Beretta 1301 Tactical

[Pnut]

I’ll try to keep this short, but include all the details… I took my new bone stock gen2 enhanced LE 1301 to the range a few and put about 50 rounds through it with no problems. I went back to the range today to test out my newest setup… factory barrel clamp with a Magpul cantilever light mount attached to the Mlok slot. I have a surefire Mini Scout Light attached to the Magpul mount. I also installed a Briley charging handle.

The first couple rounds did not fire… the hammer dropped but no primer dent?!?! I realized the bolt was not fully seating, so I had to manually push it forward by about 1-2mm to get it to fire. After 5-6 shots, the problem went away.

I finished putting about 30 rounds through the gun and realized there was some back and forth play in the hand guard. I inspected the gun and saw that the factory mag extension cover was about 2-3 rotations loose, allowing the hand guard to move about a 1/8”. The factory barrel clamp/light setup also moved forward several inches, stopped only by the front sight base. I tried to tighten the mag extension cover by hand but the clamp was tight and I didn’t bring the required 2.5mm hex to loosen it.

What could have caused these problems? I can only think that MAYBE the last time I reassembled the gun, the barrel wasn’t fully seated, causing the light strikes and the hand guard play?!?!

As for the clamp/light movement, could it be the added weight of the Surefire? I just got home, so I will break down the gun and delve deeper into the issues…

[Pnut]

Upon closer inspection, it looks like the light strike problem was user error. I had drawn a witness mark on the tube and fore end the first time I took the gun apart. When I got home the marks were still lined up. The mag tube wouldn’t budge because of the barrel clamp pressure. I tried moving the barrel clamp by hand but it also wouldn’t move. I guess it move forward 2-3” from recoil.

After loosening the barrel clamp, I found that I could rotate the tube 1 full rotation before getting a good seat. In the future, I’ll give the barrel and fore end a good thump before tightening everything down.

As for the barrel clamp movement, I’m fairly sure it had to do with the extra weight of the light. It was secured TIGHT, and there was never any movement before I added the light.

My first attempt at a solution is to add some rubberized grip tape to the clamp. I won’t know if it’ll work till my next range trip though. If that doesn’t work, I was thinking about grinding a groove in the extension tune to mate with the clamp. And if that doesn’t fix the problem, I guess I’ll need the GGG light mount that fits between the mag tube and barrel. I’ll keep everyone informed…

[Pnut]

One piece of good news though… Beretta emailed me today saying the Pro Lifter shipped today!

[civil1977]

The best factory barrel clamp mod I did was the delete mod. The GG&G mount is solid.

[lurkmode]

Upon closer inspection, it looks like the light strike problem was user error. I had drawn a witness mark on the tube and fore end the first time I took the gun apart. When I got home the marks were still lined up. The mag tube wouldn’t budge because of the barrel clamp pressure. I tried moving the barrel clamp by hand but it also wouldn’t move. I guess it move forward 2-3” from recoil.

After loosening the barrel clamp, I found that I could rotate the tube 1 full rotation before getting a good seat. In the future, I’ll give the barrel and fore end a good thump before tightening everything down.

As for the barrel clamp movement, I’m fairly sure it had to do with the extra weight of the light. It was secured TIGHT, and there was never any movement before I added the light.

My first attempt at a solution is to add some rubberized grip tape to the clamp. I won’t know if it’ll work till my next range trip though. If that doesn’t work, I was thinking about grinding a groove in the extension tune to mate with the clamp. And if that doesn’t fix the problem, I guess I’ll need the GGG light mount that fits between the mag tube and barrel. I’ll keep everyone informed…

Im glad nothing catastrophic happened. I ditched my oem clamp asap, it was super loose when I checked for tightness along with no thread locker when I first got it. I ordered the GGG pic/sling mount and witmarked the new oem extension. Ill keep you guys posted on my first trip out. Let's see how the new oem extension tubes run w/o a clamp.

[Pnut]

Although I’m not a fan of the clamp, my only concern is the factory mag extension. It feels pretty weak… like a piece of rolled sheet metal. I’m not kicking down doors and killing zombies with this gun, but should I be concerned with damaging the tube? Maybe I’m being paranoid but IF the gun got dropped just right??? Either way, I’m definitely getting the GGG light mount. I’m pretty sure the clamp moved with the added weight of the light because it stayed put without the light.

***EDIT***
After taking a good look at the tube, it doesn’t stick out that far, and I don’t think damage will be a concern. I guess in my mind, I was thinking of the extension on me Benelli M1. That thing is about 9” long. The 1301’s is less than 5”.

[mmc45414]

After taking a good look at the tube, it doesn’t stick out that far, and I don’t think damage will be a concern. I guess in my mind, I was thinking of the extension on me Benelli M1. That thing is about 9” long. The 1301’s is less than 5”.

Maybe another way to think about it might be that the 1301 extension is not an extension, it is a longer tube. And the plastic sleeve is also the barrel nut, and is also shielding and reenforcing it. Not saying it should be run over with a truck, but it would seem to be equal or better than one with an actual extension.

[Pnut]

Your correct. The tube is actually one long piece. It’s not like adding an extension where you’d need to worry about it shearing off or damaging the threads. I stand corrected.

[kwb377]

Im glad nothing catastrophic happened. I ditched my oem clamp asap, it was super loose when I checked for tightness along with no thread locker when I first got it. I ordered the GGG pic/sling mount and witmarked the new oem extension. Ill keep you guys posted on my first trip out. Let's see how the new oem extension tubes run w/o a clamp.

I ditched my OEM clam, and I also use a GG&G sling mount that attaches between the mag extension and handguard (taking up thread space for the extension). Even so, I've run a couple hundred shells through it with zero movement of the extension. I've determined that the clamp is just a superfluous piece of cheap plastic.

[Centerfire]

The more I use the factory plastic 7 round barrel retaining nut/cover the less it bothers me. It looks cheap but that's about it. GG&G is supposedly working on an aftermarket aluminum replacement. My primary complaint comes from the added difficulty of removing the barrel with the seven round magazine compared to the shorter five round tube.

The factory plastic barrel clamp is a piece of junk and I took it off after the first time firing the shotgun because it was sliding forward. I have a GG&G light mount and think it is good solution for a light but leaves a lot to be desired for a sling. I ended up with the Aridus Zuhkov kit and find it's M-Lok slots perfect but still prefer the size, shape, and texture of the OEM for end. There's no perfect solution at this time so I'm going to leave it as is and wait to see what else comes on the market later. Until then I'll probably try stippling the Magpul grips.