Benelli M1 Tactical or a Remington 1100 Tactical? Which one would you choose?

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Browning

Browning

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I want a new semi-auto shotgun but I find myself torn between these two.

Between the Rem 1100 with pistol grip at the bottom and......
http://www.remington.com/tactical/tactical_shotguns.asp

this one, the Benelli M2 Tactical with the pistol grip 18 inch with the ghost ring sights in the middle of the first ad.
http://www.stonewallarms.com/product_pages/benelli.html

It's basically going to be a house gun and I might use it for three gun competition later on when I get the rest of my gear together. I've always wanted a tactical semi-auto shotgun so now I'm going to finally go for it.

The price isn't really an issue right now and I can afford either one, but I'm torn as I like them both.

Does anybody have any experience with the Benelli?

I've got a Remington 1100 birdgun and I like it quite a bit, but I've never fired a Benelli shotgun. I've read and heard that the recoil impulse on the Benelli is different so to some shooters it seems like there's more recoil than say a Remington 1100 because of the gas system, can anybody give me their experience on that issue?

I've already got a couple pump shotguns, so don't tell me to get one of those instead.
 
1100 :D Its reliable, easily repairable/serviceable by any gunsmith in the USA, and plenty of cool-guy add-ons.
 
Remington - Between the two choices in OP.
SX2 is the new gun I would buy off the rack and use off the rack today.

Back before 3 Gun became 3 Gun...

I took a bone stock 1100, the English Bird Gun, and used it for Serious Gaming. [This is a little known best kept secret].

Later I took a bone stock 1100, and using a busted 28" barrel, had screw in chokes put into the shortened 21" barrel, added a mid bead to the vent rib and a few other tweaks.

THE Serious Gun of the day, a bone stock SX1 with smoothbore slug barrel.

More things change the more they remain the same.
 
This is the Internet, so take my opinion with a grain of salt:

For price point, the nod absolutely goes to the Remington 1100. It's a tested, stable and reliable shotgun for the most part. However, I found mine to be a bit clunky in feel - both ergonomically and mechancially. I had a few malfunctions with it, but nothing to concern me. It just did not have the same feel to it as my 870 when shooting - of course recoil was less, but follow-ups seemed to be a struggle and there was just this hard to explain mushiness to the trigger and the action while firing.

The Benelli on the other hand is a different animal all together. It's smooth, precise, shoulders well, manages recoil better, is more accurate, comes back to point better, sights better, is faster and has a feel like a finely crafted watch - everything works for me. It's like a Ferrari compared to a Mustang GT. Both will get you there quickly, but the Ferrari has a certain something-something that the Mustang never will. This again, is my opinion, but the gun writers, agencies and military folks using the Benelli can't be too far off....

I think either will serve you well, but the Benelli in my experience serves a bit better. I have heard about lower powered rounds being problematic in the Benelli, but this has not been my experience. I have a few thousand assorted rounds out of my Benelli, (from mild to wild) with no issues whatsoever and parts are readily available through Benelli USA, so that myth is without merit. The nice thing is though, I haven't needed any - it just runs and runs and runs....But don't take my word for it - this is the Internet... ;)
 
I would pick the Benelli if I had the money. Both will serve you well. The Marines chose the Benelli M4 as their shotty if that means anything to you. I like my barrels to be as short as legally possible and I believe that the Rem comes with a 20" and the Benelli an 18". Be safe.
-Mike
 
Both will serve you well. The Marines chose the Benelli M4 as their shotty if that means anything to you
Click to expand...

Cite?

I Keep reading this, and other Guns and Firearms being "chosen" by Military and Police Departments.

Now dfariswheel shared actual and verifiable information in regard to Mossberg being chosen by the Military instead of the 870 ;)
Do a search under dfariswheel or my username, as I provided D's original post with link recently.

See the deal is, sometimes Lowest Bidder is the reason a Military Outfit, or Police Dept has the issued guns they do.
Do a Search under Glock, and how they approached Police Depts.

Benelli's, IMO experience and observations...
Well I will play nice and just say I have won quite a few Benelli Products and never kept a one.
I have busted 8 Novas...
I never saw a serious competitor in SKeet, Trap, 5 Stand, Sporting Clays use one...
I have assisted with folks that used shotguns in the Timber business, All Benellis were replaced.


"Fastest blah blah blah".
Remington 3200 OWNS the fastest lock time in design and has for a long time.

There are folks that run a bone stock pump shotgun faster than a Benelli.

Take a look at whom is running the gun for these Marketing Campaigns, these men and women can run Any Gun Fast, and shoot any gun they are handed.

Hint : THEY know how to shoot and have LOTS of trigger time, it ain't the gun doing all this.


Advice : It ain't the shooting iron, it is the shooter.
I've stood right there and watched Champion Shooters , with Custom Shotguns costing $$$$ , fitted to them, and NO beads, be "challenged" by Benelli Bunch Member ___.

Little money on the side, and this BBM #__ did not know the gal , or gent who they were.
Regular clothes and some old plain vanilla pump gun, or semi auto [Champion] who has dropped more shells than this BBM will ever shoot is "Educated".

Yes kiddies a lady with a 1897 will shoot faster and hit more targets than a BBM member.
With a bone stock Colt 1911 again 'educate' the HK groupie too.

Heck this gal could shoot before she learned to ride a bike!

