Photography by Straight 8

Editor’s Note 

In this column, we look back at iconic guns that have either stood the test of time or vanished without trace. 

Eleven years ago, we took notice of a new shotgun from Beretta, which had yet to make a mark on the U.S. gun-buying public. As is our style, rather than just accept what came out of the box, we wanted to see how it could be adapted to fill its intended role. So, we gave it to a seasoned 3-gunner to take it to the first major match of the season — because if something is going to fail, it’s going to do it on the clock with bragging rights on the line. 

Since its launch, the Beretta 1301 has become the darling of the lineup, displacing even the mighty Benelli M2 as the preferred 12-gauge semi-auto for serious users, validating our initial impressions.

The 1301 Competition is Beretta’s entry into the growing three-gun shotgun market. It’s a semi-automatic, gas-operated shotgun with either a 21- or 24-inch vent rib barrel, threaded for screw-in chokes. The shotgun comes almost ready to take to a match right out of the box. An extended bolt handle and bolt release come standard. The loading and ejection ports are opened up with smoothed edges. 

I received the Beretta 1301 Competition about two weeks before shooting the 2014 Superstition Mystery Mountain 3 Gun Match (SMM3G), with the intention of throwing it into the cauldron of competition to test its reliability and see how easy it is for someone to simply pick up and use with minimal practice. 

As any seasoned competitor will tell you, this is usually a recipe for disaster — bugs that take a few practice sessions to make themselves known will immediately leap out in a match and destroy your carefully laid stage plans. While otherwise ready to go, there were some changes the 1301 needed to make it work best for me.

(ALMOST) COMPETITION READY

As a lefty, the first thing I did was reverse the orientation of the cross-bolt safety. This was easily accomplished by removing the fire control group and backing out a small Allen screw at the front side, while taking care not to lose the safety spring. Then remove the selector, turn it around to face the opposite direction, and replace the screw. 

The 1301 ships with a short buttstock, but several spacers are included to optimize the fit to the shooter’s height, arm length, and shooting style. To change the length of pull, simply remove the two Phillips screws that secure the rubber butt-pad, insert the desired spacer, then reattach the butt-pad with longer screws. Unfortunately, Beretta doesn’t include shims to further adjust the stock. The stock system is solid and felt natural when shouldering the gun and under rapid recoil. 

The pistol grip has aggressive checkering to help the shooter maintain control, and its grip angle is very comfortable and does not strain the wrist when holding it for extended periods. 

Due to import restrictions, the 1301 ships with a tube capacity of five rounds (though this can drop to four depending on the type of shells and the way they are crimped), giving it a capacity of five in the tube and one in the chamber. To be competitive in the tactical divisions of three-gun, a shotgun must be able to hold nine rounds at the start of any stage. 

Nordic Components is one of the go-to companies in the three-gun world when it comes to improving shotgun performance, and the kind folks there sent me several magazine tube lengths to try. I selected their +3 extension, which gave an 8+1 total payload and left the end of the tube relatively even with the muzzle. 

Adding even more capacity is an option by employing a longer, single-piece tube or using Nordic’s MXT tube coupler. Many competitors prefer these longer tubes, providing additional flexibility in selecting when and how many shells to load during a course of fire. The use of Nordic’s barrel and magazine tube clamp reinforces the otherwise potentially fragile tube extension and also provides an accessory mounting point for a flashlight or QD sling swivels.

FIRST SHOTS

I function tested the 1301 with Federal No. 7½ shot, three dram-equivalent loads, as this would be the primary ammo I’d be using for SMM3G. Burning through three complete extended magazine tubes as fast as possible resulted in zero malfunctions, which was a good start. Switching to Winchester slugs on paper at 50 yards, I started wishing for a rear sight to complement the front bead. With only rudimentary sighting equipment, a consistent cheek weld to align the shooter’s eye behind the bead is critical. Nonetheless, I was able to shoot a 3-inch group — windage was perfect, but the elevation was 6 inches high. With no way to adjust for elevation and the first big match of the season rapidly approaching, I would need to remember to hold at 6 o’clock on slug targets. 

Fast and efficient reloading techniques are the most critical skill a three-gunner must master with the shotgun. While running some dry practice with my shell caddies, the advantages of the Beretta’s enlarged and beveled loading port area became very apparent — compared to a standard shotgun, it’s much easier to index and ram shells home.

In the past, shooters had to either modify their guns themselves with files and a Dremel tool, or pay a gunsmith to do it. The first option often ends up looking like crap and the second is expensive, so for a manufacturer to include it from the factory is a big plus. That being said, truly optimizing the loading port for the increasingly popular load-two and quad-loading techniques would require more extensive modifications to remove additional material from the receiver.

The only way to develop reloading speed is through repetition, and Beretta has made this chore easier too by speeding up the unloading process. Pressing up on the shell elevator and backward on the bolt release allows rounds to come out with no need to cycle them through the action. 

