I didn’t like the RMR on the 1301. I ended up switching it out for the ACRO. The RMR was nice, light, and compact but the window was a bit small and when co-witnessed with the irons, it was a very busy sight picture. The acros window seems bigger and the sight sits up slightly so the dot is clear above the front sight.

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Forgot I need a match saver

I got to handle one of the Mod 2 yesterday with the pistol grip and I wasn't too excited about it. Compared to my Benelli M4, it just seemed "cheap". However, different rigs and applications. I loved the weight and I am considering replacing my older Mossberg 930 SPX with a 1301 w/ a field stock (although I may revisit the pistol grip version).

I tried the Mesa Tactical Urbino stock on my Gen 1 when I first got it because it was the only aftermarket stock version with a cheek riser. I didn’t like it. It added a lot of weight and the grip was not made for a normal sized human. It was massive. I ended up going back to the factory stock before finally getting an Aridus Ind Magpul SGA stock adapter. The Magpul SGA is a really great stock. Both my Gen 1 and Gen 2 have SGA stocks on them. They feel great and offer things like a cheek riser, better recoil pads, and sling mounts. The angle of the grip is sort of a cross between a field stock and a pistol grip. I didn’t think I would like it but I really do.

The weight thing with the 1301 makes people think it is cheap but it isn’t. They are very tough guns. They are streamlined and aluminum where the M4 is over built and steel. Owning both and using both, I’d much rather carry the 1301 over the M4. Once you get past the “this doesn’t feel like a shotgun” phase you start to realize the light weight is welcome. Now I pick up an 870 and go “wtf, why is it so heavy” and wonder why we have always just excepted that shotguns have to be heavier than they should be.

I have a match saver on my Gen 1. It uses a single MLOK and Velcro. It has worked well, the only complaints really are that the Velcro wore out over time and initially my match safer had really sharp edges that I needed to sand down as I sliced my finger good on the edge the first time I used it. On my Gen 2 I decided to try the Briley stage saver. While it does cost twice as much as the Matchsaver, was able to eliminate the use of Velcro and the product feels more quality and durable over all. It uses a single MLOK mount and then the stage saver screws into the mount via two screws. It is very secure and allows you to angle the stage saver as you see fit.

https://www.briley.com/p-61812-stage-saver-adapter.aspx
https://www.briley.com/p-65177-briley-premium-stage-saver.aspx

This.

The gas system really does it's job mitigating recoil. My 870 is so chonky I'd never want to carry it, but I have a sling just in case.

The 1301 with the Urbino stock feels like I'm carrying a slung AR15.

Got it. Sounds like a good plan

Thanks for the heads up, ill probably go with an odg acro p2 then.

I think the Acro is the perfect optic for a shotgun. Just the right size and lots of durability. Aimpoint is now offering the Acro with various shotgun mounts so you can direct mount them to the rib of a barrel on a shotgun.

Beretta showing off their Mod 2 with the folding stock which I guess is now a factory option. It looks interesting but I think I’ll stick with my SGA. Especially since that stock is $460?! That is absurd.

The Holosun 32MOA ring is pretty much the pattern for 00 buck. No guess work, keep the ring on the target and account for all of your pellets. Center dot zero'd for slugs at 25 yards.

The Benelli M4 has an aluminum receiver, it's mainly the extra thicc barrel that makes its so heavy.

What’s the best such Holosun for the 1301T?

You can define best for yourself. The 507C, 508T, and 509T all have the 32MOA reticle. There are receiver mounted plates available for all three.

Thanks, I had 870 on the brain. The M4 is a lot like the 590A1 in that it has an aluminum receiver but the barrel is thick AF which adds a ton of weight.

As for the Holosun, I’m not anti-holosuns, I own a few on various pistols including one on my EDC but I have reservations when it comes to their durability under heavy recoil. Especially the smaller footprint models. I’ve read in other places where holosuns that were back up sights on .308 guns have had some problems with flickering and shutting off/deadlining. This may not be a serious issue across the board but after deciding to replace the RMR, I decided I wanted something more substantial. For what it is worth, I had that same durability concern with the RMR as the Type 1 versions of the RMR didn’t like a lot of recoil and I wasn’t sure what the limit was recoil wise on the Type 2 though it seemed to hold up well. I do agree though, their reticle does lend itself well to a shotgun. I’d love a reticle like I have on my EPS Carry and SCS models for the Aimpoint Acros as I currently have four on them in use right now, it would be nice to have the reticle pattern uniform across all my mini optics.

A slide mounted optic will experience more force than the same optic mounted on a semi-auto shotgun. Further, most pistol optics survive 20k+ rounds on a pistol whereas most shotguns never see that kind of round count. I have a paltry 1500 rounds of slugs, 00, and high brass bird through my 1301T with a 508T and it is surviving fine. I would expect any reputable optic to do the same.

