Talk me out of a benelli m2 12g!

[Joshuajosh]

I’ve recently started waterfowl hunting here in Maryland duck and goose are my targets at the moment but I will go after dove as well, I’m using my fathers 870 that only takes 2 3/4 shells but i used a buddies benelli sbe3 and I love the thing, I don’t need the features of the sbe and I’ve heard they hit high and the m2 is just a robust fairly reliable shotgun, I’m planning on shooting 3” shells mainly, this will be my first high end shotgun if I go the benelli route, any other good options or is the m2 a good enough gun to start with?

 

[Grumman]

M2 is a fantastic shotgun. I have several friends who ditched their SBEs and went with the M2 due to shorter OAL and balance.


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[displacedtexan]

They are great waterfowl guns!

 

[Tx270WT]

Whenever I decide to replace my first gen SBE (going on 20 years now) it will be the M2 version… saying benelli is still making it.

 

[GetWestern]

I bought a SBE2 one year and the entire time I owned it I had nothing but misfires and cycling issues despite every remedy I tried. After having 3 auto loaders that ran off the inertia system with very similar problems I decided to buy beretta A400 extreme that uses a gas system. Wish I did it years ago, just my opinion that gas driven systems are more reliable than the inertia system that benelli uses. Had that beretta for four hard waterfowl season and it never gave me a single problem. If you’re not sold on the M2 I’d seriously look into the beretta.

 

[Joshuajosh]

I bought a SBE2 one year and the entire time I owned it I had nothing but misfires and cycling issues despite every remedy I tried. After having 3 auto loaders that ran off the inertia system with very similar problems I decided to buy beretta A400 extreme that uses a gas system. Wish I did it years ago, just my opinion that gas driven systems are more reliable than the inertia system that benelli uses. Had that beretta for four hard waterfowl season and it never gave me a single problem. If you’re not sold on the M2 I’d seriously look into the beretta.

I’ll check it out!

 

[jg1418]

I had a M2 that was very impressive in the fit, finish and handling Department.

I had constant misfires. Dealer had it checked and it still did it for the both of us.

Really, really liked the M2 but worked out a deal with the dealer and bought the Beretta A400 extreme.

Sure wish I would have bought the Beretta first. Its been flawless and a dream to shoot!!!!!

Good luck in your decision making. Just giving you my honest experience.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have a pair of M2s that I do almost all my shotgunning with. Mine run like tops. I hardly ever clean them and they just go boom. I recall having one failure to cycle last year and I am not sure I didn’t catch the bolt handle on my sleeve. That is out of a few dozen rounds of clays and 3 hunting trips that totaled ~1500-2000 rounds.

 

[SBFD63]

I won't try to talk you out of it. I can't break from my 870s after 35 years. If I did the M2 would be in my top 3 options.

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[WKR]

If you like benelli check out the benelli montefeltro, its a good one

 

[MallardSX2]

I went the Benelli way for one year. Sold that sucker as fast as I could find a sucker to buy it.

That bolt design is the STUPIDEST design I’ve ever seen and I was flat over it costing me birds.

 

[Joshuajosh]

I went the Benelli way for one year. Sold that sucker as fast as I could find a sucker to buy it.

That bolt design is the STUPIDEST design I’ve ever seen and I was flat over it costing me birds.

And how is that

 

[MallardSX2]

Buy one and see. Lol

Benelli owners don’t like to talk about it and they sure as hell won’t tell you about it before you buy one.

 

[Joshuajosh]

Buy one and see. Lol

Benelli owners don’t like to talk about it and they sure as hell won’t tell you about it before you buy one.

Explain… I’ve been seeking out known issues with the m2 and all I’m seeing is benelli click which seems to be user induced

 

[HuntHarder]

The bolt head will not close fully if you let the action go slowly. It is all or none. In other words, it's hard to chamber a round quietly is the only problem I had with my SBE. I now own an Beretta and like it better. Less recoil with the gas system for sure and never had an issue.

 

[MarlinsDad]

M2 or SBE3 3” and never look back, clean them occasionally and they run like a Swiss watch.

 

[MallardSX2]

Even a broke Swiss watch works 2 times a day! Lmfao

 

[MarlinsDad]

I know only one guy who’s ever had an issue with a Benelli functioning, he is a fellow duck hunter and notoriously bad at maintenance on his gear. He cursed Benelli every chance he got, when he finally showed me the gun it looked like it’d been used as a boat paddle and left on the bottom of a lake for months. He had owned it two years shot the hell out of it and first time it had a hiccup threw it in the tool box and left it. We bought a SBE3 3” same time frame i used mine for sporting clays, doves, squirrel, spring/fall turkey, coyote, ducks, snow goose 2 years in a row. Over 2000rd each yr, from 2-3/4” #8 to 3” #4 buckshot never had an issue that wasn’t operator induced.
I bought used 3” M2 for 3 gun matches for ran it close to 5yrs once again never an issue that wasn’t operator induced. Money and time got tight had to give that up.
I’ve got an Ethos in 20ga the ole lady has ran for sporting clay and everything else past 2 years same deal never an issue. 2000+ Rounds not a single issue, it’s went click 3 times that’s because of a bad primer in shells which got wet.
From 9 degrees in a duck blind to 90 degrees in a dove field in September. I have never had to do anything more than to wipe off/out the grime, run a bore snake down the pipe and give a few drops of oil in the moving parts. Either I’m the luckiest sob on the planet or I just take care of my shit better than most. I’m not saying that somewhere someone didn’t get a lemon and it put a bad taste in their mouth for a particular brand/model but having owned four of them in 15yrs I’ve never had a problem. The sbe3 even with extended mag for snow goose and shooting 200rd a day never had an issue I didn’t cause. I’ve been around a few years and slung a lot of lead the #1 issue I’ve seen with malfunctioning shotguns is lack of maintenance. I don’t care which brand/model y’all choose, if you don’t occasionally clean and lube it it’ll stop working eventually.
The “click” is from not getting the bolt closed, careless handling while mounting the gun, or snagging the bolt handle on something as you walk or move around a blind. The Ethos and SBE3 you have to try to get the bolt to stay out of battery. They’ve changed the spring in the bolt head and pretty well fixed the issue on all their guns now days.

 

[sickles107]

Highly recommend. I had some issues with mine for the first 100 or so rounds, but I think the action, bolt head pin, whatever moving parts need a bit of "break in". Since then runs like a top, and don't have to worry about a gas system dirtying up. I truly consider it a do all 2x4 of a semi. Can take the abuse of hard waterfowling, which I don't do much of anymore lol.

 

[Dx. Luvinz]

Seen the M2 NextGen, ...since It followed Me Home LastNite

Dislike some/ Like most Aspects, n would Murk the IGGLE, @ $1199.