After receiving a makeover in 2023, the Benelli M2 gets an upgrade this year with an in-stock recoil reducer. Benelli’s “Progressive Comfort” system adds recoil reduction to the M2’s list of features. Despite the new recoil reducer, the M2, along with the Montefeltro, remains the most affordable Benelli, with both shotguns starting at $1699. I recently tested the gun at my local range. Here is my full review.
Quick Overview
Benelli M2
Pros
- Great controls
- Easy-Locking bolt increases reliability
Cons
- Progressive Comfort improvement isn’t dramatic
- Receiver not drilled and tapped
Specs
- Length: 49 inches with 28-inch barrel
- Weight: 7.1 pounds (12 gauge with 28-inch barrel)
- Barrels: 26 and 28 (tested) inches
- Action: Inertia semi-automatic
- Trigger: 5 pounds, 8 ounces
- Capacity: 3 +1
- Finish: Black or camo (Max 7 tested)
- Stock: Synthetic, standard and compact models available
- Chambering: 3-inch 12 and 3-inch 20-gauge
- Price: $1,699 black, $1,829 camo
Introduced in 2004 as the successor to the M1 Super 90, the original M2 had a new trigger group and a few other tweaks to differentiate it from the M1. Positioned as the entry-level, no-frills, 3-inch alternative to the 3 ½-inch Super Black Eagle, the M2 stayed unchanged until its 2023 makeover. While I preferred the lines of the original M2, the made-over version featured the Easy-Locking bolt that eliminates out-of-battery misfires (I had only one of those “clicks” with my old-style M2, but it was a traumatic enough experience that I sold the gun). It also had a new, softer magazine spring and a two-piece shell-latch, making pushing shells into the magazine much easier. “Benelli thumb” was a real ailment, especially on high-volume dove hunts until the new spring and latch cured it.
The bolt handle and bolt-release button of the new M2 are perfect examples of how controls should be enlarged. They are easy to use, never in the way, and you never accidentally shut the bolt when you want it to stay open. The round safety button is big and never a problem to find, either.
The new addition to the M2 line, “Progressive Comfort,” not to be confused with ComforTech, first appeared on the Ethos. The recoil pad sits on a post with plastic fingers on both edges that interlock with fingers inside the stock. If it helps, you can visualize half the system by imagining two combs with their teeth fitting together, the teeth flexing as you move the combs back and forth. That pad system, plus a soft comb, are the new additions to the M2.
The M2 is well put-together and as good-looking as a camo synthetic gun can be. I’ve had three years to get used to the new lines of the gun, and they are admittedly sleeker and more streamlined than the originals. The Progressive Comfort system adds 2-3 ounces of weight to the butt of the gun, which I noticed when I first picked this gun up (I have shot a late-model M2 quite a bit), but the extra weight doesn’t impair handling.
Test Results
I put the gun in a rest and tested it for point of impact. At 20 yards, it centered the pattern 4 inches high, so you could reasonably expect it to shoot 8 inches high at 40 yards. Benellis often shoot high, a fact that bothers me right up until I start pulling the trigger, at which time, I can hit with them just fine.
With the Modified Crio-Choke in place, the M2 delivered excellent 73 percent patterns with Migra’s 24/7 1 ¼ ounce 2×4 stacked loads. That’s solid Full choke performance. At the Skeet range, I forgot all about the high POA and hit every target I deserved. The gun cycled target loads perfectly, including light 1-ounce, 1160 fps B&P Competition One ammo. I tried a few side-by-side comparison shots between the M2 and a Franchi Affinity of similar weight with 1 ¼-ounce duck loads to see if I could feel significant recoil reduction due to the Progressive Comfort system. Honestly, I couldn’t tell much. I have noticed a difference on other occasions with that same system, so I will say it works, but it’s not a huge reduction in recoil, at least to my shoulder.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to like about the current M2. It’s reliable, and it has great controls for use in any weather. My gun shot excellent patterns. The gun does shoot high, but not so high that I expect to miss. The one exception would be turkey hunting. I’d be leery of taking it to the woods without mounting an optic, and I’d have to use a rib mount as the receiver isn’t drilled and tapped. The Progressive Comfort adds some recoil reduction. It also adds a little bit of weight, which is always welcome in a waterfowl gun so far as I am concerned. The M2 was already a very good gun, and the new recoil reducer makes it a slightly better very good gun.
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