Freedom Fighter Tactical upgrades on a Benelli M4.
The Benelli M4 is arguably the greatest semiautomatic tactical shotgun in existence. Like it or leave it, the gun runs like a scalded dog. The gun just works, and better than most. Even it its stock configuration, the Benelli achieves a level of performance that the other fighting autos can’t match. Limited capacity and small controls don’t hurt its base line performance and Benelli does not offer a shotgun from the factory that has full capacity and over-sized controls. That’s where Freedom Fighter Tactical comes in. Freedom Fighter Tactical is a company focused on taking perfection to the next level.
Freedom Fighter Tactical saw an obvious hole in the M4’s game, and decided to perfect the almost perfect. Offering 922R compliant parts built specifically to optimize the Benelli M4, FFT’s extras refine the M4.
Before
The Benelli comes from the factory…restricted. Owning a stock m4 is almost like owning a Ferrari but never driving faster than the speed limit. It’s still an experience, and you can still tell everyone you drive the fastest car on the streets, but its nothing like going full throttle around the track.
The main concerns most want to address are the magazine tube and the small size of the controls. I wanted to take it one step further and replace the forend–I wanted to gun to be as ergonomic, strong, and reliable as possible.
The FFT advantage is easy to see.
After
Setting up your M4 for the range, or for 3 Gun competition, or even the battlefield has been simplified by the folks at Freedom Fighter Tactical. They spell out in plain English what part combinations are needed to stay 922R compliant and provide simple instructions detailing how to install the parts they sell.
I ordered a full length steel magazine tube, a 922R compliant forend, and a ¾ inch over-sized charging handle.
The Full-length steel tube installed with minimal effort. A little heat and a lot of strength and it was a done deal. Its construction is impressive; this tube could serve as a weapon in its own right. It comes in a zinc phosphate finish but is available in other materials such as titanium and with finishes such as NP3.
The forend doesn’t offer any extra length, but it greatly increases the strength.
The 922R compliant Forend follows the same lines as the stock forend. It is nearly identical. However it is made of higher-grade glass filled nylon that is superior in strength to the stock forend. It is almost over-sized and gives a better fit than the stock forend or other aftermarket forend options. It is available in different colors, too, like OD Green and Coyote Tan.
The ¾ inch over-sized charging handle has to be the easiest part to exchange on the gun. Just pull the bolt back slightly and depress the face. The old charging handle slides out and the new one pops right in. To say this handle offers more charging surface is an understatement. It is like moving from a studio apartment into a mansion. Charging the weapon is transformed from a mildly painful action to an effortless slight of hand.
The steel mag tube is a great addition, and it’s available in titanium, too.
The Cost break down may inspire sticker shock in those used to imported AR parts. But the Benelli isn’t inexpensive to begin with, and there’s nothing cheap about the upgrades offered by FFT: $164 for the full-length steel magazine tube, $60 for the 922R compliant forend, and $50 for the charging handle. For a serious shotgunner, there is no more reasonable option. Take the plunge. Order the parts. If you’ve already ponied up for an M4, the cost should look insignificant. And you’ll never have to replace them.
If you don’t own an M4, you should still check out FFT. They make other tactical shotgun gear, and swag, and they also offer products built for the Benelli M1 Super 90 and M2. All in all the enhancements offered by Freedom Fighter Tactical are worth the price tag, and easily perfect the Benelli M4.
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Left handed charging is now much easier.
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The new handle adds width to the gun, and dimension to the charging handle.
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Your barrel isn’t fully seated. It’s a very common issue with the FFT forend and is unacceptable, and possibly dangerous.
Most people end up sanding down one end of the forend to allow the barrel to fully seat, however FFT should step up and address the issue by reworking their molds instead of expecting their customers to have to perform modifications on a new part.
Nice upgrades for people stuck with 922 issues on newer guns. The used market has pre ban/922 M variants several hundered dollars cheaper then new M’s. If your going to stay proficient with your scattergun, buy a M-3 Convertible. Action can be changed from SA to pump and back in a nano second. This allows you to change rounds (00 to a Slug), or fire full size/charge shells in SA action or use Pump action for speciality rounds with low charge and very short length like Aguila 1 3/4 shells. So of it fits within the chamber, you can cycle/fire it as fast as you can. Others: not so much. My old stock H&K Benelli (full tube, pistol grip and rifle sights, 2 3/4) has been flawless for over 20 years. No upgrades and no parts failures. These have been selling at low to mid $900. Just checked the Net and one went for $700! Why “upgrade” ?
If that’s a Benelli collapsible stock on your gun then you are still short one part for 922r compliance and that’s assuming you replaced the OEM follower with a compliant follower when you changed the magazine tube (which was not mentioned in the article).
I love the M4 and appreciate the article, but it needs edited. If you’re going to recommend modifications that can have legal implications (922r compliance) then it should be accurate. The article gives the impression that the three parts mentioned is all that is needed or has been done to the weapon. If that’s the case it’s not compliant and anyone who follows the article would not be compliant either. Freedom has a good FAQ on 922r http://freedomfightertactical.com/922r-faq/
To ensure my gun was 922R compliant, I did the upgrades with FFT’s parts including hammer, trigger, sear, titanium mag tube/follower and I forget what else. The trigger break is crisper, with imperceptible uptake and over travel. You can’t go wrong with these aftermarket parts. In a perfect world the clearly unconstitutional USC 922r wouldn’t exist, but prisons and overzealous ATF enforcers DO. Definitely worth the money, time and trouble to install. Cheap insurance, even though orange IS the new black.