Last updated September 6, 2026 · By Nick Hall. New to the platform? Start with our Benelli M4 review.
The Benelli M4 arrives from the factory closer to finished than almost any other fighting shotgun, which changes what an upgrade list should look like. There is no bad stock to replace and no missing sights. What is left is a short list of controls that are genuinely undersized, and one capacity problem that almost every M4 guide gets wrong.
Below are the parts worth fitting, in the order I would buy them, with what each one costs right now. I have put the magazine extension last rather than first, and the section explains why that is not an oversight.
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Quick Answer: Buy the controls first. A GG&G oversized charging handle and a Black River enlarged bolt release fix the two things people fumble on an M4, and together they are under $100. Then a light mount, then the Mesa Tactical SureShell carrier with a rail. The Mesa Urbino stock is the best furniture upgrade. Do not start with a magazine extension: a commercial M4 ships with a 5-round limited magazine and Nordic Components do not make an extension that fits it.
Table of Contents
How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun. Where we have not shot a specific variant ourselves, we say so in that section.
Read This Before You Buy a Magazine Extension
The M4 you can walk out of a shop with is a 5+1 gun. Benelli sells it with a limited magazine tube, and the 7-round tube that the military version uses is not what comes in the box. That single fact reorders this entire list.
Nordic Components, who make the MXT extensions that most M4 guides recommend, say it plainly in their own fit guide: “The commercially-available M4 comes with a 5-round limited magazine from the factory. Nordic Components does not produce a compatible extension to bring the magazine to its 7-round full capacity. We recommend Dave’s Metal Works for the components required to bring the M4 to 7-round capacity (all 922(r) rules apply).”
So the path to more rounds is two steps, not one. First you convert the gun to a 7-round magazine with parts from a specialist. Only then does Nordic’s BR extension nut fit, and only then will an MXT kit add anything on top. Buying an MXT kit for a stock commercial M4 leaves you with a part that will not go on your gun.
The 922(r) note in that quote is not boilerplate either. The M4 is an imported shotgun, and swapping in enough US-made parts changes how the configuration is counted under federal import rules. It is a real compliance question rather than a formality, and it is worth understanding before you start rather than after. If you want capacity without any of that, a shell carrier on the receiver is the simple answer and it is further down this page.
What Each M4 Upgrade Costs
The useful shape of that ladder is how cheap the controls are against the furniture. A charging handle, a bolt release and a light mount come to a little over $125 between them, and they change how fast you can run the gun under stress. A stock and a shell carrier together are nearly twice that and change how the gun feels rather than what it does.
That is the opposite of how most people spend on an M4, which is furniture first because furniture is visible. If your budget is a hundred dollars, spend it on the two controls and shoot the gun for a year before you touch anything else.
1. GG&G Oversized Charging Handle
- Fits: Benelli M4, separate part from the M1/M2/M3 handle
- Type: Slotted tactical, direct replacement
- Install: Pulls out and pushes in, no tools
- Street price: Around $32 to $40
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 5 / 5 |
| Value | 5 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Looks | 3 / 5 |
Pros
- Findable with cold or gloved hands
- Drops in with no tools
- Cheapest real upgrade on the gun
Cons
- Snags on a sling occasionally
- Looks bulky next to factory
- M1 and M2 handles do not fit
The factory M4 charging handle is a small round knob, and it is the first thing that goes wrong when your hands are cold, wet or gloved. Under any pressure at all you want something you can find without looking and get a whole hand on.
The GG&G slotted handle is bigger, flatter and knurled, and it turns loading the gun from a fiddle into a grab. This is the single highest return per dollar on the M4 and it takes about ten seconds to fit.
Buy carefully. GG&G make a similar handle for the Benelli M1, M2 and M3, and retailers list both under the same Benelli heading. They are not interchangeable with the M4, so I have filtered the M1/M2/M3 versions out of the card above.
Best For: Every M4. If you buy one part off this page, this is it.
