Benelli 28 gauge comes to the USA

[Waterengineer]

Benelli has committed to bringing their 28 ga. semi-auto to the USA January 19th.

There is a promo tease, like they did with the Vinci, on their website.

The gun is being promoted as a hunting gun. It appears that it would not be difficult to put out a Super Sport version, something several of us here at TFL would like to see.....eh, BigJim?

From a European site, "The new Benelli is an inertia operated, 5.2 lb., 28 ga."

Also, as with all thing 28 gauge, the price with higher than the 12/20 guns. Doing the current exchange rate for Euros and guessing at the VAT (to subtract from the price) I am looking at my calculator......and the price is just under $2K.

My Italian is close to non-existent but if I read the site correctly, the barrel length is 26-inch. I would be hoping for a longer barrel.

In my view it is a marketing misstep to have not brought the gun to the USA market before Christmas, particularly since the gun has existed in Europe for about 18 months.

Here is the promo

http://www.benelliusa.com/promo/

Here is the gun from the Italian site

http://www.benelli.it/Articoli/Armi.asp?ID=980

 

[oneounceload]

5.2 pounds is going to make it great for hunting, not so sure about clays - I added weight to my 1100 in 28 to get it right about 8 pounds - practically zero recoil. Time will tell on its sales. I'm really surprised that Beretta never made the 39X series in a 28.

 

[zippy13]

I have to agree with oneounceload, on all accounts: Remington made weights for their 1100-28 for a reason; the new Benelli 28-ga will probably have the recoil of your typical air rifle; and, why hasn't Beretta made a 28-ga autoloader.

At first, I suspected the folks at Benelli, being a smaller company, are willing to develop a new gun with a smaller potential market than the powers at Beretta require. Since Benelli is now part of Beretta it may be that they brought out a new model of the more expensive of the two models. I suspect if the new Benelli 28s start selling like hot cakes, we'll seen see a Berreta 28, too.

My only problem with the gun is my nasty old reloads may not fed very well in a new 28-ga auto. Anyone's auto, not just the Benelli. With the price of new 28-ga ammo, I reload my hulls until the string and sealing wax no longer holds them together.

Don't let the barrel length put you off, 28's are typically short. The Remington 28-ga Lightweight Wingmaster was marketed with a 25-inch barrel and it was a sweet shooter. It could be carried effortless all day in the field. The comp shooter may be happier with a heavier gun.

 

[oneounceload]

Zippy - I reload 28's with petals missing (I still get them to close with only one missing - if more than one, then I use candle wax). When they start to split down the side, I try for one more and toss. Yet, on my MEC jr., I get the proper rounding at the top and they all function in my 1100. Now, some will land right at my feet (weak loads), and factory sporting loads go to the next county, but they work. Was running 22, 23 today shooting 5-stand and FITASC with an IC choke and loads in the 13.5 grain load area of maybe 1200fps.....

 

[zippy13]

Oneounceload,
Sometimes it helps if you add some string fibers to the wax as reinforcement.

Seriously, I've loaded my 28s on a MEC 650 for years with no problems. My newest set of Briley tubs is a pinch tighter than the other two. So, now I use a MEC sizer before the ol' 650. The alternative it to haul them up to BigJim's and run them thru his fancy power operated modern MEC. Until they re-open the local skeet club, I'm not shooting many 28s.

 

[oneounceload]

I haven't shot skeet in several years, but I shoot my 28 for 5-stand and sporting, even practice FITASC (today as a matter of fact). When I do my part, with its IC or LM choke, I shoot 22-24 for 5-stand and 21-23 for sporting - don't save it for skeet - it's more fun......

 

[BigJimP]

A 28ga semi-auto / interesting .... It would make a nice set of guns with my Benelli Super Sports ( 12ga, 20ga ) ... but I would prefer a longer barrel as well.

My 28ga O/U ( and my .410 ) are both 30" barrels ..... and if I get a gun under 6 lbs it has to be longer or its going to be real whippy to me ....

Not to gloat - but yes, the Mec 9000 HN series hydraulic loaders seem to be able to crank out shells that cycle just fine thru a semi-auto in 12, 20, and 28ga. I've run some of my 28ga reloads thru a Rem 1100 semi-auto - and they fed and cycled just fine / and the 12's and 20's seem to cycle just fine thru my Benelli semi-autos.

