questions about specific autoloaders

[imbroke]

hello, all.

i'm giving serious consideration to buying a semi-auto config. benelli. thought that i'd field some of my questions/concerns to you guys, which are:

(1) what is the major difference between the m1 and the m2?

is it merely that the latter can also handle 3" rounds, while the former cannot? and further, why has the m1 been discontinued?

and not to instigate a war of words or insult anyone's loyalties . . .

(2) how do the m1 and m2 compare to the remington 11-87 POLICE model, in terms of materials, design, reliability, durability, felt recoil, ease of disassembly, and rate of fire?

are the inertia-driven systems found in benellis superior (by generally accepted criteria, e.g., likely hood of malfunctions, rapidity of cycling, reducing recoil for magnum loads, etc.) to gas-operated ones like in the 11-87?

hope you can clear some things up for me before i go out and drop mucho $$$!!

 

[InSoMNiaX23]

They can both chamber 3" inch shells and the M1 had been discontinued in 12 gauge because it is being replaced by the M2. The last time I checked they were still offering the M1 in 20 gauge. The M2 features Benelli's ComfortTech stock which is supposed to reduce recoil (no personal experience with that one) and they also have cryogenically treated barrels/choke tubes. That helps improve the consistancy of their patterns. Aside from that, they are functionally the same but the M2 has a more updated look to its exterior. I think the M2s are running $1100-1200 around here. I picked up my M1 12ga NIB last March for $900 including tax.

http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/m2.tpl

In regards to your second question, I do not have any experience with Remington's auto loaders. As far as HD goes, it seems like the Benelli's have more of a following on this forum. Recoil will be less from a gas operated design like the 11-87, but I don't think the recoil is bad with my M1. As far as reliability goes, I haven't had any problems with mine even with light target loads.