Benelli M2 12 Gauge
Model: 11162
Benelli M2 12 Gauge
Model: 11162
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Benelli M2 is a lightweight inertia-driven semi-automatic 12 gauge built for upland and waterfowl hunting. It has an MSRP of $1,499. There is no gas piston in it. The bolt cycles against a captive spring instead of tapping the barrel, so no ports carbon up and nothing has to be adjusted between a light load and a heavy one.
It comes with improved cylinder, modified and full Crio choke tubes and a wrench, so everything from a flushed grouse to a decoying goose is covered out of the case, and Benelli cryogenically treats the barrel and the tubes. The front sight is a red bar. The Easy Locking Bolt detent pulls the bolt into battery, so a softly closed action does not sit out of lockup. Benelli sets a minimum recommended load of 3 drams, and the cheap promotional target shells sit under it. The magazine holds 3 rounds and the chamber stops at 3 shells.
If you are cross-shopping, the Stoeger M3000 runs the same inertia system for an MSRP of $649, holds 5 rounds and weighs 118.4 oz, which is more gun for a third of the money and a plainer finish. The Beretta A300 Ultima is gas-operated at an MSRP of $899, so it has no minimum load and will cycle the cheapest clays shells, but it weighs 121.92 oz and has a gas system to clean after a muddy day.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- With no gas ports, piston or tube, a day in mud or rain leaves less to clean than a gas gun does.
- The aluminum alloy receiver is anodized, so it does not rust where a steel receiver would need oiling after a wet morning.
- The Easy Loading System lets a shell be dropped straight into the magazine without fighting the carrier.
- It sits well above a Stoeger M3000 on price for the same operating system.
- The magazine holds two shells fewer than a Stoeger M3000 using the same operating system.
- The receiver is not drilled and tapped, so mounting glass for slugs means a clamp-on mount and not a scope base.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum load it will cycle?
Benelli names a 3-dram field load as the floor. Lighter shells may run once the action has some wear on it.
Does it take 3-1/2 shells?
No. The M2 is chambered for 2-3/4 and 3 loads. A 3-1/2 magnum needs a longer-chambered gun.
Can other chokes be fitted?
Yes. Benelli sells flush cylinder and improved modified tubes separately, plus an extended set in five constrictions.
Where is it made?
In Italy. Benelli builds the M2 at Urbino and imports it through Benelli USA.
