The Beretta 1301 is a shotgun that needs no introduction at this point, especially since there have been multiple written and video reviews done by my colleagues here at the Blog and by James on the TFBTV side of the house. About 6 months ago, I was offered the opportunity to review the 1301 with the Chisel Stock by Beretta, and naturally, I said: “Hell Yes”. With that being said, I hope to bring an alternative perspective to this review, as the only time I ever carry and shoot a shotgun is when I'm bird hunting in the fall. I have very little time and experience with any tactical shotguns outside of the M26 MASS that I used in the Army for a few years, and that weapon is unique to say the least. I will also be diving more into the Chisel Stock and how it functions and performs.
More 1301 Goodness at TFB:
- TFB Review: Mesa Tactical Beretta 1301 Furniture
- Shotgun Basics with Ernest Langdon (Beretta 1301 Setup & Skills)
- Langdon Tactical Releases Slate Of Beretta 1301 Upgrades
- TFB Review: Beretta 1301 Tactical Shotgun
As mentioned before, the 1301 C Chisel Stock was provided by Beretta for this review, and I will be returning the shotgun at the conclusion of this review. This will not influence my opinions on any current or future offerings from Beretta. Beretta has not been allowed to preview this article before its publication. I have taken the 1301 on multiple range outings over the past 6 months and even attempted a little bit of hunting with it.
Specs - Beretta 1301 C Chisel Stock
- Gauge - 12 Gauge
- Action - Semi-automatic (gas-operated)
- Operating System - BLINK gas system
- Origin - Italy
- Barrel Length - 18.7 in (475 mm)
- Overall Length - 37.8 in
- Weight- ~6.4–6.7 lb (unloaded)
- Magazine Capacity- 7+1 rounds (2.75" shells)
- Barrel Type- Cold hammer forged
- Barrel Finish - Matte black
- Rear Sight - Ghost ring (adjustable)
- Optics Mount - Picatinny rail on receiver + RMR Optic Mount
- Stock - Chisel folding stock (aluminum chassis style)
- Recoil Pad: Microcore rubber
- MSRP - $2,349
Quick 1301 Mod 2 Review
The first time I shot a 1301 was back in 2023 at the Beretta range day, the Sunday before Shot Show. I recall being really impressed with the lack of recoil and how smooth the shotgun felt to shoot, granted, we were only using light birdshot loads. The Mod 2 variant is the same shotgun with a few improvements.
A really big change is the new Pro-Lifter loading gate. It remains open during reloading, doing away with the painful thumb pinch you can get when quickly forcing shells into the magazine. The fore-end has been entirely remade with M-LOK sections built in, so it’s now a lot simpler to fit weapon lights, sling swivels or other extras without needing to get things that aren’t made by Beretta. Beretta also changed the grip surface and the whole feel of the gun, meaning it’s held much more firmly when it kicks, particularly should you be wearing gloves or it’s slippery.
The Mod 2 also has a near-flat tactical trigger that delivers a more regular pull and a shorter return, and a lengthened forcing cone in the barrel to give a little better spread and to make the recoil less harsh. A further sensible change is the magazine tube now being in two pieces, making it easier to service and fit extensions than with the older guns. With the Tactical C model in particular, the main difference is the Chisel Machining aluminium folding stock, which does away with the usual plastic stock, and provides an adjustable frame, with an AR-style grip, adjustable cheek-piece and the ability to fold it for simpler carrying. All in all, the Mod 2 is an outstanding shotgun and a blast to rip shells through.
Chisel Machine Stock
When the Chisel Machine stocks first came on the market, I was really interested and excited by the idea of a high-quality folding shotgun stock. Historically, the lock-up on a shotgun stock has to be very tight to accommodate the recoil of most 12-gauge loads. The Chisel stocks also feature an optic mounting solution for RMR footprint optics that is pretty unique to their design, and these stocks just look cool on any platform.
First of all, this stock adds 4 oz to the 1301’s overall weight compared to the factory stock. The best part about this stock to me is just how comfortable it makes shooting the 1301. While this is already a soft shooting system, that massive rubber butpad soaks up a lot of the recoil. Making adjustments to the length of pull is pretty straightforward, but you will need a tool to do this. I do love how much of an adjustment the stock gives you overall. The length of pull can be set to 11 inches up to 15 inches, and this is great for guys running body armour with that short setting. The Butt pad can also be adjusted up or down, and so can the comb height, but again, you will need tools to do all this. This stock also features 6 locations for QD sling mounts and an interchangeable AR-15 style pistol grip.
Lastly, this folding stock does indeed fold. The locking mechanism has a heavy-duty hinge and seems to be very sturdy. Unfortunately, I had the stock unlock on me a few times when shooting heavier loads of slugs. At first, I thought this was just a user error, and I was probably doing something wrong, and maybe I was, but I was still surprised to have this happen. Under heavy recoil, I noticed that if I pulled down on the pistol grip, that's when the stock would unlock. Nothing dangerous happened, and I'm not trying to say that this stock is broken, but the one particular sample I had seemed to maybe have some looser tolerances.
Having the ability to mount an optic on the stock is cool, but certainly not necessary, especially when the 1301 comes with a pic rail for optic mounting out of the box. Currently, I believe you can only get RMR footprint optics on these stocks, but I know that Chisel plans on offering more options soon.
Likes
- Proven and Reliable Shotgun that just keeps getting better
- MLOK Forend for easy Light Mounting
- Super comfortable to shoot, and the stock certainly plays a role in this
Dislikes
- Very expensive, at almost $2500, the nearly $500 upcharge does not seem worth it to me
- Inconsistent results using the stock with heavier loads
- A pistol grip may obstruct the violin loading technique
Final thoughts - Beretta 1301 C Chisel Stock
After spending about six months with the Beretta 1301 C Chisel Stock, I came away impressed with how refined the 1301 platform has become. Even as someone who doesn’t spend a lot of time behind tactical shotguns, the gun was immediately approachable and enjoyable to shoot. The Chisel Machining stock is really what sets this version of the 1301 apart. The aluminum chassis provides a lot of adjustability, from length of pull to comb height and butt pad positioning, and the oversized recoil pad helps make an already soft-shooting shotgun even more comfortable. I also appreciated the six QD sling mounting points and the ability to swap AR-style pistol grips. The folding capability is another nice touch for storage or transport, and the integrated RMR footprint optic mounting solution is a unique feature that you don’t commonly see on shotgun stocks.
That said, the Chisel stock does come with a few tradeoffs. The added cost pushes the price of the Tactical C close to the $2,500 mark, and I’m not convinced the stock alone justifies the price for every shooter. I also experienced a few instances where the stock unlocked under heavier recoil when shooting, which could simply come down to the tolerances on my particular sample but was still worth noting. Even with those minor drawbacks, the 1301 Mod 2 remains an excellent shotgun overall. Perhaps save yourself some money and get the factory stock.
