The much hyped Benelli Vinci shotgun has finally been unveiled. Benelli have proclaimed the shotgun to be a revolution. I will go through the features and let you decide if it is truly a revolution or an evolution of Benelli’s existing high-tech shotgun designs.

Benelli Vinci: In Advantage, RealTree and Black Synthetic finishes.

The modular design features is made up of three main parts: a removable stock, an upper receiver (barrel and operating mechanism) and lower receiver (trigger group, magazine and forearm). This configuration is not unlike many autoloader rifles. The three main modules can be broken down and reassembled quickly for easy transport and storage. The only extra module promised so far by Benelli is a tactical pistol gripped stock. Over time I hope we shall see a variety of lowers, stocks, handguard and uppers with different barrel configurations.

The removable stock has been made possible by a significant change to the famous Benelli Inertia recoil system. The old system requires a recoil spring in the stock. The new In-Line system has a recoil spring adjacent to the bolt.

Old Inertia recoil system. Note the recoil spring in the stock.

New Vinci In-Line recoil system.

It is outside the scope of this blog post to explain how this recoil system work. In short the whole shotgun recoils but the bolt (a separate component to the rotating bolt head) does not move because of inertia. The bolt stays still, the Inertia springs compresses, the bolt head is unlocked and the Inertia spring then forces the bolt and bolt head backwards cycling the action. If this does not make sense, read Wikipedia which has a section explaining the Inertia recoil system.

I personally cannot see how the newer in-line bolt will reduce recoil anymore than the older Inertia recoil system already does. But it does makes sense in that it allows for a modular stock.

A gun writer at the Argentina Torture Test firing a Vinci.

Trigger/grip on Benelli M2 (background, camo) and Vinci (Black, foreground).

One of the touted features is a straighter trigger pull that is more like a rifle than a traditional shotgun. I overlayed the Vinci with a Benelli M2 and you can see the stock has a more pronounced pistol grip.

The Comfort Tech system used on older models have been upgraded:

The ComforTech™ Plus Stock is divided into 12 synthetic, recoil-absorbing chevrons, arranged diagonally from the heel of the buttstock to a point just behind the pistol-grip. The stock is designed so that the exterior shell flexes outward to further dampen recoil. In combination with the ComforTech™ Plus recoil pad, this design spreads the peak force of recoil over a longer period of time than any competitor’s claim.

Comfort Tech Plus

Specifications:

Cartridge: 2.75″ or 3″ 12 gauge.
Magazine capacity: 3+1
Chokes: Crio C,IC,M,IM,F
Barrel Lengths: 28″ or 26″
Sights: Red front fiber optic bead (receiver tapped and drilled for mounting)
Overall length: 45.75″ / 47.75″
Weight: 6.8 or 6.9 lbs depending on model.
Finishes: RealTree APG, Advantage Max-4 HD or black synthetic.
Also included: Fitted gun case.

The MSRP is $1379 for the black models or $1470 for the camo models.

At the Argentina Torture Test.

So is it a revolution? I don’t think so, but I do think it is a solid evolution of Benelli’s technology.

Twelve gun writers were invited by Benelli to a game lodge in Argentina to test fire the shotgun (I am very bitter about not being invited 😉 ). They shot a total of 88,000 rounds and apparently it functioned really well. I am looking forward to a comparison with the new Browning Maxus shotgun once both are on sale to the public. The Maxus and Benelli both claim to be significant improvements over the previous generation of the fowling piece.

A promotional video about the shotgun:

Some photos from Nodak Outdoor Forum:

UPDATE: Mark Keefe, Editor In Chief of American Rifleman has a write up and video of the Vinci

And now we know what the hype was all about. Benelli officially unveiled the gun yesterday at noon, but before that NRA Publications was granted an extensive preview. Not unexpectedly the Vinci is a semi-auto 12-gauge that relies heavily on polymer for its manufacture. It sports a 3-inch chamber with a new In–Line Inertia Driven bolt system and excellent, radically styled ergonomics. All that might have been predicted. What makes it so different—and worth the wait—is a revolutionary modular design that may change how future shotguns are built.