While difficult to do so unintentionally, shooters should be aware that pressing the bolt release to the rear with the shell lifter in the down position will feed two shells onto the lifter, with one partially remaining in the tube. In this condition, the 1301 will not be able to cycle normally. Clearing the stoppage will require holding or locking the bolt back and reaching inside the action to push the partially fed shell back into the tube.

ARE YOU READY? STAND BY …

I shot the match with the range officers and officials in the two days preceding the main event, during which 350 competitors filled the range. We encountered 30- to 45-mph winds, which blew fine desert sand into every nook and cranny of both guns and shooters alike. Despite the tough conditions, the 1301 ran flawlessly for the duration, and I was able to hit the only two mandatory slug targets at 40 yards, despite the bead sight. 

Recoil from the gas-operated action was soft and smooth compared to an inertia-driven gun, and I never felt that I was being held back by my equipment. I can’t say the same about tube-fed shotguns I’ve used before — little things always bugged me in one way or another about using them. About the only thing the 1301 could benefit from would be the addition of a rear sight, such as an XS or folding 10/22 sight milled into the vent rib. This would increase the degree of precision and speed available when engaging longer-range slug targets, without compromising either speed on plates or acquisition of flying clays. 

DOUBLE DUTY

After the match we ran several dozen rounds of buckshot through the 1301, including Wolf, NobelSport, Remington, and Winchester, all of which functioned flawlessly. We then attached a SureFire Scout light to the rail on the magazine tube clamp and a pressure switch to the forend, and used it successfully in low-light conditions. If someone wanted to own only one shotgun, the 1301 Competition could certainly fill that role and serve capably for home defense with a light attached. 

Beretta does make a tactical version of the 1301 with an 18.5-inch barrel, ghost ring sights, and rail, but it lacks the beveled loading port. The 21-inch 1301 Competition isn’t quite long enough to really be a hindrance when used indoors, but the 24-inch version starts getting rather cumbersome. Removing the magazine extension and installing the provided plug to limit capacity would allow the user to employ it successfully for bird hunting. And for this, the 24-inch is likely to be more desirable. In either configuration, the 1301 is extremely capable and versatile.

CONCLUSION

Because a sample size of one is pretty limiting, I canvassed other 1301 users while at SMM3G to collect their feedback. All reported satisfaction with the Beretta’s performance. Those who were shooting other brands of shotguns also eyed the newcomer in the rack — some admitted they would definitely consider it if they were making a new purchase. 

A few 1301 shooters had further customized their guns, adding rear sights or further chamfering the loading port for load-two or quad-load techniques. Their guns otherwise remained largely unchanged. In a sport where every gun is customized to the nth degree, the fact the 1301s remained relatively unmodified is a testament to how well thought out the original design is for competitors. 

Anyone looking for a race-ready shotgun right out of the box would do well to compare the Beretta 1301 Competition to others in its class. We think you’ll be impressed.

THE HISTORY OF THREE-GUN SMOOTHBORES

At the 2014 Superstition Mystery Mountain 3 Gun Match (SMM3G), we had the opportunity to discuss the evolution of the sport and the types of shotguns being used with several veteran three-gunners. 

The first major national level three-gun competition was held by Soldier of Fortune (SOF) magazine more than 30 years ago. Equipment rules at the time were geared toward ensuring competitors used firearms that would be suitable for military and law enforcement use. Shotguns were only allowed to have a 22-inch barrel, and magazine tubes could not extend more than 1-inch past the muzzle. 

Slug targets were common at 75 to 125 yards or beyond, and there were a lot more of them than in most three-gun matches today. This combination of equipment rules and stage design encouraged most shooters to use 18- to 20-inch-barreled shotguns that often came with ghost ring sights to be able to make precise slug hits at distance.

The Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club (RSSC) in Mesa, Arizona, has been hosting the SMM3G match since 1996. RSSC has always had a large action pistol shooting contingent — it is, after all, the home range for the legendary Robbie Leatham. 

The focus of SMM3G was more often on close-range speed stages, using targets commonly used in pistol matches, such as plate racks, poppers, and Texas stars. Slugs were still required, but not to the same level or consistently long distances that SOF stages featured. Over time, aerial targets in the form of flying clays launched by poppers became more common. These shooting challenges made it advantageous to use a vent rib-equipped barrel with a bead sight because of its speed advantage over ghost rings and easier tracking of moving targets.

The last SOF three-gun match was held in 2002, but tactical shotgun configurations remained relatively common into the mid to late 2000s. With SOF three-gun gone, SMM3G set the tone and expectations for other matches. Eventually the barrel length restrictions other three-gun matches carried over from SOF started to disappear. Matches began to differentiate equipment divisions based upon capacity at the start of the stage (nine rounds for the tactical divisions) rather than tube length. 

Competitors began to purchase sporting shotguns with longer vent rib choke equipped barrels and modified them for the sport. Common modifications included extended magazine tubes, extended operating controls, hogged out loading ports, lightened bolt groups, and modified shell elevators to make them easier to load. Manufacturers began to take note of these modifications and the growing popularity of three-gun and started to introduce dedicated models for the sport.

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