Benelli vs. Franchi

[demondeacon]

OK - I'm new to the world of shotguns and I have been researching autoloaders for skeet/trap. I went to the local large chain sporting goods store to look at some autoloaders. I was confused when they had some listed as Benelli, but they were actually Franchi? I believe the name was Diamond. The sales person said that it had the same inertia system as a Benelli.

So - is any of that true? I've heard that Franchi is a subsidiary of Benelli. Is the inertia system in a Franchi as good as a Benelli? How does a Franchi compare to a Benelli? I know that Benellis are more expensive but does that follow the old "you get what you pay for" maxim?

[Smitty in CT]

The inertia systems of the Benelli and Franchi are similar, not identical. If you're considering a Franchi you owe it to yourself to take a look at a "new" Stoeger 2000, form everything that I have read they are almost identical to the Franchi and have actually performed better. The "new" guns have a red high vis front sight and a ramped rib.

If your looking for a good reliable "gas" autoloader, the Mossberg 930 is performing flawlessly for quite a few people....for a LOT less money than the Big names.

[jeo556]

Second that for the Stoeger M-2000, I love mine so far.

[ebutler462]

The Stoeger M2000 beat the Franchi I-12 in Gun Tests Magazine performance tests. That should tell you something. Save yourself a few hundred dollars and take a look at the M2000. It is a top performer for me.

[BigJimP]

My opinion is you get what you pay for in shotguns priced in that range. I know the Benelli is a good system. Personally I think the super sport with the comfort tech is one of the best guns they make - and allows for a number of changes in the stock configuration to make it fit properly.

[AFman]

Big Jim, I'm not totally disagreeing with you, but I'd like to point out one thing for discussion...

One should really think about what they need in a shotgun (or anything else for that matter) before buying it. I'd agree that the Benelli gets you a prettier shotgun with more adjustments, but is it worth 3 times as much as the Stoeger 2000? I haven't researched the durability of either, but the Benelli would need to last 3 times longer for me to agree on paying 3 times as much. I recently bought the newer Stoeger 2000 and have shot 4 rounds of skeet without a malfunction.

Before I bought the Stoeger, I used a "loaner" Ruger Red Label. I shoot equally well on the skeet range with the Stoeger as I did with the Ruger. So, in the end, the only difference to me is the Ruger looks better (and maybe carries a bit more "status"). In terms of durability: I'll probably never put enough rounds through the Stoeger to wear it out. So, for me, the Stoeger is fine and I didn't have to shuck out an extra $800 to enjoy shooting a couple rounds a skeet each week.

In general, most people don't need a $1200 shotgun to accomplish what their looking for. But some do. A good analogy would be needing a car to drive back and forth to work. Do you need a Mercedes or can you live with Toyota Corolla? Either way, do your research and think about what you really need.

[dwatts47]

It doesnt' matter which one you get.

Benelli owns: Franchi, Stoeger, Uberti.

Ask your dealer to show you the catalog. Also interesting for Giggles my local dealer stripped an Benelli M2 field and did the same to the Stoeger M2000 to show their internals... the difference? I couldn't see one.

and you won't notice it either.

[Full-choke]

I own a Franchi I-12 and a Stoeger Condor 20 gauge. I love both guns, but I will be 100% honest. When it comes to trap or skeet, I will take the Stoeger, but it will never see a woods or field, it isn't durable enough. The Franchi is my duck gun and that thing is built like a tank, wouldn't trade it for the world. I have never shot a M-2000 even though they have good reviews. If the only thing you are going to do is skeet, buy the Stoeger as it will suite just fine...if you might even consider hunting, spend the money and get a more durable, reliable shotgun made by the same design.

[ebutler462]

There is not a dimes worth of difference in the actions and the testing proves that the M2000 is more reliable than the Franchi I-12. Why take a higher dollar gun into the wilds when a M2000 will do the job as good as or better?

The exteriors of the Benelli family are a little more polished and refined as the price goes up, but for the life of me, I can't tell the difference in the actions. I don't know if the innards are interchangeable but visually you can't tell the difference. The Franchi and the Stoeger have their recoil springs up front, the Benellis have the recoil springs in the stock. Other than that, I don't know that their is any apprecialble difference. Most of the parts of the M2000are made in Italy and sent to Vursan for assembly. The barrels are made by Beretta. Need I say more.

