Is Franchi/Beretta manual of arms strange?

O

Oleg Volk

Staff Alumnus
I handled franchi 612 at a store yesterday. Loded two dummy shells into the tube, tried to chamber. No luck. Read the manual, tried again, no luck. The store owner tried, suceeded after a while. Seems that the gun must be dry-fired to feed (?)

I can't find Mark Penman's site URL anymore (all links are obsolete) but he had something similar about 1201FP.

I am trying to figure out if I am doing something wrong or if Italian shotguns are designed by morons more concerned about unloading the magazine in a convinient manner than about ability to fire the gun. Thoughts?
 
Laissez Firearm is still up. http://www.loudpipes.com/laissezfirearm/

As I understand it, the trigger has to be pulled to advance a round from the shell lifter to the chamber. There should also be a button or latch somewhere that does the same thing.

Disadvantage of this system is that it makes loading a bit more complex. The advantage is that you can, with a fully-loaded gun, pull back the charging handle (ejecting the chambered round,) hold the handle to the rear, roll a slug or specialty load into the chamber, and go to town with it.

- Chris
 
Oleg,

You're right in that the procedure for loading FROM THE MAG TUBE on Italian semi-autos is nonconventional. I have a Benelli M1 and a buddy of mine has a Beretta 1201FP so I've experienced it first-hand. The procedure is:

1. Load mag tube. Bolt must be closed, cannot be locked back.
2. Press shell release. On the Beretta, it's the small black button just in front of the triggerguard, at the base of the shell lifter. On the Benelli, it's a silver "lever" on the right side of the receiver, in front of the triggerguard.
2. In lieu of the above, you can pull the trigger IF the hammer is already cocked.
3. Rack bolt and gun is ready to go.

However, from reading Gabe Suarez's "The Tactical Shotgun", you may want to adopt the following regimen, which applies universally to shotguns and therefore provides the best utility:

1. Open bolt. Assuming an empty gun the bolt will lock back.
2. Roll first round into the ejection port.
3. Close bolt by pressing bolt release (on the right side of the receiver on both Benelli and Beretta). Your gun is now ready to fire.
4. Load tube with more rounds if desired.

Note that the above procedure bypasses the whole shell release so it can be used with all semi-autos and pump guns.

HTH,

Justin
 
My gripe with the design is that cruiser ready position REQUIRES dry-firing in order to chamber a shell from the magazine. To my mind, that's an invitation to an ND or to having a gun that is not ready when it must be. I am very disappointed in that design for it handled well in every other way.

Newer 1187P feel like Mattel toys so my options are getting an older 1187 or improvising a riot gun based on an 1100 or something similar. What's a good gas operated shotgun to use as basis for a fighting tool?
 
Oleg -

As much as I like 1100s (and that's a lot!) you might consider sticking with the Franchi. You'll get the hang of the loading process with a bit of practice, and the ability to switch out the chambered round without loading another shell will come in handy. As for keeping a semi-automatic shotgun in cruiser-ready, IMHO that's a practice that is a lot more common than it should be. Keeping a semiauto shotgun (especally one like the Franchi) chamber loaded, safety on isn't any different from keeping a 1911 or Hi-Power in Condition 1.

Are you absolutely sure that the Franchi doesn't have a shell advance latch?

- Chris
 
Oleg, read Justin's post again. The Beretta can be loaded without dryfiring (and I assume the Franchi). All you have to do is press the release at the base of the shell lifter and then rack the bolt. It is fast and easy once you know the system. Just think of it as trying to find the slide release on an 870. ;)
 
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