Benelli M4

Benelli M4 Super 90 (M1014)
The Benelli M4 Super 90
Type	Combat shotgun Semi-automatic shotgun
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1999–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Afghan War Iraq War Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War
Production history
Designer	Benelli Armi SPA
Designed	1998
Manufacturer	Benelli Armi SPA
Produced	1999–present
Specifications
Weight	3.82 kg (8.42 lb)
Length	885 mm (34.8 in)
Barrel length	470 mm (18.5 in)
Caliber	12 gauge
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Effective firing range	55 yards (50.2 m), (164 ft)
Feed system	5+1 (civilian) or 7+1 (Military, LE) internal tube (Using 2.75 shells) magazine
Sights	Ghost ring sight, Picatinny rail for sights

The Benelli M4 Super 90 is an Italian semi-automatic shotgun manufactured by Benelli Armi SpA.

On May 4, 1998, the United States Army's Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey issued Solicitation #DAAE30-98-R-0401, requesting submissions for a new 12 gauge, semi-automatic combat shotgun for the U.S. military. In response to the request, Benelli Armi SpA of Urbino, Italy designed and built the Benelli M4 Super 90 Combat Shotgun. On August 4, 1998, five samples of the M4 were delivered to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and after intense testing, the M4 had beaten the competition. In early 1999, ARDEC awarded the M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun contract to Heckler & Koch, American subsidiary for importation of the Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun. The first units (count of 20,000) were delivered to the United States Marine Corps in 1999. During testing, the prototype was named XM1014, but after adoption, the 'X' was dropped, and the weapon was officially designated the M1014.

The M4 was the first gas-operated shotgun produced by Benelli. Its function is designed around an entirely new method called the "auto regulating gas operated" (ARGO) system. The short-stroke design uses two stainless-steel self-cleaning pistons located just ahead of the chamber to function opposite the rotating bolt, thereby eliminating the need for the complex mechanisms found on other gas-actuated automatics. The ARGO incorporates only four parts: two symmetrical shrouds containing two small steel gas pistons.