Review: The Legendary Benelli M4
Benelli has been producing some of the world's best shotguns since their founding in 1967. In late 1998, Benelli introduced the U.S. Army to its new M4 Super Combat shotgun which would become one of the most renowned military/civilian shotguns of all time.
The Benelli M4 is considered by many to be the Cadillac of tactical shotguns and for good reason.
It happens to be the current general-issue combat shotgun of the United States Marine Corps. It has been through rigorous expectations as the Army Special Forces and U.S. Marine Corps battle tested over 20,000 shotguns without failure. Not only does the U.S. military trust the M4's performance but many of the world’s top Special Forces units including Italy, Brazil, Greece, Australia and the United Kingdom incorporate the Benelli M4 into their armament.
A gas-operated platform with dual stainless steel self-cleaning short-travel pistons and at it's heart, Benelli’s ARGO (Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated) system combined with Benelli’s rotating bolt, produced the world’s fastest and most reliable cycling semi auto ever. The ARGO system eliminates the more complicated mechanisms and heavier parts that other semi-auto models use, This produces a relatively simple and robust action capable of handling stiff loads all day long while maintaining a much cleaner chamber and well able to function 100% even if one piston fails. No longer dependent on inertia, the user can now add needed accessories without fear of over loading the weight balance. Not only does the M4 handle the required standard 2.75 inch round, but can comfortably accommodate the more powerful 3 inch magnum round. The safety button located at the top rear of the trigger guard on the Benelli M4 shotgun is ambidextrous. An exaggerated bolt handle reduces stumbling under stress. The bolt-release button is small enough to be unobtrusive, but large enough to find and activate without delay. To help manage the speed and recoil, Benelli added a pistol grip to its stock that allows for fast handling. Standard features of the M4 offered are ghost ring sights which can be had with tritium night sights for low light shooting a top mounted picatinny rail for optics and an optional collapsible stock. The front and rear sight combine in a three-dot pattern with tritium as an option. Overall, it’s compact enough to be nimble and overswing tends not to be a problem.
The M4 comes in several configurations, including variations with standard, skeletonized collapsible, and pistol-gripped stocks. Barrel lengths and magazine capacity range from 18 inches and a 7 +1 shell capacity to a 14.5 inch barrel with 5 + 1 shell capacity for close quarter combat situations. The shotgun is offered in desert camo and matte black phosphate corrosion resistant finish and several cerakote finishes.
At Somarriba, we carry several configurations of the M4 including:
We also have an extensive inventory of over 25 Benelli shotguns, click the link below to check them out:
