First Range Day With the Beretta 1301: Now I Understand the Reputation

I didn't need another shotgun simply to own another shotgun.

I already had experience with other shotgun platforms, including a Benelli SuperNova pump, and spent time comparing the Beretta 1301 with alternatives including the Benelli M4, Mossberg 590 and Beretta A300 family.

What kept bringing me back to the 1301 was the combination of weight, cycling speed, controls, reliability reputation and the huge aftermarket that has developed around it.

Eventually research reaches the point where you have to stop comparing specifications and shoot the thing. So I bought one.

I'm over 6'2", which means shotgun fit deserves some attention.

The 1301 gives the owner some flexibility in adjusting length of pull. Before my first range session I debated whether to shoot it in the shortest configuration first or install an additional half-inch spacer.

Fit is one of those things that can become unnecessarily theoretical on the internet. Your shoulder will tell you pretty quickly whether you got it right.

The gun was field-stripped, inspected and lubricated before its first real range outing. I also started planning the optic and light setup.

My preference for pistol optics has increasingly moved toward Holosun, particularly green reticles, so I have been researching an appropriate low-profile mounting solution for a Holosun 507K. That setup will be a separate Field Note once everything is installed.

The first range session answered the important question. Yes, the 1301 is as much fun to shoot as people say it is.

I ran both slugs and 00 buck. Calling the shotgun 'fast' almost undersells what makes it interesting. It isn't simply that the action cycles quickly. The entire gun feels eager to get back on target. That's the quality I noticed immediately.

With 00 buck at approximately 10 yards, I saw a pattern around 6 to 7 inches.

That was a useful reminder of why patterning an individual shotgun with the ammunition you intend to use matters. The number printed on an ammunition box doesn't tell you exactly what your shotgun will do at a particular distance.

My ammunition research has subsequently pushed me toward Federal LE133 00 as one of the loads I particularly want to spend more time with. Federal's shotgun ammunition has generally been my preference, and the FliteControl offerings have earned an excellent reputation for keeping buckshot patterns tight. That's a future range session.

Slugs are where the 1301 also reminds you that despite the speed and refinement, you're still firing a 12-gauge shotgun.

But the gun manages recoil and recovery well enough that I came away wanting to shoot it more rather than feeling finished after a handful of rounds. That is a meaningful distinction.

A firearm can be capable without being enjoyable. The 1301 is both.

The finished configuration isn't complete. I'm still working through final length-of-pull preference, the Holosun optic setup, a low-profile optic mounting solution, weapon-light configuration, additional buckshot pattern testing, and more slug work at increasing distance.

That's why this article is called a Field Note rather than a final review.