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Work order — Benelli Nova

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 1 of 3

Simple pump in a one-piece polymer stock/receiver with a steel cage: the trigger guard drops out on two pins and the bolt and twin action bars lift out. Traps are minor (hammer cocked to refit the guard, longer pin forward, both action bars in their tracks). 95 parts (stand-in: Benelli Nova 3 owner's manual spare-parts list (Drawing 1 trigger group keys 1-26, Drawing 2 bolt/fore-end 1-18, Drawing 3 stock/magazine/sights 1-38, Drawing 4 barrel/sights 1-13). The Nova). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~30 min, rebuild ~45 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Punch set — Trigger guard pins and bolt pins

Watch for:

• The trigger guard goes back only with the hammer cocked, pivoting on its front hook, and the two retaining pins differ in length: the longer one goes in the front hole. (reassembly; Benelli USA / Benelli Armi S.p.A.)

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.
3. Press the magazine cut-off button, then cycle the action to eject the chambered shell without feeding a new one.
   Tip: This is the safest way to unload the chamber on a Nova.
4. Release the cut-off and cycle the action repeatedly, catching each shell, until no more feed from the magazine tube.
5. With the action open, inspect the chamber and look up the magazine tube with a light.
   Warning: Chamber and tube, both.
6. Physically confirm the chamber is empty and remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Unscrew the magazine cap and pull the barrel forward off the magazine tube.
3. Slide the forend and action bars forward out of the receiver, withdrawing the bolt with them.
4. Push out the trigger group pin and lift the trigger group out of the receiver.

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. Install the trigger group and insert its pin fully.
2. Feed the bolt and action bar assembly into the receiver, keeping both bars in their tracks.
   Warning: One bar out of its track will bind the action.
3. Seat the barrel fully into the receiver with its ring over the magazine tube.
4. Thread the magazine cap on and hand-tighten firmly.
5. 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: "fully tighten the two screws." (Nova Pump Field Shotgun Product Manual, PDF p. 97 (rear sight adjustment)) "Tighten the barrel retaining cap" (Nova 3 Manual, PDF p. 5 and p. 16 (sentence continues))

Fit or check on rebuild

• Trigger guard pins in the right holes — The longer pin goes forward; swapped pins do not retain properly.
• 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 magazine tube — before each step.
• Cycle the action by hand and confirm the bolt locks fully into battery.
• 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.
• Confirm the magazine cut-off works: with it engaged, cycling the action should not feed a shell from the magazine.

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

Sources

1. Benelli Nova Use and Maintenance Manual — Benelli Armi S.p.A. primary
2. Nova Pump Field Shotgun Product Manual — Benelli USA / Benelli Armi S.p.A. primary
   https://www.benelliusa.com/sites/default/files/content/media/manuals/2019-10/Nova%20Pump%20Field%20Shotgun%20Product%20Manual.pdf
3. Nova 3 Manual — Benelli USA / Benelli Armi S.p.A. primary
   https://www.benelliusa.com/sites/default/files/content/media/manuals/2025-08/Nova%203%20Manual.pdf
4. Benelli Nova Black — technical data — Benelli Armi S.p.A. primary
   https://www.benelli.it/en/arma/nova-black
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

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.