I nearly came home with one about a month ago, but I couldn't get what I wanted in trade value on some stuff, so... I came home with a G45.6 COA instead, but decided that when the time was right, I was buying one. I was kind of split between this version and the traditional stock version. Traditional stock, it was easier to put it on safe, but the pistol grip was a lot easier of an angle break on my wrist and hey, I'm only so fast anyways. We had one in this exact configuration but in green on the wall when I was working at the gun shop, and I became seriously enamored with it. Everything about them is so well thought-out.



So, a sling, a light, and actually, I'll probably put my first optic of any kind on a shotgun and figure out a small enclosed emitter micro red dot on it and I'm off and running. These really need nothing else out of the box, as I understand it. Need to sign up for some of the Thursday night "everyone always brings PCC's but you can be that one guy who brings a shotgun" matches at my club when it shows up.

Oh, and someone posting elsewhere that they were able to get a $200 rebate on their 1301 from Beretta the other day definitely didn't hurt my decision process.

Looks like a great choice to me, thought about one myself.

Good choice on the Mesa Tactical Urbino stock.

Best pistol grip shotgun stock I've used. Does a great job of soaking uo the recoil, even on a heavier recoiling shotgun like the Benelli M1/Beretta 1201FP.

Great choice! I have an Gen 1 that I’ve upgraded and ended up buying a second more recent version. Tried the Mesa Tactical stock, but ended up going back to the original standard stock. Don’t know if it’s changed, but I remember there was something about nothing preventing the Mesa stock from rotating relative to the receiver other than the screw holding it on.

Great choice!

I have the standard stock which I love, but always wondered if the pistol grip version would feel better. I ended up buying the grip from someone, but never installed as I went to my LGS and held one with the pistol grip and did not like it.

As for recoil, I added a LimbSaver and all was better.

Congrats on the purchase, I can't say enough good things about the 1301, my Mod 2 Tactical is the traditional stock version which floats my boat. Easily one of my favorite firearms I own.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
These really need nothing else out of the box, as I understand it.

GG&G Tactical might change your mind

I mean, I gotta represent my bitches too:

https://www.aridusindustries.c...ategory/beretta1301/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: parabellum,

Now you guys got me looking at the aftermarket stuff. Evil. Just evil.

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:
Don’t know if it’s changed, but I remember there was something about nothing preventing the Mesa stock from rotating relative to the receiver other than the screw holding it on.

Oh geez, I hope so. Especially given that this is a factory option.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Good choice on the Mesa Tactical Urbino stock.

Best pistol grip shotgun stock I've used. Does a great job of soaking uo the recoil, even on a heavier recoiling shotgun like the Benelli M1/Beretta 1201FP.

If I end up keeping the M1 Super 90 after the 1301 comes home, I'll probably put an Urbino on it as well. The shorter length of pull alone is huge in terms of comfort. It'll be real interesting to get them to the range to do some A/Bing, especially since my Benelli has the factory pistol grip as well. I seem to remember that even light game loads through the M1 were kind of unpleasant. I had a friend who was going to trade me out of it last year and waffled on it, so here we are. If I keep it and put an Urbino on it, maybe I should also keep an eye out for a factory 14" barrel and just SBS it.

quote:

Originally posted by r8rs4lf:
As for recoil, I added a LimbSaver and all was better.

I'm not sure if it comes with the LimbSaver by default or not. If not, I'll throw one on there. May as well.

My first time shooting one was late last summer, walked a trap course with a buddy who brought his 1301 Comp and he had the Briley handguard on it. Was still incredibly light and handy, just a sweet shooting shotgun. His has the full Kick-Off system and it was really smooth. Instantly sold on one, it just took a while to pull the trigger. He wanted the perfect shotgun for doing 3 gun that he could also hunt and use for home defense, and I just want the best modern defensive 12ga I can reasonably afford. It was this or an M4, and I figured it was basically a coin toss and came down to shaving a little weight with the 1301. I should have it next Saturday.

The only issue you may encounter is that the checkering on the forearm is very aggressive. Give it a go and decide if you need to soften it up with some fine grit sand paper.

This is an excellent video for familiarizing yourself with the 1301. The video contains what will be to us laughably rudimentary stuff: "This is the bolt, this is the charging handle..."

But the video also covers the specific manual of arms for this shotgun and it's worth your time if you're a new owner of this superb Beretta.

