Benelli B76 vs MP3S at the Range

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The Benelli MP3S is a very rare pistol in .32 S&W, and a nearly unheard of one in 9mm Parabellum. Well, thanks to viewer Todd we have one of those 9mm examples to take to the range today - thanks, Todd! I figured it would be interesting to try it side by side with my standard Benelli B76 and see what benefit I could get from the extra bullseye features of the MP3S...
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[@billtheunjust]

I'd love to see a before and after of cleaning up the one you bought!

[@fattywithafirearm]

Hell of a pawn shop find for a hell of a price

[@bofoenss8393]

I like how, in auto generated subtitles, the eccho from the shots are labelled as [applause] :-)

[@Jurflip2]

The barrel on this gun is fixed to the frame. Here is Europe, they were not that rare and they were generally known as very accurate guns, with good ammo. The long-barrelled gun will not be inherently more accurate than the shorter barrelled piece. The advantage would have to come from the improved trigger pull and the longer sight radius. Pity these Benelli's disappeared. They were well-made guns that pointed delightfully, with the Luger-like grip angle, but they appeared just as the "wonder nine" craze started and that killed them. In the early seventies, when the Benelli's were being developed, the only hi-cap, double action pistol available was the S&W Model 59, if I remember correctly. Then, in the mid-seventies, at about the same time the Benelli was introduced, the Beretta 92 and CZ 75 appeared almost at the same time, followed rapidly by more producers of 15 shot, 9mm pistols. That killed the 8 shot Benelli. A single stack Benelli in .45 ACP would have been a wonderful piece, imo, and might have been successful enough to keep production alive.

[@lolnopenotgonnahappen4370]

To be quite honest, given the inertial locking mechanism it relies on I agree on .45 being an amazing caliber for this and I also would like to suggest 10mm auto.

[@Thicc_Cheese_Dip]

@@lolnopenotgonnahappen4370 .40 S&W would've been a good caliber to introduce it to the American market. Also .357 SIG in the 1990s would've kept it relevant until around 10 years ago. Also the other hi-cap handgun available in the 1970s was the Browning Hi-Power.

[@DrEisenhower]

This feels like a field trip with that one really cool science/history teacher. I love it.

[@xanjay03]

Ian totally looks like that one really cool history teacher who has the weapons from everywhere to show the class

[@MrSnowmandeath]

That's a really good way to put it Avern. This isn't a military trial or anything we're just taken along for a field trip whilst Ian hones in on his opinion of the gun. It's a neat little video, and one of my favorite kinds, as you get to see why Ian has a relatively unbiased opinion towards firearms (excluding glocks).

[@NoTimeForThatNow]

A bear takes a good 5 seconds between shots. I ask him “why the long pause?” He answers “oh these? I was born with them.”

[@StGeorgedragonhunter]

Come on man ...

[@wrathmachine7609]

...

[@davidh5903]

Oh man...

[@andersjjensen]

Two years later and this joke is still bad enough to be actually funny. But I am obliged by internet rules to ask you: "Will you see yourself out?" :P

[@NoTimeForThatNow]

@@andersjjensen as a dad, it is one of my favorites. That and getting in the car, putting it in reverse and saying wistfully “ahh… this takes me back…”

[@Arthurzeiro]

Tomorrow is always sooner for those who stay till the very end of each video.

[@AThreeDogNight]

That is if you look up to score, again. Thank you Ian.

[@Hermenie]

But, how soon is now?

[@JoyStickFanatic]

@@Hermenie when will then be now?

[@proteus2103]

I think what everyone is trying to say is good shooting, Ian. Especially right handed.

[@G_v._Losinj2_ImportantPlaylist]

failing to cycle takes away from your aim? i’m less inclined to worry about the grips. the mp3s had a group directly center just above one another, the lesser pistol had much wider groups and was off center with the first test being the him at his best

[@NameNotFound501]

Watching this beforehand makes me feel like the smart kid in the class who gets to finish the test before everyone else. Good times back when i was actually smart

[@candidmoe8741]

I used to be somebody But now I am somebody else

[@idontwanttoputmyname403]

I remember those days.

