By Terry Houin
As I looked over the shoulders of the men in front of me my instincts took over, my hand drifted down and checked the tube on my Benelli M4 fully loaded and ready to work. At the same time my mind shifted into Rainman mode, four doors on the left, at least four more on the right that I can see. All doors closed, experience tells me more than half are locked and will require two Hatton rounds each to breach the heavy solid wood doors, totaling a minimum of eight rounds if all goes according to plan, which is unlikely. With the addition of closets my hand drifts to my reloading strap on my body armor, loaded and ready. I’ll need to be on top of my reloads and not slow the train down.
As the squeeze gets passed up I position myself close enough to the front of the train to be useful but not close enough to get sucked into the clearance problem. My job in this is to breach doors as fast and efficiently as possible, and let the guys take care of the Tangos and save the Hotels. Immediately the call “Breacher Up” comes out. Time to put the Benelli to work.
This happened to be a training run, which we did repeatedly over the course of a week in a decommissioned insane asylum. No telling how many oak and steel doors we breached that week, and I don’t recall having any issues with my Benelli, which is exactly why the Tier 1 units around the world rely on the proven track record of the Benelli M4.
Ready to Operate: Benelli M2-G1
The anticipation was high when we had the call with Benelli about this new Duty/Defense gun they were working on. They didn’t give me many details outside of the name M2-G1 and that it would make my old soul happy.
The unboxing was anti-climactic as it was already out of the box and sitting on the bar when I showed up, but getting my hands on it brought the smile out and the memories rushing back. It’s been a minute since I held a Benelli Tactical shotgun, and the M2-G1 did not disappoint. Welcome, my old friend.
MultiCam Black Cerakote finish adds a cool factor to the protective coating for a duty gun. A five-position position stock lets everyone enjoy the fun with armor on or at the range. Sling attachments all over the place, and enough M-Lok attachment points for whatever duty calls for like lights, etc.
On the function side the oversize controls make quick work of reloads without taking your eyes off the threats. Ghost ring sights let you rip through the eight rounds onboard quickly. And the rubberized pistol grip made controlling the recoil pretty easy.
Internally is where the magic happens. Benelli came up with a new Rear Piston Operated gas system that places two small pistons close to the chamber for cleaner, more reliable operation. During my range testing I shot everything from paper-cased low brass sporting clay loads up to 325-grain slugs. I had a couple malfunctions with the light loads, but that could be chalked up to me limp-wristing the gun a bit. After a few hundred rounds the chamber was still fairly clean and resembled a clean AR-15 after 10 rounds. What’s not recommended is the less lethal rubber slugs, not enough to work the system.
Uncle T’s Take: M2-G1 Setup Recs
It’s a freaking awesome Benelli defense/tactical gun. They really hit a homerun with M2-G1 in my opinion, especially with the price point.
From a Duty setup for Law Enforcement, I would keep it pretty simple. The M2-G1 as it comes is a pretty useful system with the ghost ring sights. Throw a Surefire light on the front and a sling folded up with a rubber band retainer, and this can ride up front or in the trunk ready to go.
For a home defense setup, I like having the Aimpoint Acro on top. It allows me to keep both eyes open when moving or identifying threats with a rapid engagement. Definitely add a light up front like the Surefire Scout. I’m on the fence about a laser; a small one is beneficial, but I don’t see the need for a larger laser on a shotgun. Add a shell holder on the side so you have some extra shells if needed, or mix it up with buckshot and something else like frangible slugs.
The Benelli M2-G1 comes in four variations: Black Synthetic, Multicam (tested), FDE, and Tactical (with a traditional stock). Retail prices start at $1,949.
