[Review] Benelli M4 EXT: Better Than the Original?
Benelli's M4 EXT is a more modern take on the beloved M4 platform; but does this new shotgun outperform the original? We took it to the range to find out.
USMC Veteran. Concealed Carry & NRA Pistol Instructor. 3-Gun Competitor. Career firearms writer
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Benelli EXT Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extremely Reliable
- Low Recoil
- Excellent Ergonomics
- M4 Features
Cons
- Costs More Than a 1301
The Bottom Line
The Benelli M4 EXT is what happens when the full potential of the M4 is released. No need to worry about 922R compliance, no need to chase down rare, expensive collapsible stocks, no five-round tube—it’s the M4 as it always should have been.
The Benelli M4 is the most proven semi-automatic shotgun on the planet. It’s worked across the world and established itself as one of the best shotguns of all time. The EXT model simply "unneuters" the M4 and delivers an outstanding shotgun.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve seen the price of the Benelli M4 and found it hard to separate yourself from that kind of cash...especially when you’re getting a fixed-stock, micro-sized controls, and a 5-round magazine.
Don’t worry, that’s changed. Finally!
Benelli delivered a proper M4 in the M4 EXT. This variant and I have become close-range buddies -- I’ve sent pounds of lead downrange in an effort to make sure this new one lives up to the old M4’s reputation for reliability. (This includes some garbage ammo that tests the limits of any shotgun.)
We are going to run down the changes Benelli has made to the M4, talk about the gun’s use case, and determine if it’s still the king of combat shotguns.
Table of Contents
Meet the M4 EXT: Specs & Features
- Caliber: 12 Gauge
- Capacity: 7 +1
- Overall Length: 40”
- Barrel Length: 18.5"
- LOP: Adjustable 9 1/4"- 14 3/8"
- Weight: 7.8 lbs
Let’s start with how Benelli "un-neutered" the M4 from front to rear.
The magazine tube is now a proper 7-round magazine tube, giving rounds all the way to the tip of the barrel. From there, they took the pint-sized bolt release and made it massive, easy to hit, and faster to commit emergency reloads with.
At the rear, there's a 5-position collapsible stock. This replaces the 3-position classic M4 stock with more adjustment overall. It also no longer rotates to swap positions and just moves back and forth. Let’s be real, the old stock looked cool, but kind of sucked.
The longest position was 14.375 inches, and the middle position was a bit shorter. Due to the angle, using the iron sights felt impossible.
Benelli’s new M4 EXT has a few more positions and makes it easy to find the right length of pull (LOP) for you, but yes, one position makes it impossible to use the iron sights still.
The stock comes with multiple sling points and includes a QD (Quick Detach) swivel on the stock and one forward of the handguard. Like the standard M4, there are ghost ring iron sights, and it comes with an optics rail.
Origins
The year was 1999.
The Marine Corps was tasked with finding the service’s first joint semi-auto combat shotgun. They wanted a gas-operated gun due to some difficulties with inertia guns and adding weight. Specifically, they wanted a gun they could attach night-vision optics to, and night-vision optics were massive in 1999.
At the time, Benelli was the inertia shotgun company, but they wanted the contract, so they developed the M4.
The M4 beat entries from companies like Mossberg and officially became the M1014 Joint Service Shotgun. (That’s only one of the numerous contracts the M4 won.)
Benelli’s M4 serves around the world in police and military forces, and is beloved by its numerous civilian owners. Dedicated nerds like me track down the stock, find the right magazine tube, and generally take them to the next level of customization.
The M4 EXT is a move to make the M4 more appealing to the average Joe.
You don’t have to search for parts and pieces and struggle with 922R compliance to have a proper M4 shotgun. Beretta owns Benelli, and Beretta has made big moves to make their guns 922R compliant, and that’s extended to Benelli and, thankfully, the M4.
Shooting the Benelli M4 EXT
The first thing I do with any shotgun is pattern it.
Most tactical shotguns are cylinder bore guns, but the Benelli M4 comes with replaceable chokes.
