In the world of autoloading shotguns two Italian brands stand above the others: Benelli and Beretta. In the duck blind, fast shooting and reliability in challenging conditions is paramount. Today we take a look at one of the premier waterfowling shotguns in the Benelli Super Black Eagle 3.
Design
Like most Benelli shoguns, the Super Black Eagle 3 (SBE3) uses Benelli’s trademark inertia operating system. The system is ingenious, utilizing the recoil from the operating system to store energy in a spring to cycle the action. This eliminates the need for a gas system and creates an exceptionally clean running shotgun.
The lack of a gas system also makes this shotgun very light weight.
Specifications
The Benelli SBE3 comes in a myriad of different combinations. I shot what is likely the most common version being the 12 gauge with a 3.5 inch chamber and a 28 inch barrel. This format weighed 7lbs, fairly trim for a full sized sporting shotgun. The lightweight is primarily due to the lack of a gas system and it makes a shotgun that carries most of the weight near the receiver and jumps easily to the shoulder. The Benelli’s also have a last shot hold open, a recoil reducing stock design, and a simple cross-bolt safety.
Strengths
Apart from perhaps their price, Benelli’s are most renowned for their reliability. The Benelli M4 has become the worldwide gold standard for a combat shotguns and for good reason. The Super Black Eagle 3 lived up to this reputation and was unfailingly reliable. We shot several hundred shells through it, feeding it everything from light clay loads, to 3 inch magnums, and even slugs. Despite the laundry list of ammunition the Super Black Eagle ate everything without so much as a hiccup. This is high praise for a semi-automatic shotgun, a subset of firearms renowned for being picky about their diets.
Another strength of the shotgun is how clean they run. Because there is no system venting gas back into the receiver, there is little to no carbon build-up in the action. Additionally, unlike a pump there is no finish wear or action bars on the fore-end. Coupled with the camouflage finish, the shotguns are almost impervious to the elements and are very low maintenance.
Also, semi-automatic shotguns have the advantage of reducing felt recoil by spreading the recoil impulse out over a longer period of time. The Super Black Eagle 3 takes this a step further with their recoil reducing stock design. Several shooters commented on the noticeable recoil reduction the SBE3 offered.
Additionally, the fit and finish is very good. The barrel is part of the upper receiver and upper lower fit is excellent. This split receiver system also makes takedown fast and simple. Although the gun rarely requires cleaning this makes oiling easy to combat rust from the wetland hunting.
Finally, the Super Black Eagle 3 comes from the factory with a fiberoptic front sight. This is a welcome improvement from the common beads that are found on most shotguns. Whereas a bead can easily wash out against the grey clouds at first light in the duck blind, the fiber optic provides a nice contrast and is easy to pick up.
Weaknesses
The Super Black Eagle 3 has one glaring weakness, and it may be a fatal one. For reasons unknown, they ship from the factory shooting very high. While 60/40 shot spreads are common and allow better visibility of the target, the Benelli is closer to 70/30. Many speculate that this is due to the angled foam inserts in the recoil reducing stock compressing under recoil. Whatever the case, the gun shoots high and it can make hitting targets difficult depending on what you’re used to. Shooting clays recreationally, all of the shooters struggled to make impacts as consistently as we could with our field tested pump guns. This can’t even be chalked up to familiarity, as three different shooters swapped between our three preferred shotguns in the Mossberg 500, Remington 870, and Winchester SXP. All three had a harder time smashing clays with the Benelli.
On the topic of shooting high, apparently this issue has been fixed with newer production Super Black Eagles. Without first hand experience I cannot speak to these newer production shotguns.
Competitive Options
As mentioned in the introduction, the largest competitor for the premium autoloading shotgun market is Beretta. Beretta uses a gas operating system instead of an inertia one. For a similar price point, Beretta shotguns are known to be reliable and to shoot where they are pointed. Benelli also makes the M2 field.
For those looking to stick with the inertia system, because of the expiration on Benelli’s patents there are a host of new options. Stoeger and Girsan both make copies of Benelli’s inertia system at far lower prices. While fit and finish on these copies is not as fine, they do provide an inertia option for those dead set on an inertia driven shotgun.
Closing Thoughts
The Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 is an excellent shotgun with a fatal flaw. For those willing to dedicate themselves to shooting one specific shotgun, the SBE3 is a well made reliable shotgun and will serve them well. For some though, the high point of impact will make it difficult to hit targets on the wing. No matter how reliable and well made the design, the bird does not care if you missed with a cheap or expensive shotgun. I would recommend trying it out and seeing if the sight picture works for your before buying because apart from shooting high it is an excellent gun.