Looking into picking up a 1301 to see what all the fuss is about since a site has both the comp and the comp pro on sale.  Looking at the 21" versions of each, there is a $110 price difference between the two of them.  Not much of a difference for all of the pro upgrades.  However, there are some things about the pro that I am not too crazy about.



VS.




Things I like about the Pro:
1. Pro lifter standard
2. Enlarged loading port (even more so than the comp which is already enlarged).
3. Kickoff recoil system stock
4. Better "value" ($400-500 off vs ~$200-$300 off)

Things I am not crazy about for the Pro:
1. 14" LOP vs 13" for the regular comp
2. Ugly as sin blue receiver  
3. Rubberized furniture vs the grippier harder plastic furniture

I called up Beretta to see if the comp pro comes with 3 chokes, he said the 21" version only comes with one, so that advantage id apparently out (not sure why the above picture shows 3).

Figured if I buy the regular comp and am really in love with it / want to upgrade it, I could put a limbsaver recoil pad on it and buy a pro lifter if I wanted.  That would keep the shorter LOP plus give me the pro lifter and I'd be right around the same price all said and done.  Wouldn't have the ugly color receiver (or the extra loading port, but the regular comp seems pretty good).  If I don't care enough to upgrade it, then I am $110  better off on accessories I didn't even care to add.

I thought about maybe selling the kick off stock, and buying a standard one but the prices for even a basic plastic 1301 stock are crazy at close to $200!  Not sure what the market value is for a "pre owned" kick off stock for the 1301 / A400 crowd.

Am I really doing myself a disservice for saving $100 and going with the regular comp over the pro?

Upon further research, I'm going to go with my initial gut impulse which is just to get the comp.  Not a fan of the extra bulk and LOP on the pro, and this poster below seems to have had other issues with the pro as well, and he went back to this standard 1301 comp.  Also, not a fan of the blue receiver.  



Also, it seems that the kickoff has a funky recoil system which is similar to the old "comp stocks" that had spring systems in the stock to reduce recoil.  The problem is the entire stock compresses in and the gun "moves" and you can bang your trigger finger on the trigger guard.  Not a pleasant recoil impulse.

Way too long of a LOP.

The 1301's recoil is pretty mild as it is and if I want, a limbsaver gives more recoil reduction anyway!

The gen1 Comp (non-Pro) iirc has the serial number right on the same spot you'd want to grind away to enlarge the loading port. Also, it's simple to add a stock adapter/Magpul stock and adjust the LOP if that's what you want (no kick-off setup).  I have a gen1 Comp I need to sell. Been sitting in the safe, never fired, since pre-Covid!

Comp Pro lop is shorten-able via 1” spacer. About a 2 minute job. Attached File

From what I can see, the shortest you can make that stock is 14".

My tape says 14 3/4 with so 13 3/4 wo.  My Benelli M4 is 14.

My comp pro came with C, IC, IM chokes.

The kickoff is impressive but not sure the overall gun was worth upgrading from my trusty old Benelli m1.

I thought the pro lifter comes in the Competition…. I know in the Pro -… but can anyone confirm.

Pro only.  Regular comp comes with standard.

Does the pro lifter make it harder to ghost load?


You have to have some spacer in the stock, and the shortest available is a quarter inch spacer that doesn't come with the gun.  So 14" minimum if you buy the extra.

I have the 1” spacer that came with the gun installed so lop is the 14 3/4”. I had the spacer out last week so a friends teen daughter could try it out at 13 3/4”.

I read that if you put no spacer in whatsoever that you need different shorter screws, or it won't screw down all the way tight.

I didn’t use different screws although it wouldn’t hurt just so you don’t have to drive them so far, but it did tighten down just fine with the long ones.

So what are your thoughts on the kick off stock?  Thoughts on the comp pro in general vs the regular comp (in the view of a combat / self defense gun)?

Also. Is there a aftermarket recoil pad for the Comp? Direct fit??

Yes, there is a limbsaver recoil pad, which reduces the recoil MORE than the kick off stock with less length and bulk attached to the stock.

I’ll try and look it up

Anything that reduces recoil is a good thing, I shoot tens of thousands of target rounds a year. That and the pro lifter make it worth the difference to me.

Before I got the 1301 I thought that the one shotgun I would never get rid of was the M4.  The M4 is still the one I trust the most but the 1301 would be the one that’s easier to live with. The 24” barrel and with mag ext giving 10+1 capacity would be hard to argue with.

10+1+1!  ;)

So you don't mind the length of pull, the rubber feel, or the spring compression action when it recoils?  No issues with the pro lifter?  Read some people having feeding issues / other difficulties with theirs.  Did you used to have a regular comp, or a tactical?

Attached File

The only issue I’ve had is after 10,000ish rounds the mag follower wore enough to rub the lifter causing the lifter to not drop back down.  The problem is if you eject a live round the bolt won’t lock back with the lifter stuck in the up position.  Anyway, it’s a follower wear issue not a lifter problem, now I know and have ordered a couple extra.

I love this gun, don’t care about the ringing noise, rubbery surface, or the lop(it fits me great).

Never had the Comp or a Tactical.

We will see if it can run with a Benelli M4