[@slowpokebr549]

Damn it Ian, you keep getting empty cases in my coffee cup. Those empties look like a 3D movie coming at the screen.

[@knutdergroe9757]

Humility is how your Soul grows, Ian. Much, impressed. A rare trait, in the firearm world.

[@packratnz]

I bought a B76 in 1982 when I was working as a gunsmith in LA. As I recall they were $218 brand new.

[@PetrHosek]

Regarding the malfunctions of the MP3S, I think the reason is obvious. With the inertia locking, the gun is basically powered by limpwristing, so the two handed grip was probably too rigid, not allowing enough recoil to power the system, similarly, neither of the two guns would function in a rigid vice. The B76, being a service pistol, is probably tuned for two handed grip, while the MP3S is probably fine tuned for one handed grip to give just enough energy to cycle it.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Or, since the grip was made for right hand, he was simply inadvertently hitting the slide-release.

[@user-oh2kt8lf6g]

My thought exactly.

[@robert8984]

"We will take it to the range tomorrow..." Is code for "wait until the video ends and click the link".

[@minhcanhtran9155]

Hi Ian, about why the the MP3S is malfunction while the shot 2 handed, I believe that it was because of the gun is heavier and you held it too firm with 2 hand. The inertia operation depends on the initial recoil of the hold to be high enough so that when your hand hold the frame back, the slide have enough energy to fully cycle back.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Had it been an Inertia failure, he would have had a failure to eject, but the ejection was very strong and consistent. Probably, due to the right-handed grips, he inadvertently hit the slide-stop lever during the recoil, infact the gun didn't fail to feed (like in the round hitting the ramp and being stuck there), but simply held open.

[@veryberrykeri]

it took so much self control to watch this video on the correct day, i can never get enough of these! thanks so much for all that you do!

[@worldtraveler930]

Thanks for the link in the preceding video!

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

I remember reading about these in shooting magazines 30+ years ago, they were crazy expensive IIRC.

[@jeffreyharville1918]

with a guess, and from what I can remember from reading about firearm training from 50 to 70 years ago, a pistol was considered a close-in defense weapon, and not particularly for accuracy at longer ranges. The training was done at 30 feet for distance and one handed, meaning you should be able to put a complete magazine in a 4 inch circle at 30 feet as fast as you can pull the trigger, using only one hand. The use of two hands on a pistol is a relatively new concept for combat. (Although it has been taught for many decades.) A pistol was designed for ONE handed use, to be used on a horse, or when your main weapon is unloaded, or if your spare hand is busy or injured. But, I have been wrong before, so, you must make your own assumptions.

[@Omnihil777]

Very nice. Both. Ballistic eject angle. So many memories when I see you shooting that one-handed.

[@Getoffmycloud53]

Extra points for keeping your arm up between shots.

[@orangealien4014]

I really enjoy your videos, not many people would admit it might be them and not the gun.

[@Celebmacil]

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future

[@mikebazor4466]

Mr. miller I presume?

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

Flyyyy like an eagle let the spirits carry meeeee!

[@thatguynameddan2136]

Well, since its already tomorrow, i guess i dont have to go to work now. Thanks Gun Jesus!

[@jwc00789]

Congratulations on the Pawn Shop Score! A very interesting handgun! Almost bought one years ago, when they were new.

[@Breakfast_and_Bullets]

I made an audible pain response sound when you said "in a pawn shop for a couple hundred bucks." That is a ridiculously good price for that gun.

[@kendrosstragopulos3642]

I guess it was a small error in setting up the queue. Edit: Maybe it was a gift fron GunJesus and not an error.....mysterious be thy ways, me thinks?

[@1804unclesam]

Apparently gun Jesus also works in mysterious ways

[@zacht9447]

I mean it happens every time he does a shooting video next day

[@johndilday1846]

Back in the 80's, I wanted one of the B76 pistols, but they disappeared from the market before I could find one. Good catch, Ian.

[@Douglas-Ops]

Great comparison, always love to see these unique guns run. And as a left hand shooter all the sweeter, I understand the struggle, lol. Thanks for posting 👍🏼

[@countzero5150]

One of the 76's showed up in a local gun store a few months ago. I didn't know what it was, just that it looked weird and it was a Benelli pistol. Kind of wish I'd bought it. It was in pretty nice condition.

