 for a turkey gun.

The thing was absolutely brutal while pattern testing with 2 3/4" Mag Turkey loads.

WAY worse recoil then my old long recoil Browning A-5!!

I didn't have guts enough to even try it with 3" Mags!!!

I hunted with it that spring, then sold it and went back to the old Browning.

rc
 
A friend bought one of those 12 gauge super light Benellis with the Inertia system It weighed about 3 lbs loaded. Shot it once. Never again. I think he paid $1800 for it. Got another friend with a Stoeger. Same thing. Beats the crap out of you.

Even the M2 tactical I had was hard hitting after a few boxes. Went to an 11-87 and I could fire that thing until I got tired of shooting with no adverse effects.
 
robhof

I have a Franchi semi auto, similar to the Benelli, relatively light and even with the advanced tech. recoil pad has much more felt recoil than my 2 870's. One of the 870's is with synthetic and the other is an older Wingmaster with fine wood, both shoot the same ammo as the Franchi and I put much more shot down range with the 870's. Just my impression!:):cool:
 
Most of the Benellis now have the Comfortec stock, which reduces felt recoil about 20%, but again, they're lighter. The Vinci/ Super Vinci will have less recoil than the M2/ SBE II because of the inline action.

Trigger guard on the Super Vinci was redesigned to give you more room. Trigger guard issue on the Vinci depends on the shooter, either the gun doesn't fit them or perhaps the way they're gripping it. It's not across the board.
 
I once looked at a Beretta 1200 riot gun. I think it kicked harder (FELT recoil) than my present pump gun.

On the other hand, a friend loves her Benelli Ultra Light 12. It does bump her a bit, but when the limit is four pheasants a day, so what? She says the guys kind of look down their noses at it in the morning as they start out with their heavier guns, but by the afternoon, they are all willing to "try it out" for a while.
 
I think I could have been happy with mine as a carry all day pheasant gun shooting 1 1/4 oz upland loads.

Although it was no lighter then my old Browning Lite-12.

But setting in a turkey blind with your back against a tree trunk shooting 2 3/4" mags?

Unlike the Browning,
It killed at both ends!!!

rc
 
At lunch today a turkey hunter was describing his friend's experience with a BPS 10 gauge. When it came up for sale, he passed on the bargain.
 
Total recoil in like weighted gun with like loads will be equal. Peak recoil will not.
An inertia action does almost zero to alleviate recoil. The only thing that does not move back rapidly at the moment of firing is the back half of the bolt. The rear of the bolt compresses the action spring. That does not soak up any appreciable recoil.
In a gas action the gasses act on piston(s) or whatever to begin to open the action at a speed faster than the gun is moving to the rear. The other face those gasses act against is attached to the gun pushing it forward, thereby soaking up considerable energy. The weight of the gas action parts varies, but the heavier they are the more recoil they will soak up.
 
The rear of the bolt compresses the action spring. That does not soak up any appreciable recoil.
Click to expand...
But, it feels like it not only stores it, but adds to it when that big spring unleashes the stored up energy at the same time the recoil of the total gun hits your shoulder!!

I know it's against the laws of physics - you can't create extra energy from stored energy.

But, that's what it feels like it does!!

rc
 
I do not care for simple and expensive Benelli "blowback system". If I had spend bunch of money on plastic semi-auto I would rather buy a Beretta. If you have your hart set on the "blowback" Stoeger offers Turkish ones for about 1/3 of the cost.
 
The gas system is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. More importantly is how they feel, balance, LOP & Comb.
 
The gas system is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. More importantly is how they feel, balance, LOP & Comb.
Click to expand...
That's been my experience in general, as well as gun weight playing a big factor, but it's also true that there are perceptible differences in recoil once you've achieved a baseline fit and weight with all of them.

My Light-12's, for example, were among the softest 'feeling' guns of all time with standard field loads, due to how the spring action lengthened the recoil pulse.
 
I have a Vinci and have many thousands of rounds through it. I have never hit my finger on the trigger guard. I find the recoil to be negligible. When I had my 870 my shoulder would get sore in a couple of boxes. With the Vinci it never does. Now, the entirety of those rounds were either trap loads, dove loads or 1 ¼ or 1 3/8 pheasant loads.

I also don’t attribute the low recoil to the action. I attribute it to experience, fit and the Comfortech stock, which I am convinced works darn well.

I let a 15-year-old who couldn’t handle his dad’s A-5 shoot my Vinci and not only could he handle it, I didn’t get it back for the rest of the shooting session.

Love my Supernova too.

Edit
I forgot to add, I used to own a Beretta 391. It was a fine shotgun that also didn’t beat me up. I never was able to hit anything with it, and eventually sold it, but I don’t think that was the shotguns fault.
 
Yes, those two piece stocks definitely do work, and they did not invent them for nothing. I was strongly considering a Super Black Eagle One back when H&K first started importing them; the ones with the wood stocks. Looked good, fit well, and shot it well. No problem with 3" Magnums. But, when I touched off some 3-1/2" loads that cured me. I swear that thing kicked worse than a 3-1/2" Mossberg pump. I was also shooting a machining lightened BPS 10 gauge at the time so I am not recoil adverse. Thank goodness for tungsten. I went back to my 3" Model 1100.
 
Interesting thread.

I have been considering getting a dedicated pheasant gun to be ready for next fall. I am planning on shooting a friends SBE II to see how it points and recoils. I had assumed all semi autos would soak up a lot of the recoil compared to my $267 Rem 870 Express.

Now I am not sure.
 
The gas operated guns give reduced felt recoil across the board compared to any other action type.

The older Beretta 390 was one of the softest shooting ones I have any experience with.

The Remington 1100 and 11-87 used to be great also.

Not too sure I would buy a new one now though.

rc
 
QUOTE: "...I bought a M1 Super 90 a few years ago to replace my old Browning A-5 for a turkey gun.

The thing was absolutely brutal while pattern testing with 2 3/4" Mag Turkey loads.

WAY worse recoil then my old long recoil Browning A-5!!..."

How did the two shotguns compare in weight?
 
Pretty much the same.

Browning Lite-12 = 7 lb. 4 oz.
Benelli Super 90 M1 Synthetic stock = 7 lb 5 oz.

rc
 
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