For my money, the M2000 would be my gun from the Benelli family for hunting. It is economical, but not cheaply made. There is a lot of quality built into the new model M2000. It is the poor man's Benelli with the same reliability. Oh, I know it doesn't have shims and other gadgets for trap and skeet, but for my purposes, it suits me just fine.

[SR420]

I have an early 1993 HK/Benelli M1 Super 90 and would not trade it for any other.

[ebutler462]

AFman, Gun Tests Magazine did extensive testing of the Franchi I-12 and the Stoeger M2000. The M2000 was their pick. The Franchi had reliability and quality issue. The M2000 whizzed through their tests like crap through a goose. It was their pick. The tests costs $10.00 but it is interesting reading. One thing I underlined: The Comfortech stock had the same felt recoil as the M2000.

A couple of years ago, I bought a 2000 original model that I kept for a few weeks. It had nowhere near the quality of the new model M2000. Too many guns being returned for quality issues. Apparently the folks at Benelli listened to the shooting public and did a total overhaul of the Vursan plant's quality program, along with high tech computerized tooling. Now, the M2000 is a very good quality firearm that holds its own with the higher dollar inertia guns.

[USAlx50]

Just skip the trouble and get a SX3 Then you can feel a quick normal recoil without the whole cachunk feeling of an inertia guns action working. A guy I hunted with last week was on his third benelli. They sent him 2 replacements after the first two wouldn't cycle reliably. Guess what, neither does the third one. Now the store that sold it to him claims he isn't cleaning it properly after he brought it to two separate gunsmiths to make sure it was cleaned right. He let the store that sold it to hims gunsmith clean it, still doesn't cycle worth a crap.

$1300 well spent:barf:

[Master Blaster]

I'm new to the world of shotguns and I have been researching autoloaders for skeet/trap.

Beretta 390,391, Urika, Technys, New used plain or fancy.
The inertial system is a blowback with a stiff spring, its great for 20 or 30 shots, but when you want to break 200-500 in an afternoon, you want gas operated, or a heavy SXS.

[Jseime]

My buddies dad at Drumheller has a Franchi that does'nt cycle worth a crap. I have used it to shoot lots of clays and it very rarely feeds reliably i think a Remington or something higher end is the way to go.

[manitoubeachman]

I think my Franchi -12 diamond is a true work of art, its fit and finish are excellent, it has never failed me whether at the range or in the field. I have looked at other I-12's (not Diamonds or Limiteds), and there is a differance in fit and finish of the guns, You get what you pays for. As for comparing a Stoeger to the Franchi there simply is no comparision.The stoegers are crude in fit and finish, and do not seem to come up as good, they are also imported from turkey unlike the franchi's that are made in Italy, which is known for being the home of fine gun makers. The 2 piece recoil pads found on the Franchi's are wonderful. Both Franchi and stoeger are owned by Beretta, with Stoeger being the Budget line. You figure out which is btter Franchi I-12 or then Stoeger. As for me, I'll stick with Franchi, Firends of mine have shot my Franchi and have told if they would have only tried my Franchi before they bought their Browning, they wopuld have bought a Franchi.

[jaguarxk120]

If a Franchi won't cycle reliably, beleve it or not your shooting it wrong. You have to shoulder the gun very firmly, it has to have you to recoil against. If you limpwrist any recoil operated shotgun they will not cycle properly.

[BigJimP]

Boy this got drug out of the archives - from 2 1/2 yrs ago ...

I'll still stand behind my comments on my Benelli's - the Super Sport models I have, have both been very good guns, with a lot of adjustability.

I've seen some Stoeger and some Franchi models at my club lately - and all of them have had cycling problems. Now that might be because the shooters are not cleaning them - not sure. But I do think there is more to Benelli - than just a name on their guns.

But we can have a cost vs capability of a gun in all kinds of cases. Take a Browning O/U for $ 3,000 compared to a Krieghoff O/U at $ 30,000 - is the Browning only 10% of the Krieghoff ( heck no ) ...I think the Browning will easily last for 2 or 3 generations ( but so will the Krieghoff ).