[@Mrgunsngear]

very cool

[@charlesadams1721]

As a target handgun, I remember most bullseye target pistols were very sensitive to ammo. They didn’t like odd loads, there was no aluminum cased ammunition back in the ‘80’s, I thought bullseye pistols all shot wadcutter loads, the loads were all minimally loaded, and standard procedure was to shoot one-handed alloying the gun to recoil quite freely.

[@nerfensaege11]

See the videos of tomorrow , today!

[@lwrii1912]

MP3S single action only? Looked to me like it was mostly double action. Pull trigger, one action, pull slide second action. Just joking, I agree, ammo can have a great difference between platforms. Either way, cool firearms.

[@DAKOTA56777]

That makes it even more single action, like ye olden revolvers. Firing and cocking as two seperate user actions. :p

[@StromBugSlayer]

I don't think it was the ammo.

[@ewokuk]

Inertially operated firearms need to be allowed to recoil the right amount, or the action won't work properly. When used in 'target stance', the gun operated properly, so I suggest that a two handed grip didn't allow it to recoil sufficiently.

[@vadenummela9353]

Which is going faster? The bullet or the casing? Those suckers are getting like 2m-3m of air right there!

[@jasonb4350]

I think you were causing the malfunction by riding the slide stop.

[@LionofCaliban]

Dare I ask Ian, but what do you general shoot in competitions? You might be more used to the feel, basic pistol profile of the B76, better able to read it, feel it in the hand. It doesn't have the extra stuff to it, grip, that the MP3S has. That grip might make the pistol feel better in the hand, it might also disguise some of the feedback you're used to. It's an idea, at least.

[@alexmoore1506]

There Be Game well it depends on the competition but he definitely doesn’t run anything like the target pistol here. If you haven’t seen it already look up InRangeTV

[@LionofCaliban]

@@alexmoore1506 Hence the question. I'm a sword guy, there's swords I can fight very well with and others I can't get a good read, feel on. Can't feel the blade on blade contact that precisely. I fight better with the swords I know better. I wonder if the same is true of pistols, as I'm not much a shooter.

[@alexmoore1506]

There Be Game oh definitely

[@KarlEller]

He mostly runs service pistols like his Ballester-Molina, or a Glock if he's feeling fancy and modern. At least going off the InRange videos.

[@caffeinatedinsanity2324]

He also loves his roth-steyr for competition. Pretty gun

[@andrewp.1873]

Gun Jesus! Stop spoiling us, we are not worthy! Great shooting Ian and showing us these weapons that are uncommon. Nothing like a day on the range, but your videos entertain us in the mean time. Cheers!

[@kunicross]

I guess it's like with most high tech sports gear you're squeezing out the last couple of %improvements to get ahead of the competition but in the end the basic version is also about 90%-95% as good (which in a highly competitive sport are worlds apart but for everyone else is hardly noticeable)

[@halo7oo]

Thank you Ian

[@clawrence034]

This could be a great design to use with an optic. The optic could be mounted directly to the fixed barrel without a lot of issues. A redesigned slide with a slot milled in the top to allow a mounting plate for the optic to sit proud of the top of the gun. With some ergonomic fixed and a double stack magazine, you'd have a very modern gun.

[@mulletjocks]

Very honest and humble as always. Keep it up

[@Vampirization]

I really like the look on these guns. If I were to ever own a gun, one of these would be a first choice out of pure looks.

[@matthayward7889]

These really are gorgeous pistols, and the fact they work on firearms magic is just the icing on the cake

[@richardhunter9995]

I noticed that when you were shooting the MP3 left handed, you got a lot of vertical stringing but not a lot of horizontal dispersion. This leads me to believe that the Mp3 is the more accurate gun but the right hand grip was not allowing you to keep it aligned up and down.

