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An out-of-the-box waterfowl wrecker that doubles as a do-all shotgun, Benelli’s M2 Field hits a pleasing semi-automatic price point, promises flawless function and is a pure joy to shoulder and shoot.
Benelli changed the game in 1991 when the manufacturer launched the Super Black Eagle shotgun. Waterfowlers flocked, no pun intended, to the Intertia-Driven system semi-automatic due to its ability to effectively cycle 2 3/4-, 3-, and 3 1/2-inch shotshells. The SBE proved ultra-versatile. From close-range puddle ducks on small creeks and ponds to massive honkers hanging on the fringe of a set of full-body fakes, this shotgun proved a winner.
From dank duck blinds to muddy layouts, Benelli’s M2 Field keeps cycling and putting birds on the ground.
For this reason, we’ve seen many SBE iterations, the most recent being the Super Black Eagle 3. However, serious shotgunners need to know that while the SBE Series casts a monstrous shadow, it’s not the only bird-wrecking semi-auto Benelli makes.
Last season, I put Benelli’s M2 Field cloaked in Realtree’s disappear anywhere MAX-7 camo to the test. I also used the black synthetic model in dirty swamps, muddy fields and icy rivers. The shotgun kept spitting hulls and killing birds. I like that!
First Impressions
If you go the M2 Field route, you will keep more pennies in the bank. The shotgun hits a pleasing price point between $1,499 and $1,599, depending on your stock finish choice. Barrel lengths of 24, 26, and 28 inches are available, and all M2s come with a trio (IC, M, F) of Crio chokes.
The shotgun comes in three pieces—barrel, forend and stock/receiver—and assembly takes seconds. Slide the forend onto the barrel, then the forend and barrel over the magazine tube and attach the end cap.
Benelli’s M2 is easy to disassemble. If in-the-field cleaning is required, this shotgun breaks down in seconds, and assembly is equally elementary.
My M2s wore 26-inch Crio System barrels with a raised, vented rib and a red-bar front sight. I like the forend’s tapered design; it’s thin near the receiver and gains girth towards the end cap. A series of raised and lowered curvatures on the forend ensure excellent fit and feel. With the shotgun unloaded and pointed in a safe direction, I snapped it to my shoulder multiple times and swung left, right, up and down. Smooth!
The M2 Field is light, with a fighting weight (unloaded) of 6.7 pounds. Weight varies based on barrel length. The stock’s throat, which connects to the receiver, is thin, which I like. Benelli’s AirTouch checkering pattern provides a superior gripping surface. The dimpled AirTouch is molded into the synthetic stock and forend.
The AirTouch dimples ensure an exact and secure grip wet or dry.
The safety, charging handle and bolt-release button aren’t oversized. This isn’t a problem for those (like me) who shoot with gloves off. However, the controls will take some time to master if you’re a gloves-on shooter. The trigger guard isn’t oversize but isn’t tiny, either. I found plenty of room, and while a pair of extra-bulky winter gloves may not slide through seamlessly, basic gloves should be fine.
Action manipulation was, as expected, buttery. The action-lock button is on the front of the trigger guard. As with the trigger guard, the action release button is not large but easily located directly under the action for quick access.
Generally, I was impressed with the M2 Field from the get-go.
Benelli’s M2 cycles everything from light loads to heavy magnums like a dream.
Jace Bauserman photo.
Trial By Fire
I’m not a big range guy, especially regarding shotguns. Yes, patterning is a fantastic idea, but no, I didn’t do it before taking the M2 Field on a duck/goose combo hunt. I did perform some pattern testing later on with various loads. But before that, I threaded the Crio full choke into the barrel, grabbed a blind bag mixed with HEVI-Shot HEVI-XII 3-inch No. 2s and Federal Black Cloud 3-inch BBs, and opted for the trial-by-fire approach.
The stock drop and cast is user-adjustable. Changing shims using this included kit provides a customized sighting plane to fit your unique physical build and shooting style.
The first flock of mallards did it dirty. A single swing was used to get the wind, the wings cupped and the orange feet came down. I’m a decent wing shooter, but not great. Still, my first three shots with Benelli’s M2 Field produced a triple.
The shotgun is fast-handling, swings great and the Inertia-Driven System kicked hulls far and chambered the next round quickly. I easily cycled 2 3/4- and 3-inch shotshells during this hunt. The M2 Field is not chambered for 3 1/2-inch shotshells. Frankly, I’m glad. If geese are on the menu, I tend to go overboard. With the tungsten, bismuth, etc., loads available to waterfowlers, there’s no reason to go too big. Some waterfowl missions turn into high-volume hunts, and I’m getting too old to get beat up by 3 1/2-inch candlesticks.
