Need your wisdom for home defense Benelli M2

[ProtectMyFamily]

I am looking to build out the following and could use your help in regards to legality and parts. (I thought I saw the perfect setup on a thread awhile ago - but not sure it was on CalGuns) P.S. I do live in CA.

1. Benelli M2 with pistol grip (had a M4, but too heavy for my wife - too bad)
2. Shortest overall length (dealing with very tight quarters)
3. Maximum allowable rounds (not looking for tube ext., but longer tube)
4. Tactical light and red dot
5. Weapon mounted holder for extra rounds (probably Mesa Tactical)
6. Foregrip (if legal) to accommodate vertical handgrip (and possibly tactical light & red dot)

New and very serious security concern (gangs) has (literally) landed on my doorstep where I live with my wife and 3 yr old. Should the unthinkable happen, winning is the ONLY option. Yes, other weapon systems can/will be deployed, but I'm only working on a more overwhelming shotgun system right now. Pics of similar systems would really help as well. Thank you very much in advance.

[kdruff2]

I don't know how open you are to this suggestion, but it relates your #2 & #6.

From the perspective of getting the most out of your $, I'd go with a longer barrel (+26") and no pistol grip. If you do that, you'll be able to utilize your gun for multiple purposes (HD, Skeet/trap, 3Gun).

If you end up w a 18" or 21" pistol grip shotgun, it'll be a range/safe queen - albeit a nice one. I'm not hating on the strict HD shotguns, but if you're going to be spending that kind of money (M2), you should at least get to enjoy your purchase.

Just saying.

[ProtectMyFamily]

Thanks kdruff2 for the response and great advice. I agree it would be more versatile without the pistol grip and a longer barrel. However, I already have shotguns for those other purposes. For the specific purpose of HD, I prefer the pistol grip and should have mentioned that in my original post - my apologies and I have edited my original post. Also, my wife (who might also need to use it) is more comfortable with the pistol grip. Thanks again.

[bigbearbear]

I'm not an expert on shotgun but I think you'll do well to have chat with the guy who runs this web site:

http://www.aiptactical.com/

[Vertigofirearms]

-Get the field stock or comfortech stock, The pistol grip will slow you down in aiming but I find it easier to load shells with the pistol grip than the field.

-18 inches is the lowest length barrel you can obtain here in California without a dangerous weapons permit, LE, etc...

-Extensions can go well over 10 rounds (refer to 3-gunners shotgun set-up), but for California it must be 10 or under.

-I have never seen an accessory rail for the M2 forend. So to my knowledge you must attach the rails yourself. Magpul Angled fore-grip is as far you can go on this, NO 90 degree fore-grip.

[L84CABO]

Is an M2 that much lighter than a M4? I never looked at the weights. Are you sure this is going to solve the problem?

[kdruff2]

^^^M2 is lighter than the M4 (stock). The M4 is gas operated ("Argo") while the M2 is an inertia driven gun. The gas piston(s) contributes significantly to the weight difference.

My buddy has a tacticool M4. She's a sexy beast Marilyn Monroe type. She always gets drooled on by folks when she's out at the range. My M2 would be more like....Miley Cyrus, but less slutty, and goes mostly unnoticed.

But I suppose Miley gets the last laugh since she gets to go on most outings (most anywhere firearms are allowed), while Marilyn can only prance around the range.

[ProtectMyFamily]

bigbearbear - Thanks for the info. I will look into him. I see he lives in MI. Must be nice. My best friend will never move back to CA from MI because he of the major difference in gun laws.

Vertigofirearms - Thanks for the heads-up. I was not aware that a 90 degree grip on the forend was a problem. I used to have one on my M4, as you will see from the attached pics. First image is my old M4 w/ B&T forend and vertical grip. Second is the system I always wanted for HD, but obviously could not legally own.

L84CABO - kdruff2 is correct (again). M2 is much lighter, and the added weight of the ARGO system is forward, making it much harder to keep on target (especially for my wife).

kdruff2 - Thanks for the amusingly accurate descriptions. I miss my Marilyn, but will still accomplish the mission with Miley.

http://i917.photobucket.com/albums/ad19/ProtectMyFamily/P4180150_zps3f4fc86b.jpg

http://i917.photobucket.com/albums/ad19/ProtectMyFamily/BenelliM4perfect_zps4a4235ca.jpg

[Sicarius]

For purely HD:
18 inch barrel. For me, I notice a fairly large difference between moving around with an 18 inch and 20 inch barrel. Try for yourself and see though.

+2 extension will bring the magazine tube flush with the 18 barrel for a total of 7 rounds. I personally like Daves metalworks aftermarket extensions over Nordic. I have both on different guns. Daves Metalworks or DMW are parkerized steel and the Nordic is AL. Both have their perks but the Daves is cheaper, feels sturdier(steel) and comes with a follower and spring. The Nordic is very nice. I just have my preferences. It is two pieces which are attached with some really fine threads on top of being made of AL. Maybe I am sensitive to cross threading but to me, it makes it more complicated than it needs to be and weaker. It does not come with a follower... which is not necessary but very nice, especially since they cost more.

Side saddle is a must but Mesa seems to have retention issues. By retention issues, I have the furthest two shells brass side up and the rest brass down. This allows for more streamline reloading and the brass ones up for quicker reload from dry/bolt locked back. With the brass side down, while shooting a lot of side saddles will allow the shell to slip out. Look at 3gungear for their Velcro/elastic offerings. I am extremely pleased with them. Do not get the ones at SKD tactical Velcro/elastic ones because those have retension issues too.