[@dualsportrider3221]

Love the vid as always. I never felt bad for a lefty before watching ian. Over the years ian you have become a much much better shooter. Much more stable

[@Roger_Stenning]

My take on the MP3S group size being bigger than expected on the first run through would be that you were changing your grip ever so slightly each time you had to manually release the slide on the first go through; for the second try, you were using your off-hand, hence less accuracy. As regards the stoppages on the first run, I'm not at all sure the ammunition is at fault, given that the second run through resulted in no stoppages. As regards the group size in the second run through, my take is that it as caused by you using your off-hand, not your strong hand. When I shot competition small bore pistol over here (a LONG time ago, sadly), we paused after each round fired, resting the arm on a shooting table. This helped to prevent muscle fatigue in the shooting arm between shots, even on the strong hand. Keep the vids coming, they're truly excellent :)

[@ostiariusalpha]

You can't completely eliminate the ammo as the problem either, Blazer Brass *is* garbage after all.

[@neilprimrose8301]

Yes, more time between shots, but the pistol did perform better after I selected ammo that seem to suit the gun best.

[@JerryEricsson]

Cool guns, both. I used to sit and read Shotgun News from cover to cover in the 70's and 80's. I had an FFL back then, mostly so I could order what I wanted for myself, I did sell a few guns to fellow officers on the PD at cost plus shipping and in my last few years with the FFL attended some gun shows, mostly so I could trade with other dealers and come up with firearms that were not easy to find in Shotgun news. I always thought I should get one of the standard models but never made the move on them, there was always something else on my list that took priority, now I am sorry I never picked one up. I no longer attend shows and it's a 200 mile trip to the nearest pawn shop, the only local stocking gun shop in driving distance is in a neighboring state so I can't buy handguns there, and to tell the truth I never get out of my recliner and go out in the country to shoot anymore anyhow. Hell I have an unfired old model Taurus .22LR Revolver made to look like the Smith 22/32 kit gun in my closet that I have had for 3 years now and never fired, just don't have the energy any more to put down my laptop and hit for a range (100 mile trip) or the country to shoot. Getting old at 73 years I guess.

[@sirg.1223]

Is it tomorrow already?

[@yoya.]

It is!

[@1804unclesam]

Every time Ian says we’ll go shooting tomorrow, I stay to the very end so I can time travel.

[@MtnBadger]

A couple tips... More so for the viewers consideration but you may or may not be aware... (I'm betting you know.) Sorry for the length of the post but, remember, it took a lot more time to write than it will you to read it! LOL 1- Breath controI. I didn't notice a movement of your chest, at all (could have been camera angle, etc.). In other words, breath! Try taking a deep breath, release, then another but hold at half breath and, in the gap between heartbeats, fire. Take a big enough breath to make your chest heave. This will relax your body and still your heart, just for a beat but long enough to pull the trigger without the pistol (or rifle) being disturbed by the thump of your heart. Just as a weapon has a "lock time" (the time between the break of the trigger and the ignition of the primer), so does the human body. The time between the decision to pull the trigger and the time the finger executes the action, a LOT is happening in the body. Length of time for the thought to be sent to the finger, breathing, heartbeats, muscle contractions, etc. It may only SEEM like a miniscule amount of time but it adds up... It only takes a small disturbance in that split second of time, combined with the lock time of the weapon, to send a shot astray. The"flyers" marked on the target are the hard evidence. We don't think we did anything different but the holes in the target don't lie. :) If all this sounds like malarkey to anyone, just extend your hand out in front of you and watch/feel your hand waver, ever so slightly, as your heart beats. Then, try the "two breath method," letting out all of the first, then half of the second and see how still you can be for the one skipped beat of your heart. Also, the muscles are "quieter" when they are well oxygenated. Those with good cardiovascular health, a lower resting heart rate and good lung capacity (swimmers, runners, etc. have a natural edge at this) can actually "train" themselves to skip two beats. That's a LONG time to be still for a trigger pull. Military snipers train hard for just that reason. A lower resting heart rate. Getting in great physical shape is a nice side effect *grin* but a still heart makes for a great sniper. Anyway, I'm jealous and thankful of you for all the great reviews. Many of the weapons you show I got to play with as a munitions and weapons specialist. All the rest are on my ever growing "wish list." LOL. THANKS! 2- The military made us learn to shoot w/both left and right hands, hand and long guns. When shooting opposite handed of your dominate hand, simply tilt your head sufficiently to use your dominant eye. It works well, just takes practice.

