The Beretta 1301 Tactical has become the default answer to “which semi-auto defensive shotgun”, and it earns it. The gas system runs fast and soft, the gun points like it wants to, and the newest version ships with the oversized charging handle, enlarged bolt release, big reversible safety, ghost rings and receiver rail that owners of earlier guns used to buy one at a time.
That last sentence is the whole reason this page needed rewriting. The 1301 is now effectively two guns, and the aftermarket has already split its part numbers to match. Before the picks, work out which one is in your safe, because three of the ten below depend on the answer.
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.
Beretta 1301 Upgrades at a Glance
| Category | Our Pick | Fits | Why It Makes the List |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magazine extension | Nordic Components | Mod 2 kit listed separately | More shells, the first upgrade |
| Optic mount | Strike Industries or GG&G | Match your footprint | The part a dot can’t work without |
| Red dot | Holosun 507C | Needs a mount | Both eyes open on a fast gun |
| Stock | Mesa Tactical Urbino | Either generation | Short, fixed, consistent mount |
| Shell carrier | Mesa Tactical SureShell | Either generation | Six spares, some with a rail |
| Charging handle | GG&G oversized | Gen 2 version separate | Run the bolt with gloves on |
| Light mount | GG&G tube mount | Either generation | Puts the switch under your hand |
| Follower | GG&G high-visibility | Either generation | See when the tube is empty |
| Bolt release | Beretta enlarged kit | Earlier guns only | Biggest ergonomic win on an older 1301 |
| Choke tube | Carlson’s Optima HP | 12 gauge, check it | Tunes the pattern to your load |
Which 1301 Do You Actually Own?
You do not need a serial lookup for this. Look at the bolt release and the charging handle. If both are large and easy to hit, you have a newer gun and several parts on this page are already fitted. If the bolt release is a small button, you have an earlier one, and picks six and nine are the two best things you can do to it.
The clearest evidence is in the listings themselves. GG&G sell a charging handle marked specifically for the Gen 2. Nordic sell a Tac Pack magazine tube kit marked for the Mod 2. Beretta sell a bolt release shroud that only makes sense on a gun that doesn’t already have one. Three makers, three separate part numbers, all because the gun changed.
Everything else on this page, the stock, the side saddle, the light mount, the follower and the choke, fits either generation. So the sequence is simple: identify the gun, buy the generation-specific parts if you need them, then buy the rest without worrying.
Check the gauge, not just the system
One more trap, and this one was live on this very page until today. Beretta’s Optima HP choke system is used across several gauges. Our own choke card was returning a 28 gauge Optima HP tube on a page about a 12 gauge shotgun, and nothing in the product name flagged it: the system matched, the brand matched, the gauge did not.
Chokes are the easiest part on this list to buy wrong, because the thread system is the thing everyone checks and the gauge is the thing everyone assumes. Read both.
1. Nordic Components Magazine Extension
- Fits: 1301 Tactical, Mod 2 kit listed separately
- Adds: Capacity, amount depends on tube and barrel
- Build: Machined aluminum tube and clamp
- Street price: Around $98 to $148
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- More shells without a reload
- Machined to suit the fast BLINK cycle
- Complete packages include the clamp
Cons
- Mod 2 tube kits are listed separately
- Tube length must match the barrel
- State capacity limits apply
Capacity is the first thing most 1301 owners want more of, and Nordic are the name here. Their extensions are machined to work with the fast-cycling gas system rather than fighting it, and the complete packages include the clamp so you aren’t ordering pieces separately.
Two things to get right before you order. The tube has to suit your barrel length, and Nordic list a separate Tac Pack kit for the Mod 2, which tells you everything about how much the platform has split. Check your local capacity limit too, because a shotgun magazine is one of the things states legislate directly.
Best For: Any defensive 1301. More rounds on board is the whole point.
2. Optic Mount
- Fits: 1301 receiver, check your rail
- Options: Low profile, RMR cut, dedicated
- Makers: Strike Industries, GG&G, ADE
- Street price: Around $26 to $88
| Capability gained | 4 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 4 / 5 |
| Availability | 3 / 5 |
Pros
- The part that makes a dot possible
- Low profile options sit near the bore
- Cheaper than milling a receiver
Cons
- Must match your optic footprint
- Thin choice compared to rifle mounts
- Adds height over the ghost rings
The old version of this page recommended a red dot and then never explained how to attach one, which is the sort of gap that costs a reader an evening. Here it is: unless your receiver is already cut, the dot needs a mount, and the mount has to match the optic footprint.