The circle dot on a 1301T is the jam. And if for some reason you don't like it, you can simply turn it off. If you want a closed emitter, Holosun offers the 509T. Frankly, I wish a non-Chinese company was offering as much. Aimpoint is making vent rib mounts instead.

The 507COMP also has a 32MOA reticle as well.

Yeah, that's not a great question.  Those are all described as pistol optics, not rifle or shotgun optics.  How well will these hold up being used on a 1301T?

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ETA Answered.  I had this posting window open for a couple hours before clicking "Submit".  LOL

@WhiskersTheCat

Managed to get a distributor to allocate me some ODG mod 2s. Guess they just got the first shipment of the ODG in today from Beretta. Regular stock, not the pistol grip.
Should have them in a couple days. Customers scooped them up quick when I sent out an email, but I held one back for myself.
I'll post some pictures of the OD green to give you an idea of the color palatte.

I'll probably do the odg Acro p2 and an odg Rein. But im going to mess around with some other optics(509T mainly) and see what I think of it.

Nice! Thanks man.

I think I'm going to go with the RMR HD or the RMR Mailbox

I don't necessarily equate light weight to cheap or unreliable.  The M2 I just picked up is super light but that model has been around for decades with an excellent performance record.  I've not seen anything about the 1301 that says it doesn't hold up well.

@WhiskersTheCat

1301 mod 2 odg matches cloud defensive rein in odg.
Magpul odg is a little darker.
Its definitely a sexy color.
Odg acro p2 is onobtanium so may go with a black one. Im digging the iron sights though, so I may run it like that for awhile.
If you want any specific pictures of anything else let me know.
I checked the trigger with the gauge, it breaks at 3.75lbs and is very nice and the stippling on the handguard is very aggressive.
I have a Vickers multicam sling im going to throw on it along with a multicam esstac shotgun card, and I'm still waiting for the trex lightbar to come in to mount the Rein.
This thing is crazy light.

Dude.

Wow. I am very much a function over fashion type of guy but this seems to be a rare example where I can attain both effortlessly.

Got 250 rounds through it today. Mix of 1 1/4oz 7 shot to 00 Magnum. Fired all flawlessly. Not one issue. Its very controllable and the weight is perfect. The balance of the shotgun is spot on.
The Cloud Defensive switch sticks out way to far for me to activate the light comfortably and confidently. Took it off and ordered a Surefire M640DF pro, UE tailcap and a Unity Axon SL with their new m-lok mounting kit. Hope that works out better.
I will say this, the qd sling mount on the bottom of the stock is doodoo. So I am adding a GrovTec pushbutton base to the side of it.
Glad they added the pro lifter to the mod 2. So much smoother. Trigger is fantastic. Wear gloves while running it unless you want your hands to look like you ran them over a cheese grater. Its probably the smoothest shotgun I've shot, I like it better then the M4.

Please stop spending my money kind sir

The OD green on the barrel and mag tube is Cerakote, the receiver is anodized so it kind of has this two tone look. I just went with black since it plays off the furniture. When I had the RMR on it, that was ODG but my Acro is black. I think there is such a thing as too green. I like the contrast of black and OD. I’ve toyed with getting my furniture done in tiger stripe but it would be a waste of money since I shoot it so much it would be beat up in no time.

I need a new black straight stock for a 1301 if anyone has one for sale, need pad, spacers also, thanks

I wanted to add a little update and lessons learned for those thinking about adding a Unity Axon SL to their 1301 mod 2 with their new mlok mount.
The Unity Axon SL mlok mount is to long and won't fit so I had to use a pic rail to mount the Axon SL. It sticks out like the Cloud Defensive Rein switch but the single 45-degree angled button face is much easier to manipulate. I would prefer it to be more flush, so I'm continuing the search for options. I wonder if a low pro pic rail would work better.

Added a couple Grovtech hollow stock qd sling bases. One on each side. I prefer MK318s opposite side qd attachment point location. Keeps the shotgun nice and close and it doesn't dangle.

I use UT MLOK hot button. Strangely they don’t appear on the UT website anymore but they have a built in MLOK mount and they should fit that slot. PA has them in stock. I am using that hot button paired with the Fernlab Pocket Socket that is designed for the UT MLOK hot button.

https://www.primaryarms.com/unity-tactical-hot-button-mlok-surefire-7in-cable-black

https://fernilab.com/shop/p/pocket-socket


I’ll take pics of this set up tomorrow but this set up should work with those mlok slots.

You are not alone. They can keep it.

ALso, their CS is garbage. I had a 1301 that I sent back to them twice & they didn't fix anything. Then they told me to f off.

What exactly was the issue they didn't fix?