A note: with so many Rem STS 28ga hulls fracturing inside the brass cup / where the plastic hull comes apart and can stick in the gun, in the forcing cones .... even as birds are broken normally ...is it a good idea to shoot 28ga reloads in a semi-auto. Will you notice, as the gun cycles, that only the shot cup came out of the gun and the rest of the hull is still inside the barrel, potentially blocking the barrel .... I've had Rem STS 28ga hulls break on the 1st reload, the 2nd reload, etc ....and Remington tells me it was an extrusion problem that they knew about and fixed ....but many of us still have some old hulls around that we're reloading. Just a thought .....

 

[zippy13]

A note: with so many Rem STS 28ga hulls fracturing inside the brass cup / where the plastic hull comes apart and can stick in the gun, in the forcing cones .... even as birds are broken normally ...is it a good idea to shoot 28ga reloads in a semi-auto. Will you notice, as the gun cycles, that only the shot cup came out of the gun and the rest of the hull is still inside the barrel, potentially blocking the barrel .... I've had Rem STS 28ga hulls break on the 1st reload, the 2nd reload, etc ....and Remington tells me it was an extrusion problem that they knew about and fixed ....but many of us still have some old hulls around that we're reloading. Just a thought …..

My friend, you've hit the nail on the head…
This is another example why those who shoot a lot (and consequently reload) prefer O/Us. As you manually reload your O/U it's pretty obvious when there's something wrong. With an auto loader (or pump), you don't have a clue until it jambs. I've known some shooters to carry a hook in their shell pouch. If there's a hull separation, the hook quickly clear the problem in an O/U. With a stick gun, you may have to remove the barrel and this can be a bit of bother if there's a live round partially loaded and stuck.

Jim, do those those bothersome STS 28s have real brass or brass washed steel? I can't remember if it was Federal or Remington who first did that with 28s.

 

[oneounceload]

A note: with so many Rem STS 28ga hulls fracturing inside the brass cup / where the plastic hull comes apart and can stick in the gun, in the forcing cones .... even as birds are broken normally ...is it a good idea to shoot 28ga reloads in a semi-auto. Will you notice, as the gun cycles, that only the shot cup came out of the gun and the rest of the hull is still inside the barrel, potentially blocking the barrel .... I've had Rem STS 28ga hulls break on the 1st reload, the 2nd reload, etc ....and Remington tells me it was an extrusion problem that they knew about and fixed ....but many of us still have some old hulls around that we're reloading. Just a thought ...

It's also why I mostly shoot AA's. (especially since the STS don't last anywhere near as long in 28).

I couldn't afford to shoot my 1100 in 28 without reloading. Maybe 10% of the load through this gun have been factory, the rest reloads. One or two hiccups here and there, typically from an oil-barrel STS or a lousy crimp - both AA and STS from going too fast. My 1100, with added mag cap weight is around 8 pounds - measured so scientifically on the bathroom scale - what a joy to shoot.

This Benelli, as mentioned previously would ba a joy to hunt chukar in the hills with, but I Imagine the recoil, especially with some of the heavier hunting loads, will be fairly stout, even for a 28

 

[BigJimP]

The Rem STS 28ga shot cups are brass ....as far as I've seen. Its a funny story - but I started discussing this with buddies / we found the problem was happening all over ( Alaska, WA, east coast, etc ..) and I started writing to the shotgun magazines to try and find out what was wrong .... with very little support ( including Skeet, Sporting Clays mags, etc) or help ( except Johnny Cantu of shotgun sports ).

