Benelli M4

Benelli Armi SpA designed the M4 Super 90 in 1998, representing the fourth and final model of the Benelli Super 90 semi-automatic shotgun line. Development began in response to a May 1998 solicitation from the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) for a new semi-automatic combat shotgun. Benelli submitted five prototype units to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in August 1998. Following testing, the design won the competition, and ARDEC awarded the importation contract to the U.S. subsidiary of Heckler & Koch in early 1999. The weapon, designated the XM1014 during evaluation, entered service with the United States Marine Corps in 1999 as the M1014, with an initial delivery of 20,000 units.

The weapon is the first gas-operated shotgun produced by Benelli, utilizing the proprietary Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated (ARGO) system. This short-stroke mechanism operates via two self-cleaning stainless steel pistons positioned ahead of the chamber that interact with a rotating bolt, eliminating complex linkages. The system is self-regulating, allowing the cycling of varying shell lengths and propellant loads without manual adjustments, though low-power rounds must be manually cycled. Standard sights consist of a field-adjustable ghost ring, complemented by a receiver-mounted Picatinny rail for optical and night-vision devices. The shotgun is modular, allowing tool-free disassembly and exchange of barrels, buttstocks, and handguards. Structural steel components feature a matte black phosphated finish, while aluminum parts are matte hard-anodized.

Since entering service in 1999, the shotgun has been deployed in conflicts including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Syrian Civil War, the Iraqi Civil War, and the Russo-Ukrainian War. The United States Armed Forces use the weapon under the M1014 designation, while the British Armed Forces designate it the L128A1. Additional military and police adopters include Italy, Georgia, Ireland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and civilian law enforcement agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department. Recent adoptions include the Belgian Air Force in 2023 and the Danish military in 2025 for counter-unmanned aerial systems operations. Variants distributed by Benelli Tactical include the standard M4, the M4 Entry with a shortened barrel, and the military-designated M1014. Stock configurations include a collapsible telescopic buttstock, a fixed pistol grip, and a semi-grip stock. Civilian models are restricted to lower magazine capacities but can be modified with extension tubes.