I mostly agree, Beretta is bumping the price up $500 because they think the market will bare it.  Personally, at that price I'd much rather have an Benelli M4.  One thing I will say about Benelli is that, though expensive, their prices have been pretty consistent.  The price of a new M4 hasn't really changed in the past ~15+ years.  Making them actually comparatively cheaper now due to inflation than they were.

IDGAF about the extra few hundred bucks I spent. EVERYTHING is more expensive. You want to save $, just buy a Mossy. My Langdon 1301 is by far the best shotgun I've owned or shot. Worth every penny. Shit, a proper LE M4 from Benelli would cost even more.

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I have a low profile pic rail coming. Should be here by tomorrow. I'll try that out and see how I like it.
If you could post a measurement of the hot button. If the low pic rail doesn't work for me I may bite the bullet and get a hot button mlok. Just want to make sure it would fit first before I start throwing more money at it.

The LE version J131TT18NLE is on sale at Aim Surplus and PSA for $1400 as of this writing:

https://aimsurplus.com/products/beretta-1301-tactical-semi-auto-12ga-shotgun-185in

https://palmettostatearmory.com/beretta-1301-tactical-le-18-5-semi-automatic-12-gauge-shotgun-black-j131tt18nle.html

FYI, that not a Mod 2. The Mod 2 has the pro lifter, a different fore end, 7+1 capacity, different grip checkering and a different trigger.

I'm just saying, if you are spending near $2k prices, might as well get the Benelli M4!  Like you said, what's a few hundred bucks?

I've got an M4 and two 1301s. Yea the M4 is a nice shotgun but I liked the 1301 so much I bought the l second one, the new mod 2. My mod 2 was $1,595.

I own an M4 and two 1301s, a Gen 1 and a Gen 2. The 1301 is a better shotgun. The gas system is more refined and has been more reliable for me when the gun is cold, wet and dirty. My M4 also will choke on some of the cheaper bulk ammo where is the 1301 has never had a malfunction even with the dirtiest bulk AA loads you can buy. Additionally the gas system in the 1301 is more streamlined which allows for aftermarket forend options that make mounting lights and slings much easier. The M4 is a great shotgun and still very capable but it is kind of showing its age. Especially next to the 1301 that is lighter and faster. Beretta bumped the price on the 1301 because they can. Beretta is selling everyone they make, even at the current price. I think the price bump also makes the A300UP more attractive to a lot of buyers who want a shotgun but maybe aren’t shotgun shooters and don’t need that extra speed and tech.

@mindfull

The hot button mlok takes 1.5 MLOK slots. The hot button with the fern lab pocket QD socket takes 2 MLOK slots. So it looks like the hot button MLOK will fit since you have 1.5 slots available. The version you bought requires 2 MLOK slots. It looks like Unity is discontinuing this version. It is probably because the body is aluminum and it costs a lot more to make vs the polymer version. If you are going to get one I’d get one fast, they are selling out everywhere. PA still has them in stock. https://www.primaryarms.com/unity-tactical-hot-button-mlok-surefire-7in-cable-black


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Aridus has their V2 handguard out and their V2 retrofit kit for the Zhukov handguards. I like that they added MLOK slots to the mount for the handguard which is much more durable. I will be repositioning my light bar to this location to move my scout light even further. The other change was in the rear mount. They redesigned the interface so that it fully opens up that MLOK slot now. One issue with the original design and the one sold by GG&G is that you loose half the mlok slot in the rear making mounting a sling or match saver in that location a challenge. Now you will be able to mount a QD mount in that rear location.

I ordered the retrofit kit since I already have a Zhukov handguard. I like the direction Aridus is going. Now if they will redesign their stock adapter so that you can have a QD mount there or a mount for a seven or eight shot side saddle, (something that is still very much lacking in the 1301 space), that would be awesome. Personally I’d like to see the stock mount be modular in that the user can use it as a more secure mounting point for a side saddle or sling mount. If Aridus did this I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t modify their side saddle design to hold 7 or better yet 8 rounds and it would be a much more secure platform.

https://www.aridusindustries.com/products/hga-1301-zhukov-retrofit-kit/
https://www.aridusindustries.com/products/1301hga-blk/

I received my preorder today. I didn't get to install it yet but it does look really nice.

Did you get the whole V2 handguard or just the retrofit kit? My handguard is by GG&G. I finally ended up ordering from them because Aridus was out of stock for months and months to the point I got tired of waiting. I like the texturing on the V2 and considered just replacing my entire GG&G kid with a V2 but once again Aridus was out of stock. It says you can back order but I am not doing that anymore. I’ve been burned a few times recently with back orders. For now I guess I’ll keep my GG&G handguard and use the Aridus retrofit kit with it. I kind of like the texturing on my handguard anyways. It’s aggressive and sticks to my hand under recoil.  

@MK318

Which color?

The black textured version is showing IN STOCK for me.

I think he said the FDE is running a few days behind due to getting cerakote.

So check back in a few days if you want the FDE.

