The shooting range at my sportsmen’s club doesn’t allow shotguns, so I took my test-and-evaluation Benelli M2-G1 tactical semi-auto 12-gauge to a friend’s private farm range. Across three sessions, I fired nearly 100 shells, including birdshot, several buckshot loads and rifled slugs, with an EOTech EXPS3 mounted for the 15- and 20-yard shooting.
The back of his range is bordered by a dirt farm road. Alfalfa cutting was in full swing, and more than one passing tractor driver stopped to watch me shoot life-sized silhouette targets. The wide-eyed looks and a couple of deep frowns revealed concern and some outright worry.
I understood the looks. Tactical shotguns make some people uncomfortable. The Benelli M2-G1 isn’t an ornate over-and-under made for grouse hunting or missing clays at the club. It’s not great-grandpa’s double barrel that he and his faithful beagle used to bring home a brace of rabbits for the stew pot.
It is built for defensive and professional use, so I kept shooting to find out just what this new Benelli could accomplish if called upon. One hell of a lot, is the answer
- You want a gas-operated, optics-ready tactical shotgun
- You prioritize proven reliability and practical controls over lower weight and price
- Weighs eight pounds before adding an optic or ammunition
- $2,149 price and full-power recoil are substantial considerations
Benelli M2-G1 Design and M4 Comparison
If you know Benelli and spotted the new M2-G1, you might think it was part of the Italian gunmaker’s M4 line of tactical shotguns. The resemblance is certainly there.
But the M2-G1 stakes out its own place in the firearms world, starting with Benelli’s new Rear Piston Operated, or RPO, gas system.
Like the M2-G1, the Langdon Tactical Beretta 1301 is a premium gas-operated tactical semi-auto, making it the most useful Hook & Barrel comparison for readers deciding between defensive shotguns.
Benelli’s tactical lineage also includes the Benelli M3 Super 90 featured among the guns ofHeat, while the company’s M4 has seen U.S. military service, including during the Iraq War and close-quarters fighting.
“The Iraqis were terrified of [the M4],” said my good friend Darren J., a former Marine Corps captain whose unit participated in the Second Battle of Fallujah and other operations. “They don’t call it the ‘Room Broom’ for nothing!”
For home defense or professional use, the M2-G1 has a lot going for it. With the stock collapsed, it might also make one heck of a truck gun where legally appropriate.
How the Benelli M2-G1 RPO Gas System Works
Traditional gas systems are mounted farther forward of the chamber. That placement can push fouling deeper into the operating components. The RPO system uses dual short-stroke pistons positioned just ahead of the chamber to collect gas close to the source, reducing internal fouling for cleaner operation.
Inside, Benelli also Parkerized various operating components, including the bolt, for long-term durability and corrosion resistance.
The under-barrel magazine tube held seven rounds of either 2¾- or 3-inch shells. With one in the chamber, that gives the M2-G1 a 7+1 capacity.
The 18.5-inch barrel was made of tri-alloy steel, while the receiver was aircraft-grade aluminum alloy. On my test model, both sported an FDE Cerakote finish. The receiver also featured a beveled loading port for quicker reloads.
Benelli M2-G1 Stock, Controls, Trigger and Sights
The five-position collapsible stock worked easily with the push of a button on the stock’s left side. I quickly pulled it out to full length for shooting at distance, and it collapsed just as quickly for use in tighter spaces.
Benelli’s pistol grip molded nicely to my shooting hand for a firm hold. The enlarged bolt release and safety controls snapped positively into and out of position.
The black polymer forend was M-LOK compatible, and the forend and buttstock featured a total of three QD mounting positions for sling attachments.
The trigger on my M2-G1 broke cleanly, but this wasn’t the ultra-light trigger of a competition rifle. It wasn’t designed to be.
My trigger averaged 5 pounds, 5 ounces. That required a deliberate press without feeling unnecessarily heavy—an appropriate setup for a defensive shotgun, particularly when firing rapidly and managing 12-gauge recoil.
The M2-G1 family encompasses five models, including a non-pistol-grip version for people living in states with firearm restrictions. That model has a 5+1 capacity. Available finishes include Gray, FDE and Multicam Black.