One bit of advice I will give any owner of the 130I, is don't use the quick release sling swivel socket on the factory supplied barrel clamp. If you ever place substantial rearward pressure on it with an installed sling, you can be assured that the clamp will slip rearward. My advice is to remove that part altogether, along with the factory supplied plastic magazine tube cover and replace it with one of the the GG&G aluminum offerings. My choice is this one, which has no QD socket, but they offer a version of the clamp which has M-LOK slots. I've attached an M-LOK QD swivel socket to the left rear portion of the Aridus handguard you see in the video.





Also worth your time is this TFB video featuring Ernest Langdon, whose shop specializes in the 1301. The video is more on general auto shotgun techniques.

Yall gotta stop! I’m feeling that special tug…

I think Smudge is trying to get us in trouble with the wives.

Now that I reread this, Para might be in on it too.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
My advice is to remove that part altogether, along with the factory supplied plastic magazine tube cover and replace it with one of the the GG&G aluminum offerings. My choice is this one, which has no QD socket, but they offer a version of the clamp which has M-LOK slots.

I got the set with M-LOK slots:



My next mod will likely be the Imperium handguard, the stock one is a bit too aggressive in texture, and Imperium looks pretty cool also.

I like mine!
I tossed an Inforce light, a sling and a Velcro side saddle on it.

I like the Velcro side saddles-
The one side of the Velcro sticks to the gun, then there’s 2-7 rd Velcro strips that hold your shells, quick to take off an empty one and toss on a full one!

https://skdtac.com/esstac-shotgun-card/


As a matter of fact, I took it out today and ran a few rounds through it…
Met 400M this fine afternoon, 75-80ish degree day with not a cloud in the sky. He was gracious enough to bring me along to a beautiful gun club in the far western suburbs. It was his first time shooting the 1301. I’ll let him fill you in with how damn fun that scattergun is.

Holy cow!

https://palmettostatearmory.co...rearms/shotguns.html


Is this a good price for these? I see they are offering a $300 rebate


Difference between this and the A300?

The difference is the 1301 has a better barrel, and a rotating bolt lockup, instead of the single lug lockup of the A300, and the gas systems are different. Though I've never shot an A300, the 1301 supposedly has a smoother recoil impulse.

In equal configurations, the A300 is slightly heavier.

The 1301 is made in Italy, the A300 is made in the USA.

I am a huge shotgun fan. I have both semi and pump. I prefer a pump for SD. I know that has been debated here a lot. Love my Mossberg's. Simple, reliable and inexpensive. I have drooled over and M2 or a Montefeltro. They can be found around $1k and that seem's borderline affordable.
Spending close to $2k is not in the cards for me. Not when there are great options for 1/3 the cost
.

Congrats on the 1301 Smudge.

I did some careful looking at the A300 first because when possible, I like to save money. The weight difference was a factor, but the big one was that the 1301 is reputed to cycle anything you put through it, from heavy slugs and magnum buck to bulk Walmart Winchester white box light target load stuff. The A300 is supposedly gassed more like the M4 in that it likes more stout loads to function reliably. I wanted something that would shoot everything.

ORC, I totally get that. I’ve been on a mission to clear out a lot of the low and midrange stuff in the collection in favor of consolidating on higher tier, fully kitted out guns. I will still end up with more shotguns of various flavors than I honestly need or will get much use out of, but I had a hole in the collection shaped like a modern, duty-grade semiauto 12ga and the 1301 seemed like a great fit.


BigSwede, have a look here:
https://www.bereli.com/beretta...ku=J131M2TP18F&aff=6

Also, thanks for the input about the magazine tube clamp. It’s the one factory part on the gun that made me wonder. It’s huge, and it’s plastic. That GG&G with the Mlok looks like just the thing.

The 1301 is undoubtedly the better shotgun. But the A300 Ultima Patrol is arguably the better value, with fairly close to the same capabilities and performance at at around half the price.

It's up to the individual buyer if the smaller amount of additional performance is worth the larger amount of additional cost.

Either one is a good choice.

Smudge-
I’ve put a lot of different stuff through the 1301.
High brass, low brass, hand loaded, magnum… hell, I threw some paper shells (probably from the 60’s) in it.

***BOOM***
Every time I pulled the trigger, and cycled the next round.

As far as a duty type shotgun?
I’ve used a few different ones;
11-87, I loves me a good 870, Mossberg 500, 590’s, Benelli’s, and the A300.
Hands down, all day, every day-
The 1301.

Let us know when you take it out, give us a range report.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed at all.