A reader on a budget of £850 wants to buy a semi-auto from an established manufacturer. What does Mike George recommend?
Option 3 Benelli semi-auto
Why haven’t I recommended a particular model? Well, there are lots to choose from and they’re all good.
- Like the new Browning A5, Benellis work on the inertia system rather than being gas-fed. The bolt turns as it moves forward and lugs engage with the mouth of the chamber, giving a very firm lock-up at the moment of firing. The first time I reviewed a Benelli I wrote “just like an AK47”, much to the amusement of the then importer.
- It’s a “clean” system, with no gas ports and pistons to get fouled up with hard carbon deposits.
- If you are looking at new guns, top of the range is the Rafaello Executive, with a recommended retail price of more than £4,000, but on the second-hand shelves there are plenty of models which will be well within the £850 budget. Twelve-bores seem to range in weight from seven to eight pounds.