Is the Benelli M3 worth it?

[N_S]

Benelli M3s are dual-action shotguns that can either be set to semi-auto or pump. They run around $1K and up. If I get one I'd probably find myself putting tons of rounds through it although I heard they're a little complex to use.

Are they a good buy?

[randy]

I'm a big advocate of Benellis lord knows I have a few. I wouldn't waste my $$$ on an M3. It's a bad idea they wised up and quit making.

They tried to go with the best of both worlds and it turned out to look like Rosie ODonnell

[N_S]

I don't think the gun is ugly, in fact I don't care that much.

Does it shoot well?

[capitol]

I have one and enjoy shooting it. I have never used it as a pump though.

[ar15barrels]

I have one and enjoy shooting it. I have never used it as a pump though.

That's probably true of about 90% of them.

[Ding126]

I have owned an M1 and two M3's and last the M4 w/ skel stock. I found the M3 to be a great shooter..The forearm/pump looks a bit long but other than that..the advantage is you can shoot light loads in the pump mode..where it might not cycle on semi. law enforcement use them for shooting tear gas & bean bag rounds.
I would say I like the M4 best out of all of them.

[NSR500]

The pump is useful for using less than lethal rounds and other things like that, but for most users, they'd be running it as a Semi.

[heavyrecoil]

N S-

The M3 is an interesting design, but IMO somewhat too heavy and impractical unless you plan to be shooting a whole bunch of "less-than-lethal" rounds or other ammunition that might not properly cycle the semi-auto action.

I had one of the HK-imported guns back in the early 90's, and while it proved to be a fun and reliable shooter, I eventually traded it in for a M1 because I found that I was only using it in semi-auto mode-- and the M1 was lighter and (for me, anyway) handled better.

Also, with ~$800 (1992 pricing) tied up in the gun, I wanted some versatility to use it for other sporting purposes/hunting. While there was supposedly a 26" field barrel with interchangeable chokes available for the M3, no one ever seemed to be able to locate one for me. Keep in mind that this was all pre-Internet. Accessory barrels for the M1 were and are much easier to come by.

YMMV, but I would suggest that if you're interested in a Benelli, you might want to carefully evaluate your shooting needs/wants, and perhaps consider the M2.

Randy-

It looks like Benelli is still offering the M3-- you can view it under the "Special Purpose" section on their web site. Maybe it was recently discontinued?

[mike452]

If you hang around the Benelliusa forum, you will see the M3 rates pretty low.
They all pretty much said the same thing as heavyrecoil above.
Get a M4...

[randy]

If you want to run around your house and clear your kitchen or sit on the couch and pump it then cycle it in semi auto then the M3 is a good gun. If you want to take a "tactical" shotgun class the M3 will slow you down.

If you want to use a shotgun then pickup the M2 and shoot 3 gun.

The Rosie reference wasn't about it's looks as much as a package as a whole kind of a POS.

[sbjmg]

The M3 is awesome. Most people that don't like it have not owned one. Yes it is a little heavier, but the M1 and M2 will have trouble with light loads (the ones you can use for plinking). As far as looks, I love my m3 but that is a personal preference.

M1/2<M3<M4 and the price corresponds accordingly.

[homerm14]

Look around a bit. You can find one in the $600-800 range. I agree with most,it's shot mostly in semi. I only use mine in pump for light loads such as less lethal and breeching rounds. The pump is a little far forward, and it takes more time to switch it to pump than it would to just clear a jam with the bolt. That being said mine has never jammed.

[Pokey]

I have an M3 and if I had it to do over it would be an M1. Don't get me wrong, its a good gun and I like it but as said before M1 is lighter, the pump is of minimal use and cannot be closed (unless a round feeds from the mag) without hitting the bolt release. The M1 also has many more add ons available. Also the pump vs semi has to be decided pre malfunction, not after.
Yes I'm happy with mine but probably be happier with an M1.
BTW a friend of mine has an M3 for sale if you are interested I can get info.

[Black Majik]

It's not as intuitive as I'd like it, but I don't shoot mine much. Mainly got it for novelty reasons. Cool gun, but the pump/semi is a solution in search of a problem. In pump mode, you can't close the bolt on an empty chamber using the forearm, it needs to be released by the Bolt release. The pump action is stiff and springy, not very smooth.

It's a great gun though. Only problem with mine is that my magazine clamp keeps getting shot loose, so it moves up my barrel during recoil. I don't use locktite since it needs to be taken off to be cleaned, and the mag clamp screw is soft and seems to mar easily.

Overall, I like it for a semi. I don't really ever use it in pump mode. Still a nice shotgun, but it's not all that user friendly because of the quirks as stated above.

P.S. Please don't pay $1800 for one like I see in the classifieds. That's waay too expensive.

[BroncoBob]

I shot my friends M3 and I agree it is a bit heavy but a nice shooting gun. I have a Super Nova and enjoy it to the max. It is light weight compared to the M3 but with the pistol grip and buttstock pad the recoil is not an issue and half the cost of an M4, but you do have to pump it.