Benelli Super M3 opinions?

Grizzly 45

I am possibly thinking of changing over my Franchi for somthing more up to date in the near future.Have any of you got a Benelli M3?
I am intrested in the pump/semi select model in the hunting configuration[or in any other configs too.;):D].
At the mo I just want to hear folks opinions of them as a all rounder hunting gun.Are they as fast,light and hard kicking as claimed?
Any major design faults/relibility issues?Parts availability and dealership service here?
Finally any second hand ones around?whats the prices new or 2nd hand??
TIA
Grizz.

Xplor.er

dont own one or ever fired one so cannot comment on them.
i do know that mourne shooting grounds in monaghan had a S/H one the last time i was up. It has a pistol grip, skeletonised stock and extended magazine so I presume its gonna be restricted. Cant remember price

zlezlius

Grizzly,
Do not know anything about benelli M3, bur reacently got browning Maxus Super Magnum Stalker. The most modern shotgun I've seen so far:speed loading, unloading, quick release forearm, very handy to pull out the limiter(if needed), handy safety switch, very light, recoil is unbelievably light (fiend has Extrema kick off, same difference I thought), comes with the whole lot of spacers and adjusters (l/h to r/h, up/down), triger lock,5 chokes+ 2 inch 3/4 choke, different colours sight, and it doesn't brake the bank. Cycles anything from28g to the heviest 3.5inch loads.
Wery happy with it so far.
Just thought i'll tell you in case you'll have seconds thoughts about Benelli M3

marksman9999

Grizzly, had one for a short while, brilliant but a beast, its quite heavy, kicks like amule with a hangover and will only fire heavy loads on semi auto. But it will never let you down. But due to configuration your local super may not see the point of it??? not too many of them around i think. as for parts most benelli semi autos only have 3 moving parts hence their reliablity, dealer support is good the importer is based in dublin, i have two other benelli semi's and wouldn't change them. Hope that helps

gunhappy_ie

Only seen 1 M3 in civilian hands but fired several others. There an excellent reliable gun in there standard configuration but optical putting sights/shell holders etc on them causes reliability issues with there inertia driven design. They can be gotten with a 28" barrel so along with a straight stock it would be unrestricted so long as you plugged the mag to 3.

GH

leupold90

Hi Grizzly,

I had one for about a year.

Mine wouldn't cycle reliably with anything less than 32g, except some fast 28g (Hull Soverign) which felt like 32g anyway.

Pump action while a useful feature wasn't as smooth as a dedicated pump gun. My friends' 870 felt much slicker.

It was heavy but it fitted me and I shot well with it.

If you can find and licence one by all means get it but anybody I knew that had one didn't keep it for long. I guess they're just too specialised.

Last one I saw in a dealers was in Island sports but that was some time ago.

.338lapuamag

I've got an m3 for the past four years great all round gun never had any probs shot pheasant pigeon woodcock snipe and duck I'm thinking of getting a beretta semi so might sell to fund it let me know if ur interested ? Grizz

freddieot

Never shot an M3 but did have a couple of M2s down the years. Last I had was an M2 Practical complete with porting, ghost sights and a pic rail.

Benelli make fine shotguns. I never had any problems with reliablity, jamming etc. but it's true the semis do not like the weaker loads. I always used +32.

Good luck with the search.

Chesapeake

Grizzly, go for it.
She a'int pretty but she's a good un............
I like my beretta but I loved my benelli super 90, feed her alphamax 36 gram and she'll be happy out (practically no weight diff between them).
She'll choke on 28 grams...... so use her like she was designed for and pump her with the lower loads.
Simple as to strip down, clean and maintain, get the tactical pistol grip stock if you can, makes it a great fit.
And she only kicks when your not holding her right, like any of them!

Grizzly 45

Ok,I'm still swinging with the idea of getting one in the new year.Is there anyone who would like to let me have a go with one of theirs under their auspicies of course for some clays or whatever??[I'll buy the clays and ammo:p] So I have an idea of feel and weight etc.
Am based up in the Midlands rifle and pistol range,and am happy to travel as well to a two hour drive from Limerick.

shanmoll308

You've got mail

FISMA

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

I am possibly thinking of changing over my Franchi for somthing more up to date in the near future.Have any of you got a Benelli M3?
I am intrested in the pump/semi select model in the hunting configuration[or in any other configs too.;):D].
At the mo I just want to hear folks opinions of them as a all rounder hunting gun.Are they as fast,light and hard kicking as claimed?
Any major design faults/relibility issues?Parts availability and dealership service here?
Finally any second hand ones around?whats the prices new or 2nd hand??
TIA
Grizz.

Grizz,
Have you considered stepping up to the SBE? If I lived in Ireland, I would probaby, scratch that, definitely, have less guns, but they'd cost sooooooo much more.

Anyhow, I was very disappointed in the Franchi I-12. She enjoys throwing the slide handle out in the bog, apparently, a common problem. They have been good with the one replacement I needed.

The Franchi always seemed to me to be the child of too many bits and pieces laying about the Benelli parts room.

I would go with the Benelli SBE, the M3 does look nice though. Although, I did pass on the SBE to get the Winchester SX3.

Life's too short to not shoot a fine firearm.

What kind of hunting are you looking at: pheasant, duck, general merriment?

If we're looking at a pheasant gun, can I throw the name Merkel out?:rolleyes:

poulo6.5

i just checked out that m3,

nice looking shotty. looks like the kind of gun you can enjoy shooting.

i am having great fun shooting my 870, its cheep as chips and always puts a smile on my face.

i'd say go for it, but when you get it i want a go.:D

Grizzly 45

FISMA wrote: »

Grizz,

Anyhow, I was very disappointed in the Franchi I-12. She enjoys throwing the slide handle out in the bog, apparently, a common problem. They have been good with the one replacement I needed.

The Franchi always seemed to me to be the child of too many bits and pieces laying about the Benelli parts room.

I dunno about Franchi..All their guns seem to have some sort of a problem or a design fault.:rolleyes:Maybe you have to be Italian to live with one of these.
Like their women and cars,beautiful,complex,high maintenence,and break down when you need them the most!:p

My Franchi 48L ..A stock cruncher!! The buttstock has a weak design and will start splitting from the recoil.Mine has gone thru three stocks in its lifetime,and my uncle has one of the same vintage with the same problems.Am trying it now with a steel insert on a 2nd hand one,and if I could get a plastic one that would fit.I think that would sort it out?

SPAS 12.Looks great,but has a leathl fault in the trigger mechanism.The early versions with the flappy paddle saftey can fire once the saftey is disengaged!!:eek:Franchi actually denied that this was a problem or that this problem existed!
SPAS15
Looks even better!But too many bits to be lost to make it an effective competitor in the LEO/Military field.Fun gun to shoot though!;)

Life's too short to not shoot a fine firearm.

What kind of hunting are you looking at: pheasant, duck, general merriment?

Very true indeed.
Just a GP shotgun,that if it has problems choking on a certain brand of ammo,I can flick over to pump,and that if I register it restricted I can "Barbiefy" it abit:D

richiedel123

I seen one of these for sale in paul o hallorans a few weeks back. It has the pistol grip stock but he said he could get the standard stock if needed. My mate is using one for the last 7 or 8 year and has fired a lot of shots from it and it never gave trouble once. Lighter loads do tend to jam in them but not overall bad. I used it and loved it the pistol grip is great feature on it but because of it its prob classed as restricted