In 1526, Bartolomeo Beretta received a payment for making cannon barrels. Over the next 500 years, the Beretta company established itself as a premier firearms manufacturer and remains the oldest to continuously operate in the industry.
While combat has evolved multiple times over those five centuries, Beretta has also evolved to meet the most stringent demands of professional firearms users.
From champion competition shooters like Simon “JJ” Racazza to U.S. federal law enforcement and NATO militaries, Beretta firearms are trusted to get the job done. The 92-series pistol served the U.S. military through the Global War on Terror as the M9, and Beretta’s modern APX is the Italian Army’s standard-issue sidearm. But drone warfare has changed battlefield conditions and the equipment carried by frontline soldiers.
Luckily, Beretta has something that can address this new threat, too.
At the cutting edge of anti-drone combat, Ukraine’s military is fielding a range of counter-UAS measures, including electronic jammers. However, these are not 100% effective, and drones can still threaten infantry on the ground. When other defenses fail, and a soldier is face-to-face with a kamikaze FPV drone, shooting it down becomes a matter of life and death.
While rifle fire is capable of bringing down these remote aerial threats, putting up a cloud of lead has proven to be even more effective.
Enter the Beretta 1301.
Admittedly, the 1301 is not the best-known combat shotgun. The M4 from fellow Italian manufacturer Benelli achieved a legendary status for its use by the U.S. Marine Corps as the M1014 during the War on Terror. However, the 1301 has the advantage of being newer for Beretta to incorporate improvements that professional users can appreciate.
Think of them like a Ferrari Enzo and a Maserati MC12; similar, but not quite the same.
To start, both the M4 and 1301 are semi-automatic, gas-operated shotguns with cold hammer-forged barrels. While they use different gas systems to cycle shells, both are extremely robust and fast. It is possible to outrun both Benelli’s ARGO and Beretta’s BLINK systems, but a shooter would have to have an extremely fast trigger finger—we were unable to outrun the BLINK system in our testing.
Moreover, Beretta notes that the 1301’s BLINK system cycles 36% faster than competitors.
The weak point of gas shotguns is the low-power birdshot, which may not have enough gas to power the system. In our experience with a 1301 C, Beretta’s BLINK system ran flawlessly with everything from 3” slugs to 2-3/4” 7/8oz birdshot. The shotgun was not cleaned or lubed before or during testing.
Moreover, while 3” slugs are certainly unpleasant to shoot, the BLINK system helps to soak up some of that kick compared to the Remington 870 we shot next to the 1301. The recoil from birdshot was barely noticeable.
Over the course of 500 rounds, a group of novice shotgun shooters got to grips with the 1301 and quickly appreciated the shotgun’s lightweight build (about two pounds lighter than the M4) and ergonomics. The stippled stock and handguard provide a goldilocks level of grip, with or without gloves, that is very secure without being painful under recoil.
All shooters agreed that carrying the 1301 in addition to a short carbine like a Mk18 would be no terrible burden to add a final line of defense against drone threats.
That said, an advantage touted by shotgun apologists is the platform’s ability to be a do-it-all weapon. Birdshot to take down airborne targets (organic or electronic), 00 buckshot for four or two-legged threats under 50 yards, and slugs for when you need to reach out further. However, this all requires careful ammo management.
A party piece of the 1301, like the M4, is its ability to manually cycle out a loaded shell without loading the next shell from the tube. This allows a skilled shooter to quickly swap out buckshot for a slug to take a hostage shot (see Ben Edwards in “The Terminal List,” Episode 4).
Also like the M4, the 1301 C can be ghost-loaded with a shell in the chamber and another on the lifter in addition to what’s in the magazine tube. The Marine Corps Technical Manual for the M1014 refers to this as “carrier loading,” and it is a prescribed military procedure.
To be clear, Beretta does not refer to this in the 1301 manual, so ghost load with caution and at your own risk. That said, we had no issues with ejecting or feeding when the shotgun was ghost-loaded. To make loading even easier, the 1301 features an enlarged bolt release and a tactical lifter that stays up when the bolt is closed to prevent finger pinching. Without the pedigree and fame of the Benelli, the Beretta 1301 provides a fine, Italian combat shotgun at a lower price; with, arguably, a few improvements over the older M4.
Despite the widespread adoption of AR-style rifles, militaries and law enforcement agencies continue to purchase and field shotguns. As a scattergun doubter, the 1301 certainly made its case to me. The platform’s versatility can be a huge advantage if you learn your loads and the 1301 makes it easy to employ the right one. If you’re looking for a top-tier, one-and-done shotgun, the Beretta’s 1301 might just be it.
With a pistol grip, traditional stock options, and 5- or 7-round magazine tubes, the 1301 can comply with the laws of the strictest states (including California and Illinois). While it may not be ideal for hunting with its 18.5” barrel, it worked well enough to shoot trap with.
Just be sure to use a plug if your local hunting laws require one for a semi-auto with a tube. Otherwise, watch that “Terminal List” scene a few more times and get your Ben Edwards LARP on with this Ferrari of shotguns (yes, the Maserati was more expensive than the Enzo when they were new).