I finally got to a guy at Rem plant - he wanted me to send him the hulls. I did that / with notes - how many reloads, lot numbers on cases, etc .... I got a nice 2 paragraph letter back / "thanks - with 25 new once fired hulls for my trouble". No mention of whether the rest of my cases ( I had 5 more cases ) were likely to be a problem, etc ... I still reload and shoot them in my O/U ( and blow the smoke out and check the bore after each fired shell )... OneOunce is right - old Win AA's are much better - but they're scarce. The new AA's HS hulls went thru all kinds of issues, they changed length, and then changed it back, and changed it again - all without re-marking the cases - so no way to know what you have ... So in my opinion, the new AA HS 28ga hulls are a mess. Its a problem / and the gun may not jam - it may just block the forcing tube far enough into barrel - that you could load another shell behind it and not know it ......( Boom !! )..... and somebody's grandkid is going to get hurt if they aren't careful firing a 28ga semi-auto or maybe a pump ....very quickly. Its a serious problem, in my opinion.

 

[oneounceload]

Jim - IIRC, Winchester changed the roll mark on their HS hulls between the old and new - an underline or something. I have found if you use the shorter wad, it really doesn't matter. If you use the wad for the newer hull, a little wad pressure solves that issue as well

 

[BigJimP]

I think I read there was a time, about a year ago, where they changed the length without putting the line in ... but you're right, at one point they put a line on them.

The problem is when you get 4 or 5 cases of them / and they get mixed up - and you have 2 or 3 different case overall lengths - you get some real messed up crimps ( and if they get too ugly, I just don't want to shoot them ...) Ha, Ha, Ha .... but the length issue was aggravating / because as you know the crimp start, roll and final crimp is pretty sensitive if you really want to get consistent shells.

Now, if you can't find anything else these days - and you were going to buy new shells / if you can figure out the stock codes - and get cases made by factory in last 6 months or so, you should be fine... ( even a new AA HS case in 28ga hitting the ground / will cause at least 3 guys to throw their backs out diving for it in the dirt ...). Myself - I'm still working off the hulls from the 10 cases of new STS 28ga shells I bought about 5 yrs ago .... just staying with the O/U ( and blowing, and looking ..). I also carry a rod / and a hammer in my "shotgun travel kit" - to drive the occasional hull out of the end of the forcing cones .... but the laughter on the squad, by my buddy Dave, is getting pretty unbearable .... he's going to shame me into using the 1,000 of the old Win AA 28 ga's I bought ( but actually, he's hoping when I pass away, I'll will them to him )...

And the local Hi Temp tomorrow is about 30 degrees ( so most of us weather *****es, are not going to shoot Skeet in the cold either ) .... especially on a rebuilt shoulder ...28ga / or anything else ....

 

[oneounceload]

Me, I could care less about crimp looks as long as the pellets stay in without wax or tape!

I have gotten some UGLY crimps - those I use for my first shot loaded through the ejection port - makes it all good!.....

 

[BigJimP]

Hey, " if I can't shoot well, I have to at least look good " .... / I am a little anal about how my crimps look .....( can't help it ) ....

 

[oneounceload]

Aw geez, Jim - here in FL I wear cargo shorts, fishing shirts, (all mostly wrinkled), so I have no worries about how my crimps look.....as long as they function in the gun, it's all good


Still amazing how a post like this has so little input from most of the regulars here. I guess since it isn't a tacticool gun, the interest wans substantially

 

[BigJimP]

I'm no "fashionista"... but older... large boned guys ... need a little help ....

Like a lovely young Barista once said to me, as I ordered my coffee ..... My you smell good ( she said ) .... and as I was trying to suck in my belt line .... she said, yes, just like my grandpa .... ( and as I turned around, I though my wife was going to wet her pants, she was laughing so hard ...).... You have to keep it in perspective ....

Responses - are interesting / but unless you're a quail hunter or a Skeet shooter - there isn't much love out there for a 28ga these days either. I talk to new shooters every week / that have no idea there was even a 28ga out there ...

 

[zippy13]

...just like my grandpa...
ROFLMAO


I talk to new shooters every week / that have no idea there was even a 28ga out there ...
Sad, but true.

 

[oneounceload]

I talk to new shooters every week / that have no idea there was even a 28ga out there ...
Sad, but true.

And none have an idea of how much fun they're missing - whether hunting or clay shooting, the 28 is the most fun you can have with clothes on!...

 

[BigJimP]

and its all True .......

 

[BigJimP]

And her Grandpa must have been a real "Stud" - because its well known, that Real Studly men, wear " Brut " after shave ...... ( been wearing it for about 40 yrs ...)...