[@Psiberzerker]

I think the right handed grip might have tripped you up. Hand weld is so important for pistol target shooting. Maybe you could have gotten Carl (Not Russel, same problem) to give them a go?

[@Jesses001]

A couple hundred bucks? Yes! I would take that deal on the spot. I mean even just as a handgun, not collectible, it is an 8 shot, good quality 9mm.

[@tristanholland6445]

Ian has the coolest style; his own. Nothing like originality. I am wearing German Army pants and a Carhartt hoodie right now myself

[@DullahanBrewing]

This video only went up like 15mins ago yet most of the comments are a day old what sort of sorcery is this from Gun Jesus. Keep up the good work Ian. Cheers.

[@DullahanBrewing]

@@julian23561 Didn't think of that. I always assumed the videos or specials went up ahead of time but on patreon for the supporters and KZbin was a whole separate upload for us great unwashed. Thanks though the confusion was driving my OCD nuts. Cheers.

[@gammerlaan]

Hi Ian. Did you use match grade ammo for the MP3S? Chances are it is more or less mandatory to do so with this competition gun, for a multitude of reasons. Accuracy may also improve further then.. ;-)

[@Eulemunin]

I am impressed by your thoroughness.

[@jmcr71795]

I love the tech on that! For the price you got it for, I would love one of those!

[@44WarmocK77]

The issue with cycling reminds me of "JamesBond 007:The man with the golden gun", where Bond complains about a custom rifle (for someone who lost two fingers) being two centimeters off, and Lazar (the gunsmith) just stated "you have five fingers - the weapon's been reblanced for only three". Makes me wonder if the intertia system has been tailored on the S-version to be explicitely used with only one hand, as it's mandatory in a competition.

[@matthewhelton1725]

Wadcutters, Ian. Gotta shoot .32 S&W Long Wadcutter.... Fiocchi or Lapua/Norma. Regular .32 S&W Long is a bit long to feed properly. From a rest, my MP3-S will shoot 1" C-T-C at 25 Meters...

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you ,Ian .

[@kenhelmers2603]

Very cool to see both of those being fired. Thanks Ian :)

[@darink300zx]

Well you’ve helped me make up my mind on which one to get. Thanks. Great video.

[@deweerdtlander]

I bought a Benelli MP3S 32S&W Long from a friend as my first weapon. I didn't know it was such a special handgun 😅 if you are interested in purchasing it, let me know

[@theCANaDiAN1987]

Cool. I think your malfunctions may have been caused by you touching the slide stop with your improvised grip, seeing as how the gun worked fine one handed.

[@andrewjacobson243]

Slow mo vid of the inertia system would have been awesome. Now the jams on two hand were caused by the extra support of the two hand grip not allowing the pistol to recoil enough

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Had it been an Inertia failure, he would have had a failure to eject, but the ejection was very strong and consistent. Probably, due to the right-handed grips, he inadvertently hit the slide-stop lever during the recoil, infact the gun didn't fail to feed (like in the round hitting the ramp and being stuck there), but simply held open.

[@Reckec]

I wanted so bad to reach out and catch the empty cases on the B76. Then we get that one little flyer on the MP3S. Little bastard. Lol... Great video as usual. Thank you.

[@Ruhrpottpatriot]

2 gun match with the B76 and an Super 90 when?

[@KungFuHonky]

You could probably avoid malfunctions if you used steel cased ammo since likely the brass/aluminum cases are soft enough to press into the flutes and resist floating out of the chamber. ..Of course then your accuracy may be a little diminished. ..Or you could just lube the cases.

[@WanlaceYates]

I am not surprised by the relative similarity of group performance. European manufacturers of that era made a number of ‘target’ models based off of standard service pistol models that added premium sights, triggers and often grips too. The P9S had such a variant as did the Browning High Power, among others. I am not sure if the focus was CISM, some domestic European match format, or just hedging import factors for US exports. Either way, I do not recall any of them being in the same league as dedicated UIT or NRA bullseye guns, and you never saw them on US match firing lines even in the few instances where they could compete on price. Great fodder for Forgotten Weapons though.