I got the entire handguard.

Yesterday morning when I went to order it, it was showing backorder for the black textured version which is what I wanted. I ordered the retrofit kit instead. So I'm going to wait and use that for awhile now. I may end up picking up a third 1301 soon. I may get a Mod 2 or try to find another Gen 2 and get the loading port opened up. After playing with the A300UP, that is one feature I want on my 1301s now. Since my Gen 2 1301 is OD green and the receiver is anodized green and not just cerakoted, I don't want to mess with it. If I get another one or a Mod 2 it will be a black one.

Me stupid, so dum

Looks like the two gas ports

Yeah, I looked it over earlier after I posted and came to that conclusion as well. Total brain fart on my end. I just wasn't fast enough to delete my post before you copied it, so we can all revel in my stupidity.


Its one of those days today and one of those posts that makes you embarrassed. I don't know what I was thinking to be honest. I'm sure the Beretta guys are having a good laugh over there. I'm glad I could make their day.

I have my Aridus Industries retrofit kit installed on my Zhukov, I’ve ran a case of 00 through it with no issues. It is a great upgrade since it gives you a stronger MLOK light mount option for the 1301. It also fully opens up the rear MLOK slot which allows for easier solutions to mounting a match saver and sling mount. I did have to make some tweaks from my initial set up. The T-Rex Arms light bar MLOK Surefire mount I was using pushed the light about an inch past the muzzle when using the new mounting option on the retrofit kit. I ended up switching it out for an Arisaka scout pro MLOK which is actually the same thing as the T-Rex light bar, only about an inch shorter, (Arisaka makes the light bar for T-Rex Arms), This put the light about half an inch behind the muzzle. It created a new problem though as now I didn’t have enough cable to run my light cable from my switch to the light the way I had it before. The solution I came up with isn’t my favorite as I don’t like the switch cable running over the barrel, but it should be fine. I used some Arson Machine 90 cable routers to control the excess slack. This are a little pricy for what they are but I had them laying around from another project so I used them. Magpul makes some less expensive cable management options for MLOK that are a great option too. Finally I relocated my Emissary Development nano carrier over to the other side. This is just a simple way to carry a nano tool which does everything I need it to do to adjust, remove or change the battery on my Aimpoint P2. ED also makes some low profile cable management clips.

Overall the retrofit is a great option if you already have a Zhukov and want to open up some options. For me it allowed me to move my light further forward than before, it also made it easier to maintain my 1301 as my previous set up required me to adjust the angle of the light to remove the clamp and remove the magtube. This new set up moved the light up higher on the gun meaning I no longer need to adjust the angle of the light. The light is now in a semi permeant place, it no longer needs to be moved as it is out of the way for any kind of disassembly. The way it indexes with the Zhukov is reenforced and seems very study. I was also able to add a rear QD sling mount which is great when using the gun slung in tight spaces. I still have control but I can adjust from shoulder to shoulder easily.

The only criticism I have really is that I would have liked the new upgrade to be aluminum rather than polymer. I realize this would make it more expensive but if aluminum was an option for an upgrade I would have sprung for it. I’d really like to see Aridus upgrade the stock adapter to interface with a side saddle so that we can mount an 8 round side saddle on the 1301 without using Velcro or adhesives which can fail when wet or cold. This is one thing that is desperately needed for the 1301 market. There are no 8 round side saddles on the market for the 1301 despite it being an 8 round shotgun. Still though, this upgrade is some of the best money I have spent on my 1301. I really like to see a company continue to innovate like Aridus is doing.

https://www.aridusindustries.com/products/hga-1301-zhukov-retrofit-kit/

If you don’t have a Zhukov handguard for your 1301, I highly recommend it. It opens up so many options to find tune your 1301. This is the way the 1301 should come from Beretta IMO. Aridus offers the Zhukov handguard with the V2 upgrade. I still might pick up the Aridus Zhukov since it now comes with some nice texturing. I’m trying to justify spending $260 on a part I already have. Then again it might not be a bad option to have a second one on hand in case my current cracks or something.

https://www.aridusindustries.com/products/1301hga-blk/


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Beretta has the Pro lifter back in stock for those of you who have been looking for one.

https://www.beretta.com/en-us/product/pro-lifter-1301-tactical--a300-C7C940

OOS again.  Get on the notification list and hope you're awake when the email comes.

Apparently more popped up on the site again around midnight but then sold out rather quickly. Beretta really needs to spin up production on these. The Mod 2 uses them by default but there are a lot of pre-Mod 2 guns out there and the A300 guys need them too. I am not sure why Beretta is even bothering to carry two skus and using machine time to produce two parts, one of them being inferior. They could save some money by just going to a single sku and making the prolifter default across the board. It is IMO the single best upgrade you can do to your 1301/A300 and I can’t think of a single reason to not having one installed.