shotty purchase
 

next week on my vacation i am gettin me a new shotty. i am looking at one of 2 benellis, the Nova (3-1/2") or the M2 (3" its not offered in a 3-1/2"). What do yall think would be the better shotty? I would love the super black eagle II but im not springing 1200+ for a shotty. PPL who own them please gimmie some insight.

RE: shotty purchase
 

Definetly the M2.

It is essentially an SBE but with out some of the extras like 3.5 inch capeablilty. They both use the same inertia operated action with all the same parts. They both have the comfortech system. They both can be adjusted for cast and drop with the use of the provided shims. The only major difference between the two is the way in which the receivers are made.

I am not particularly fond of plastic shotguns and that is exactly what the nova is.

RE: shotty purchase
 

Just through my experiences, NEVER buy a nova! I owned one for about 3 months, then I went back to a remington 870. My nova jammed consistently and benelli wouldn't do anything about it. The remington is slightly cheaper, more durable, and easier to find parts and accessories for (if needed).

RE: shotty purchase
 

Definetely the M2, although I prefer this one a little better, Its an 870 mounted under an M4.

RE: shotty purchase
 

I dont think your link is working aborquez.

RE: shotty purchase
 

fixed

RE: shotty purchase
 

Since I like semi auto's I would choice the M2. There is a big price difference between the Nova and M2. Some other very good semi auto's that are priced close to the Nova would be the Beretta's 390,3901,Pintail/ES100, Franchi's 612,712,I-12 Stoeger 2000, Weatherby SAS, and Winchester SX2. The Beretta ES100/Pintail, Franchi I-12 and Stoeger 2000 are all inertia operated and all of them including the M2 are owned by Beretta. The I-12 and 2000 may be the easiest of all semi auto's to clean.
The M2 and SBE II share many parts like the stocks, forearms, magazine tube assembly, and bolt face. Other parts like the receivers, barrels and trigger groups are all different.

RE: shotty purchase
 

thanks worc, i really hate the idea of droppin 1200+ on a freakin SHOTTY, i hate hunting with shotties unless its rabbits. and even then 9/10 ima grab my browning 22lr

RE: shotty purchase
 

I can't see spending that much money on a shotgun unless I win megabucks.

We do love our toys though don't we? lol!!

RE: shotty purchase
 

I have an M2, it was a wedding gift. It is awesome! Low recoil, fast advance of shell, never jams. My other is a 12 guage winchester model 1500 eoropean XTR. Beautiful, feels nice, but will jam occasionally.
EJ

RE: shotty purchase
 

ShoNuff, It really comes down to what type of action you are looking for and how much you can afford to spend. If you are used to a pump action then that is definitely the way to save some money. I don't know all the details of ssternadel's experience, but from the people I have talked to the Benelli Nova is a lot of gun for a relatively small amount of money. I do know you can get a Remington 870 Express for less than $300, and they will last forever if you take care of them. The Browning BPS costs a little more, but it is another solid choice (And because it has bottom ejection it does not matter if you are a lefty).
For a semi-auto I really like the looks of the Franchi I-12. They are owned by Beretta just like Benelli is, so they are using the exact same operating mechanism as the SBE (just scaled to take the 3", not the 3.5".
The Benelli M2 uses this design also, but it will cost you about $300-400 more to get the Benelli name on the side of the gun. If you have never used a pump before, I would recommend staying with a semi-auto. I always used S.A.'s until 2 years ago, and when I got my 870 I found myself forgetting to pump the action. This caused me to miss at least one deer. However, if you have used a pump gun or maybe a lever-action rifle in the past then this might not be a problem for you.

RE: shotty purchase
 

I've had a Nova for about 3 years - great gun, very reliable, good pointer. My only complaint is the forend rattle.

RE: shotty purchase
 

Franchi model 912 in HD MAX, nice freakin gun. Im gonna hit the Gander Mnt and see if they have one i can put my hands on

RE: shotty purchase
 

I have a Nova and love it. I have had it for about 3 or 4 years and have had no problems with it. Well one problem, but that was my fault.

I took the trigger assembly apart to switch the safety to left handed. I got the instructions from benelli on how to do this. Of course once I knew the instructions were available and in the mail I went head and started with out them. I figured I could always use the instructions to get the gun back together when they arrived (typical for me as I am an adventurous soul). Anyway I lost a spring. You know how it goes you hear a ~ping~ and the next thing you know you are on your hands and knees looking for a spring the size of you pinky nail.

Now I told you that story to tell you this story. To replace the spring I didn't find back I called the customer service number and they gave me a number to call. As it turns out it was Bownells. I called them gave them the part number and they charged $5 dollars to my credit card. 2 days later the spring came in the mail. I got the gun back together and the safety worked in the new lefty configuration. The moral to my story is I didn't find the part difficult to get what so ever as another person posted earlier.


If you don't like the Nova nothing I say will change your mind but make no mistake about it the Nova is a fine firearm and a good choice for someone that wants a good pump. Of course I wish they could be a little more flashy with a wood stock and forearm. Sure I like that look but I can tell you this much, the Nova is very rugged the way it is and will last a long time.


In your case I would go with the M2 unless you needed the 3 1/2 chamber I do know the sbe has had some difficulty with some light loads I don't know if the m2 has seen the same problems.