[@petesheppard1709]

It could well be that the lackluster performance with the MP3S was due to arm fatigue--firing from a rest might have been enlightening. Presuming you were shooting 115gr, I wonder if the MP3 would have liked 124 gr better.

[@afella1129]

must be nice to have such a nice day. we are in full bore mud season where im at.

[@anubis432]

Ian has better groups at 50 feet than I do at 25 feet. Even when he was shooting one handed.

[@johnharvey5412]

5:00 "That little guy? I wouldn't worry about that little guy."

[@th3v3n1n3]

two handed you were pushing on the safety/fullback slide stop causing malfunction.

[@tenhundredkills]

Thank you Ian for unlocking the secret to time travel!

[@floydikus]

I always feel so bad watching tomorrows vid today, like eating candy on a week day

[@magoid]

At 4:21, that is pure meme material.

[@Sn4k3f1st]

freshly baked

[@thespankdmonkey]

Benelli made such a quality service pistol it matches an uber expensive match version? Ever heard of this from other manufacturers? Sometimes the service pistol is all that is required to perform the task at hand.

[@jerryjohnsonii4181]

Great shooting Ian

[@endutubecensorship]

Hello Ian! Can we have a video on the Bernardelli P-One?

[@bumpercoach]

better to shoot from a rest for comparison unless a trained competition target shooter... also to alternate guns/targets every 3-5 shots so the warmed-up/fatigue effect is minimized

[@carljansevanrensburg2440]

It was the longest 24 hours ever waiting for this video.

[@pmp1337]

You should disassemble the MP3S and take measurements of the trigger components so you can commission a trigger pack for the B76.

[@LeArquebus]

The one time you needed Karl :)

[@onpsxmember]

The amount of unbelievable awesome guns you haven't shown yet hides in the bullseye target world. I'll bet you'll drop your jaw if you find any perfectly adjustable lefty grip and shoot at 50m, 100m or even further. Walther, Pardini, Feinwerkbau...

[@oneleggyboi]

hey ian have you ever started doing something with your right hand long enough to where youre able to use it almost on par with your left? i’ve always been left handed and never really cared to try it the other way around but now ive been messing around with writing and a bunch of random stuff with my right hand and surprisingly my right hand gets the hang of things very quick especially writing. apparently most lefties are also ambidextrous so maybe give it a try more often

[@unidentifiedbiomass4106]

It would have been neat to try supported.

[@erikwolf6654]

I love my b76. It is very picky with ammo though. Looking at the comments I might be holding the pistol a little bit tight? I’ll have to head to the range and test out that theory

[@Thedemonologists]

When was the MP3S available? 1970's or near the end of production?

[@cornkobmansanto17]

I wonder if the weird grip made you engage slide stop. I basically cannot get my 365xl to lock on last round because of opposite reason.

[@CrysResan]

That's some energetic ejection. Also a bit of an odd report.

[@glockerbob]

Bet your finger was hitting slide stop on the right handed grip gun when you were shooting left handed with two hands.

[@rosscollingwood5189]

Very interesting results but I wonder - in order to keep things as uniform as possible, did you consider at all swapping the fancy right hand only target grips on the MP3S for the standard, ambidextrous grips of the B76, or is that not possible?

[@waynedaley7048]

Good shooting Ian 🏆

[@alexv6324]

Ahh when tomorrow comes early. I hope we get another video!

[@G_v._Losinj2_ImportantPlaylist]

failing to cycle takes away from your aim? i’m less inclined to worry about the grips. the mp3s had a group directly center just above one another, the lesser pistol had much wider groups and was off center with the first test being the him at his best

[@nicksalva2912]

Some semi-auto pistols are grip sensitive, and will not feed properly. Between ammo and gripe, I have heard of it and seen it happen. One shooter no problem another feed failures.

[@prpunk187]

Hahaha with the close caption on when you shoot sometimes it says applause hahaha

[@malcolmeunson5543]

Got to find the ammo that suits any particular firearm.... Rimfires are known for it, but goes for everything else

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

You can tell Ian is well chuffed with the competition one. The way he looks at it with manga eyes hahahah It does look well cool though so I'll let him off lol.