Used by operators of the 601st Special Forces Group. An underbarrel tubular magazine usually holds 8 rounds for police or military versions, or less in some civilian models.Ī New Zealand Army soldier armed with a Benelli M3
This greatly improves the versatility of the shotgun, allowing it to fire low-powered ammunition (mostly of special purpose, such as less-lethal rubber or tear-gas projectiles) in the manually operated pump action mode, and to fire full power combat loads with slugs or buckshot in rapid semi-automatic mode. Rotation of this ring either engages the action rods of the pump system and locks the semi-automatic recoil system, or disengages the action bars, locks the forearm and allows the inertia recoil system to operate the action automatically.
The action type switch is located at the forward end of the forearm, and is formed as an annular knurled ring. The M3 uses the same inertia recoil semi-automatic system as the earlier Benelli M1, but adds another Benelli-patented feature, which allows the shooter to lock the semi-automatic action and switch to the manually operated pump-action mode and back in the matter of seconds. The Benelli M3 is an updated version of the Benelli M1 shotgun.
