What Agencies Are Using The Beretta 1301-T

[UNM1136]

Didn't HK originally import the Benelli defensive shotguns.

Yep

pat

[Brian T]

Dallas, TX PD is authorizing the 1301T. First Beretta firearm authorized since 1988.

[Brian T]

Yeah, I think so too...

I have an hierloom A5 that I desperately want to SBS, but then again, heirloom, family history, family arguments over inheriting...

The long recoil Browning design needs to be revived.

pat

Holler at me.

[HCM]

Didn't HK originally import the Benelli defensive shotguns.

Yes. The 121.

[Exiledviking]

The Benelli 121 and M1 are as prolific as their price allowed them to be.

I’ve been running a Benelli M1 since 1988 and have not experienced these “lighter load” issues you describe.

I picked up my M1 Super 90 (HK marked) in the mid to late 90s because it was considered to be one of the best, if not the best, semi-auto tactical shotguns at that time by the clued in guys.

I have not had any issues with the lighter loads nor has my friend with his M1.

[Lon]

However, IME I don’t think issuing shotguns to everyone is worth the time and effort required to achieve and maintain actual proficiency vs carbines. Non-shooter cops whose primary duty weapon is a semi auto pistol just seem to understand” take to “carbines that work like the pistols they are most familiar with. In my experience for most officers every quarter was Groundhog Day when it came time to shoot a shotgun.

I like @Erick Gelhaus idea of investing the time only for those who show interest

Agree 1000%

There may be 10% of my agency who would maintain a true level of proficiency if we issued them out. But realistically it’s more like 5%.

[TCinVA]

Agree 1000%

There may be 10% of my agency who would maintain a true level of proficiency if we issued them out. But realistically it’s more like 5%.

...and this is a special level of concern with semi-autos that have shell cutoffs.

I'm as big a supporter of the 1301 as you'll find...but it's not the gun I would hand out to people as a defensive shotgun.

I see people using the 1301 under mild levels of stress on a regular basis and it's abundantly clear to me that my class is the only real training they're doing on the gun. As a consequence, at various points through the day I watch them sort of staring slack-jawed at the gun because they can't remember which button does what. It's something that is easily rectified by spending more time on the gun working in dryfire with good dummy shells, but even people enthusiastic enough to buy a 1301 and come to class show how perishable their understanding of the gun's function is if they haven't invested the time away from the range to become proficient in making it work.

This is one of the reasons why every drill I perform in Home Defense Shotgun starts from a "cruiser ready" position. The truth is that in a single day I cannot possibly get someone all the time they need behind the gun to be proficient. With limited time that has to cover some aspects of home defense and police/citizen interaction, I have limited range time and I use the strategy of starting every single drill from cruiser ready to give them as many experiences charging the gun to get it into action as possible. They also get just as many reps setting the gun up for cruiser ready as possible as a result.

It wasn't hard for me to learn the 1301 to the level of proficiency...but the first gun I ever fired was an 870 Wingmaster and I had almost 2 decades running a wide variety of guns at a pretty high level before I ever picked one up. I'm wired differently on shotguns than your typical person. I've been asked multiple times if there's any point in other shotguns now that the 1301 is out there. Absolutely, and for precisely this reason.

The 1301 is a superb tool, but it requires a higher level of investment to get to the point where you can run it under fighting stress than a pump gun. It's worthwhile to make that investment for the benefits you can get from the gun. An example is the ability to still effectively run the gun while using a shield...hard to do that with a pump gun. But the reality is that the typical defensive shotgun is rarely touched and when needed its operation needs to be as simple as humanly possible.

If I were running a department the general issue scattergun would be an 870. The 1301 would be a personally approved option provided the officer using it can demonstrate a higher level of proficiency in manipulating the gun or for tactical units that do more training.

[Paul Blackburn]

The shotgun is becoming the clued in guy's weapon of choice, carried largely by those inside a department who care enough to get their personal selection authorized.

A fair number of 1301's are in patrol cars for that reason.

When I did armorer's training on the 1301, everyone else in the class was there from fairly large agencies spanning the country who sent people because they were buying 1301 Tactical shotguns. I don't remember all of them now, but a couple were large agencies in Illinois.

What were the main take-aways from the Armorer's course?

[Lon]

I know the NC State Police issued or at least authorized them at some point.

[TCinVA]

What were the main take-aways from the Armorer's course?

It was mainly detail stripping the gun and learning what parts you could replace and what were considered factory only operations. A lot of that has likely changed since then, as even their armorer's manual was showing things that the trainer said were factory only operations.