Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Hi all, thought I’d share my joy with you haha as a new gun is always exciting and all the more when it’s of a category you’ve never owned before.
I’ve heard some Americans claim that all semi autos are illegal in Canada…this is not true…
I am now the proud owner of a Benelli MR1 .223 Remington (that’s a point of confusion in its own, the barrel is stamped .223, Benelli in their own literature describes it as a 5.56…this will be fed mostly handloads anyway but they really ought to be consistent about that)
I actually love it so much. It is ugly. Good Lord is it ugly!
. But a VERY functional, reliable, and capable piece of hardware that ergonomically feels great, feels “natural”, and points to target quickly and better than most rifles of any kind I’ve ever shouldered.
This one has the Benelli telescoping “tactical” buttstock same as what some M4 variants have, and indeed all around this firearm is very “shotgun-esque” for being a semi auto rifle. It looks, feels, and even functions in some regards like the unholy bastard child that would result from an AR15 and a Benelli M4 having a passionate one night stand. I’ve heard the pistol grip described as being the best/most ergonomic pistol grip ever put on a rifle and can’t argue. At its heart is the same ARGO gas system that is found in the Benelli R1 hunting as well as the VERY FAMOUSLY reliable, proven, and tough as nails M4 combat shotgun
Now the notable thing is that I am in perfectly legal possession of such a tool up here in Canada. It’s not restricted, anyone with a firearms licence can buy this over the counter, which is kinda surprising and funny considering how many things are outright banned now - any true ar15, the ruger mini 14, many others now….its remarkable that this isn’t banned honestly, figured I better get one before that changes haha…
A part of why it isn’t is it’s probably just under the radar BECAUSE it is explicitly NOT an AR, or variant thereof, it is its own thing. BUT…it takes AR magazines/PMAGs no problem. If it didn’t that’d be a dealbreaker honestly, it comes with a single 5 round magazine as it is.
Now for more Canadian gun law stupidity and equally stupid loopholes that I fully and legally take advantage of: in Canada, semi auto rifle magazines are limited to no more than 5 rounds capacity…but pistol magazines are limited to 10. There is no law saying that you can’t have a rifle that takes pistol magazines
, and in the USA there are many SBRs that would be considered pistols up here. So the magazine you see in the picture is a gen 2 CROSSMAG, which is a set of 2 10 round 5.56 “pistol” magazines explicitly marked as such that nonetheless fit into this rifle no problem and no laws broken. This is about the most firepower we can have up here, and I’m happy to have it 
. Load one in the chamber, load the mag, fire off 11 rounds, pop the mag out, flip it, slam it back in and release the bolt, fire 10 more.
The rifle is not without its quirks and detriments as well…most of all it is not modular at all like an AR, it is not easily field stripped or modified, it does not really have any aftermarket “stuff”, and mounting an optic may necessitate the removal of the rear sight assembly which is just a big no for me for a gun like this. The pencil thin barrel gets stupid hot stupid fast and that’s not gonna be great for accuracy, not that this is a target gun but still…. And it’s 20 inches, and unthreaded with no flash suppressor or anything. I wish it was 18 and may have it shortened and threaded, so long as it’s 18 or over there’s no legality issue.
But what’s not in question is its reliability and function. The Benelli gas system is something I’d put ten times the faith in over any of the non restricted semi autos that are still legal in Canada, any of the ar180 types or other oddball things. I totally get why this rifle flopped in the USA (except California for the same reasons it’s popular in Canada) - if you can buy or build a proven and honest to goodness quality AR15 for less money with more modularity why the heck wouldn’t you? But I can’t…so the benelli it is!!! I’m very happy with my new purchase and also to report to you all how ridiculous Canadian gun law is…but also that there are these loopholes!!!!. For sure Comrade Trudeau would hate that I have this rifle, and I LOVE THAT!!!!!
Here it
Is with the stock set to different lengths.
I’ve heard some Americans claim that all semi autos are illegal in Canada…this is not true…
I am now the proud owner of a Benelli MR1 .223 Remington (that’s a point of confusion in its own, the barrel is stamped .223, Benelli in their own literature describes it as a 5.56…this will be fed mostly handloads anyway but they really ought to be consistent about that)
I actually love it so much. It is ugly. Good Lord is it ugly!
. But a VERY functional, reliable, and capable piece of hardware that ergonomically feels great, feels “natural”, and points to target quickly and better than most rifles of any kind I’ve ever shouldered. This one has the Benelli telescoping “tactical” buttstock same as what some M4 variants have, and indeed all around this firearm is very “shotgun-esque” for being a semi auto rifle. It looks, feels, and even functions in some regards like the unholy bastard child that would result from an AR15 and a Benelli M4 having a passionate one night stand
. I’ve heard the pistol grip described as being the best/most ergonomic pistol grip ever put on a rifle and can’t argue. At its heart is the same ARGO gas system that is found in the Benelli R1 hunting as well as the VERY FAMOUSLY reliable, proven, and tough as nails M4 combat shotgun Now the notable thing is that I am in perfectly legal possession of such a tool up here in Canada. It’s not restricted, anyone with a firearms licence can buy this over the counter, which is kinda surprising and funny considering how many things are outright banned now - any true ar15, the ruger mini 14, many others now….its remarkable that this isn’t banned honestly, figured I better get one before that changes haha…
A part of why it isn’t is it’s probably just under the radar BECAUSE it is explicitly NOT an AR, or variant thereof, it is its own thing. BUT…it takes AR magazines/PMAGs no problem. If it didn’t that’d be a dealbreaker honestly, it comes with a single 5 round magazine as it is.
Now for more Canadian gun law stupidity and equally stupid loopholes that I fully and legally take advantage of: in Canada, semi auto rifle magazines are limited to no more than 5 rounds capacity…but pistol magazines are limited to 10. There is no law saying that you can’t have a rifle that takes pistol magazines
, and in the USA there are many SBRs that would be considered pistols up here. So the magazine you see in the picture is a gen 2 CROSSMAG, which is a set of 2 10 round 5.56 “pistol” magazines explicitly marked as such that nonetheless fit into this rifle no problem and no laws broken. This is about the most firepower we can have up here, and I’m happy to have it . Load one in the chamber, load the mag, fire off 11 rounds, pop the mag out, flip it, slam it back in and release the bolt, fire 10 more. The rifle is not without its quirks and detriments as well…most of all it is not modular at all like an AR, it is not easily field stripped or modified, it does not really have any aftermarket “stuff”, and mounting an optic may necessitate the removal of the rear sight assembly which is just a big no for me for a gun like this. The pencil thin barrel gets stupid hot stupid fast and that’s not gonna be great for accuracy, not that this is a target gun but still…. And it’s 20 inches, and unthreaded with no flash suppressor or anything. I wish it was 18 and may have it shortened and threaded, so long as it’s 18 or over there’s no legality issue.
But what’s not in question is its reliability and function. The Benelli gas system is something I’d put ten times the faith in over any of the non restricted semi autos that are still legal in Canada, any of the ar180 types or other oddball things. I totally get why this rifle flopped in the USA (except California for the same reasons it’s popular in Canada) - if you can buy or build a proven and honest to goodness quality AR15 for less money with more modularity why the heck wouldn’t you? But I can’t…so the benelli it is!!! I’m very happy with my new purchase and also to report to you all how ridiculous Canadian gun law is…but also that there are these loopholes!!!!
. For sure Comrade Trudeau would hate that I have this rifle, and I LOVE THAT!!!!! Here it
Is with the stock set to different lengths.
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. Now I need to get a boat…