2. Black River Enlarged Bolt Release
- Fits: Benelli M4
- Replaces: The small factory bolt release button
- Install: One roll pin, ten minutes
- Street price: Around $54
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 3 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 2 / 5 |
Pros
- Turns a fingernail button into a paddle
- Makes loading from the port fast
- Hard anodized, no wear issues
Cons
- Needs a roll pin punch
- Stocked by very few retailers
- Costs more than the handle
The M4’s factory bolt release is a small button that wants a fingernail. On a gun you load by dropping a shell in the ejection port and hitting the release, that button is the bottleneck, and it is the one control most M4 owners quietly work around instead of fixing.
An enlarged release turns it into something you hit with the side of a thumb without breaking your firing grip. Paired with the oversized charging handle it changes the M4 from a gun you operate carefully to one you operate quickly, which is the whole point of a fighting shotgun.
Two honest warnings. It is a roll pin job, so you want a proper punch and a block rather than a screwdriver and optimism. And stock is thin: this is a small-shop part and it is often listed at one or two retailers only, so the card below may be short.
Best For: Anyone who reloads the M4 through the port, which is anyone using it seriously.
3. GG&G Flashlight Mount
- Fits: Benelli M4, part GGG1689
- Mount: Clamps to the magazine tube
- Also made as: A combined sling and light mount
- Street price: Around $29 to $36
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
| Value | 5 / 5 |
| Durability | 4 / 5 |
| Added bulk | 3 / 5 |
Pros
- Puts a light on without a rail
- Cheap for what it enables
- Sling and light version available
Cons
- Adds bulk under the forend
- Clamp can shift if undertightened
- Mossberg versions look identical
A defensive shotgun without a light is a gun you cannot responsibly fire indoors, and the M4 has nowhere obvious to hang one. This clamp is the standard answer and it costs about the same as a takeaway.
It clamps to the magazine tube and gives you a short rail section on the side, which is enough for any of the common weapon lights. Tighten it properly and check it after the first hundred rounds, because a light that walks under recoil will end up pointing at the ground.
GG&G make near-identical mounts for the Mossberg 930 and 590, and the listings sit side by side. The M4 part is GGG1689 and I have filtered the Mossberg versions out of the card.
Best For: Any M4 kept for home defense, which is most of them.
4. Mesa Tactical SureShell Carrier and Rail
- Fits: Benelli M4
- Capacity: 6 or 8 shells, aluminium or polymer
- Optic rail: Integral on the rail versions
- Street price: Around $84 for the plain carrier, $97 to $121 with a rail
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Build quality | 5 / 5 |
| Value | 3 / 5 |
| Added weight | 2 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Spare shells and an optic mount together
- The capacity fix that needs no conversion
- Machined and bolted, not glued
Cons
- Adds real weight high up
- Dearer than either part alone
- Six and eight shell versions differ
This is the pick that the magazine extension section pushes up the list. If you want more rounds on an M4 without converting the magazine tube and without a federal compliance question, they go on the receiver.
Mesa Tactical is the standard here because their carriers are machined and bolted rather than strapped on, and they stay put. The versions with an integral rail solve two problems at once, which is why I would take one of those over a plain carrier and a separate optic mount: fewer parts, one set of screws, and the optic sits where you expect.
The trade is weight, and on the M4 it is noticeable because the gun is already heavy. Six shells of 12 gauge sitting above the bore changes how the gun handles more than people expect. If that bothers you, the six-shell polymer version saves a little.
Best For: Adding rounds and an optic to a stock commercial M4 in one part.
5. Mesa Tactical Urbino Pistol Grip Stock
- Fits: Benelli M4, a separate part from the M1/M2 version
- Length of pull: 12.5 inches, shorter than factory
- Options: With or without a Limbsaver recoil pad, standard or riser cheek
- Street price: Around $120 to $122
| Fit and control | 5 / 5 |
| Recoil comfort | 4 / 5 |
| Build quality | 5 / 5 |
| Value | 3 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Short length of pull suits armor
- Pistol grip helps with a heavy gun
- Riser version fits an optic
Cons
- Costs as much as three controls
- Pistol grip is not for everyone
- M1 and M2 versions look identical
The factory M4 stock is not bad, which is why this sits fifth rather than first. It is long, though, and the M4 is a heavy gun, and both of those are fixed by the Urbino.
