Benelli’s battle-proven M4 tactical shotgun is beyond legendary, and this new commercial M4 EXT model is 922(r) compliant, offers a 7+1 capacity, and is packed with upgrades. Yes, you can even ghost-load it for a whopping 7+2 with the right ammo.

I’m sitting at 700 rounds through the M4 EXT so far, and I’m still hungry for more trigger time behind this warfighting scattergun. I would go so far as to say this commercial model surpasses the fantastic but older M4-pattern shotguns I got to use in the military.

Quick Summary: Benelli’s M4 EXT is extremely reliable, with a 7+1 capacity, great ergonomics, and upgrades to the sights, adjustable stock, Pic rail, and controls. The higher price reflects the quality, but the low recoil makes it easy to shoot well.

Table of Contents

Video Review
Features
Specifications
Reliability & Accuracy
Pros & Cons
Final Thoughts

Video Review

Features

Benelli was kind enough to send an advanced FDE version of the new 8.4-pound M4 EXT for testing. This FDE model was turning heads the moment it arrived at my local gun shop, but it’s also available in the rather attractive H2O or Multicam Black options.

Like all the semi-auto Benelli M4s before it, this gun runs on the reliable and battle-proven Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated (ARGO) system. This uses a dual short-stroke piston design that runs smooth and clean, cycling just about any load you want with minimal maintenance.
 

That ARGO operating system has been exceptionally reliable and easy to clean on every M4 model I’ve tested. Thankfully, there isn’t much maintenance required, and this gun runs just as well after 700 shells as it did with my first shots without any cleaning.

That’s one of the remarkable things about the M4. Almost nothing about the platform has required upgrading since its adoption back in 1999 by the U.S. Marine Corps as the M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun. It’s a well-known fact at Benelli, where Senior Product Manager Bret Maffet noted, “Consumers weren’t asking us to reinvent the legendary M4 … They were simply asking us to unleash it. Now we have.” 
 

This “unleashed” version for the commercial market brings the capacity that made the M4 so appealing to the U.S. military. Benelli, which is based out of Italy, made the M4 EXT 922(r) compliant. That means the M4 EXT hosts enough U.S.-made parts for it to also carry a 7+1 capacity of 2 3/4-inch 12-gauge shells.
 

Import laws are weird and confusing, but that capacity is not.

Though, it should be noted that the U.S. Marines quickly learned they could actually squeeze an extra round into the M4 platform with ghost-loading. This involves staging an extra shell on the loading elevator. 

That holds true for the M4 EXT, which I have successfully loaded and shot with a 7+2 loadout when running properly sized 2 3/4-inch shells.

Other updates for this new model include an ergonomic five-position collapsible stock and integrated rubberized pistol grip. There’s an oversized bolt release and bolt handle, which were easy to use with gloved and ungloved hands in cold weather.
 

The barrel is a compact 18.5 inches long and threaded for Benelli chokes. The telescoping adjustable stock gives the entire gun a length running from 35 to 39.5 inches. You can run 7+1 for 2 3/4-inch shells or 6+1 with 3-inch shells.

The trigger broke for me at a crisp 6.9 pounds, with a positive, short, and audible reset that made speed-shooting easy.
 

Benelli upgraded the sights with a windage- and elevation-adjustable rear peep and a front sight guarded by metal ears. The front sight is drift-adjustable, and both the front post and rear peep on this model have illumination dots for night shooting that charge with ambient light or a quick blast from your flashlight.

Additionally, there’s a length of Picatinny rail on the receiver, which is topped with a Steiner MPS enclosed dot here. This offered a nice lower-third co-witness with the iron sights, and an added Streamlight ProTac flashlight completed our sleek, tactical loadout.

Since the world is never perfect, I can drum up only one real complaint about this Benelli M4 EXT, and that is the safety. It is oversized and very functional, but I generally dislike button safeties that are located behind the trigger. It’s an ergonomic thing for me, but it’s also common and caused no issues on the range. So, it’s a petty complaint at best.
 

Specifications

Here’s a breakdown of the basic specs for the Benelli M4 EXT.

Reliability & Accuracy

I have some very fond memories of the Benelli M4 from my time in the U.S. Marine Corps, but it has been a long time since we’ve shared a range for extended periods. I almost forgot just how easy this shotgun platform is to shoot.

My shoulder generally hates me after most tactical shotgun reviews. However, the M4 EXT runs fast and smooth with very manageable felt recoil. The ARGO operating system eats up the recoil, and I easily put 400 shells of mostly full-power 00 buckshot through the M4 EXT without significant shoulder fatigue on my first range trip.
 

Combined with the short and crisp trigger pull, I found I could easily shoot on the move and from modified shooting positions without any issues. My targets show the results.
 

I am now at 700 shells of a wide mix of ammo through this shotgun. That includes 380 rounds of budget 00 buckshot, 70 rounds of slugs, and 100 rounds of various hunting loads. The Benelli M4 EXT had zero issues cycling all these full-power loads. 

I don’t generally expect semi-auto tactical shotguns to reliably run low-power target loads. However, even with a 7+2 loadout of Winchester #8 target loads, I could get this gun to reliably cycle as fast as I could pull the trigger. 
 

I spent a day just plowing through 150 rounds of various target loads, and I had only three minor hang-ups. 

Two of these were with my ghost-loaded shells, which I put on the loading elevator just before shooting to get the gun to a 7+2 loadout. This is not a standard way to run the M4, and it bypassed the normal cycling with low-power shells. Combined with the somewhat overly short length of those target shells, that is what likely caused the minor hiccups. 
 

For the record, I had more issues than that with my personal hunting shotgun during my last 150-round outing of sporting clays.

Overall, even with target loads, the M4 EXT is a wonderfully reliable shooter, plain and simple. It offers great controllability with a devastating 7+1 (or ghost-loaded 7+2) capacity that has long made the Benelli M4 platform beloved by military and law enforcement around the world.
 

Pros & Cons

Here are my top pros and cons for the Benelli M4 EXT tactical shotgun.

Final Thoughts

I’ve tested a fair number of tactical shotguns over the years. I own enough to fill an entire gun safe. Yet, the M4 Benelli is still my favorite platform.

The new M4 EXT brings everything I loved about the version I got to use in the military right to the American consumer. Benelli then went the extra mile to offer it in some great-looking finishes, with upgrades to the sights and controls. The M4 EXT is a tank of a firearm that is surprisingly easy to shoot.

No, this is not a cheap scattergun, but it could easily be the only tactical shotgun you would ever need.