“The Benelli M3 is my favorite shotgun of all time. It might be the most capable and versatile shotgun on the market. And it’s one of the rare convertible shotguns. A convertible shotgun is one that allows the user to swap between a semi-automatic action and a pump action. The benefit of the M3’s system is that you can use any shotgun round on the market. The pump-action mode allows it to cycle low recoiling rounds that won’t cycle in a semi-auto action.” — Travis Pike
The Benelli Montefeltro is built to be a dual-purpose shotgun that is equally at home at the range or in the field. The slim fore-end and lightweight anodized receiver make for a very printable and fast-handling gun. At its core, the Montefeltro uses Benelli’s proven and reliable inertia-driven system to provide users with a clean-and-soft shooting, reliable semi-auto experience. Available in both 12 and 20-gauge and with compact options and varying barrel lengths available, there is a Montefeltro out there for just about everyone.
Johnny B says “Benelli’s M4 is what we would call a good Italian auto shotgun. It’s the best combat shotgun on the market and would do phenomenal in a home defense setup or tactical arena. This autoloader looks great, runs smooth, brings that cool factor we all like from our guns. Most importantly, you can trust your life to it.” This 12-gauge shotgun is a fast-shooting, smooth semi-auto model. Featuring an 18.5-inch barrel, it measures 40 inches in total length with a weight of 7.8 pounds. It offers up a 14.75-inch length-of-pull. Drilled and tapped, you can throw an optic on it and rock and roll.
The CMMG FourSix Banshee brings the 4.6x30mm cartridge from the MP7 into the world of AR-15 pistol-caliber carbines. The 4.6x30mm is a small and lightweight cartridge with extremely low recoil, comparable to the 5.7x28mm round. The FourSix boasts an impressive 40-round capacity and gives users all the modularity that comes with the AR-15 platform. This gun features fully ambidextrous controls and a complete set of upgraded ZEROED furniture and controls, and a includes a linear compensator.
The DDM4A1 features the RIS II Picatinny quad rail, a 14.5-inch cold hammer-forged M4 profile barrel with a permanently attached DD flash suppressor, carbine-length gas, and an ambi GRIP-N-RIP charging handle. Built for hard use and extreme-duty cases, the DDM4A1 excels in all conditions and is worthy of the top-tier reputation Daniel Defense has built.
The Kimber Warrior is an outstanding gun from the looks department. If you are a buyer who is strictly into guns for self-defense and can only purchase one gun, I’d steer clear of this shooter as it’s not the most reliable. Our reviewer experienced some issues while testing and performed well only with the right mags and ammo.
The Smith & Wesson Equalizer picks up with the M&P Shield EZ left off, with a very beginner-friendly design — complete with an easy-to-rack slide. We spent a full day at the range with Equalizer and during our 500 rounds of testing, found it to be a soft recoiling option. It’s easy to disassemble and maintain, which earns it bonus points with us. Plus, it ships with three magazines! The only downside is the short grip, which will be problematic for those with larger hands.
The Beretta 80X Cheetah is a modernized version of Beretta’s older 84 Cheetah line. Nice updates to the platform include improved ergonomics, an optics-ready slide, and an accessory rail. These guns are a bit bigger than most .380 ACP guns, and feel more substantial and easier to shoot. If you want something between a compact 9mm pistol and a pocket .380, the 80X Cheetah is that perfect in-between.
The full-size CZ Shadow 2 is one of the most winning competition handguns of all time. The CZ Shadow 2 Compact takes all the shootability, ergonomics, accuracy, and performance of the larger Shadow 2 and scales it down into a package that is suitable for concealed carry. While this kind of performance doesn’t come cheap, the discerning concealed-carrier may find it worth it to spend the money to get something that shoots as well as this.
