Beretta 1301 users: Please educate me on how to change to a slug most easily

[Runcibleman]

As far as I've been able to monkey-brain it thus far with two hams for hands is that I have two options:

Since racking the bolt will eject the round in the chamber but will not drop a round from the magazine tube onto the lifter, one way to select slug is to load the slug in the magazine tube (if not full), press the carrier stop button (the one at the back of the lifter) to get that slug onto the lifter, and then rack the bolt. Boom, slug time!

Another method (and the only method if the tube is full up) is to rack the bolt and hold it back and place the slug in the chamber. This involves holding the gun up by the bolt handle while the stock is only held on your shoulder by your rearward pressure on the bolt handle since your other hand is manipulating the slug. Less than ideal, but it's another way...

Am I missing something even easier?

 

[GearFondler]

I'd love to hear it as well because you've described the only two ways I've discovered.

 

[JLL2013]

No, I think you're tracking on the necessary techniques. The other option is load a slug, fire the 00 buck that's in the chamber, then proceed to utilizing the slug that's been fed into the chamber.
The utility/possibility of a slug transition is debatable. That fact is only relevant as it makes this a less important topic and everything else about a 1301 outweighs this one weakness in comparison to a pump gun.

 

[Arete]

Elaborating on your 2d method (my default with a Benelli M2/Beretta 1301)

Note that I am RH'd, and that I use an elastic loop to keep a slug in the same spot as a match saver device does, but you can also obtain the slug from other places, although that will be slower.

Hold/control the SG with LH on the forend (shouldered, or brought into the workspace with muzzle upward),
Cant ejection port upward a bit so you can see the ejection port and also to make inserting the slug into it easier
RH moves fwd to obtain the slug, retrieve the slug using thumb and index finger.
Curl RH fingers to close RH so fingers and the slug don't block the ejection port, RH moves aftward, side of pinky finger pulls bolt handle fully rearward, and chambered shell ejects.
RH fingers place and guide slug into ejection port
Release bolt to chamber the slug as the RH moves back to fire control and LH drives muzzle to where it needs to be


Tips:
Little changes in angles, etc. can help. Play with it.

Recommend you buy and use the 12 ga dummy rounds that Brownells sells (filled with birdshot).

When training with them, do NOT drop them onto hard surfaces. You'll damage the rims and then they won't fit in the mag tube. If this happens, you can sand/file them down to make them work again, but it's best to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Hope that helps

 

[Runcibleman]

No, I think you're tracking on the necessary techniques. The other option is load a slug, fire the 00 buck that's in the chamber, then proceed to utilizing the slug that's been fed into the chamber.
The utility/possibility of a slug transition is debatable. That fact is only relevant as it makes this a less important topic and everything else about a 1301 outweighs this one weakness in comparison to a pump gun.

Thanks! And agreed, the advantages of the gun in every regard far outweight this one area where a pump gun is theoretically easier to use.
Talk about light-weight (even with all the Aridus stuff on it) and still incredibly low-recoil, even with full strength slugs!

 

[Pat Tarrant]

Note, I am no shotgun expert, and I dodnt stay in the holiday inn express last night.

I need to try to out, but in my head this works:
I load my mag full, then hit the carrier stop button to get a shell on the lifter, which results in -1 in the mag tube. This is how I'm storing the gun right now. Closed bolt, round on the lifter, magazine full -1. At any time I need to slug select, I can run the charging handle, which loads the 00 on the lifter (or in the tube if I'm doing it during fire), mag load a slug, hit the carrier stop button again, then run the charging handle.

This may not be more efficient than just holding the bolt back, but for people with limited strength, it might be an option.

 

[LukeNCMX]

Ernest Langdon just released a video covering this topic:

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