The Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun: Engineered for Elite Competition

For competitive shooters who demand unparalleled speed, flawless reliability, and precision performance under intense pressure, the Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun stands as a benchmark. This isn't just an off-the-shelf shotgun; it's a meticulously crafted instrument designed to give competitors a decisive edge in the demanding sport of 3-Gun. If you're searching for the ultimate competitive shotgun that will cycle every round, handle with lightning speed, and maintain peak performance through a long match, the Benelli Performance Shop M2 is engineered precisely for you.

Why Choose the Benelli Performance Shop M2 for 3-Gun?

Competitive shooting, particularly 3-Gun, pushes firearms to their absolute limits. Shooters need a shotgun that can transition quickly, hit targets reliably, and cycle a vast array of ammunition types without a single hiccup. The Benelli Performance Shop M2 addresses these critical needs head-on, solving common problems faced by competitors:

• Reliability Under Pressure: No more jams or failures to feed due to rapid fire or varied ammunition.
• Optimal Handling and Balance: Facilitates swift target transitions and reduces shooter fatigue.
• Enhanced Speed: Modifications for faster loading and target acquisition.
• Versatility: Capable of handling everything from light target loads to heavy magnum slugs without adjustment.
• Durability: Built to withstand the rigorous demands of frequent competitive use.

This shotgun is the answer for discerning competitors, whether you are a seasoned professional or an ambitious amateur looking to elevate your game.

The Heart of Reliability: Benelli's Inertia Driven™ System

At the core of the Benelli M2's legendary performance lies its Inertia Driven™ operating system. This innovative mechanism is renowned for its simplicity, reliability, and cleanliness, making it an ideal choice for the high-volume, often dirty environments of 3-Gun competition.

How Does the Inertia Driven™ System Work?

Unlike gas-operated shotguns that rely on diverting hot, dirty gases to cycle the action, Benelli's Inertia Driven™ system harnesses the gun's recoil energy. When the shotgun is fired, the entire bolt assembly moves rearward under recoil. This movement creates inertia, briefly compressing a strong spring located within the bolt. As the gun's recoil impulse begins to subside, the spring rapidly expands, driving the bolt carrier rearward, unlocking the bolt, extracting the spent shell, and ejecting it. A new round is then fed from the magazine, and the bolt returns forward, chambering the new round and locking into battery.

Key Advantages for 3-Gun Competitors:

• Unparalleled Reliability: With fewer moving parts and no gas ports to foul, the Inertia Driven™ system is inherently more reliable, especially with varied ammunition types and in adverse conditions. This means fewer malfunctions and more consistent performance during a timed stage.
• Cleaner Operation: Since no combustion gases are routed back into the receiver, the action stays significantly cleaner. This reduces the need for frequent cleaning and minimizes the risk of carbon buildup affecting performance during extended shooting sessions or multi-day matches.
• Versatile Ammunition Handling: The system's design allows it to reliably cycle a wide range of loads, from light target loads used for birdshot stages to heavier slug and buckshot loads required for other targets, all without any manual adjustments. This adaptability is crucial in 3-Gun, where diverse ammunition types are often employed within a single match.
• Balanced and Lightweight: The absence of gas pistons and tubes contributes to a lighter, better-balanced shotgun, which translates to faster swings, quicker target transitions, and reduced shooter fatigue during long courses of fire.

Precision and Performance: The Crio® System

Beyond the operating system, Benelli enhances barrel and choke performance through its proprietary Crio® cryogenic treatment. This process, applied to both the barrel and the Crio® choke tubes, is designed to relieve stresses in the metal, creating a more uniform and dense grain structure.

