Question about the Benelli M4 and magazine capacity

[vis-à-vis]

I am budgeting next years arms purchases and I am considering putting the Benelli M4 on my list. (FYI Other guns on the list are Sig P229 .357 SIG; XD .45; and a few C&R)

I have two old shotguns. They don't even have serial #'s. So I really do not know much about them. I guess my question is can I buy shotguns with "high capacity magazines" like I can with pistols or rifles? Mine can only hold 4-5 rounds. I'd like to be able to stick 6-10 in this, anything more would be either too heavy or rather impractical I should think.

The primary role of this gun would be home defense. I'd like to load it up with 00 buck. Also I wouldn't mind doing some dove hunting with this Joint Service Combat Shotgun

 

[Dave McCracken]

Mag capacities greater than 6 or 7 produce a very muzzle heavy weapon. I've shot a 28" barreled 1100 with full length mag and thought it flet as if a brick was taped to the muzzle.

One 870 here has a two shot extension, one has a three shot. They handle well.

HTH....

 

[waterhouse]

I've never actually seen a straight answer on this. Someone on thefiringline posted a letter from the ATF which stated that once a Benelli went over 5 rounds it no longer met the sporting clause, and if you put a magazine extension on any Benelli then you were reconfiguring an imported sporting weapon to a non-sporting weapon. Benelli apparently stopped sending factory mag extensions to the US because of this, and the M4 was shipping with a neutered mag tube.

Quoting the letter in part:

A shotgun with a telescoping stock or a magazine greater than 5 rounds is prohibited from importation into the United States under the provisions of section 925(d)(3) of Title 18, United states code (U.S.C.). Assembly of such a shotgun from imported parts is prohibited under 18, U.S.C. Section 922(r). The implementing regulations in Title 27, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 478, Section 478.39 (formerly Part 178, Section 178.39) prohibit assembly of such a shotgun that contains more than 10 of the imported parts listed in paragraph (c) of the regulation. Please see the enclosed brochure for further information. Assembly of such a shotgun using 10 or less of the listed import parts is not prohibited. The shotgun is also subject to whatever State laws and local ordinances may apply.

Letter text can be seen here:http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207254&highlight=benelli+extension


However, many hundreds of 3-gunners seem to have long extensions on their Benellis with no problem, and aftermarket tubes are available. The whole thing was rather confusing to me when I tried to figure it out . . . perhaps you'll have more luck.