My Benelli Sbe 2 sucks

aOWENc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
138
Location
Indiana
Okay so I broke down and bought a benelli sbe 2 in December of 2015, and from that point on I've been nothing but disappointed with it. First of all the forearm has an unacceptable amount of play in it for a shotgun that costs 1600 dollars retail. Benelli claims it's to allow for expansion during freezing conditions, however my uncles, and my friends sbe2 forearms are solid. The next problem is unreliability, everyone claims how reliable these guns are however mine has jammed 4 times. I broke the firearm in with 3 and 3.5 inch shells, have cleaned it religiously, have ran it dirty, and it has jammed no matter what, it's jammed with 3.5 inch hevi shot, remington heavy game loads, and 3 inch black clouds. Another thing I hate is the "benelli click", I knew of this before I bought it, but didn't think it would be as easy as it is to cause this click. If you set it down in the duck blind a little too hard on the butt, don't count on it going off when you need it most, like when your first drake pintail sets up in the decoys and flies away laughing as your gun is going click. Last but not least the point of impact is off at least 8 inches. Using the factory modified, kicks gobbling thunder, carlsons long range and mid range steel chokes it will shoot 8 inches left and about 4 inches high. I don't mean to bash these firearms because I know many people love there's and have great reliability with them, I love my supernova, and I know benelli makes great guns. Perhaps I got a lemon. I see a winchester sx3 or browning a5, maxus or silver taking this benellis spot in the near future.
 
Mine didn't have any shims in the box, could be because it was the sbe2 American. I traded it for the new browning a5 in 3.5 inch 26 inch barrel mossy oak bottomland camo and I love it.
 
I've got 2 of the original SBE's, one camo other black with 3 1/2" chambers. Can't possibly see any way they could be improved upon. Picked both up used in good shape at gunshows for a steal. They feed flawlessly no matter what shells I use. I once shot Tom Knapp's at a Benelli demonstration. It had around 200,000 rounds down the pipe and I believe it's now in the Cody gun museum. That sold me. I can't stand how a lot of newer guns are cheapened up with pot metal and lower grades of plastic. Had duck hunter with a new SBE 2 make fun of my "old Benelli". His quit him 15 min into our hunt, shot my limit and handed it to him, Lol
 
I use my camo one with 24" barrel to call and shoot coyotes in thick cover. Using 3" Rem 4 buck with Carlson Dead Coyote choke. 41 .250" pellets with that load. Patterened on side of an old refrigerator, got 39 pellets inside 30" circle at 45yds. Have dropped a ton of coyotes with this combo. Farthest was 60 yds, rolled him up in a wad. Very fun!
 
we use the Hevishot Dead Coyote Shells in 3" for the Yotes
in the woods......I was not a fan of the SBE II either but
the Super Vinci is another story all together
HIGHLY reliable and very accurate
NO jamming
 
The benelli click, (possible on all models) is easily solved with a stronger spring. I think mine came from Midway for about 15 bucks. from then on no problem.
Idahoorion
 
Glad to hear Knapp got 200k out of his. Would imagine most of the guts were replaced at one point or another. Bought my first one in 95 and it has close to 10k rounds through it and have had to replace a number of small pieces over the years, but still shoots as good as when I got it. My other SBE1 was purchased in 2001 and has over 5k rounds through it. Won't be replacing either unless one of them explodes...
 
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