Benefits for Competitive Shooting:

• Superior Pattern Consistency: The stress-relieved metal of Crio® barrels and chokes results in more uniform shot patterns, providing tighter groups and a more consistent point of impact. This is vital for knocking down steel targets and hitting clay birds reliably.
• Enhanced Durability: The cryogenic treatment makes the steel harder and more resistant to wear, extending the lifespan of the barrel and chokes, even under the stress of high-volume competition.
• Reduced Fouling: The smoother, more uniform surface of Crio®-treated components helps to reduce plastic wad and lead buildup, making cleaning easier and maintaining optimal performance between stages.

The Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun includes a comprehensive set of five Crio® choke tubes (cylinder, improved cylinder, modified, improved modified, and full), offering shooters the versatility to optimize their patterns for any stage requirement, from close-range knockdown targets to precise slug shots.

The Performance Shop Advantage: Expert Customization

What truly sets the Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun apart is the expert hand of world-renowned gunsmiths. Benelli partners with luminaries like Briley Manufacturing and Rob Roberts Custom Gun Works to transform an already exceptional platform into a purpose-built competition machine. These collaborations elevate the M2 to "custom dream gun" status, ensuring every modification serves a specific competitive advantage.

Specific Enhancements for 3-Gun:

• Tuned Inertia Driven™ Action: While already reliable, the Performance Shop takes it further, ensuring the action is supremely smooth and fast-cycling, minimizing any potential for drag or hesitation. This means even faster splits and more fluid shooting.
• Custom Load Port: The loading port is often enlarged and beveled for quicker, more intuitive quad-loading or twin-loading techniques. This modification is absolutely critical for shaving seconds off reloads, which can be the difference between winning and losing in competitive shotgun stages.
• Extended Bolt Release and Bolt Handle: Oversized controls are essential for rapid manipulation under stress, especially when wearing gloves. The extended bolt release allows for quick re-engagement of the bolt after a reload, and the larger bolt handle ensures a positive grip for charging or clearing the action.
• Briley EZ Bolt Release and EZ Bolt Handle: These specific Briley components are often integral to the Performance Shop's enhancements, providing ergonomic and oversized surfaces that make operation faster and more reliable, even when under duress or wearing gloves.
• Briley Forend Cap with QD Swivel Cup: Enhances sling attachment options, allowing for secure and quick sling transitions, which is important for movement and rifle/pistol transitions in a 3-Gun stage.
• Briley 9+1 Extended Magazine Tube (Standard Configuration): While the base specifications list 3+1 capacity, Performance Shop M2s for 3-Gun are typically equipped with extended magazine tubes to meet the high-capacity demands of the sport, often allowing for 9+1 or more rounds. This allows competitors to engage multiple targets without frequent reloads, maximizing efficiency.
• Ported Barrel (Rob Roberts Custom Gun Works contribution): Barrel porting helps to reduce muzzle rise, allowing for faster follow-up shots and better recoil management. This is particularly beneficial when engaging multiple targets quickly or shooting slugs.
• Custom Choke Optimization: Rob Roberts is known for his expertise in choke design and patterning. The chokes included with the Performance Shop M2 are often optimized for competitive use, ensuring consistent patterns that give competitors an edge.

These meticulous enhancements address the nuanced demands of competitive shooting, making the Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun a true turnkey solution for serious competitors.

Designed for the Competitive Athlete: Ergonomics and Handling

The physical demands of 3-Gun require a shotgun that is not only mechanically sound but also ergonomically superior. The Benelli M2 platform is inherently well-balanced, and the Performance Shop enhancements further refine its handling characteristics.

• Optimized Balance: The 24-inch barrel length is a popular choice for 3-Gun, offering an excellent balance between maneuverability in tight spaces and sufficient sight radius for accuracy at range. Its overall length of 49.6 inches contributes to this agile feel.
• Lightweight Construction: At just 6.75 pounds, this shotgun is remarkably light for a 12-gauge, reducing fatigue during long stages and facilitating rapid target transitions.
• Black Synthetic Stock: Durable, weather-resistant, and low-maintenance, the black synthetic stock provides a reliable grip in all conditions. Its design is conducive to various shooting positions required in competition.
• Right Hand Configuration: Specifically designed for right-handed shooters, ensuring ergonomic access to all controls.