Strike Industries, GG&G and ADE all make mounts for the 1301, and GG&G list a low profile version specifically for the Holosun HE509T. The choice is thinner than it is on a rifle, so settle the mount before you settle the optic rather than the other way round.
Best For: Anyone adding a dot. Buy it in the same order as the optic.
3. Holosun 507C Red Dot
- Footprint: RMR pattern, match your mount
- Reticle: 2 MOA dot, 32 MOA circle, or both
- Power: Solar backup plus shake awake
- Street price: Around $237 to $310
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 3 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Both eyes open at speed
- Shake awake and a solar backup
- Co-witnesses with the ghost rings
Cons
- Needs a mount, sold separately
- Shotgun recoil is hard on optics
- Costs more than most parts here
A dot suits this gun better than almost any other shotgun, because the 1301 is quick enough that the shooter becomes the limiting factor. Both eyes open, put the dot where the pattern goes, and the speed the gas system gives you actually reaches the target.
Shotgun recoil is a harder life than a pistol slide, so buy a dot with a reputation for surviving it and torque the mount properly. Co-witness with the factory ghost rings and you keep a sighting system when the battery or the glass gives up.
Best For: Defensive and competition guns, once the mount is sorted.
4. Mesa Tactical Urbino Stock
- Fits: 1301 Tactical, either generation
- Length of pull: Fixed and short
- Options: Limbsaver pad, adjustable cheek riser
- Street price: Around $97 to $127
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Short length of pull suits body armor
- Consistent mount behind a dot
- Limbsaver pad soaks up buckshot
Cons
- Fixed, so no adjustment on the fly
- Pistol grip isn’t for everyone
- Costs more than the factory stock
The factory stock is good and the Urbino is the one competition and duty shooters keep buying. A shorter fixed length of pull gets the gun to the shoulder the same way every time, which matters more once a red dot is involved, and the Limbsaver versions take the edge off a long buckshot session.
It’s one of the picks that does not care which generation you own, which makes it an easy early purchase. The pistol grip does divide people, so if you shoot a traditional stock well already, this is a want rather than a need.
Best For: Anyone running a dot, body armor, or a lot of buckshot.
5. Mesa Tactical SureShell Side Saddle
- Fits: 1301 receiver, either generation
- Capacity: Six shells on most versions
- Options: Plain, Picatinny rail, RMR cut
- Street price: Around $80 to $103
| Capability gained | 4 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 3 / 5 |
| Value | 3 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Six spare shells on the gun
- Rail versions double as an optic base
- Aluminum, not a nylon card
Cons
- Adds noticeable weight up high
- Needs the receiver drilled on some guns
- Costs as much as a stock
A shotgun runs dry fast, so spare shells belong on the gun rather than in a pocket. The SureShell is machined aluminum rather than a nylon card, it holds six, and several versions carry a Picatinny rail or an RMR cut so the side saddle and the optic base become one part.
That last point is worth planning around. If you want both a side saddle and a dot, a rail-equipped SureShell can save you buying a separate mount, which changes the maths on pick two.
Best For: Defensive guns, and anyone who wants the saddle and the optic base in one part.
6. GG&G Oversized Charging Handle
- Fits: 1301 Tactical, Gen 2 version listed separately
- Purpose: Bigger surface to run the bolt
- Build: Machined, slotted options
- Street price: Around $30 to $58
| Capability gained | 4 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 5 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 5 / 5 |
Pros
- Far easier to run under stress
- Works with gloves on
- Direct replacement, no fitting
Cons
- Gen 2 needs its own version
- Newer guns already have a big one
- Trusted retailer price is nearly double
If your 1301 predates the oversized controls, this is the other part worth fitting alongside the bolt release shroud. A bigger handle means you can run the bolt with cold hands, gloved hands, or under the sort of stress that makes fine motor control disappear.
Look closely at the listings on the card. GG&G sell a version explicitly marked Gen 2, which means the handle changed along with everything else. Prices run from about thirty dollars to fifty-eight for what is nearly the same job, and the headline slot only draws from a few trusted retailers, so the cheapest correct option is often further down.
