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Category - Benelli Shotguns - Semi-Auto - Benelli Shotguns

Category
Benelli Shotguns - Semi-Auto
Benelli Shotguns

1199

Description:
Description

Pristine Benelli M2. 26" vented double-beaded barrel with 14 3/8" LOP.  Includes original Benelli hard case and 5 Benelli Armi Crio Extended Choke Tubes.

Randy Wakeman's Review

The Benelli M2 is described as the “workhorse” of the Benelli line, a term not exactly riddled with hyperbole. The 20-gauge field guns are offered in black or Real Tree camo with 24- or 26-inch barrels. Like most Benelli autoloaders, the M2 has a hard-chrome-lined barrel that is cryogenically treated. 

The M2 has a stated approximate weight of 5.7 pounds.  The length of pull as Benelli states is 14-3/8 inches on the M2, with an 1-1/2 in. DAC and a 2-1/4 inch DAH. These dimensions are approximate as they can be changed with a shim kit and the addition of optional recoil pads of different thicknesses. The mystery of the strange and wondrous Cryo barrels continues. I can't say exactly what some of the other miracles may or may not be. I can say that the M2 Cryo barrel with its hard-chrome lining stays remarkably clean while shooting and is quick and easy to clean when it finally needs it.  The point of all this weighing is not that it is my hobby or even particularly enjoyable. It illuminates the wide disparity of shotgun weights in general and in 20 gauge in particular. The Benelli M2 20 gauge is the lightest twenty-gauge repeating shotgun I've tested in a decade. It is lighter than most pumps and O/U's as well, and lighter than many 28 gauges.  The checkering pattern on Benelli's Comfortech stock is dubbed “AirTouch,” the same as used on most Comfortech stocks except for the Vinci. I really like it; it really gives you good control of your shotgun and is far superior to some of the greasy-feeling, rubberized type polymer stock configurations out there. The M2 is both supremely well-balanced and blazingly fast to the shoulder. It comes with shims for stock adjustment, but the M2 fit me perfectly right out of the box so no shim-changing was required.

The trigger-guard safety of the M2 is ideally placed and easy to get off. All too often we forget how vitally important an intuitive safety is until we get the pleasure of watching a cackling rooster fly off into the distance. Benelli has done a superb job here. A light, extremely responsive field gun is all well and good, but if you if can't effortless get your safety off throwing rocks at pheasants might work at least as good as your shotgun.
The sole problem remaining with the supplied M2 is the trigger that breaks at a heavier weight than the entire gun at 6-1/2 pounds. Good triggers on shotguns seem to be rare commodities these days. However, after talking with the good folks at Benelli I'm advised that most M2 triggers run in the 3-5 pound area. So, just as soon as I'm finished with this review the trigger guard is going off to Benelli and I'll report back with the results. Benelli has had extremely good customer service in times past, so there is no reason to think that this instance will be any different.

Out at the range, the M2 performed flawlessly without a single hiccup. It digested Winchester promo loads, 1 oz. AA's, 1-1/4 oz. three-inch shells, and the Federal 1-5/16 oz. loads I used for patterning without a hitch. It was completely reliable right out of the box, regardless of what it was fed.  All of the shooting was done with a thin shirt on, no hunting coat or shooting vest. The M2 was surprisingly soft to shoot. Far, far more comfortable than some heavier O/U models, and noticeably softer shooting than a heavier Beretta Urika 2 Gold 20 gas gun with its vinyl crucifix buttplate. It is dramatically softer shooting with 1 oz. AA loads than a substantially heavier Citori 28 gauge with 3/4 oz. loads. Most 28 gauges don't kick much but apparently this Citori didn't read that part. Also noticeable was the absence of muzzle flip with the 1 oz. AA's. I expected some with this light of a gun and a short barrel, but it just wasn't there.

I also ran through a box of 1-1/4 oz. 3-inch #5 shot loads. They moved me around a bit, to be sure, but were still surprisingly comfortable. Around here, if you go through two boxes of pheasant loads in a season, you've had a fabulous season. The M2 20 gauge is ideally suited for that. With hunting gear on combined with a wild pheasant hitting the sky, you won't feel anything.

The bore of the Benelli M2 as measured by Skeets bore gauge is .620 in. The Improved Modified tube used for patterning had a surprising light constriction of .022 in. Shooting off bag and cradle at the bench, with Federal 1-5/16 oz. 3-inch loads was the only time recoil was uncomfortable, without the benefit of the entire body to absorb it. Off the bench again reinforced how heavy the supplied trigger was-- it felt like I was pulling on it forever. The Benelli M2 gave beautifully centered patterns at 40 yards, very even with no patchiness about two inches high, an ideal field pattern for flushing game. It shot to point of aim. This is a very good thing, as many shotguns do not.
I appreciate highly polished blue and hand-checkered walnut as much as anyone. Along with that comes the knowledge that a blued barrel is a pre-rusted barrel that requires some care. There's red oxide, the stuff we generally don't like, and black oxide which sounds better if we call it bluing. Bluing is fine for many applications, but for the all-weather hunter, it has its downside as well. The same goes for walnut stocks. Wood can absorb oil and soften, but can of course crack, and checkering may quickly wear down with use. Wood stocks do nothing to manage recoil. It is easy to appreciate the craftsmanship of beautifully inletted walnut, the hand-rubbed oil finishes, and the eye-catching grain.

The M2 forearm is slimmer and trimmer than possible with systems that must allow for gas arrays and action bars, with only the magazine tube that needs to be housed. The AirTouch checker pattern is functional, with durability that fine-line wood checkering cannot equal. There is also room for appreciation of the art and craftsmanship involved in costly, multi-cavity molds and other tooling where design engineers must take into consideration shrink rates, stress areas, and consistency of the end product. If you are a tool-maker, a mold-maker, or a materials design engineer you are no less an artisan and a craftsman than the woodworker or engraver. In the case of this M2, the engineered result is weight, balance, corrosion resistance, and shooting comfort not possible with the use of traditional, organic materials. I can certainly appreciate the advances it offers the active hunter and the M2  is as good an example as any of this.

Stripping down the M2 couldn't be much easier, a child of six could do it. Unfortunately, six-year-old children are rarely handy when you need them, so you'll find it easy to do it yourself. Unscrew the forearm cap, pull off the charging handle, knock out a drift pin and the rest is close to self-explanatory. That's one of the benefits when you don't have action bars or springs in the barrel nut to fuss with.

Layaway 1/3 down 90 days
Shipping:  $75, insurance extra upon request

Payment: Personal Check, Money Order, Cert. Check, or Zelle
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Returns without damage or alteration within 3 days of delivery minus 20% restocking fee

Price: $1,199.00                     Buy Now

Shotgun Gauge: 20 Gauge
Manufacturer: Benelli
Model: M2
Serial Number: N120007
Barrel Length: 26
Chambers: 3" & 2 3/4
Condition: Pristine
Metal Condition: Excellent
Wood Condition: N/A
Bore Condition: Excellent
Barrel Type: Cryo barrel with its hard-chrome lining
Action: Semi Auto
Triggers: Single
Stock: Comfortech
Butt Pad: Air Touch
LOP: 14 3/8
Rib: Vented
Finish: Matt
Weight: 5.7lbs
Sights: Double Beaded
Chokes: 5 Benelli Armi Extended Crio Choke Tubes
Case: Factory
Grips: Checked Pistol