The combination of lightweight design, balanced feel, and custom ergonomic enhancements means the shooter can focus entirely on the stage, not on wrestling with their equipment.

Addressing Common Shooter Questions

1. Is the Benelli M2 reliable with all loads, including light target loads?
Absolutely. The Inertia Driven™ system is renowned for its ability to reliably cycle a wide spectrum of ammunition, from the lightest 7/8 oz. target loads to heavy 3.5" magnums, without any manual adjustments or gas system tuning. This versatility is a core reason why the M2 is a dominant force in 3-Gun.

2. What modifications are truly essential for a competition shotgun?
For 3-Gun, key modifications include an enlarged and beveled loading port for faster reloads, extended magazine capacity, oversized bolt release and charging handle for easier manipulation, and a reliable, fast-cycling action. The Benelli Performance Shop M2 integrates all these critical enhancements, making it a competition-ready firearm right out of the box.

3. How does the Benelli Performance Shop M2 improve a shooter's performance in 3-Gun?
It directly impacts several performance metrics:

• Reduced Malfunctions: The Inertia Driven™ system's reliability minimizes costly stoppages.
• Faster Reloads: The custom loading port significantly speeds up reloads, saving precious seconds.
• Quicker Transitions: Lightweight design and excellent balance allow for rapid target acquisition and movement.
• Better Recoil Management: Barrel porting and efficient design help keep the gun flat for faster follow-up shots.
• Consistent Patterns: Crio® barrels and chokes ensure accurate and effective shot placement.

4. Why is a 24-inch barrel length preferred for 3-Gun?
A 24-inch barrel offers the optimal balance between maneuverability for close-quarters targets and sufficient velocity and sight radius for longer shots with slugs. It's short enough to navigate obstacles and transition quickly, yet long enough to maintain accuracy.

Conclusion: Your Competitive Edge

The Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun is more than just a firearm; it's a strategic asset for the serious competitive shooter. With its foundation in the proven Inertia Driven™ system, enhanced by the Crio® barrel and choke technology, and elevated by the meticulous customization from Briley Manufacturing and Rob Roberts Custom Gun Works, this shotgun is built for winning. It promises the reliability, speed, and precision needed to excel in the high-stakes world of 3-Gun. Investing in this Benelli M2 means investing in performance, confidence, and ultimately, a competitive advantage.

Available for discerning competitors, this Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun can be found through trusted retailers like DEGuns, ensuring you receive an authentic, high-performance firearm ready to dominate the range.

Key Specifications and Features

The following table summarizes the core specifications and features of the Benelli Performance Shop M2 3-Gun Shotgun, a testament to its purpose-built design for competitive excellence.

Feature	Specification	Benefit for Competitors
Gauge	12GA	Standard for competitive shooting, wide ammo availability
Barrel Length	24"	Optimal balance of maneuverability and accuracy
Chamber Length	3.5"	Versatility for various magnum loads
Hand	Right	Ergonomically designed for right-handed shooters
Capacity	3+1 (Base, typically extended for 3-Gun)	Sufficient initial capacity, easily expandable
Finish	Matte Black	Non-reflective, durable, and low-profile
Stock	Black Synthetic	Weather-resistant, durable, and reliable grip
Overall Length	49.6"	Compact yet effective for competition
Weight	6.75 pounds	Lightweight for fast transitions and reduced fatigue
Operating System	Inertia Driven™	Unparalleled reliability and cleanliness
Choke System	Crio® (5 tubes: C, IC, M, IM, F)	Superior pattern consistency and durability
Customization	Briley, Rob Roberts Custom Gun Works	Enlarged loading port, oversized controls, tuned action
SKU	11022	Product identification number
UPC	650350110227	Universal Product Code for precise identification