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Thread: Anyone with Beretta 1201 experience?

  1. #1
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    Anyone with Beretta 1201 experience?

    Like several other posters recently, I've been look for a reliable autoloading shotgun that doesn't break the bank. My sole use for the candidate gun is home defense. I know the Benelli M2 is the correct answer, but it's hard for me to justify tying up roughly $1200 in a shotgun that will spend most of its time in a safe except for a monthly or quarterly trip to the range to practice.

    I've dismissed a number of other cheaper contenders including the Mossberg 930 and the Remington 1100/1187 (I know they work for many - I've had two dogs and won't try a third).

    One gun that hits the sweet spot for price is the long-discontinued Beretta 1201fp. The reputation seems good everywhere I check but here. In a post on pistol-forum, one well-qualified member referred to it as abysmal. Since they share some design principles (and possibly even some parts) with the Benelli M1, this comment confused me just a bit.

    What is the consensus on these guns? Avoid at all costs? Or a total sleeper that will do what I need.

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Member Luke's Avatar
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    Have you looked in to the stoeger M3000 or M3K?
    MOA precision sells complete guns with there total package.

  3. #3
    Member pdb's Avatar
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    I had one for several years, liked it quite a lot. I only had one failure to feed with it, I was shooting Walmart Winchester promo birdshot and after one round, the bolt cycled but the shell didn't make it from the lifter into the chamber and I got a *click*. Cycling the bolt got the train going again. I still have no idea what happened.

    It's a recoil operated gun so it hits kind of hard, but I put the Benelli 80046 pistol grip stock on it which improved things. It has a better recoil pad and the third point of contact helps spread the recoil out some.

    The chromed bolt and barrel means it's a snap to clean. The anodizing on the receiver is easily dinged. Mine had rifle sights and they were decent.

    Gripes: There's no good way to put a white light on it without resorting to Bubba rigging hose clamps and such or drilling holes in the handguard or magazine tube shroud. I never tried. The Surefire Benelli M1S90 foreend does not fit. Neither does the tac-star sidesaddle, but I'd go with a velcro one at this point.

    The barrel fixes to the front of the magazine tube so you're committed to 6+1. You can ghost load a shell onto the lifter with the bolt closed so you can store it with 7 shells ready but an empty chamber. If you just stuff shells into the magazine tube and work the bolt, you won't chamber a shell, you need to use the shell advance button on the lifter, or feed a shell directly into the chamber.

    The barrel is also too thin to thread for chokes, and I've never seen a compatible barrel that was threaded either. Mine threw pretty wide patterns with OO buckshot but now I'm curious how it would do with Federal's Flite Control shells.

    I sold it to a friend in a fit of rationalization (If you're not a Glock, AR or 870, GTFO my safe), but if I had found another one like it I would have kept them. I still miss it.


  4. #4
    Member Lyonsgrid's Avatar
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    I have a 1200FP w/ 18" barrel & rifle sights and a woodstock. Solid running gun for me.
    Like pdb said above....part support is lacking behind the Benelli.
    I think they are a decent value and often overlooked.

  5. #5
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    Wannabe - I am most definitely keeping an eye on that Stoeger. I first learned about it in a recent thread here. Followed that up with a quick spin through the hundred or so pages devoted to the topic over on Brian Enos' forum. So far, the only big negative is that the shortest available barrel length appears to be 24". But yes, the Stoeger is most definitely on my watch list.

    pdb - Thanks! Excellent write-up. I have lots of 12 gauge experience but other than a few random Auto-5 sessions, I have little time with inertia guns. I have heard the Beretta is a hard kicker by virtue of its light weight and inertia-driven OS.

  6. #6
    Oils and Lotions SME
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    I used a 1201FP in the NRA LE shotgun instructor class a couple of years ago and was pretty pleased with it. I also agree that the only real issue is a lack of aftermarket and spare parts support, although the last time I looked, Numrich still had a bunch of stuff available. I would consider it as a serious option.

    The 1200FP that I have now and the 1201FP both perform(ed) very well with 00 Flite Control.
    Last edited by Aray; 08-28-2015 at 08:05 AM.
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  7. #7