Surprisingly, the choke installed on the gun is an improved cylinder choke. With standard 2.75-inch reduced-recoil 00 buckshot, the pattern is roughly 3 inches at 7 yards. That’s nice and tight for cheap buckshot. I used Olin military shotgun ammo, and the group grew to 4.5 inches, still nice and tight.
At 10 yards, the reduced-recoil buckshot remains inside of an 8-inch circle without a problem. That’s outstanding and makes it a great option for home defense. If you’re using stock-standard buckshot, the improved choke will help you put lead where you want it.
If you’re like me and use FliteControl (wads), you’ll notice the choke disrupts the pattern. It’s still tight, but if you want the tightest pattern possible, you need a cylinder bore choke, which is widely available and will tighten that FliteControl pattern up without a problem.
The ghost ring sights are built more for precision than speed, and the adjustability ensures awesome slug performance and the ability to get buckshot where you want it.
Even with the ghost ring sights, I can put two rounds of buckshot on target in less than one second.
The ARGO system is a dual-piston, short-stroke gas piston, and it does wonders for recoil. It takes a lot of sting out of a 12-gauge gun. This makes it easy to put multiple rounds on targets or multiple rounds on multiple targets.
I can put two rounds of buckshot on one target in 0.72 seconds at 10 yards. I set up three targets, 3 yards apart, and fired one round into each in 1.79 seconds. The M4 EXT barely moves, and it drops right back on target.
Shotgun Ammo in Stock
Keep in mind, I shoot a lot of shotguns, and I’m fairly good with a push/pull technique for recoil mitigation. If you can do the same, the M4 will blow your mind at how fast and easy it is to control.
I’ve reached 600 rounds, mostly cheap birdshot — whatever Academy or Walmart has at a low price point. I had three malfunctions with the M4 EXT, and all three were with storm-damaged ammo I purchased for nearly nothing; it’s fairly problematic in all semi-auto guns.
Outside of that ammo, the gun ran flawlessly.
I fired a lot of 7.5 and 8 shots at 1,200 feet per second (FPS), and the gun ran without a problem. It cycled the 1,145 FPS Federal FliteControl without an issue, too. It also eats heavier loads and does wonders to reduce their recoil.
Ergonomics: Fit & Feel
The new stock is a godsend.
To exercise proper control over a shotgun, it needs to fit you. Too long of a LOP creates issues with control because it’s tough to use any recoil mitigation when you have to reach so far forward.
The 5-position stock makes the gun a lot easier to fit to the end-user and makes it easy to control. If you need a super-short LOP, you’ll have issues with the iron sights. The cure is to add an optic that sits a little higher for the end-user.
The handguard is the classic M4 design. It’s mostly fine, but a little slick. I’d appreciate a more aggressive texture for a better grip, but it’s fine.
The new bolt release makes it easy to emergency port-load the gun. Toss a round in the chamber, hit the bolt release, and you’re off to the races. The loading port is plenty beveled, so it doesn’t take a blood sample when I shove a round into the magazine tube.
The presence of sling swivels is fantastic, and I can use my sling to help me push/pull with my gun.
The ARGO system sits under the handguard, and it’s a stainless steel system. It’s got weight and makes the gun feel muzzle-heavy.
If I were trying to swing this thing for birds, I might complain, but for fast, defense-oriented shooting, that weight doesn’t matter and likely helps keep the muzzle rise low.
The safety has always been large and fantastic; no changes needed.
What’s best about this gun is its smooth nature. Everything clicks and pops with ease, the action reciprocates with ease, and it just feels rock solid.
Improvements We’d Like To See
What I would love more than anything else is options to mount lights and accessories.
I’d prefer an M-LOK handguard, like the Truckee or Briley model, so I can mount a light to the gun. Additionally, an M-LOK handguard would allow me to mount textured M-LOK covers to provide better grip on the gun when I’m push/pulling.
