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Work order — Benelli M2

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

Inertia action with a simple bolt but several orientation and alignment traps: the hidden link-to-recoil-plunger engagement, the locking head pin's reference line, a loose spring washer under the stock nut, and a thread-locked recoil tube that needs heat, a padded vise and care. No timing; trigger group comes out as a unit on two pins. Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~50 min, rebuild ~70 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Long 13-17 mm socket on extension — Buttstock nut on the tension rod
• Padded vise and heat gun — Freeing a thread-locked recoil spring tube
• Punch set incl. 3/32 in. — Trigger group and bolt pins

Watch for:

• When the bolt goes back in, the link has to slide over the trigger guard and onto the recoil spring plunger hidden inside the receiver; if it misses, the gun will not cycle and the plunger can be damaged. (reassembly; Benelli USA / Benelli Armi S.p.A.)
• The bolt locking head and its pin only go one way: the slanted faces of the head's stem must be hidden and the pin's reference line aligned with the bolt centreline. (reassembly; Benelli USA / Benelli Armi S.p.A.)
• With the stock nut fully off, the spring washer is no longer held and is easily lost. (disassembly; Benelli USA / Benelli Armi S.p.A.)
• Reaching the recoil spring, or freeing the recoil tube so the receiver can be coated bare, means removing a buttstock nut that on early guns was set with red thread-locker; owners report needing heat and far more torque than expected, with a real risk of crushing or bending the tube in the vise. (disassembly; Canadian Gun Nutz)

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Engage the crossbolt safety at the trigger guard.
3. Pull the bolt handle rearward to eject any chambered shell, and lock the bolt open.
4. Press the carrier release and cycle any shells out of the magazine tube, catching each one.
5. Inspect the chamber and look up the magazine tube with a light.
   Warning: The chamber and the tube. Both, every time.
6. Physically confirm the chamber is empty and clear all ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Manufacturer's video: Video smontaggio del benelli M2 (Benelli Armi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvIrOjMHz3U

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Unscrew the magazine cap at the end of the magazine tube and remove it.
3. Pull the forend forward off the magazine tube.
4. Pull the barrel forward and out of the receiver.
5. Pull the bolt handle straight out of the bolt body.
6. Slide the bolt assembly forward and out the front of the receiver.
   Tip: Support the bolt as it comes free so the link does not catch.
7. Push out the trigger group retaining pin and lift the trigger group down and out of the receiver.
8. To separate the bolt, push out the firing pin retaining pin, withdraw the firing pin and its spring, then push out the locking head pin and separate the bolt head from the bolt body.
   Warning: The inertia spring sits between the bolt head and the bolt body. Note it, keep it, and do not lose it.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Seat the inertia spring into the bolt body, then fit the bolt head over it and align the locking head pin hole.
   Warning: The inertia spring must be present and correctly seated. Without it the shotgun will not cycle.
2. Insert the locking head pin, then install the firing pin and its spring and secure them with the firing pin retaining pin.
3. Install the trigger group into the receiver and insert its retaining pin fully.
4. Slide the bolt assembly into the receiver from the front, engaging the link with the recoil spring plunger.
5. Install the bolt handle into the bolt body.
6. Set the barrel into the receiver, seating the extension fully, with the barrel ring over the magazine tube.
7. Install the forend, then thread the magazine cap on and tighten it firmly by hand.
   Warning: The cap must be fully tight. Check it before every use.
8. Cycle the action several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Reported by other sources — not the manufacturer

Notes: The manufacturer's documents give no torque value. They say: "After having fired the first few rounds, repeat check and if necessary, remove butt plate and further tighten the stock nut, with the use of the appropriate wrench." (M2 Field Product Manual, PDF p. 93) "Fit the lock washer “3” and retaining nut “2” back onto the recoil spring tube and re-tighten firmly." (M2 Field Product Manual, PDF p. 89 (stock drop/cast shim change, step 7))

Fit or check on rebuild

• Recoil tube support and torque — The aluminium recoil tube is easily crushed or bent; refit square and tight without clamping the tube.
• Link seated on the recoil spring plunger — If the link misses the plunger when the bolt goes in, the gun will not cycle.
• Function check: safety, trigger/sear release, disconnector and feeding with dummy rounds — Standard after any detail strip; a mis-assembled sear or disconnector can double or fail to fire.

6. Function check

• Verify the shotgun is unloaded, chamber and tube, before each step.
• Cycle the action by hand and confirm the bolt locks fully into battery and the bolt head rotates closed.
• With the hammer cocked, engage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer must not fall.
• Disengage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
• Confirm the bolt locks open when retracted and releases with the carrier release.
• Load two dummy shells into the magazine and confirm they feed and eject one at a time.
• Confirm the magazine cap is tight and the bolt handle is fully seated.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. Benelli M2 Semi-Automatic Shotgun Use and Maintenance Manual — Benelli Armi S.p.A. primary
2. M2 Field Product Manual — Benelli USA / Benelli Armi S.p.A. primary
   https://www.benelliusa.com/sites/default/files/content/media/manuals/2019-10/M2%20Field%20Product%20Manual.pdf
3. Benelli M2 Black — technical data — Benelli Armi S.p.A. primary
   https://www.benelli.it/en/arma/m2-black
4. Mesa Tactical Reflex Sight Mounts Manual (46020 rev e) — Mesa Tactical secondary
   https://mesatactical.com/content/manuals/46020_Reflex_Sight_Mounts_Manual_rev_e.pdf
5. Mesa Tactical SureShell Shotshell Carriers — Assembly and Operation Guide (47374) — Mesa Tactical secondary
   https://mesatactical.com/content/manuals/47374_SureShell_Shotshell_Carriers_Assembly_and_Operation_Guide.pdf
6. Benelli Super Black Eagle recoil spring replacement — Canadian Gun Nutz anecdotal
   https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/benelli-super-black-eagle-recoil-spring-replacement.1117189

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.