Best For: Earlier 1301s. Check yours before ordering, and check the generation.
7. GG&G Light Mount
- Fits: 1301 magazine tube
- Holds: A standard weapon light
- Options: Plain, or with a sling loop
- Street price: Around $25 to $40
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
| Value | 5 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Puts the light where your hand is
- Sling loop versions save a part
- Under forty dollars
Cons
- Light sold separately
- Can crowd a magazine extension clamp
- Aluminum can mar the tube finish
A light isn’t optional on a shotgun you might point at something in the dark, and the mount is what decides whether you can actually reach the switch. GG&G clamp theirs to the magazine tube, which puts the light under your support hand where it belongs.
Plan this one alongside the magazine extension, because both want real estate on the same tube. Some versions add a sling loop, which saves buying a separate attachment.
Best For: Every defensive 1301. Fit it with the extension, not after.
8. GG&G High-Visibility Follower
- Fits: 1301 magazine tube, either generation
- Purpose: See when the gun is empty
- Build: Machined with a bright insert
- Street price: Around $27 to $31
| Capability gained | 3 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 5 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 5 / 5 |
Pros
- Tells you the tube is empty
- Goes in during an extension install
- Machined, not molded plastic
Cons
- Does nothing for how it shoots
- Only visible from the front
- Thirty dollars for a small part
A bright follower lets you see at a glance that the magazine is empty, which matters in poor light and during a fast string. It’s a small thing, and it’s the sort of small thing you fit while the tube is already apart for the extension.
Do them in the same sitting. Pulling a magazine tube down twice for a thirty dollar part is how people end up never fitting it.
Best For: Fit it during the magazine extension install, not as a separate job.
9. Beretta Enlarged Bolt Release Kit
- Fits: Earlier 1301s without the enlarged control
- Purpose: Makes the small factory button usable
- Versions: Shroud only, or latch and shroud
- Street price: Around $9 to $55
| Capability gained | 5 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 4 / 5 |
| Value | 5 / 5 |
| Durability | 4 / 5 |
| Availability | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Biggest ergonomic gain on older guns
- Shroud-only versions cost under fifteen
- Beretta’s own part
Cons
- Pointless on newer guns
- Latch and shroud kits cost far more
- Check which control you have first
The newest 1301s already have an enlarged bolt release. Earlier guns have a small button that is hard to find in a hurry, and Beretta’s shroud kit is the single biggest ergonomic improvement you can make to one.
Read the card carefully here, because there are two different products under similar names. A shroud-only kit runs under fifteen dollars. A complete latch and shroud is around fifty-five. Both are legitimate; they aren’t the same part, and the cheap one is enough for most people.
And the obvious one: if your gun already has the big paddle, skip this entirely and spend the money on shells.
Best For: Earlier 1301s only. Look at your bolt release before you buy.
10. Carlson’s Optima HP Choke Tube
- Fits: Beretta Optima HP threads, 12 gauge
- Constrictions: Close range through long range
- Build: Steel, ported and non-ported
- Street price: Around $39 to $70
| Capability gained | 3 / 5 |
| Ease of install | 5 / 5 |
| Value | 4 / 5 |
| Durability | 5 / 5 |
| Availability | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Tunes the pattern to the load
- Screws in with a wrench
- Cheaper than a box of buckshot
Cons
- Gauge must match, not just threads
- Gains depend on the shell
- Wrench often sold separately
The 1301 uses Beretta’s Optima HP choke system, and the right tube is a cheap way to change how the gun patterns. Carlson’s make constrictions from close range through long range, and swapping one takes a wrench and a minute.
Now the warning that earned this pick its place on the card image. Beretta’s Optima HP system spans gauges, and until today this page’s own choke card was returning a 28 gauge tube on a page about a 12 gauge shotgun. The system name matched perfectly. The gauge did not. Read both before you buy, because nothing about the product title warns you.
Pattern the gun with the load you actually intend to use. A choke that tightens one brand of buckshot can do very little for another, and the only way to know is paper at distance.
Best For: Anyone patterning for a specific load. Check the gauge twice.
