Benelli Legacy User Manual - Page 19

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Introduction

Benelli Armi S.p.A. is proud to introduce

the new line of semi-automatic shotguns, a

result of painstaking work at Benelli’s

Research and Development Center and of

Benelli’s extensive experience in precision

engineering and technical know-how.

The small number of components, an ex-

tremely simple operating principe, the in-

novativeness of the turning block bolt

locking system and the new cartridge feed-

ing system (cut off), make the new “Benel-

li” shotguns highly reliable and practical,

easy to strip and upkeep to the extent that

the shotguns can be considered the most

modern, accurate, safe, fast and elegant

shotguns available today.

Operation

The new “Benelli” semi-automatic shot-

guns operate on the same basic principle

of inertial operation, with fixed barrel, uti-

lizing the kinetic energy of gun recoil, to-

day still the most important, ingenious fea-

ture of our guns.

As you know, this system requires no outlet

for gas or barrel recoil, but operates by

means of a spring freely interposed between

bolt head and bolt.

During firing, due to the recoil of the gun,

breech block inertia makes it move about

4 mm forward in relation to the power of

the cartridge, compressing the spring.

When this is fully compressed, it overco-

mes breech block inertia, thrusting it to the

rear under residual pressure, permitting

cartridge case extraction and reloading

with the conventional system. Spring pres-

sure is designed to delay the opening of

the action, which occurs after the shot has

left the barrel, and regulate the different

pressures produced by cartridges of vary-

ing power, with no need for braking. We

have added to this system a revolving bolt

head of shape, simple and robust, which

with only 2 locking teeth, closes the breech

axially and perfectly, withstanding any

pressure of the cartridge.

The new line of shotguns features a load-

ing system designed to:

-

make it possible to shift cartridge manual-

ly from the magazine tube to the barrel

for quick and easy ammunition changes;

- ensure even faster and safer automatic,

re-loading;

- permit rapid checking of whether the

hammer is cocked and ready to shoot.

The new loading system features a special

cartridge drop lever, the outer portion of

which protrudes below the receiver and is

thus easily reached by the trigger finger.

Upon shooting, the hammer spring forces

the cartridge drop lever upwards to disenga-

ge it from the carrier latch which, pulled by

the carrier latch spring, rotates clockwise to

allow a cartridge to exit from the magazine.

As the cartridge falls into position on the

carrier, it presses against the carrier latch,

which rotates in the opposite direction to

prevent a second cartridge from exiting.

When the bolt is operated the carrier rises

automatically to position the cartridge for

introduction in the chamber.

In the meantime, the hammer spring, which

was compressed during cocking, has freed

the cartridge drop lever to return to its rest

position. In this way, the carrier latch is o-

bliged to hold the remaining cartridges in

the magazine until the next shot is fired.

Benelli Legacy User Manual - Page 19

Introduction, Operation - shotguns

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