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TM
Benelli M3 Super 90
by
David Jones (aka Inferno)
TM M3 Techmanual
What?
In any case, this baby is called a "convertable" because it can fire semi-auto or pump-action, the latter for low velocity non-lethal rounds that don't have enough powder to cycle the sucker in semi. It comes in the full-length 19-inch barrel for civies, and a shorter 14-inch "Entry" variant for LE (Law Enforcement) only. The Marui Benelli comes full-length with a 30-round shell, tube-type loader, about 200 rounds of .25 ammo, and a catalog and manual. The hop-up is fixed for .25 ammo, and you'll get about 120 feet of straight-shooting range when new. The .20's will hit and spread higher and wider, and .12's will bring down birds and jumbo jets due to the "over hop".
The sights are easy to use, open rifle type... not that confusing hole-and-post crap on the SPAS 12. The sling mounts are friendly to everyone, lefties & righties, but not all slings will fit. If you're planning on using some sports bag strap with the snap-type hooks, they won't fit. A simple nylon strap and locking will do, available at most sports stores. The shell itself holds thirty BB's, and they're loaded much like standard AEG mags are. I bought six extra shells, so should you... reloading with that tube while getting shot at isn't fun. In any case, thirty BB's will give you ten shots, with three BB's for each trigger pull.
There's a limiter catch that keeps you from double-pumping and putting six BB's into some poor schmuck. Back to the Benelli... there's a lot of metal on this gun, up to par with the Marui AEG line... not like their springers, thank goodness. The trigger, safety button, sling mounts, magazine tube, barrel, sights, mock breech and cocking handle, locking collar, and a bunch of other little things are metal. As for internals, the piston shaft, trigger system, feed system, cylinder, and other parts are plastic. Okay, we know what she's made of, but can she fight? Let's find out...
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I took her out to her first game some two years ago; she's been kicking @$$ ever since. I've named her "Kasumi", and it's clear with my g/f that our first daughter will carry that same name and reputation of @$$ kicking. I like being able to take Kasumi out without worrying about hi-caps jamming or batteries dying. At two years of age, I use .20 ammo to keep the same range I used to when shooting .25's brand new. She packs a punch, and I find that most of my kills take place within fifty feet of me. Kasumi is very accurate, 75% of my first shots find their mark. When up against upgraded AEG's, it's nice to know that you probably won't have to fire a second time. In fire-fights where people get careless and let their foot or elbow stick out, you can nail them. Even through the brush or bunker holes, one of the three BB's will get through. |
One guy at the last game I was at was surprised at her power & accuracy. He took a shot in the face when trying to take me out in a medic game, and related how the "bite" Kasumi gave had convinced him that the Benelli would be his next buy. I like knowing that my baby leaves an imprssion. Just so long as you remember that you can't go out like Rambo blazing in full-auto, you'll be fine. Think of the Benelli as a close-range sniper rifle, use her to nail guys who are too busy sh!tting plastic all over your friends. Now you know how to play. Sorta. Let's get into mods...
The first thing I did to Kasumi the day I got her was a chop-job. It's simple enough, I covered it on my site: http://www.infernoindustries.iwarp.com. This will take about five inches off of the barrel and make her a lot easier to wield in the field. There are after-market parts available if you want to replace the stock with a pistol-grip only, but it takes from the accuracy and speed of cycling. After running like hell, you'll be shaken and breathing fast; the stock will keep your sights on target. I'd suggest keeping it on.
If you have some white paint, do the sights. It helps speed up target acquisition. There's a way around the thirty-round capacity, you mod the shell to mesh with an AEG hi-cap, but it involves taking the shell door off. As for power mods, don't bother. First off, taking her apart could cause problems later, namely the issue of BB's not feeding into the upper barrel. Second, a stronger spring will cause either the trigger catch assembly, cylinder, piston shafts, or any combination of the above to break - this is bad.
The only safe mod is installing three 6.04mm "tight-bore" barrels, which might give you another 3-5 extra feet-per-second in velocity. It doesn't really show much, but you'll notice a tighter grouping of your shots. I don't care much for it, the top barrel will be dead-on while the other two will spread just enough to nail the guys balls... if I did install a tighter barrel, it'll be just the top one. For realism, paint the shell door catch silver with a red dot center, just like the real-steel ones. You'll see the recession for the red dot. If you have some matte-black spray paint, remove the stock and paint it. Without it, the stock and receiver are the same color, and it takes away from the realism. Finally, you'd might want to pick up some shells and a good shell holder. I mount mine on the stock, but the receiver would be another good spot. For me, keeping them anywhere else is just a pain. In the pocket takes too long, and bandoliers sway around too much with the weight.
In conclusion, this is one damn good gun for the money. If I had to choose between this and an MP5K, I'd take the Benelli. Better range, power, and accuracy make up for the lack of a high ROF. Furthermore, I've dealt with the K on several occasions, and changing that tiny battery in the field and trying not to lose the pins is a pain in the @$$. In any case, player or collector, you'll enjoy the Benelli.
