Benelli M2 questions

[Jaywalker]

I'm considering a Benelli M2 Field Compact and a have few questions.

1. Can you load the M2 "cruiser ready," with bolt closed on an empty chamber and the magazine full? All the demos I've watched show loading the chamber first then the magazine.

2. About 10 - 15 years ago talk of "Benelli thumb" meant loading the magazine was hazardous unless you used the tip of your thumb, with the knuckle supporting the carrier latch. I don't see this discussed anymore. Is that because everyone's now aware of it, or has something changed?

3. There's talk of 200 to 500 rounds to "break it in;" what breaks in, the recoil spring or something else? Can I assume I need to do more than a couple of rounds of skeet?

4. One guy wrote about the point of aim being less than ideal - it seemed to shoot higher for him than his other shotguns did. All my other shotguns used the "cover the bird" point of aim; will have to learn a new aiming/pointing style?

[GJM]

I'm considering a Benelli M2 Field Compact and a have few questions.

1. Can you load the M2 "cruiser ready," with bolt closed on an empty chamber and the magazine full? All the demos I've watched show loading the chamber first then the magazine.


Yes


2. About 10 - 15 years ago talk of "Benelli thumb" meant loading the magazine was hazardous unless you used the tip of your thumb, with the knuckle supporting the carrier latch. I don't see this discussed anymore. Is that because everyone's now aware of it, or has something changed?

I don’t notice it.

3. There's talk of 200 to 500 rounds to "break it in;" what breaks in, the recoil spring or something else? Can I assume I need to do more than a couple of rounds of skeet?


I haven’t needed a break in on multiple specimens.

4. One guy wrote about the point of aim being less than ideal - it seemed to shoot higher for him than his other shotguns did. All my other shotguns used the "cover the bird" point of aim; will have to learn a new aiming/pointing style?

I zero for slugs, so no idea.

[Jaywalker]

Thanks. Now I have to think about the odd looks I'll get at skeet with an 18-1/2" barrel.

[Rex G]

I'm considering a Benelli M2 Field Compact and a have few questions.

1. Can you load the M2 "cruiser ready," with bolt closed on an empty chamber and the magazine full? All the demos I've watched show loading the chamber first then the magazine. This feature allows me to clear the chamber, by running the bolt, without the next round in the magazine launching onto the carrier. This feature is a major reason I wanted to use Benelli shotguns, for police duty, and now that I am retired, and favor shotguns for personal/home defense, I see no down-side to this feature.

2. About 10 - 15 years ago talk of "Benelli thumb" meant loading the magazine was hazardous unless you used the tip of your thumb, with the knuckle supporting the carrier latch. I don't see this discussed anymore. Is that because everyone's now aware of it, or has something changed?

3. There's talk of 200 to 500 rounds to "break it in;" what breaks in, the recoil spring or something else? Can I assume I need to do more than a couple of rounds of skeet?



1. Yes. If all of the shells in the weapon are in the mag, tube, well, there is the extra step of needing to get a round on the carrier, but I consider that to be a positive feature, not a shortcoming.

2. One does learn to be careful, when thumbing shells into the mag tube.

3. I have no idea about this break-in thing. My first Benelli, and M1 Super 90, worked from the first round. I bought both of my M2 shotguns pre-owned.

[Exiledviking]

I'm considering a Benelli M2 Field Compact and a have few questions.

1. Can you load the M2 "cruiser ready," with bolt closed on an empty chamber and the magazine full? All the demos I've watched show loading the chamber first then the magazine.

2. About 10 - 15 years ago talk of "Benelli thumb" meant loading the magazine was hazardous unless you used the tip of your thumb, with the knuckle supporting the carrier latch. I don't see this discussed anymore. Is that because everyone's now aware of it, or has something changed?

3. There's talk of 200 to 500 rounds to "break it in;" what breaks in, the recoil spring or something else? Can I assume I need to do more than a couple of rounds of skeet?

