Hello everyone,

I recently have been looking more and more into getting a semi auto shotgun. I have AR’s and handguns for home defense and carry outside the house.

I realized though that I don’t really have anything for:

1. Bears/other four legged predators. My wife and I are about to go camping pretty often, and the areas we travel to are known to have bears. Yes I know bear spray exists, and we have that, but a firearm that’s capable of stopping a bear would be extra piece of mind.
2. We travel (by car) to CA pretty often, to visit family. A long gun would be good to have. For anyone not familiar with CA laws, AR’s and AK’s must be neutered in some stupid way I don’t remember off the top of my head. Regardless, a semi auto shotgun seems to still be one of the few types (if not only type) of firearm that can stay as capable as its out of state counterparts.

So, that along with me being tempted to add a semi auto 12g to the toolbox, got me looking at both the 1301T and Benelli M4 LE.

Last I remember, a while before 1301’s became a thing, Benelli M4’s were the go to semi auto shotgun. Are they still relevant (for lack of a better word)?

Based on reading around, Benelli’s have less parts, “feel” more durable, are easy to service, and are reliable. The complaints in the past were 922r, and price of the shotgun itself + aftermarket parts to un-neuter it.

Now I see there’s an LE version that comes with the collapsible stock (or the non-pistol grip for less if one prefers), and a 7+1 tube.

Pricing aside, is there a reason to go with one or the other(1301T vs M4)? I don’t care about aftermarket support, I just want to mount a WML and RDS.

I came upon an M4 for about the same as what a 1301T will cost me. But I want to know if one is truly a better choice over the other.

I just want something reliable and durable. While I know cheaper options exist, im more of a buy once, cry once guy and would rather pick between these two options. Unless there’s really something better.

Thanks