    1201FP

    Yes. I agree the 1201FP is a great shotgun and is VERY light. Subsequently it does hammer your shoulder being non gas operated. I have the pistol grip choate stock system. Limbsaver has the exact model butt pad that has really mitigated the shoulder hammering. The lack of aftermarket parts has been frustrating. Something as simple as a small tactical flashlight mount for the offsize, 1.3" magazine tube is essentially non existent. So today, I performed some redneck ingenuity type gunsmith/surgery on a cheap picatinny light mount. I purchased a BEAMSHOT RF9/B mount for a standard 1" mag tube for about 20$. Its a 2 piece clamshell style mount with 2 allen head screws to hold the half's together around the tube. I separated the 2 pieces. I found a large 2" diameter metal pipe in my shop and secured it my vice. I warmed up the 2 anodized aluminum pieces with a butane torch. I placed each clam shell section over the pipe and used a rubber mallet to open up the circumference of each clam shell by a few solid whacks. I secured the provided rubber protection pieces on the inside of the clamshells with some contact cement. I also had to use the bench grinder to cone shape the heads of the allen head screws to fit the new contour geometry change. I secured the newly shaped pieces onto the mag tube. Voila. It worked. Is it pretty? NO! Is it perfectly symmetrical? NO!. Is it secure and functional? Absolutely. Does it hold my Streamlight TLR-1 800 lumen tactical light that amazon has for 109$?? YES! Does it now illuminate skulking coyotes in the area for the #1 buckshot to tenderize? Absolutely.

  8. #8
    Murder Machine, Harmless Fuzzball TCinVA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SMD View Post
    I know the Benelli M2 is the correct answer,
    I would choose the Beretta 1301, personally.

    One gun that hits the sweet spot for price is the long-discontinued Beretta 1201fp. The reputation seems good everywhere I check but here. In a post on pistol-forum, one well-qualified member referred to it as abysmal. Since they share some design principles (and possibly even some parts) with the Benelli M1, this comment confused me just a bit.

    What is the consensus on these guns? Avoid at all costs? Or a total sleeper that will do what I need.

    Thanks in advance.
    The stock of the 1201 has a LOP that is absurd. There are very, very few options available to replace it and get a shorter LOP. This is a deal breaker for many.

    The 1201 is a very light shotgun. That lightness, when paired with serious loads and a stock that's too long, can lead to an outright punishing recoil impulse.

    Because it uses the Benelli inertia system, some specimens prefer heavier loads for function. Because it uses the Benelli inertia system, some specimens don't tolerate recoil mitigation (push/pull) very well.

    I have a 1201 that I paid probably too much for. I've replaced the stock and mine functions with a moderate level of push/pull. It runs low recoil Federal Flight Control without complaint.

    It's not a bad gun, but it's not what I would buy if I was looking for a defensive gauge. If I were looking for a cost effective gauge for home defense I'd sooner get an 870 and set it up exactly the way I want. If I was looking specifically at an autoloader I'd spend the money and buy the Beretta 1301. In fact, that's exactly what I did. =)
    Last edited by TCinVA; 12-20-2019 at 10:37 AM.
    3/15/2016

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by SMD View Post
    Like several other posters recently, I've been look for a reliable autoloading shotgun that doesn't break the bank. My sole use for the candidate gun is home defense. I know the Benelli M2 is the correct answer, but it's hard for me to justify tying up roughly $1200 in a shotgun that will spend most of its time in a safe except for a monthly or quarterly trip to the range to practice.

    I've dismissed a number of other cheaper contenders including the Mossberg 930 and the Remington 1100/1187 (I know they work for many - I've had two dogs and won't try a third).

    One gun that hits the sweet spot for price is the long-discontinued Beretta 1201fp. The reputation seems good everywhere I check but here. In a post on pistol-forum, one well-qualified member referred to it as abysmal. Since they share some design principles (and possibly even some parts) with the Benelli M1, this comment confused me just a bit.

    What is the consensus on these guns? Avoid at all costs? Or a total sleeper that will do what I need.

    Thanks in advance.
    Gun choice aside, the idea of buying a gun for home defense and then just leaving it in the closet implies that it is not something you will train or practice with. You would be much better off with a Remington 870 or Mossberg 590 that you shoot, or at least practice handling with dummy rounds on a regular basis.

    My own experience with the 1201 has been limited. It was reliable with police duty type ammo but as others mentioned the stock was too long and that combined with the Benelli inertia system made the gun unpleasant to shoot. I say this as someone who is not particularly recoil sensitive.

    Tne Beretta 1301 is the “A” answer for a reliable semi auto. Doctors if the Beretta 1301 is not in the budget I would take a hard look at the Stoeger.

  10. #10
    Site Supporter Bigghoss's Avatar
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    I had a 1201FP years ago. I did not shoot it a lot but I found that with buck shot and slugs it ran fine. With birdshot there was a velocity threshold, I think 1300fps, below that wouldn't work, above and it ran without a hitch. Only reason I sold it was because it only held 5 shells and there was no way to get any more.
    Quote Originally Posted by MattyD380 View Post
    Because buying cool, interesting guns I don't need isn't a decision... it's a lifestyle...

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