silver_pigeon Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hi, Just wondered if anyone would be willing to give an opinion on Benelli !! I am considering purchasing either a 20b or 12b Benelli Semi-Auto (the black synthetic Comfort model) and wondered if anyone has one and can give an idea of how they have found it! ?? It is for Clay Shooting only. Being a girl, typicaly I have always shot with a 20b but was talked into having a go with a 12b at my local shoot today and was amazed, NO RECOIL and it was brilliant to shoot, very very light! So this has got me thinking to change, but I currently have a 20b Berretta (Silver Pigeon) which kicks a lot in comparison and is currently not being worked much due to this problem!! I understand they come with a 5-year warranty, but before I go ploughing money and possibly PX'ing my gun, I wondered how reliable people have found them to be. Many thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 (edited) I have the 12b M2 Comfort version in left-hand, normal black synthetic. It is very pointable without the 5-shot mag extension fitted, being a very lightweight gun. I've found it great for skeet and Sporting clays. I wouldn't part with the gun, but my only complaint is the length of pull. I am only 5'11" but need a 15.5" length of pull due to my chimpanzee-like arms. The Benelli's stock only gives a 14.5" LOP. Incidentally my girlfriend and I both use 20b Silver Pigeons. If the recoil is punishing you, it's probably due to one of three remediable things: 1) Your gun mount 2) The gun fit 3) Using excessive loads in a lightweight gun. I stick to 25g (maximum 28g) loads, and can shoot it all day long. Again, I wouldn't part with it. Edited July 21, 2008 by Baldrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Is that only a 5 shot extension? It's nearly as long as the barrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Yep, takes it up to 9+1. Looks great, handles badly.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 And is also bloody loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegeta Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 (edited) You may have mentioned already but what are you going to use it for? Ahhhh I see Clay Shooting Only I am blind today. I have a SBE II and it handles very well and is great fun to shoot. It is not as user friendly as the beretta xtrema 2 (my previous gun which I sold to the brother) which is around the same money. My benelli is harder to load/unload and has more jams (compared to no jams for the beretta) they are my only 2 complaints It does handle and fit much better than the beretta though and I shoot clays better with it. You might have to use a more punchy cart with it like the eley olympic blues or something to guarantee it will cycle Edited July 21, 2008 by Vegeta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 And is also bloody loud. Yep, sorry about that. It was my only chance at a moving target all day, so I was a little over-enthusiastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver_pigeon Posted July 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Thanks very much for all your replies, cycling with lower load carts I had heard was a problem..but not being able to shoot high loads too well myself, I was wondering if that would be an issue and now I know! It's a real shame cos I really do like my Silver Pigeon and I know it is not gun mount that is a problem as I have double triple checked, but I do think the fit of my gun is an issue, but I don't want to alter it as I would ultimately like to get a Semi-Auto so then would struggle to sell it on! Apparently I'm not built for Clay Shooting, I'm a 5ft 8 girly, but very small frame so unless it's something like a Benelli Comfort or not as good...my Silver Pig with a Gel-Tek pad on, I struggle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 The beauty of the Benelli now is you can turn the gas piston around to cyle 24g cartridges without issue. It was that exact setup you shot with sunday and 24g is all the benelli owner uses and as yet not one jam. The other option is get it in 20g like the one we looked at on saturday ! :unsure: 20 or 12 yourl be fine with 24g loads all day long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 I have used one at a clay ground on many occasions, find them to be absolutly brilliant, i dont know alot about them so i cant riddle you with the technical bumf... One i used is a 3" chamber 2 + 1 and cycles the 24grm, gamebore brilliantly with no hickups...... we shoot around 100 each and share the gun when we shoot, never seen it jam yet.. And like said you cant feel a kick at all, just the smooth motion of the gun chambering the next round, seems very light compared to the escort which also see's an outing quite regularly the main difference being that you can deffinatly feel the kick of the escort compared with the Benelli. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil smith Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) The beauty of the Benelli now is you can turn the gas piston around to cyle 24g cartridges without issue. It was that exact setup you shot with sunday and 24g is all the benelli owner uses and as yet not one jam. The other option is get it in 20g like the one we looked at on saturday ! :yp: 20 or 12 yourl be fine with 24g loads all day long. Did you mean Beretta ? Benelli comfortec M1 & M2 models do not have any gas system parts & use an inertia driven bolt system instead, as a result are way lighter than gas guns with the single exception of the new Winchester SX3, they are much easier to clean though, because they do not have all the dirty gas parts you normally clean on regular semi-auto guns. The M2 12g runs very well on 28g loads & should work with 24g also. It is unusual to find a Benelli that jams, there reliability is well known & those that do are the exception rather than the rule, most problems are caused by ridges that can be found on later guns inside the barrel extension (poor machining) where the bolt lugs locate & a little polishing with a dremel tool using a rubber polish wheel may be all thats needed, another cause can be the short rod found on the left side of the trigger group when its removed, if this is bent it causes feeding problems. lube with light oil and put a small amount of lithium based moly slide on the cam pin area of the bolt for best results. N Edited July 23, 2008 by neil smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Sorry I got all muddled up. Its the benelli comfortec 20g she saw on saturday and the benelli comfortec 12g that she shot on sunday. The 12g she shot on sunday was with 24g carts and the owner comented that he has used 21g carts through it without problem to ! :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 I`ve got two Benellis a Super Nova pump and a Super Black Eagle 2. The pump, in 12 bore, is a fairly meaty gun which requires some practice to reload and is obviously not suited to a lightly built lady shooter although it will shoot any weight cartridge without any problems. The Yanks use them for competitive clay shooting but thats another issue so I`ll leave pump actions alone for the minute. The SBE2 is light, handles superbly and is usually trouble free if you read and digest the owners manual before using it. Like all Benellis the manufacturers clearly state that they require a certain minimum "strength" of cartridge to cycle the mechanism. i get all bitter and twisted when people say that they have a "problem" with light loads. They don`t, they are simply not intended for their use. Having said that, some, once correctly run in, will cycle them faultlessly. If you need to shoot light loads don`t buy a Benelli, buy a gas operated Beretta 391 which will happily eat light fodder all day long. Good luck with whatever you choose. Nick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trussman Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Mudpatten, what's the recoil like for the SBE II when firing heavy loads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Very easy on the shoulder although not so light as with a Beretta Xtrema 2. I regularly fire fairly fast steel 3.5" homeloads with no discomfort whatsoever. Nick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trussman Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Ok cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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