Maybe the Stoeger and Franchi semi-autos will last just as long as the Benelli / don't know .... ??

[NoSecondBest]

The Benelli is head and shoulders above all the other guns mentioned on this post. It's resale is better and its reliability is better. Yes it costs more but it's a better gun. Aside from the comparison of the Kreigoff to the high end Browning, the other guns are vastly different. I've owned or currently own over fifty shotguns. I've had them all, Berettas, Benelli's, Remington, Franchi, etc. The only decent ones are the Beretta and the Benelli. The clones, copies, etc just aren't in the same leage. Go to some sporting clays shoots and see what is being used. You will rarely see a Remington, Franchi, Stoeger, or any other "B" brand gun being used. Two reasons: they don't hold up and it's like either swinging a 4x4 or a broomstick when you're tracking the bird. They just don't perform. Short of spending over two grand for a great gun, you can get a great gun if you buy a Beretta or Benelli automatic and compete with and against the high end over/unders.

[mathman]

The Benelli is better...period. Is it three times better? Maybe not, but to some, having a reliable, comfortable, easy shooting, fast cycling, easy to clean shotgun....is priceless.

[LanceOregon]

The Franchi I-12 is made in Italy, just like the Benelli. The Stoegers are made in a low cost factory in Turkey, however.

I would rate the Franchi quality to be about on par with Benelli.

[NoSecondBest]

That's some mighty nice contact paper on a hard wood stock on those Franchi's. Too bad it isn't real wood. Cheap guns can be made anywhere and good ones can be also. Some of those Turkish guns being made today are of excellent quality and some aren't. I owned two Franchi's two years ago. They were so-so on quality and did not compare to my Benelli's in reliability. The Franchi's did not cycle 100% even with new ammo, the Benelli's always cycled. The internal systems were not the same. You do get what you pay for and I'll go back to my statement of "go to a sporting clays shoot and see what they're shooting". You won't see very many, if any, Franchi's or other "B" guns there simply because they aren't reliable enough and they just don't swing as well either. Spend a little extra up front and you'll be satisfied for many years afterwards.

[oneounceload]

It doesnt' matter which one you get.

Benelli owns: Franchi, Stoeger, Uberti.

And Beretta owns them all.

IMO, while I know BigJim is a Benelli person, the Beretta's gas system makes them better for recoil reduction - both actual and perceived. The gun is heaver (actual), and the gas system(perceived), all both combine to make a very soft gun.

Even the new Xplor field gun with it's new stock and gas system, weighing 6.5# in 12 gauge was a joy to shoot - (friend just returned a K-80 and bought this instead)

[BigJimP]

I was in a gunstore yesterday ... and heard a clerk tell a customer to buy the Stoeger ( it was exactly the same internally as the Benelli ) ....

I didn't say anything ....but part of this issue is everyone is looking for some kind of confirmation of where the value is. I haven't taken a Stoeger / or a Franchi apart ... and compared the internals to the Benelli internals ...and even if they look the same ...how do any of us, as consumers, judge hardness of the metal, the quality of the stainless used ...etc.

They may in fact be exactly the same / or they may use parts that were not certified by the Benelli division ...don't know / and I don't think there is any well to tell / unless we each had the capability of putting 10,000 shells thru each gun ( same types of shells, same temperatures, etc ...) and none of us can do that either ....

So in my mind it mostly comes down to your gut instincts ...(you pay your money ...and you take your chances) ...and if you have an issue / it may or may not be covered by warranty ...and how long that would take ...is sure up for debate as well.

[007BondJamesBond]

I just got an I 12 and the stock is real wood not contact paper.

[Artie]

Two of my friends bought new guns in the last month. One bought a Benelli M2 and the other bought a Franchi i12. The M2 has been flawless, the i12 jammed on the first shot and has probably only operated correctly 4 or 5 times in 3 or 4 boxes of shells. It does work better with turkey loads, but based on what I've seen so far, even though the i12 is a nice gun, I'd stay away from them. After seeing the problems he's having, I did some research and it looks like the i12 is no stranger to jamming.