My test M2-G1 arrived with standard open sights. The ghost-ring rear sight adjusted for elevation and windage and featured white dots on either side of the ring to draw the eye. The white-dot front post sat between curved protective wings and could be adjusted for windage.
The sights were very functional, but given my eyes and the Picatinny rail atop the receiver, I mounted an EOTech EXPS3 holographic weapon sight on the M2-G1.
Benelli M2-G1 With the EOTech EXPS3
Powered by a single CR123 battery, the EXPS3 featured EOTech’s one-dot speed-ring reticle, a quick-detach mount and 0.5-MOA elevation and windage adjustments. It also offered 20 daylight settings, and the reticle popped nicely even when I shot in very bright sunlight.
The EOTech EXPS3 was also night-vision compatible, with 10 NV settings. Hook & Barrel’s EOTECH EXPS3-DCR review explains the broader EXPS3 platform, though the optic mounted here used the standard one-dot speed-ring reticle rather than the DCR.
At my friend’s farm range, I first ran the M2-G1 with 25 rounds of Federal Wing-Shot Upland Bird high-brass shells loaded with 1 1/8 ounces of No. 7½ shot. I used the field load to get comfortable with the shotgun and to better zero the optic. For more on shooting with 1X optics, check out our tips for shooting with mini red-dot sights.
I did the latter by firing at a decent-sized cardboard box and watching my shots slice through the grass nearly a foot in front of it. Several elevation clicks up got me drilling the box right in the center.
I also ran those field loads because Benelli recommends a 50-round break-in period for its semi-automatic 12-gauge shotguns, using high-brass field loads pushing 1 1/8 ounces or more of shot at a minimum muzzle velocity of 1,200 feet per second.
Once the Federal loads were done, I jumped the line on the 50-round recommendation and switched to shotgun slugs to check the zero on my EOTech. I fired from a rest at 20 yards, and the EXPS3 and my Winchester Razor Back 12-gauge slugs were right on.
Benelli M2-G1 Range Test: Birdshot, Buckshot and Slugs
Over two more shooting sessions, I ran the M2-G1 with a variety of 2¾-inch shotshell loads, including:
- Fiocchi Exacta AeroSlugs, 1 ounce
- Fiocchi Exacta nickel-plated No. 4 buckshot, 27 pellets
- Federal Force X2 00 Buckshot
- Federal Personal Defense 00 Buck
- Remington Ultimate Defense Managed Recoil 00 Buck
Depending on the manufacturer, the 00 buckshot shells held eight or nine pellets.
I also used one 3-inch load, Remington’s Slugger 3-inch Mag, launching a 1-ounce rifled slug.
The M2-G1 handled all these loads without a hiccup. Accuracy was outstanding, too.
Benelli M2-G1 Buckshot Patterns and Slug Groups
For example, I taped two 3-by-5-inch note cards to rectangles of cardboard, white sides showing. At 15 yards, firing offhand, I shot three rounds quickly with the Federal Force X2 shells. Out of 27 pellets launched, 23 struck the white cards or the blue tape around them.
Federal Personal Defense did even better, placing all 27 copper-plated pellets into the cards and surrounding tape.
Fiocchi’s Exacta No. 4 buckshot, with 27 pellets per shell, simply chewed up the note cards.
Those Winchester Razor Back slugs were, unfortunately, discontinued many years ago. Yet the 1 1/8-ounce rifled slugs were still damned accurate, producing a 2.2-inch group during zeroing.
The Remington Slugger 3-inch Mags slammed home, too. I fired three rounds offhand at 20 yards at a cross made of blue painter’s tape and produced a 1.65-inch group. I later fired another pair at 15 yards, and the holes nearly touched.
Benelli M2-G1 Recoil and Reliability
Recoil? You bet.
Even with the semi-automatic gas system taking some bite out of it, the M2-G1 is still a 12 gauge, and buckshot loads push hard. Slugs thumped back even sharper, especially the 3-inch Sluggers.
You can see the difference between buckshot and Slugger recoil in one of the videos where I fire at a set of three targets. The pair of Sluggers were the final two shots.