Ah...ain't Marketing and 'Net great! ;)
 
Benelli. I've replaced far too many parts in an 1100 to ever bet my life on one.
 
I've use both Benelli and Remington shotguns in 3 gun competitions. Both work well under most conditions. I now only use one of the 1100 Tacticals because of the softer recoil. If you can, handle them both and get the one that feels best to you. You won't be disappointed with either.
 
Have you looked at the new Mossberg 930 SPX???

A lot of really nice features in a super reliable package....

85360.jpg
 
I've seen literally dozens of Remington semis pack up at local and national 3-gun matches. Broken interceptor latches, broken gas rings, etc. I can count the number of Benelli malfunctions I've witnessed on the fingers of one hand.

I went for the Benelli, although I prefer the traditional stock. Benny Hill is presently building me a 21" M2 for 3-gun. I have a Remington 1100 LT-20 that I use for skeet shooting, it's a nice gun, but in my experience the Benelli will stand up to high round counts a lot better.

An aside:
There are folks that run a bone stock pump shotgun faster than a Benelli.
Click to expand...
I hear this a lot, but I don't believe it. Even Tom Knapp shoots his M2 (slightly) faster than his pump gun. Until I see someone shoot back-to-back strings of fire with a semi, then with a pump gun, against a timer, I remain skeptical.

Not that it particularly matters for 3-gun. Shooting the shotgun in 3-gun competition is about accuracy and fast reloading - if you can shoot 0.15-0.18sec. splits (and hit what you're aiming at) then you are as fast as you'll ever need to be.

- Chris
 
Re: the Rem 3200 - When folks are talking about "fast" in an autoloading shotgun, they are talking about cycle time - not lock time. The Benellis, SX2, FN SLP are very fast autoloading shotguns.

The 1100 doesn't seem to hold up as well in the 3-gun sports as the Benelli M1/M2, Win. SX2/Browning Gold/FN SLP. You can do a search on 1100 in the Brian Enos forums for more info. The 1100 also has a slower cycle time, if you're planning to get REAL competitive in 3-gun.

sm said:
Cite?
Click to expand...
USMC M4/1014:
http://www.usmcweapons.com/articles/M1014/M1014NF.htm

sm said:
I have busted 8 Novas...
Click to expand...
sm - I would be interested to hear how you broke 8 Benelli Novas. Can you provide any details? (Breaking them over the bow of a boat over frustration with the trigger pull doesn't count...) Thanks.

Browning - The Benelli M1 is very reliable, just don't attach things to it, like you can on a Remington. It affects the recoil momentum and can very much affect reliability. I don't know if the M2 is any different, but would remain suspect. As for the pistol grip stock - the Benelli has one of the better pistol grip stocks, BUT - I prefer the regular buttstock. I had both on my Benellis (when I had them), but prefer a standard. It was more versatile and faster handling. Just my .02.

Best.
 
I have an M1Super 90 Tactical woth ghost rings and pistol grip factory stock and a basic 1100. The M1 is for 3 gun, the 1100 for skeet, quail, and dove. (The 1100 is now secondary to a S&W 1000 20gauge for quail and dove.) I have used both the M1 and 1100 in 3 gun, had the 1100 turn into a single shot in a match, no issues even with light bird shot out of the M1. The 1100 got a new trigger group, so issue should be resolved.
 
Since you've allready got an 1100 why not get the Benelli......and if money is no issue you can allways sell or trade if the Benelli doesn't do it for you!
 
1100 -- you have familiarity with the action. Also, loading is quicker (no button to depress) and it is tolerant of ammo power variations.
 
I'll vote for Benelli.

I own a M1S90 that I've used in a couple tactical shotgun classes and a low-light carbine shotgun class. It's a very reliable gun with full powered loads and once broken in should be good to go with the low recoil stuff. I bought my M1S90 after spending 5 seasons with my SBE, use it on everything from teal to spring snows in some pretty crappy conditions. The SBER has never let me down.

I don't get too wrapped up in the speed thing because it takes a real, real, good shooter to over run a shotgun and in "real life" applications it's not going to happen. On the average most target arrays will prevent it too.

Once you spend some time with the inertia system, you're not going to like a gas gun all that much. Nothing like cleaning a Benelli at the end of the day:D

Chuck
 
Well thanks to everyone who answered, I'm kind of more leaning towards the Benelli right now. I wish I knew of a place where I could go test both of them side by side in East Texas, but everywhere I know of that rents guns they only rent pistols.

To Smitty, the Mossberg looked nice, but it's not really what I want.

One of the main reason I was even thinking about the Remington 1100 is because I'm already used to the controls and have fired literally thousands of rounds out of that gun in the last three years during trap and skeet so it's all just about automatic now.

Then again, I'm kind of looking to screw around with something new so more than likely I'll get the Benelli.

Kestrel, you mean this guy?
http://www.brianenos.com/forums/
 
Kestrel said:
sm,

Can you shed some light on the 8 Novas you broke? Details?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes - I've been waiting with baited breath for this "8 Novas Down" report. Everything I've read and experienced with the Nova would indicate that "breaking 8 Novas"might be a cause to raise the BS Flag.....tap,tap,tap,tap...
 
I too would like to hear how someone broke 8 Novas in one lifetime. :eek:

I've got a couple friends that use them for waterfowl hunting and they haven't managed to break either one of theirs yet.

Chuck
 
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