Tactical Revolution; The Benelli M4 EXT Unleashed

Few shotguns have earned the reputation of the Benelli M4. Designed for military and law enforcement, this semi-automatic 12-gauge has proven itself in the harshest conditions on earth in the hands of the United States Marines. 

Its rugged gas-operated system (ARGO) and flawless reliability bridge the gap between performance and practicality. It is a favorite among professionals, competitors and home defenders. It was even John Wick’s choice of “Something big. Bold.” in his second movie. 

Benelli designed this rugged, low-maintenance shotgun with simple controls. It also went through rigorous testing by the military to emerge victorious, being officially classified at the M1014 in 2001. Not long after, Benelli released it commercially as the M4. It didn’t take long for civilians to fall for the M4 as well, despite its hefty weight and price tag. The M4 is a monster of a shotgun; big, heavy, capable. 

It comes with a 3-inch chamber, ghost ring sights, a rail for optics and one of the best gas systems available. The M4 can handle heavy slugs all the way down to light field loads. It’s not designed for hunting but think about the amount of game it could drop in a SHTF situation. This is especially true since shells can be ejected from the chamber without one coming out of the magazine. This allows for quick swapping of the load in the chamber for whatever reason. 

Some people, however, have wanted more, particularly regarding capacity and fit. The M4 has come with a 5+1 capacity and a fixed stock, mostly because of federal import regulations. Well, the company has fixed those issues and more with the Benelli M4 EXT.

The Benelli M4 EXT

The EXT comes with everything that shooters love about the M4. This includes the ARGO gas system, the ghost ring sights, 3-inch chamber, optic capability and extreme reliability. This updated semi-auto also comes with a 5-position stock, oversized bolt release and 7+1 capacity, standard. Shooters don’t have to go aftermarket to obtain desired capacity, controls or fit. Benelli is even offerings three new finishes — H2O, FDE and Multicam Black — from which shooters to choose. 

The new features provide two additional rounds, something every shooter wants, along with larger controls, for manipulation with gloves, and an adjustable stock for better fit. Pretty much everything else is the same. Benelli made changes that provided features desired by users while staying compliant with federal 922R regulations that control the importation of firearms and firearm parts. All the Benelli M4 EXT does is provide shooters with what they want.

“Consumers weren’t asking us to reinvent the legendary M4…they were simply asking us to unleash it. Now we have.” said Bret Maffet, Senior Product Manager, Benelli.

Through Its Paces

The Benelli M4 EXT sent for testing came with more than just the standard features or the additional. Attached was a six-round shell holder, Streamlight PROTAC flashlight and Trijicon reflex sight. This shotgun came ready for range work. All I had to do was dig out a variety of 12-gauge shells and walk out to the range. 

I started easy with some light Federal and Winchester loads, just getting a feel for it. It quickly showed that the red dot was sighted and that the M4 could cycle light loads with zero issues. The gas system and heavy weight also kept recoil to a minimum, allowing extremely fast follow up shots when throwing clays over the pond for fun. 

From there, I slid some Remington Sluggers into the M4, firing at varying ranges from 25 to 100 yards, freestanding. This thing ripped big holes all around the center of the target at all distances. Remington 00 Buckshot worked just as well, at closer distances, making short work of targets setup in multiple attacker scenarios. 

While running tactical drills with the Benelli M4 EXT, I learned a few things. First, I need to work on shotgun drills more often. Taking down targets was easy, but I’ve got to get better at ramming shells into the tube. Thankfully, eight rounds make for a lot of firepower. Second, the Benelli M4 EXT is a beast. I don’t know how many rounds I ran through this shotgun, as I scrounged through a variety of partial boxes, both to see if it could handle anything and because it was what I had. I ran pretty much every type of 12-gauge shell through this gun. It handled everything with ease, and without punishing recoil. Don’t get me wrong, you can feel powerful against the shoulder, but it wasn’t too much.  

Final Thoughts 

The last thing I learned is that with its new features, the Benelli M4 EXT just begs to be accessorized. I tried out the ghost-ring sights and they worked well. However, the Trijicon RMR is extremely intuitive. It even co-witnesses with the ghost-ring sights, providing backup if the battery dies. 

The stock easily adjusts to five positions, offering a perfect fit for shooters. However, I would like the button moved from the side for easier access. It’s not hard to reach, just not as easy as I would prefer. I want to be able to have the stock collapsed and extend it without thinking when needed; it needs to be on the bottom or right side. 

The oversized bolt release simple to hit, even with gloves, and adding a side-saddle shell holder really speeds up reloading when the seven-round magazine runs low. Finally, a Streamlight PROTAC turns the M4 into a tactical and home-defense beast. 

The Benelli M4 EXT isn’t a reinvention of a classic—it’s the M4 uncuffed. By giving shooters the capacity, ergonomics and configurability they’ve been adding on their own for years, Benelli has delivered what people wanted from the factory. The EXT retains everything that made the M4 legendary, while addressing the few areas where users consistently asked for more.