4. One guy wrote about the point of aim being less than ideal - it seemed to shoot higher for him than his other shotguns did. All my other shotguns used the "cover the bird" point of aim; will have to learn a new aiming/pointing style?

1. I load the tube full on an empty chamber and then press the shell release to put one round on the carrier. All I have to do then, when needed, is to cycle the bolt.

2. Not sure if the carrier on the M2 has been updated to the same design that's in my M4. The carrier on my M4 is definitely longer and smoother than the one in my M1 Super 90 (that'll be upgraded soon). Check it and see if it gives you any issues.

3. One of the common things I've read about with people that have had issues running lighter loads is that they do not add and use good oil on the bolt carrier assembly. Some people seem to think that the gun is ready to be run out of the box. Additionally, I add Lucas grease to the contact point between the link (tail of the bolt carrier assembly) and the plunger for the recoil spring.

[ASH556]

I'm considering a Benelli M2 Field Compact and a have few questions.

1. Can you load the M2 "cruiser ready," with bolt closed on an empty chamber and the magazine full? All the demos I've watched show loading the chamber first then the magazine.
The early M1's had a feature called "Ghost Loading" where you could float a shell on the lifter but under the bolt so that you still sort of maintain your full magazine capacity +1 (if cruiser ready) or +2 (if chambered + floated). I have an M2 built by Steve Rose at Rose Action Sports and this mod is performed. I've also done it myself on several of my previous guns. Benelli's reason for eliminating the feature (as I understand it) was that with a plugged gun, you could still load 4 shells if ghost loading, which violates most migratory bird hunting laws.


2. About 10 - 15 years ago talk of "Benelli thumb" meant loading the magazine was hazardous unless you used the tip of your thumb, with the knuckle supporting the carrier latch. I don't see this discussed anymore. Is that because everyone's now aware of it, or has something changed?

With a stock lifter it is definitely a thing if loading quickly (or less carefully). You can buy an aftermarket lifter from Taran Tactical for about $100 that is already extended and polished or you can send your lifter to a shop and pay around $60 to have yours welded and polished. Pics and such here: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?47696-new-shotty-who-dis


3. There's talk of 200 to 500 rounds to "break it in;" what breaks in, the recoil spring or something else? Can I assume I need to do more than a couple of rounds of skeet? I've never had an issue with this. I shoot primarily bulk #7 or #8 target loads through my guns for birds, clays, and 3gun. The only time it was ever an issue for me was on an old HK import M1 after I added a Surefire forend. Too much weight on the gun messed up the inertia system. I swapped the forend back to stock and went with a clamp and an X300 and the problem went away.


4. One guy wrote about the point of aim being less than ideal - it seemed to shoot higher for him than his other shotguns did. All my other shotguns used the "cover the bird" point of aim; will have to learn a new aiming/pointing style? Depends on which stock you get, but my M2 came with a full set of shims to adjust. Proper shotgun fit matters. That said, I did not make any adjustments to any of my Benellis and not only did they hit fine on clays, they have also all been good enough that I could get consistent 100yd slug hits just centering the bead in the rib and shooting it like a ball on post (elevation-wise). The one exception to this was my M1 SBS (14" gun) that had factory rifle sights. Those were terrible in that the gun hit 12-16" over the sights (basically a high thoracic hold = head hit). I no longer own that gun.

[Jaywalker]

That's a lot of really excellent information - thanks!

It appears to me that if I go though with my purchase buying a set of dummy cartridges would be a good idea.

[ASH556]

That's a lot of really excellent information - thanks!

It appears to me that if I go though with my purchase buying a set of dummy cartridges would be a good idea.

Yes. For what it's worth, I've found the ones made by Fiocchi to be the best. I had some Brownells ones a few years ago and they came apart quickly and also the hulls were slightly under-sized, which presented challenges when using them for 3gun practice (not sure if that's part of your scope or not).