This gun seems omnivorous.
The under slung magazine tube holds four 2 ¾" shells before the +2 extension goes on. The receiver is constructed of a steel sub frame cage covered with polymer and made into a one-piece receiver and stock unit. The barrel and extension are steel. The bolt locks up in the barrel extension.
For about $35 retail, you can get the gun with ghost ring receiver sights and wing protected front sights made by LPA, Italy.
In keeping with the simplicity aspect of the Nova, we used Michaels' Mountain Sling. It has the 1 ¼" "Super Swivels" stitched into the sling itself. This keeps from losing parts, something that led agencies to issue similar slings.
The Tac-Star 4-roundSide-Saddle was added to the receiver. If there's trouble and you grab a shotgun, you may need more rounds than you have in the magazine. The Benelli's metal parts are nicely finished in black. The fore-end is long and has a button on the underside. It's the magazine cutoff. Need to select slug? Press the fore-end button in firmly, open action and drop slug inside. With button depressed the next round in the magazine stays put, allowing uploading or a change in ammo.
It is a light gun for the potential power factor. This gun was purchased with Benelli's recoil reducing add-on as well as with a two-shot magazine extension.
The Nova doesn't have grip-aiding checkering. It has molded in grooves. They serve the same purpose and are in keeping with the gun's style.
New Federal Tactical 00 Buck features the Flitecontrol wad and uses 8 pellets for a better balanced load. This target is the results of 3 rounds from 20 yards! The Benelli Nova also liked the powerful 8-pellet Hornady TAP For Personal Defense. Capable of functioning in semi-auto shotguns, only one pellet out of the three loads fired at 20 yards left the silhouette. |
The next test was to fire three patterns on a single target from each of three different loads from our self-imposed maximum distance of 20 yards. Using the IALEFI-Q target, hits inside the 'milk-bottle' counted.
Federal Tactical 8-pellet, with the new "Flitecontrol" wad put three centered patterns over the center rings of the Q target. Only one pellet went outside of the 10" ring. Remember, this is from 20 yards! The remainder was well within the "bottle," giving us a composite of 9" high by 7" wide - a very tight pattern with an untreated bore.
Hornady TAP For Personal Defense, a load that works in semi-auto shotguns as well as pumps - and you can feel it when it goes off - didn't fare quite as well. You get more power and pay for it with but a single pellet (out of 24 total) off the Q-bottle at 20 yards.
This nominally-1,370 fps load gave a pattern of 15" high by 8 7/8" wide. Try finding as hot a load that does so well and you'll be a while at it.
It would be tough to find a pump shotgun as well set-up for home defense duty at such a low price. It's a rust resistant best buy.
MSRP for the Benelli Nova Pump Tactical with Ghostring sights is $449. See their website for a rebate coupon, good on purchases of this shotgun and others in the line until December 31, 2010!
For further information, contact: Benelli USA, 17603 Indian Head Hwy, Accokeek, MD 20607; 301-283-6981; http://www.benelliusa.com/