Benelli’s Crio System, including the Crio Chokes, boosts pattern density regardless of the metal you’re shooting.
Jace Bauserman photo.
Some of you reading this are likely waiting for me to highlight why I took the full choke. I knew the ducks would be close, but we weren’t on a goose X, and I wanted to have a tighter pattern at longer ranges. Plus, I’ve learned that my shooting focus heightens on close-range shots when a full choke is threaded in my barrel because I know I have less room for error; it’s just food for thought.
On that first hunt, I shot a duck limit and killed a pair of giant honkers. I don’t know how many shots I put through the M2 Field during the season, but it was a bunch, and I didn’t clean it a single time. Shame on me! Cycling is consistent, regardless of the load (more to come), and gas, smoke and burnt powder remain in the barrel. This means less post-shot residue in the action and other mechanisms.
The trigger is light and crisp. There is no creep, and the wide, perfectly curved design feels excellent when the index finger’s first knuckle finds it.
The rotating bolt head is another hat-tipper that has saved my bacon in the field more than once. If the action is closed slowly (common in freezing weather) and the head doesn’t fully seat, the head’s design will seat the second the shotgun is shouldered, which means it will always fire if a round is in the chamber.
I noted earlier that the operating bolts and buttons weren’t oversized, and they are not, but I found them highly functional.
Let It Snow!
One goose hunt brought out the worst in Mother Nature. The snow was wet, heavy and oh-so cold. I’m not a gloves guy. I toss four hand warmers in my hand warmer pouch and call it good. I want to feel the gun, no matter how wet or cold it is.
AirTouch proved a winning feature. I don’t like slippage, and AirTouch helps prevent it. Integrated into the stock’s throat and forend, AirTouch increases the shooter’s grip in wet weather. Also, it’s important to note that AirTouch provides a secure grip when the hands are sweaty in warm weather.
I also noticed that the removable recoil pad fell perfectly into my shoulder pocket, and the shotgun’s overall length of 47 1/2 inches fit me well. M2 Field overall lengths vary, depending on barrel length, between 47 1/2 and 49 1/2 inches The recoil pad doesn’t slide once in the shoulder pocket, absorbs recoil like a sponge and the design of the stock’s comb ensures solid eye-to-bead alignment.
What About Light Loads?
While some shotgun goers use the M2 specifically for waterfowl, many purchase it and make it a do-all gun. For that reason, I cycled 200 Fiocchi Field Dynamics 2 3/4-inch 1-ounce No. 8s through it. Doves weren’t on the menu, but my oldest son and I had a blast turning flying discs of orange into puffs of dust.
We discovered that the Intertia-Driven System flawlessly cycled these low-brass loads without problem. It’s not uncommon, especially in a shotgun with a sub-par inertia system, to experience ejection and reloading issues. With less powder in these low-brass shotshells, recoil is reduced, which can alter cycling. That’s not the case with Benelli’s Intertia-Driven System. After 200 shots, we didn’t experience a single ejection or reloading issue. Each time the shotgun went boom, the hull went flying, the action functioned and another shell quickly loaded into the chamber.
From clays to ducks to upland and everything in between, Benelli’s M2 Field is a do-all shotgun. Jace Bauserman photo.
Other Must-Mention Features
The recoil pad is easily removable, providing immediate access to the corrosion-resistant recoil tube and stainless-steel spring. This allows the shotgunner quick access to the tube and spring when cleaning is needed. In inertia-driven guns, the recoil spring tube helps with the cycling action by returning the bolt forward.
Benelli freezes its barrels to -300 degrees Fahrenheit. Why? Freezing strengthens the barrel by relieving the stress caused by hammer forging. The inside of the barrel becomes perfectly uniform and smoother, which means less friction created by the wad. Crio barrels stay cleaner and boost speed and energy because less resistance against the wad means a better killing pattern. It works, I promise.
Though it’s not oversized, the charging handle is easily accessible, and the action smooth as butter.
Final Thoughts
Benelli’s M2 Field is a winner. Not surprisingly, Benelli dubs it the “backbone” of its award-winning semi-automatic shotgun lineup. I couldn’t agree more. I’ve hunted with several SBE makes and, if I had my choice, I’d take the M2 Field any day of the week. I love the shotgun’s uncanny ability to function, even when dirty, and every time I pull it tight to my shoulder and do my job, birds fall from the sky. It’s the type of semi-automatic you can depend on, from ducks to doves to turkeys. If you’re in the market for a do-all semi-automatic shotgun, I give this one my A+ stamp of approval.
