If you’re talking about tactical shotguns, Benelli always plays into the discussion. Always. The M4 platform is unique because it is the company’s gas-operated gun, while most Benellis are inertia driven. Gas guns typically offer less recoil, but this Benelli also comes with greater reliability. Benelli introduce the M4 in 1999, and it has been in production ever since. The U.S. Marine Corps soon adopted it because of its die-hard reliability, and the H20 version looks sharp with its titanium Cerakote finish.
But looks are always second to performance when lives are on the line. Semi-auto shotguns are notoriously finicky. But the M4 H20 Tactical had zero malfunctions all day. Zero. The Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated (ARGO) rotating bolt system was a game-changer when it was first introduced, and it remains the standard by which others are judged. The shotgun’s AR-style ghost-ring night sights were easy to acquire, and the trigger had a long take-up but broke cleanly. Most splits from all three testers ranged from 0.15 to about 0.29 seconds, with an average of 0.23 seconds. Comments from the guys included: “Tried and true, this Benelli screams, ‘entry weapon,’”; “Very little felt recoil”; and “Expensive but worth the cost.”
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
