SOLVED Auto-loading problem on a new benelli M4 (pics added)

[j6p2004]

The factory grease might be gumming up the recoil spring. Remove the bolt carrier, squirt a bit of clp or whatever gun oil (not grease) to the back of the receiver where the recoil tube is, cycle manually a few times and try again.

[hp95125]

Update - a friend sent me this thread:

http://www.benelliusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18329

Which convinced me to give it another try before I contact benelli. So I took the whole gun apart again, including the ARGO gas tubes, checked and cleaned everything, oiled it well, and spent another morning in the range.

I am at 225 shells shot right now, and I do not see an improvement. It will cycle federal premium LE slugs and magnum buckshot 00 but nothing else. low recoil or max power federal premium LE buckshot, and any bird or target shot (#4, #6, #7.5) will not eject or cycle.

Now I am done... It is going back to benelli tomorrow.

[PEBKAC]

Yeah...there is something quite wrong with it if it won't cycle birdshot > 1oz. Like I said before, "low recoil" is a no-go period sans special barrel but any normal power 2.75 in shotshell ~should~ be cycling correctly. Hope Benelli makes it right.

[hp95125]

Got an RMA number from Benelli and going to UPS today. It should take at least 4 weeks until I get it back so subscribe to the thread if you have or plan to buy an M4 and want to see how this ended.

[ROCKETW19]

Got an RMA number from Benelli and going to UPS today. It should take at least 4 weeks until I get it back so subscribe to the thread if you have or plan to buy an M4 and want to see how this ended.

good luck bro, hope it works out for ya!

[hp95125]

If anybody is still interested:

The gun came back from Benelli last Friday, 3 weeks turn around including shipping to the east coast and back. better than promised. The repair tag said that defective gas pistons were replaced. I actually think they replaced the whole barrel since I had the strap loop turned 90 degrees and the one that came back was in the factory position.

I took it to the range today and it shoots great, tried 6 different shell types from slugs to low recoil target shots and all cycle perfectly.

I guess this is the end of the story. I've put the GG&G charging handle and bolt release pad on it, the mesa tactical 6 shot side saddle, a burris fastfire II red dot sight, and a green laser for fun. I should post some pictures... it's a good looking shotgun.

[fleadh]

I picked up a NIB M4 a couple weeks ago, assembled it using the directions in the manual (didn't even lube or clean anything), took it to the range and shot about 75 rounds of light target loads through it without any cycling problems. I also mixed in a few normal 2 3/4 00.

I'm not planning on running any light loads through it under normal conditions, so I wasn't sweating it either way.. I was curious though if it would have any cycling problems. Maybe I was just lucky...

-mike

[ROCKETW19]

If anybody is still interested:

The gun came back from Benelli last Friday, 3 weeks turn around including shipping to the east coast and back. better than promised. The repair tag said that defective gas pistons were replaced. I actually think they replaced the whole barrel since I had the strap loop turned 90 degrees and the one that came back was in the factory position.

I took it to the range today and it shoots great, tried 6 different shell types from slugs to low recoil target shots and all cycle perfectly.

I guess this is the end of the story. I've put the GG&G charging handle and bolt release pad on it, the mesa tactical 6 shot side saddle, a burris fastfire II red dot sight, and a green laser for fun. I should post some pictures... it's a good looking shotgun.

PICTURES!!!!
also glad it worked out

[Johnny.B.Good]

If anybody is still interested:

The gun came back from Benelli last Friday, 3 weeks turn around including shipping to the east coast and back. better than promised.

Sorry that you had a problem out of the box but happy to see that Benelli resolved it to your satisfaction. I was looking at one this weekend (24 hours after the $200 rebate offer ended so I went with a Glock 19 instead!) and read your thread with interest and concern.

Do you find that felt recoil is noticeably better/worse than with less expensive shotguns?

Hope you post some pictures when you get a chance!

[We Are Apocalypse]

Mine went through about 100 rounds with some cycling issues. I was using the light loads from Walmart because you get 100 for about 20 bucks. Took it home, cleaned it real well, oiled it up. Took it out today and ran some regular loads and the light loads and it ran like a champion. I know there are plenty of naysayers when it comes to the Benelli M4 but as far as a home defense shotgun, it's pretty top notch in my book. All I need now is a light and mount.