But I fired nearly 100 shells, and my shoulder came out of the experience without a bruise.
Just as important, the M2-G1 ran everything I fed it without a malfunction.
Should You Buy the Benelli M2-G1?
For home defense or professional use, the M2-G1 has a lot going for it. With the stock collapsed, it might also make one heck of a truck gun where legally appropriate.
It combines 7+1 capacity, a collapsible stock, excellent controls, optic compatibility and the new RPO gas system with the kind of accuracy and reliability I want from a serious-use shotgun.
And after nearly 100 rounds ranging from birdshot to full-power buckshot and 3-inch slugs, I had a pretty good idea what this new Benelli could accomplish if called upon. One hell of a lot.
Benelli M2-G1Review: Final Score & Verdict
- 1.65-inch slug group offhand at 20 yards
- All 27 buckshot pellets on target at 15 yards
- Nearly 100 shells with no malfunction
- Five-position stock adjusts with one button
- RPO gas system collects gas near the chamber
- M-LOK forend and three QD sling points
- $2,149 is a serious outlay
- 8 pounds unloaded before optic or ammunition
- Slug recoil is sharp, especially 3-inch
- Product Origin
- Test and evaluation unit
- Test Type
- Three range sessions — zeroing on a cardboard box, slugs from a rest at 20 yards, buckshot offhand at 15 yards on 3x5 note cards, and life-sized silhouette targets
- Test Location
- A friend's private farm range
- Test Date
- No data
- Rounds Fired
- Nearly 100 shells
- Ammunition Tested
- Federal Wing-Shot Upland Bird 1⅛oz No.7½ (25 rounds, break-in); Winchester Razor Back slugs; Fiocchi Exacta AeroSlugs 1oz; Fiocchi Exacta nickel-plated No.4 buck, 27 pellets; Federal Force X2 00 Buck; Federal Personal Defense 00 Buck; Remington Ultimate Defense Managed Recoil 00 Buck; Remington Slugger 3-inch Mag 1oz rifled slug
- Conditions
- Bright sunlight
- Malfunctions
- None
- Break-in
- Benelli recommends 50 rounds of high-brass field loads at 1⅛oz minimum and 1,200 fps; the tester switched to slugs before completing it
- Instrumentation
- Trigger averaged 5 pounds 5 ounces
- Accessories
- EOTech EXPS3 holographic weapon sight
- Tested By
- Brian McCombie
- Range Data — Remington Slugger 3-inch Mag
- Recorded result: 1.65-inch three-shot group, offhand at 20 yards; a further pair at 15 yards nearly touching
- Range Data — Winchester Razor Back slug
- Recorded result: 2.2-inch group during zeroing (load discontinued)
- Range Data — Federal Force X2 00 Buck
- Recorded result: 23 of 27 pellets on the cards or surrounding tape, three shells offhand at 15 yards
- Range Data — Federal Personal Defense 00 Buck
- Recorded result: All 27 pellets on the cards and surrounding tape
- Range Data — Fiocchi Exacta No.4 Buck
- Recorded result: 27 pellets per shell; no count recorded
- SKU
- 11617 (as tested)
- Gauge
- 12
- Capacity
- 7+1
- Chamber
- 3 inches
- Action
- Semi-automatic, Rear Piston Operated (RPO) gas system with dual short-stroke pistons
- Barrel
- 18.5 inches, tri-alloy steel, FDE Cerakote
- Receiver
- Aircraft-grade aluminium alloy, FDE Cerakote, bevelled loading port
- Internals
- Parkerised operating components including the bolt
- Stock
- Five-position collapsible
- Pistol Grip
- Yes (as tested)
- Forend
- Black polymer, M-LOK compatible
- Sling Mounts
- Three QD positions across forend and buttstock
- Sights
- Ghost-ring rear adjustable for windage and elevation; white-dot front post with protective wings; Picatinny rail atop the receiver
- Trigger
- Averaged 5 pounds 5 ounces
- Overall Length
- 39.5 inches
- Weight
- 8 pounds unloaded
- Family
- Five models, including a non-pistol-grip 5+1 version; Gray, FDE and Multicam Black finishes
- MSRP
- $2,149
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