Who is the Benelli M4 EXT For?
| Barrel Length | Overall Length | LOP | Weight | Capacity | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benelli M4 | 18.5" | 40" | 14-3/8" | 7.8 lbs. | 5+1 | $1,999 |
| Benelli M4 EXT | 18.5" | 40" | Adjustable 9 1/4″- 14 3/8″ | 7.8 lbs. | 7+1 | $2,299 |
| Mossberg 940 Tactical | 18.5" | 37.5” | 12.5″-14.25″ | 7.5 lbs. | 7+1 | $910 |
| Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol | 19.1″ | 38″ | 13" | 7.1 lbs. | 7+1 | $949 |
| Beretta 1301 Tactical | 18.5" | 37.8" | 13" | 6.8 lbs | 7+1 | $1,727 |
| Savage Reneguage | 18.5" | 49.5" | 14.25" | 8 lbs. | 6+1 | $1,159 |
We live in a golden age of semi-automatic shotguns. We have the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical, the Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol, and the Beretta 1301, as well as underrated options like the Savage Renegauge Security.
Those are all great options, but they don’t have the prestige and proven nature of the M4.
If you want the most proven semi-automatic tactical shotgun on the market, the M4 owns that title. It’s incredibly reliable, well-built, and can last forever.
It’s expensive, so deep pockets are required, but the M4 EXT solves all the issues I had with the original M4.
By the Numbers
Reliability: 5/5
Sure, it choked on crap tier storm damaged ammo, but I expected that. It didn’t choke on anything else, even low-recoil tactical loads.
Ergonomics: 4/5
The stock is much, much better, and so is the bolt release. I would prefer a stock that allowed me to use the included sights through its whole length of adjustment.
Accuracy: 5/5
Shotguns aren’t guns we shoot for MOA, but the M4 EXT throws tight patterns and offers adjustable sights to make sure they pattern where you want them to.
Customization: 3/5
The Benelli M4 doesn’t have a massive aftermarket. You can add a new handguard, swap the stock, and add an optic, and that’s it.
Value: 2/5
It’s a fantastic shotgun with excellent performance, but it has an MSRP of $2,599, making it quite pricey.
Overall: 4.5/5
The Benelli M4 EXT solves a lot of the problems with the Benelli M4. The new 922R compliance, the full seven-round magazine, the larger bolt release, and the five-position stock are all brilliant touches on a great gun.
Upgrades & Accessories
Scalarworks SYNC Optics Mount
Scalarworks offers a nice mount for you to add your favorite optic!
Pew Pew Tactical Two Point Sling
You need a sling, we have slings...it just makes sense. Plus, who doesn't want a multi-cam on that M4 EXT?!
Mesa Tactical Truckee
If you need some M-LOK attachment points, the Mesa Tactical is the way to go.
How We Tested the Benelli M4 EXT
I ran the M4 EXT hard with the worst ammo I could find. Even then, it choked on only three of 100 rounds of storm-damaged ammo. The M4 EXT has seen over 600 rounds of various ammo types varying in quality and worked brilliantly.
I ran timed drills for double taps, multiple target engagements, and reloads, and the gun blew through each drill with awesome control thanks to the ARGO gas system and improved ergonomics.
Meet the Experts
Freelance author and review analyst Travis Pike led the research and review of the Benelli M4 EXT. Travis is a United States Marine Corps veteran and lifelong shooter. He’s invested his love of guns into being an NRA Basic Pistol Instructor and Concealed Carry Instructor in Florida, teaching others how to safely train with and use firearms. Travis is also a 3-Gun competitor, using shotguns in those competitions, and has a fondness for all things shotguns. You can find a lot more of his shotgun reviews in our review section.
Final Verdict
If the price doesn’t scare you off, then the Benelli M4 EXT is what the M4 should have always been.
The adjustable stock, the bigger bolt release, and the full magazine tube are the icing on the cake that is the Benelli M4.
Is the M4 EXT capable of pushing the Beretta 1301 off the table? Let us know below. For more tactical-style shotguns, check out our top recommendation in the Best Shotguns: Tactical & Home Defense.