What a Built 1301 Really Costs
The 1301 is excellent out of the box, so these builds tailor it rather than fix it. Prices come off the live retailer figures on the cards above.
| Build level | What is in it | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older gun, sorted | Bolt release shroud, charging handle, follower | $70 to $125 | Brings an earlier 1301 up to the ergonomics of a new one. |
| Defensive setup | Add a magazine extension, light mount and light | $320 to $450 | Capacity and target identification, the two things that matter most. |
| The full build | Add a stock, side saddle, mount and dot | $800 to $1,000 | A dot-equipped fighting shotgun. Fits either generation. |
If you own a newer gun, skip the first row entirely. That’s the practical value of working out which 1301 you have before you start spending.
How to Prioritize Your Beretta 1301 Build
The 1301 needs tailoring rather than fixing, so the order below is about capability, not repairs. Step zero is identifying your generation.
- The controls, if you have an earlier gun. Bolt release shroud and charging handle. Under a hundred dollars and it changes how you run the shotgun.
- A magazine extension and a light. Capacity and target identification are what a defensive shotgun is for. Fit the follower and the light mount in the same session.
- A mount and a dot. In that order, because the mount decides which optics are possible.
- A stock that fits you, and a side saddle if you want spares on the gun. A rail-equipped saddle can replace a separate mount.
- A choke last, once you know which load you’re actually going to feed it. Check the gauge.
Want the background on the gun first? Read our Beretta 1301 Tactical review and the Benelli M4 vs Beretta 1301 comparison, then browse the field in our best 3-gun shotguns and best home-defense shotgun guides. Comparing platforms? See our Benelli M4 parts guide too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Beretta 1301 parts depend on the generation?
Three of them. The charging handle, the magazine tube kit and the bolt release shroud are all sold in generation-specific versions: GG&G list a charging handle marked for the Gen 2, Nordic list a Tac Pack tube kit for the Mod 2, and the Beretta bolt release shroud only makes sense on an earlier gun that does not already have the enlarged control. The stock, side saddle, light mount, follower and choke all fit either generation.
How do I tell which Beretta 1301 I have?
Look at the controls rather than the serial number. If the bolt release and charging handle are both large and easy to hit, you have a newer gun and several of the upgrades on this page are already fitted at the factory. If the bolt release is a small button, you have an earlier one, and the enlarged bolt release kit and oversized charging handle are the two best things you can do to it.
What choke does a Beretta 1301 use?
Beretta's Optima HP system, also written OptimaBore HP. Two things to confirm before buying. First the pattern: an Optima HP choke is not the older Mobil pattern, and the two are not interchangeable. Second the gauge, which is the one people miss. The Optima HP system spans several gauges, so a 28 gauge tube and a 12 gauge tube read almost identically in a product title. Check both.
What is the best upgrade for a Beretta 1301?
The 1301 is excellent from the factory, so the best upgrades add capability rather than fix faults. A magazine extension for capacity and a light for target identification come first, then a mount and a red dot to make use of how fast the gun handles. If you own an earlier 1301, fit the enlarged bolt release and charging handle before any of that.
How many rounds does a Beretta 1301 hold with an extension?
The Mod 2 Tactical with the 18.5 inch barrel is listed by retailers as a 7+1 gun. Beyond that, capacity with an extension depends on three things: the length of the extension tube, the length of your barrel, and your state law, which limits shotgun capacity in some places. Match the tube to the barrel and check your local limit before ordering rather than after.
Is the Beretta 1301 optics ready?
The 1301 Tactical has a factory receiver rail, and optics-ready models add a milled cut for a lower mount. Either way you will need a mount that matches your optic footprint, which is the step most guides skip. Strike Industries, GG&G and ADE all make them. Co-witness the dot with the ghost ring sights so you keep a backup.
Do you need a gunsmith to upgrade a Beretta 1301?
Not for anything on this list. Magazine extensions, stocks, followers, shell carriers, light mounts, bolt release kits, charging handles and choke tubes all install at home with basic tools. Some side saddles need the receiver drilled and tapped, so read the product description on that one before you order.
Does a red dot survive shotgun recoil?
A good one does, but shotgun recoil is a harder life than a pistol slide and it finds weak mounts quickly. Buy an optic with a reputation for handling it, torque the mount screws to spec rather than by feel, and check the screws after the first hundred rounds. Keeping the factory ghost rings co-witnessed means a failure costs you nothing.
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