Benelli Ultra Light
Price: $1,445
Contact: benelliusa.com
The trim little Italian-made autoloader that captured this year's Editor's Choice award won for the best, and simplest, of reasons: It does what a shotgun is expected to do, and it does it very well. Add to this the blessing of light weight and the bonus of beauty, and you've got a winner.
Stylistically, Italian gun designers seem to abhor a flat surface (call it their Michelangelo complex), which accounts for the graceful receiver contours of this newest Benelli auto. To their credit, they let the sculpting stand alone, without jazzing it up with a shiny finish and florid ornamentation. Nicely figured walnut further complements the gun, and the gracefully tapered forend is free of the blocky, squared-off contours typical of many autoloaders. Not so flattering, however, are the laser-cut checkering patterns on the forend and grip panels, which are so pedestrian as to detract from the overall effect.
Looks alone, though, don't make a good shotgun, and what earned the Benelli a winning score was a combination of flawless inertia-driven function, the hard-to-define quality called "quickness" and the myriad details that add up to a shotgun that is a pleasure to shoot. The attractive and functional design of the carbon-fiber rib earned extra points for innovation. (It will be interesting to see if other gunmakers adopt this lightweight but rigid style.)
Testers' Comments: The stock is great; I'm going to buy one of these; Great gun to carry all day; I give it two thumbs up; Sexy little gun; Lovely to shoot; Very light and well balanced; A quick gun that would be perfect for quail and upland game.
Editor's Choice
Workmanship:****
Performance:****
Price/Value:***
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