I also wonder if the lifter could be welded up or something. I know TTI would weld the little cutout on the front of the Beneli, and that could be done on the Beretta, and the lifter hold up feature looks to just be a bump that catches on the Carrier Catch Plunger:
Though this picture also shows another Pro feature, a relocated serial number to allow for further grinding of the loading port.
You sound like me, though I could probably tolerate the blue receiver...
There is a Beretta factory part I want and only FFT has it in stock currently. With that said, there site makes it seem like doing business with them probably isn't in my best interest; they're about double the price of MGW (after shipping) and don't accept returns. I called them and their response over the phone is commensurate with their site.
tldr: I'll wait for MGW to get the part back in stock, they've been very good to work with for old FN SPR parts.
I don't mind the blue receiver but the crows and the ducks would laugh at me all camouflaged up with the gaudy blue receiver swinging around.😅
I believe that the hold down is just a different carrier and is an easy swap from all the research that I have been doing on mostly british sites. Interesting that we speak the same language but it can be a bugger 😁 to figure out what the hell they are talking about at times. I thought my local Southern dialect was different but some of theirs I really have to read or watch multiple times.😉
I am going to load up my trading fodder and hit a bunch of the local gun shops tomorrow and see if they might just have one somewhere if not I will at least handle a A400 and maybe just break down and order one.
Speaking of the UK's practical shotgun scene, an outfit in the UK called Master Class Custom Guns at one point sold a single piece titanium charging handle that actually stays in the bolt exactly like the factory charging handle. Other options on the market are either two piece units (not really an upgrade over factory, IMO) or don't have the key-like protrusion on the end that keeps the handle locked into the bolt carrier group until deliberately removed.
I've had one in my main 1301 for a good chunk of 2021 and it's worked splendidly.
Their website seems to be FUBAR, but you can probably contact them using the contact info on their social media to see if they can ship you one. I think the cost was something like $70 US plus a bit of shipping. Expensive, but if you've ever had heartburn about a two piece charging handle it seems like a good solution.
3/15/2016
I don't really have a concern about the factory charging handle. But some people do, and for those people a two piece setup where the part that interacts with the hand can potentially slide down what I'll crudely refer to as the "stalk" portion of it seems to be contra-indicated. And as best I can tell all the two pieces have that theoretical possibility, if one is concerned about that in the first place.
3/15/2016
Noveske flushcup in an SGA.