MY IMPRESSIONS
Beretta has been making firearms for hundreds of years and may be the oldest privately owned business in the world. Its over/under competition shotguns are legendary. Now Beretta has teamed with Chisel Machining to improve handling of its 1301 Tactical while retaining adjustability.
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This semi-auto is different than hunting/sporting-style shotguns, with a heightened feeling of control thanks to its pistol grip and highly checkered polymer forearm. Pointability is assured with the combination of open ghost-ring sights and Meprolight red-dot optic. The adjustable raised comb helps me tune the cheek weld so my eye is aligned with the sights.
Loading and function is easy with the oversized controls. The bolt operating handle is nicely knurled, large, and easy to pull back. The bolt release is large and conveniently located below the ejection port. Slapping it with the heel of your palm will close the action with authority. Lastly, the safety is big, leaving no question as to whether it’s engaged or not. All of this adds up to speed of operation. I can load and fire by feel quickly, and I like that.
WHAT IS A CHISEL?
Chisel Machining is a California-based company well known for manufacturing light, strong shotgun and lever gun stocks. The model A400 is made to fit the Beretta 1301. This non-folding skeletonized stock is made from solid billet aluminum and includes a Kick-Eez adjustable comb and butt plate.
I have set my Chisel stock for 13.5 inches length of pull and 1 inch of comb rise. Although the standard Beretta 1301 stock is also adjustable, the Chisel is a strong, lightweight improvement. The gun comes up quickly without snags.
Optic & Sights
The Chisel A400 stock includes a high-rise eye-level 2-inch optic platform that allows the MPO-PRO-SF red dot to be placed comfortably in my line of sight. When I bring the gun to shoulder, I see the red circle-dot immediately. This is great for target acquisition and tracking. While testing the Beretta, I shot a round of trap at Tucson Trap Club. Never having used a red dot sight before, I was surprised at how easy it is to track moving clay birds and bust them with the wide field of view.
The sight is made from 7075 anodized aluminum. Its battery is rated for 30,000 hours and includes auto-off and adjustable brightness modes. Small, lightweight, and strong, it adds value to the Beretta and make it an even faster shooter.
Beretta includes a ghost-ring adjustable rear sight and wing-protected blade front sight. They are robust and easy to see and co-witness with the red dot sight. I like having a backup. This sighting system allows me a choice of close-range iron sights or longer-range optical dot to use in connecting with my target.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Overall length: 38 inches as tested, adjustable
- Height: 6.5 inches
- Width: 1.5 inches
- Weight: 7.75 pounds
- Barrel: 18.7 inches, cold hammer-forged, back-bored with choke tubes
- Trigger: 4 pounds, 7 ounces; semi-flat faced
- Caliber: 12 gauge, 3-inch chamber
- Capacity: 6+1 (2.75-inch shells)
- Stock: Chisel Machining A400
- Sights: Beretta adjustable ghost-ring rear, wing-protected blade front
- Red Dot: Meprolight MPO-PRO-SF
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Operation: B-Link cross-tube high-speed gas system
LET’S GO SHOOTING!
It’s a great sunny day to test the Beretta at my Area 52 spot in Arizona. Steel plates and root beer jugs at 10 yards are practical targets for testing speed and accuracy. Ammunition will be mixed between Winchester AA 7 1/2 birdshot, Stars and Stripes 00 buckshot and Federal 3-inch Magnum bismuth Meat Eater shells.
Loading the Beretta is simple. Drop a round into the chamber, slap the bolt release, and add six more rounds to the magazine. I like the independent bolt, which allows me to exchange a shell from the chamber without interfering with shells in the magazine.
Related: Benelli M4 and Beretta 1301 – Top Tactical 12-Gauge Battle
The 1301 does not push me around. The high-speed gas system absorbs shock and kick so well that even the heavy buckshot or bismuth loads are not painful. Aiming is natural, and the gun points where I look due to the red dot sight conveniently located in from of my eye. No adjustment or focusing is needed. Point and shoot happens automatically.
Notice the two groups. The buckshot places all pellets in a tight 10-inch group, but the birdshot expands to cover the plate in a broad pattern. Both rounds were fired with cylinder bore choke. That is quite a difference. Hitting the 2-liter root beer jugs is easy; just place the red dot on the bottle and slap the trigger. They violently explode when hit by buckshot.
Field Notes
Despite squeezing off shots quickly, the Beretta does not slow down. It reminds me of a semi-auto .22 rimfire rifle in its speed and reliability. This amazes me, because it must load and eject large, heavy shotgun shells. Beretta’s loading lifting gate and extended magazine work with the gas system to make it cycle like a .22 rifle.
The 1301 runs on Beretta’s highly developed B-Link operating system, which the company claims is 36 percent faster than the competition. I can attest to its speed of operation. During testing, the 1301 fired as quickly as I could pull the trigger. I tried to jam it up, but the gun was having none of that. It shoots reliably fast with this system, and no jams nor failures to feed were experienced in today’s test.
PROS & CONS
Pros:
- High quality, well made
- Reliable
- Accurate
- Versatile
- High-speed action
- Adjustable stock
- Redundant sights
- Oversized controls
- Flat target-grade trigger
Cons:
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Pricey, but you get what you pay for!
CONCLUSION
The Beretta 1301 Tactical with Chisel stock is all I could ask for in a semi-auto shotgun. Fast and accurate, it is reliable with any shotshell load tested. Beretta wisely teamed with Chisel Machining to come up with an adjustable lightweight gun that enables red-dot technology to best advantage. Its high-speed action is a big advantage in engaging multiple targets in competition.
Whether you choose it for defensive personal use or rely on it in the next 3-Gun tactical shotgun competition, the Beretta 1301 Chisel will not let you down.
