r/canadaguns • u/pooshlinger • Aug 06 '26

Buy recommendations M4 vs 1301

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Both of these bad boys just went on sale and im thinking of giving up my Makasi pre order for one. Leaning towards the M4.
Help me decide.

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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

What are you using it for? The 1301 is much more suitable for range and competition shooting. The M4 is not all that practical but cool, high probability it may sit in the safe after the initial fun wears off.

Stoeger just started a 15% sale, seems like many vendors are participating.

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u/jollygreengiant1655 Aug 06 '26

I haven't handled either of them, so I'm curious what makes the 1301 the better range gun?

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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

The 1301 is lighter and has a larger mod ecosystem. You can change almost anything on it, including the stock, grip, trigger, rails, lifter, bolt release, handguard, etc. You can easily dual or quad load, especially if the reload port has been widened. There's a lot of threads on the Benelli forum discussing why the M4 is not the ideal gun for shotgun competitions.

I recently got a 1301 Comp Pro and am pretty impressed with how easy it is to maintain it.

In the end, both are Beretta shotguns, so whatever floats your boat 😂

Check Tactical Ordnance in Newmarket, ON as well - Casey B there does a lot of custom builds using the 1301 and also Remington Versamax.

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u/HeRlyDead Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

Had both my M4 and 1301 touched up by Casey and I can vouch, that man is a magician with his machining work when it comes to opening the feed ports

Edit: Totally forgot about the comparison for a moment: If you're new to the whole semi-auto shotgun thing and you're recoil sensitive then the M4 will treat you nice, it pillows out even some really hefty loads with little issue and despite what some people are saying, the M4 does actually have a reasonably sized aftermarket. The 1301 though IS still a really good shotgun with an even better aftermarket and the gas system cycles fast enough that I highly doubt you'd ever outpace the gun, it IS really light and short though so recoil impulse even with lighter stuff tends to be more noticeable. Honestly get whichever one your heart is set on both are reliable as hell and I'm sure you'll enjoy either of them!