Straight stock is what I prefer. It is much faster to manipulate the shotgun. The pistol grip gets in the way if you need to use your strong hand and try to grasp the gun again. You will also find it hard to support the gun if you reload with your weak hand. You will have to pinch the stock between your body and arm. This limits your ability to efficiently reload the shotgun which is already somewhat difficult to do one shell a second under stress and probably not in the most ideal position.

Surefire LED weaponlight/foregrip. I cannot stress that enough. If you are defending your home. Identify your target and retain situational awareness. They are expensive but it is a well thought out weaponlight. Goofy buttons, awkward mounts, Velcro remote buttons with coiled wire, cheap flashlights that are not rated for recoil and abuse will be your shortfall. If you are going to put a tool on your shotgun and depend on it, it needs to work every time. Not to say that a surefire cannot fail but the chances are slim. 100 lumens is pretty bright indoors and plenty. 200 is very nice but anything above that is overkill. Try shining a 200+ lumen light at a white wall from darkness after your eyes adjust.

Vertical foregrip is not needed and like the pistol grip, probably slow you down on weapon manipulation and shotguns take a lot. It is called the thinking man's weapon. You can swap loads as the situation presents. You will need to practice with it if you are going to use it for HD. Benelli's are sensitive in sorts. Since the action relies on the recoil to actuate it, an opposite force like a shove while shooting can negate it. Just something to keep in mind. I have heard of people flinching with just a pistol grip and causing the gun to not cycle. Supposidly if you put the stock up against a wall and pull the trigger, it will not cycle... Not sure if that is true or not but makes sense within the scope of the design. It needs that give. Excessive weight will also do the same but I have yet to find that limit. For IPSC I run a 9 round tube(total), surefire and side saddle. Quite a bit of weight...

Red dot I find unnecessary expense for indoor. Ghost rings work fine for me. I find that the rifle sights on the benelli are too low for me if you try to cheek the stock. Try without a red dot and see for yourself. You can always add one later. It will not make you a sharp shooter by any means... You are probably better off spending the money on ammo/training/practice.

Take a couple training courses. They are invaluable for showing you how to use the shotgun to it's fullest, especially since you intend to use it for defense. Benelli is an excellent choice for a shotgun. I have found that benelli's take a bit of breaking in so don't be disheartened by a few jams out of the box. Run it hard. I have thousands of rounds through mine. I have yet to find a better suited HD shotgun IMO.
Kevin

[loophole]

If your wife might have to use it, you best forget all of that bolt-on dog$h*t and get a simple gun she can handle.

[saki302]

My advice:

Benelli M1/M2

Straight stock
18.5" barrel with interchangeable chokes (you can choke full for trap, open for skeet)
+4 extension (goes flush with the end of the barrel)
Surefire flashlight forend.

Skip the tacticool pistol grip and vertical foregrip, they do nothing to help handling. You're firing a shotgun, not an M249.
I don't care for sidesaddles either, they're not that quick to use, and unbalance the gun (and get in the way).

Try one with a pistol grip, then with a straight stock. I find I hit much better with the straight stock, and it's not a disadvantage in any way, IMO (though I have big hands- I can manipulate it same as a PG).

I also prefer the rifle sights over the ghost rings. The front sight does a nice impression of a bead on the skeet/trap range, and if you drop your head you get a decent set of rifle sights for slugs.

A side note- if you get an earlier M1, you can 'ghost load' the follower, bringing total capacity to 9 rounds.

-Dave

[zhyla]

I don't know how serious you are about shotguns but in my limited experience shotguns are all about loading. Even with 8 rounds in the pipe you're going to be concerned about running dry. The shoot two, load two kind of operation takes some practice and efficient loading takes a LOT of practice. I'd rather have a guy with a $200 pump and good loading skills defending my house than a guy with a fancy semiauto.

Are you doing some kind of fighting shotgun training? Is your wife?

Not to start a war but while my 12ga is the go-to gun for me, it's not an option for my wife. She would have to put a lot of hours behind a shotgun to be able to use it reliably in a pinch. She can manage a handgun or rifle with much less practice.

[kdruff2]

One tweak to what saki302 (Dave) suggested (but I second his thoughts on the topic). Most skeet/trap/sporting clay ranges have a minimum length barrel requirement (typically 24-26"). Anything shorter and you run the chance of being talked to at the range.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

[FUBAR]

I had a Benelli M2 with the following:

-Mesa Tactical Urbino Stock w/Cheek Riser
-Dave's Metal Works 7+1 Extension Tube
-Dave's Metal Works Follower
-Dave's Metal Works Barrel Clamp

[L84CABO]

L84CABO - kdruff2 is correct (again). M2 is much lighter, and the added weight of the ARGO system is forward, making it much harder to keep on target (especially for my wife).

Benelli site lists the Tactical M2 at 6.7 lbs and the M4 at 7.8. So about a pound difference. I guess this is a matter of perspective. A pound doesn't seem like that much to me. But then again, I'm a guy. And perhaps it's more about balance and how the weight is distributed.

However, if she's that sensitive to the weight, then doesn't this rule out red dots, side saddles, foregrips, lights, etc?

Perhaps you should be looking at a 20 gauge with a youth stock.