The Spanish army has bought a batch of 78 M1 semi-automatic shotguns from the company Beretta Benelli Ibérica. The Headquarters for Economic Affairs of the Army Logistics Support Command (MALE) is the body responsible for the tender through a negotiated procedure with publicity and simple processing. The exact budget is 208,107 euros including taxes. The price per piece without VAT is 2205 euros. The batch will be delivered before November 30 this year.
The Benelli M4 is a semi-automatic shotgun produced by Italian firearm manufacturer Benelli Armi SpA, and the last of the “Benelli Super 90” series of semi-automatic shotguns. The M4 uses a proprietary action design called the “auto-regulating gas-operated” (ARGO) system, which was created specifically for the weapon. The weapon was designed in 1998, and was adopted by the armed forces of Italy, the United States, United Kingdom, among others, and has been used in a variety of conflicts, leading up to the present day.
Additionally, the weapon is self-regulating for use with shotshells of varying lengths and power levels. It can fire 2.75 in (70 mm) and 3 in (76 mm) shells of differing propellant loads without any operator adjustments and in any combination. Low-power rounds, such as less-lethal baton rounds, must be cycled manually. The sights are military-style ghost rings and are adjustable in the field using only the rim of a shell. The MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail on top of the receiver allows the use of both conventional optical sights and night-vision devices.
The modular basis of the shotgun means many of its features can be reconfigured as needed. It allows a user to quickly exchange the various assembly groups (barrel, buttstock, forend, etc.) without the use of additional tools. Preliminary testing of the M4 suggests a high level of reliability. It can reliably function for at least 25,000 rounds without the replacement of any major parts.[2][3] The steel components of the weapon feature a matte black phosphate corrosion-resistant finish while the aluminum parts are matte hard-anodized.