The 12.5 inch length of pull is the real argument. It lets you mount the gun cleanly in a jacket or a plate carrier, and a shotgun that mounts cleanly is a shotgun you hit with. The pistol grip then takes some of the weight off your support arm, which matters after a few dozen rounds of buckshot.
Get the version right. Mesa make the Urbino for the M1 and M2 as well as the M4 and the listings are nearly identical, so I have filtered the M1/M2 versions out. The Limbsaver pad option is worth the small premium if you shoot slugs.
Best For: Anyone shooting the M4 in gear, and anyone the factory stock is too long for.
6. A Two-Point Sling
- Type: Two-point or three-point tactical
- Attachment: The M4 has factory sling points front and rear
- Options: GG&G make a combined sling and light mount
- Street price: Around $35 to $40
| Retention | 5 / 5 |
| Value | 5 / 5 |
| Comfort under weight | 3 / 5 |
| Ease of setup | 4 / 5 |
| Necessity | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- The M4 is heavy, a sling helps
- Factory attachment points already there
- Cheap for the capability
Cons
- Unpadded slings bite under weight
- Another thing to snag
- Three-point designs clutter the receiver
The M4 weighs about eight pounds empty, and more once you have hung a light and a loaded shell carrier on it. That is a lot to hold one-handed while you open a door or pick up a phone, and a sling is how you stop having to.
Unlike a lot of shotguns the M4 comes with proper sling attachment points already, so this is genuinely a sling purchase rather than a sling-and-mounts project. A quality two-point with a quick adjuster is all most people need.
Buy padded if the gun is going to be carried rather than staged. An unpadded inch of nylon under eight pounds of shotgun stops being comfortable quickly.
Best For: Any M4 that leaves the safe, and the cheapest way to make a heavy gun manageable.
7. Carlson’s Crio Plus Choke Tubes
- Fits: Benelli Crio and Crio Plus threads, 12 gauge
- Constrictions: Flush and extended, cylinder through turkey
- Material: 17-4 stainless on the premium tubes
- Street price: Around $33 to $60
| Pattern improvement | 4 / 5 |
| Value | 5 / 5 |
| Build quality | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 5 / 5 |
| Necessity | 2 / 5 |
Pros
- Tightens buckshot patterns noticeably
- Cheap way to change the gun
- Steel-rated options available
Cons
- Factory choke is already decent
- Crio Plus thread is model specific
- Needs patterning to be worth it
A choke is the cheapest way to change what the M4 actually does downrange, and it is the upgrade most defensive shotgun owners never think about. Tightening the constriction pulls a buckshot pattern in, and inside a house that is the difference between nine pellets on target and six.
The catch is that it only means anything if you pattern the gun. Buy the tube, shoot a few loads at the distance you actually care about, and keep whichever combination puts the most pellets where you are aiming. Fitting a tighter choke without patterning is guessing with extra steps.
Check the thread. Benelli use both Crio and Crio Plus, and tubes are also sold in 20 and 28 gauge under the same Carlson’s heading, so the card above is filtered to 12 gauge Crio Plus.
Best For: Anyone willing to pattern their gun. Skip it if you are not.
8. Nordic Components MXT Extension, for a 7-Round M4 Only
- Fits: An M4 already converted to a 7-round magazine
- Does not fit: A stock commercial 5-round M4
- Needs: Nordic BR extension nut, NUT-BR-12-00
- Street price: Around $66 to $71 for a kit
| Capacity gained | 5 / 5 |
| Build quality | 5 / 5 |
| Fits a stock M4 | 0 / 5 |
| Simplicity | 1 / 5 |
| Value | 3 / 5 |
Pros
- Nordic tubes are the quality standard
- Real capacity, not carried spares
- Works once the gun is converted
Cons
- Will not fit a stock M4
- Conversion first, with 922(r) attached
- Adds weight at the muzzle
This sits last because of the section at the top of the page, not because the part is bad. Nordic MXT tubes are the quality standard and if your M4 is already running a 7-round magazine, their BR extension nut opens the whole MXT range up to you.