[hp95125]

I'm still on the fence regarding the tube. reasons:

1) Not cheap, over $200 for a nice titanium full length tube to add 2 more shells.
2) I understand you need to use a heat gun to remove the thread locking of the original tube
3) I think there are some legal issues of both round capacity of a shotgun with a pistol grip and issues with 921, and I am not sure I want to risk it.

hope to find time to take some photos today.

[PEBKAC]

I'm still on the fence regarding the tube. reasons:

1) Not cheap, over $200 for a nice titanium full length tube to add 2 more shells.
2) I understand you need to use a heat gun to remove the thread locking of the original tube
3) I think there are some legal issues of both round capacity of a shotgun with a pistol grip and issues with 921, and I am not sure I want to risk it.

hope to find time to take some photos today.

For the heat gun, find someone who will let you borrow theirs. I wouldn't count on the hair dryer personally, mine only started break the loc-tite when the gun was too hot to hold and the oil was smoking which I'm not convinced a hairdryer will do...but maybe I just have a sh**ty hair dryer. Came out real easy once it was at that point though.

Personally I got a heat gun at Frys, but opened the box such that you couldn't tell I'd opened it and returned it 3 days after installing the tube.

The issues with upgrading the mag tube are mostly with 922(r) that has to do with number of foreign made parts in a gun changed from imported configuration. Basically 10 or less foreign parts to be legal. Only some parts actually count (just Google 922r and you should find most of the info). There are a total of 13 pertinent parts on the M4. The easily replaceable ones are the mag tube, the follower, the handguard, and the stock (well, at least the stock will be when Mesa Tactical releases the Urbino).

To be legal you either have to have a US made handguard of some sort or a US made stock of some sort in addition to the tube and follower to be in the clear.

Long story short, you are going to be spending probably somewhere to the tune of 250 bucks in addition to the tube's price to stay legal (Urbinos start around $200+, a good US made handguard is going to be something railed so that will run around $200 or more as well, plus a follower and shipping and possibly tax). That is federally though, CA is a different story.

California actually has surprisingly few issues with the M4 as AW status is triggered by the following:
(6) A semiautomatic shotgun that has both of the following:
...(A) A folding or telescoping stock.
...(B) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon, thumbhole stock, or vertical handgrip.
(7) A semiautomatic shotgun that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine.
(8) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder.

Just don't install a collapsing stock and you should have no trouble staying legal under CA law. Given the price of said stocks your pocketbook should have no objections to that.

As for CA issues with upgrading the tube and magazine capacity...just don't go over 10 rounds in the tube in capacity...the M4 tops out at 7 in the tube when upgraded. You can push it further by replacing the magazine cap with a Nova extension (I have a 1 round nova on the end of mine, bringing it to 8 in the tube) but anything past a two round nova extension starts to look ridiculous, to say nothing of making the gun longer than most probably want. Should be easy to stay legal as you would have to go past a plus three extension on the end to stray into "greater than 10 round capacity" land.

Other than all that, have a blast with it. It's a great gun.

[X-NewYawker]

Face it. M4s suck.
Find an old M1 Super 90.

[joelogic]

When I bought my M2 people said that benelli's are picky with ammo. The manual says shoot anything with over 3 drams of powder. Luckily the walmart ammo is 3 1/4 drams and it runs great. I have shot about 400 rounds in 3 matches without one FTF/FTE.

[hp95125]

Pics of the M4













You are looking at a stock M4, with:

GG&G Benelli Tactical Charging Handle
GG&G Benelli Tactical Bolt Release Pad
Viking Tactics Wide Padded 2 Point Sling
Burris FastFire II Red-Dot Reflex Sight with the Picatinny Protector mount
Mesa Tactical Sureshell Shotshell Ammunition Carrier with Picatinny Rail 12-Gauge Benelli M4, M1014 6-Round
No-name green laser with remote activation, mounted on the barrel with a clamp that has a picatinny slot and a Viking tactical light mount, so it doesn't have to be removed for field stripping. Interchangeable with a tactical light.