Benelli’s patent on the M4 semi-automatic shotgun’s ARGO gas system expired around 2021, while Benelli’s inertia systems patents expired in the mid-2000s. This allowed other shotgun manufacturers to produce their own M4 and M2 clones. We have had numerous readers email us asking for a review on Benelli M4 clones, so we acquired three lookalikes: the 1014 Wood from MAC, an M4 from Panzer Arms, and the Gatlander from GForce Arms. These shotguns are made in Turkey by Özerbas Makine, Panzer Arms, and Radikal, respectively, and look like Benelli M4 shotguns. The Panzer Arms and MAC use the ARGO (Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated) system, while the GForce Arms shotgun looks like an M4 due to the fake extended magazine tube and ghost ring sights on an 18.5-inch barrel, but uses an inertia recoil system like a Benelli M2. We thought this would be a good opportunity to compare the M4 gas action to the M2 inertia action as well as assess the guns side by side.