If your M4 is stock, this is not your next purchase. Convert the magazine first, understand the 922(r) position before you do, and come back to this afterwards. Buying the kit first just means it sits in a drawer.
One general buying warning. Search for a shotgun magazine extension and the results fill with end caps, barrel clamps and follower kits, all cheaper than the extension and none of them the extension. If a listing looks like a bargain against everything around it, read the product name properly first.
Best For: M4s that already have the 7-round tube. Everyone else should fit the shell carrier instead.
How to Prioritize Your Benelli M4 Build
The M4 needs less than most shotguns, so spend in this order and stop when the gun does what you need:
- Charging handle and bolt release. Under $100 together and they fix the two controls that slow you down.
- A light mount and a light. Target identification is not optional indoors.
- A sling. Cheap, and the M4 is heavy enough to need one.
- Shell carrier, with a rail if you want an optic. This is your capacity upgrade unless you are converting the magazine.
- The Urbino stock, if the factory stock is too long for you in gear.
- A choke, but only if you will pattern the gun.
What I would not buy early: a replacement handguard, which looks purposeful and adds weight to a gun that has plenty, and a magazine extension, for all the reasons above. The M4 is one of the few shotguns where the honest answer to “what should I upgrade” is mostly “not much”.
Want the background on the gun first? Read our Benelli M4 review, then see how it stacks up in Benelli M4 vs Mossberg 590 and Benelli M4 vs Beretta 1301. For the wider platform, see our best semi-auto tactical shotguns guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Benelli M4 upgrade?
An oversized charging handle. The factory handle is a small round knob that is hard to find with cold or gloved hands, and a slotted GG&G handle costs around $35 and fits with no tools. Pair it with an enlarged bolt release and you have fixed the two controls that actually slow the gun down, for under $100.
Can you put a magazine extension on a Benelli M4?
Not on a stock commercial one. Nordic Components state in their own MXT fit guide that "the commercially-available M4 comes with a 5-round limited magazine from the factory. Nordic Components does not produce a compatible extension to bring the magazine to its 7-round full capacity." The gun has to be converted to a 7-round magazine first, at which point Nordic's BR extension nut lets an MXT kit be fitted. Nordic also note that all 922(r) rules apply to that conversion.
How many rounds does a Benelli M4 hold?
A commercial M4 sold in the US holds 5 in the magazine plus one in the chamber. The 7-round magazine used on the military version is not what ships in the box, and getting there is an aftermarket conversion with federal import-parts rules attached. If you want more rounds on the gun without that, fit a side saddle shell carrier instead.
Do Benelli M1 or M2 parts fit an M4?
Some do and many do not, and the listings rarely make it obvious. GG&G make separate charging handles for the M1/M2/M3 and for the M4, and Mesa Tactical make separate Urbino stocks for each. Both sets sit under the same Benelli heading at most retailers, so check the fitment line rather than the brand.
Does the Benelli M4 need an optic?
No, the factory ghost ring sights are good and the gun is usable straight out of the box. If you do want a red dot, the tidiest route is a Mesa Tactical SureShell carrier with an integral rail, which adds spare shells and an optic mount in one part rather than two.
What does 922(r) mean for a Benelli M4?
The M4 is an imported shotgun, and federal import rules count how many foreign-made parts a configuration uses. Changing certain parts, including magazine components, can change that count. Nordic Components flag it directly against the M4 conversion in their fit guide. It is worth understanding before you start a magazine conversion rather than after.
Is the Benelli M4 stock worth replacing?
Only if it does not fit you. Unlike most shotguns the factory M4 stock is genuinely good, so this is not an automatic upgrade. The Mesa Tactical Urbino is the one worth having if the factory length of pull is too long for you in a jacket or a plate carrier, since it shortens it to 12.5 inches and adds a pistol grip.
Do I need a different choke for buckshot?
Only if you pattern the gun and the pattern tells you so. A tighter Carlson's Crio Plus tube will pull a buckshot pattern in, which matters at defensive distances, but fitting one without patterning is guessing. Note that Benelli use both Crio and Crio Plus threads and that Carlson's sell the same tubes in 20 and 28 gauge.
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