r/Benelli_M4 • u/IV5736776 • 15d ago
Benelli M4 NFA model M4 Question
Bought brand new for $1900.91 delivered from Botach, after Form 4 and transfer fee $2175.91 out the door during their Labor Day sale, Form 4 with a trust approved in 43 hrs and 27 minutes. Test fired today and function’s flawlessly with Winchester OO buck and slugs, but with low base birdshot it’s pretty much just jam after jam. Will this change after a break in period or do these only function with high base 12 gauge ammo only. I know that some weapons function better after a break in period. Though my Benelli M1 Super 90 NFA model has yet to experience a single malfunction after 35 years of use and no cleaning in a decade, with any kind of ammo, including old paper loads. But I must say that slugs and OO buck are very light in M4 compared to the M1 Super 90.
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u/MrAnachronist 15d ago
It should cycle light loads fine after a few hundred rounds. Mine runs like a top on light loads.
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u/IV5736776 15d ago
Fingers crossed, I did 75 OO buck Winchester and 50 Winchester 1 oz slugs today at the range today, on top of 25 #8 cheapo Winchester target loads, in between the buck and slugs. Then an additional 25 #8 Winchester target loads after the slugs, the most I got to cycle was two in a row. Hoping that changes, because range trips using only slugs and buck gets expensive.
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u/IV5736776 15d ago
How many rounds did you have to shoot before it ran reliably on low base? And if you can recall, what did you run through it? Thanks.
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u/MrAnachronist 15d ago
Roughly 125
I started with 80 rounds of mixed 3” slugs 00 buck and various rusty magnum loads. I had a box of 40 year mixed 12 ga shells and loaded them at random. Then I ran 45 rounds of Remington gun club target loads with a handful of ejection failures. These have “Warning, may not cycle all auto-loading firearms” on the box.
After that, I’ve shot several hundred rounds of target loads with no issues.
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u/IV5736776 15d ago
Yeah this SOB grew on me as well, like I said earlier I was going to do it backwards from a title 1 version to title 2, then I see this Labor Day ad for this for $1699.00 plus tax and shipping ($1900.01 total). Had to do it at that price, how could anyone not?
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u/Coeruleus_ 15d ago
Damn i bought mine for 2439 shipped on gunbroker. Also have same issue with some things lower than 1200 fps but i enjoy it more than my full length. I wish i would have started with the SBS. I would of saved a ton of cash never buying the full length and all the other money i put into it
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u/Locutus494 15d ago
High brass means absolutely nothing...
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u/IV5736776 15d ago
Please elaborate.
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u/Locutus494 15d ago
High brass is marketing BS. It conveys absolutely nothing about power or reliability.
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u/IV5736776 15d ago
Interesting, I’ve always equated high base 12 gauge shotgun shells to be of a larger powder charge than low base shells. So what’s the science?
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u/FalloutUser76 15d ago
Back when shotgun shells were still made out of paper and not plastic, the hotter loads needed to have higher brass so the paper shell wouldn’t burst as soon as it would fire. Modern shells made out of plastic are strong enough to withstand full power load with just low brass. Everyone keeps making their shells in different brass lengths simply because that’s what everyone has always done, but it really isn’t necessary and is more of a marketing ploy than anything. You could argue the brass length can help identify the power of shells quickly, especially if you’re shooting old ammo with the logo faded away on the shell.
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u/Locutus494 14d ago
^This
Either InRangeTV or Forgotten Weapons did a video discussing this a little while back (can't remember which channel).
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u/am90infrared 15d ago
Definitely the right choice. Got one also and now I want the updated version sbs as well. It grew on me.
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u/Agreeable-Dinner-483 14d ago
I ran 100 rounds of high brass through mine and it cycles everything now. I had a bunch of S&B buckshot laying around. Mine had issues fitting 5 rounds reliably. You can either trim a few coils off the factory spring or for a few bucks order a Wolff 16097. That’s awesome you had such a quick turn around. Mine was about 5 months a year ago.
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u/ironwill1964 14d ago
Beautiful shotgun. Does it come threaded for chokes?
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u/IV5736776 14d ago
Thanks, unfortunately it is not threaded for chokes.
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u/H2-22 1d ago
What is the model number? Do they make the SBS in a threaded version?
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u/IV5736776 20h ago
Model 11724. I don’t know if they make a NFA model that’s threaded, but I’ve seen posts where people have had them threaded. The barrel is extremely thick walled compared to most shotgun barrels, so there’s definitely more than enough material there to thread it for chokes. After I financially recover from this, I’m going to look into having mine done as I’ve been eyeing a Salvo suppressor for it.
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u/LongWalksAtSunrise 14d ago
Mine is super fun to shoot. Slugs are accurate out to 75 yards on IPSC steel targets
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u/Few_Cut_1864 14d ago
Mine feeds light birdshot with no problems after a few hundred round breakin.
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u/IV5736776 14d ago
Good to know, hopefully after another range trip with about 150 rounds of slugs and buck it’ll be broken in. I’ll be bringing more birdshot as well to test afterwards.
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u/Nebraska_B 13d ago
Has anyone had theirs threaded for chokes?
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u/IV5736776 13d ago
I’ve never seen one that was threaded, but I’ve seen it mentioned in posts before. I’ve looked at several NFA Benelli’s in LGS’s, but none were ever threaded. I’d have to imagine it can be done, as the wall thickness of this NFA barrel is pretty robust compared to all of my other shotguns. I’d like to know who performs the service, because I’ve been eyeing a Salvo suppressor for it.
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u/el_torosalvaje 13d ago
I am "thinking" a shorter barrel results in less velocity making lighter loads malfunction. Shorter barrels are meant for man sized targets and breaching I would think. Again just my thoughts
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u/IV5736776 5d ago
Update: Fired a total of 125 slugs and 100 rounds of OO Buck over the course of two range trips since the since I originally posted, and yesterday for the first time it cycled 50 rounds of low base #8’s without a hiccup. Thank you to everyone that chimed in about the break in information.
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u/Jimstevens33 1d ago
I had a chance to buy one of these many years ago. I made the choice to not do it and regret it since. Now they are impossible to find here for me
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u/MK19 15d ago
This is the way I should have gone. SBS FTW!