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Recently found a Benelli M4 clone from Charles Daly called the 601 DPS. As far as I can tell, it's a 80% clone of the Benelli M4 with several key difference listed below. There's not too much info on these shotguns, couple thread on AR15.com and shotgun world forum.... but not much. Most of the YouTube videos relating to these clones are out of Canada which has had them for a while now. I'm not going to review it since you can find them online already, so far it's been 100% reliable with target loads, 00 buck & slugs. My buddy had a M1 with him and his bolt fit the 601 but I didn't shot it for function, I'm assuming that the received is pretty much a direct copy. And so is the gas system as you can see, duo-piston.
This was a budget semi that's going to be my beater gun throwing into the back of the truck bed so there's couple things I wanted to slap on to make it fit my needs.
1) Charging handle: no issues, direct drop in with a Nordic handle designed for the M1/M2.
2) Stock, OEM piece is super long so I wanted to run shorter stock. Here's the first biggest issue, the recoil tube is not a direct copy. It's like a mini-AR carbine buffer tube for a factory sliding stock. Try to source one, no USA importer has them. SO I went with a fix stock, short LOP option with the Mesa Tactical Urbino stock for the M4. Some issues popped up on the install, the recoil tube on the 601 is way too long to use the OEM mounting hole on the Urbino. SO I took the "wedge" block out of the 601's stock, wrapped it in kydex to make it wider and used the same "wedge" block concept to mount the Urbino. Had to cut out the Urbino's mounting point so that the recoil tube can travel all the way to the "wedge" block. Used the 601's hardware to mount, fits fine. You'll need to trim the grip area where it interfaces with the trigger guard, there's too much material there. I wanted to use the sling plate on the Urbino so I had to trim that so the 601'a tube can fit it.
3) I wanted to run a RDS on it, second issue... the top rail is not a 1913 picatinny rail, I think it's a Weaver rail. So some mounts that use the mounting screw as the recoil lugs will mount fine, but if your mount has pic rail recoil lugs to interface with a real pic rail, it won't work. SO I got a Mesa Tactical top rail with 6-round side-saddle. Everything lines up fine, just need to use the 601's mounting screws. They are different from the Mesa Tactical provided screws. Just clean up the old lock-tight and reused with blue lock-tight.
4) Magazine tube, it's a one-piece 5-shot tube with the limiter grooved into the tube. No good way to machine out the groove so looks like I'll need a Dave Metal Works 7-shot tube. From online threads on this subject, it's easy install with a little heat on the receiver to remove tube. The thread pattern the same as Benelli.
5) Bolt-release looks like a direct copy so any of the aftermarket big release should work. I have a Nordic round button on it's way, will have to drill and tap the button for mounting.
That's about it so far. A side note on the recoil tube, from thread online, it's a direct copy so you should be able to replace it with a Benelli recoil tube and use any Benelli or aftermarket stock without modification. I just didn't want to track down a recoil tube and put down $ for it. My mounting solution works fine and is solid so far.
Cheer!
NB
This was a budget semi that's going to be my beater gun throwing into the back of the truck bed so there's couple things I wanted to slap on to make it fit my needs.
1) Charging handle: no issues, direct drop in with a Nordic handle designed for the M1/M2.
2) Stock, OEM piece is super long so I wanted to run shorter stock. Here's the first biggest issue, the recoil tube is not a direct copy. It's like a mini-AR carbine buffer tube for a factory sliding stock. Try to source one, no USA importer has them. SO I went with a fix stock, short LOP option with the Mesa Tactical Urbino stock for the M4. Some issues popped up on the install, the recoil tube on the 601 is way too long to use the OEM mounting hole on the Urbino. SO I took the "wedge" block out of the 601's stock, wrapped it in kydex to make it wider and used the same "wedge" block concept to mount the Urbino. Had to cut out the Urbino's mounting point so that the recoil tube can travel all the way to the "wedge" block. Used the 601's hardware to mount, fits fine. You'll need to trim the grip area where it interfaces with the trigger guard, there's too much material there. I wanted to use the sling plate on the Urbino so I had to trim that so the 601'a tube can fit it.
3) I wanted to run a RDS on it, second issue... the top rail is not a 1913 picatinny rail, I think it's a Weaver rail. So some mounts that use the mounting screw as the recoil lugs will mount fine, but if your mount has pic rail recoil lugs to interface with a real pic rail, it won't work. SO I got a Mesa Tactical top rail with 6-round side-saddle. Everything lines up fine, just need to use the 601's mounting screws. They are different from the Mesa Tactical provided screws. Just clean up the old lock-tight and reused with blue lock-tight.
4) Magazine tube, it's a one-piece 5-shot tube with the limiter grooved into the tube. No good way to machine out the groove so looks like I'll need a Dave Metal Works 7-shot tube. From online threads on this subject, it's easy install with a little heat on the receiver to remove tube. The thread pattern the same as Benelli.
5) Bolt-release looks like a direct copy so any of the aftermarket big release should work. I have a Nordic round button on it's way, will have to drill and tap the button for mounting.
That's about it so far. A side note on the recoil tube, from thread online, it's a direct copy so you should be able to replace it with a Benelli recoil tube and use any Benelli or aftermarket stock without modification. I just didn't want to track down a recoil tube and put down $ for it. My mounting solution works fine and is solid so far.
Cheer!
NB
