Italian Drone-Killer: New Benelli M4 Anti-Drone Version
The new product in all its glory
Italian proizvoditel weapons Beretta Defense Technologies has unveiled the Benelli M4 AI Drone Guardian shotgun, which is designed specifically to combat drones and is claimed to be unique in its kind.
Well, let's start, as they say, from the beginning. Why did Beretta present the Benelli shotgun? Well, it's all simple. Through simple manipulations with shares, etc., Benelli Armi SpA was bought by Beretta Defense Technologies back in 2000. In short, one Italian swallowed the other.
What kind of shotgun is this, anyway?
It is claimed that this is a breakthrough technology that will change the "rules of the game" in terms of combating drones. First of all, of course, we are talking about kamikaze drones with a first-person view (FPV). The gun is already actively being carried around various exhibitions and gun shows. The latest one is IDEX 2025, where Benelli also participated. Everywhere, unprecedented interest in the new product and success are declared. But there is no information about purchases yet.
A long-barreled version of the Italian specialized drone-killer at the exhibition in Abu Dhabi in 2025
At the same time, the shotgun is almost indistinguishable from the regular Benelli M4 Super 90 in appearance. Considering the number of different attachments for this gun on the Western market, you might not even realize that this is something new. It's just an M4 in a different attachment. The same 12 gauge, the same 12/76 chamber. The only thing that gives away the new product is the huge Drone Guardian engraving on the side of the receiver. That is, it's the same self-loading shotgun with automatics that operate from powder gases, with all the same controls, and, accordingly, ergonomics, as on the regular M4.
Benelli M4 Super 90 is already a classic. A reliable and simple self-loading shotgun that has become a real sales hit
And the most interesting thing... is that the barrel length is the same as the M4. And it is only 470 mm. Why only? Well, such barrels are considered "bullet". That is, a shotgun with such a barrel length is universal, like any shotgun, but there is no point in shooting anything other than a bullet or buckshot from it at a short distance. The sheaf of shot from such a barrel after a couple of dozen meters will be such that the same bird will calmly fly between the pellets. Actually, that is why long-barreled guns for hunting game or for clay pigeon shooting have become classic drone-killers. For example, the drone-killer MP-155, which is quite common among our fighters in the SVO zone, has a barrel length of at least 610 mm, and the most common MP-155 in 12 gauge for 12/76 ammunition are guns with a barrel length of 660 and 710 mm.
A still from a Benelli promo video. A soldier fires at an FPV drone from the back of a moving pickup truck. All the most spectacular drone-killing shots in the video were taken with the long-barreled version of the Benelli M4 AI Drone Guardian.
So what's the secret?
The manufacturer's representatives claim that it's all about the "advanced impact" system. Actually, this is the AI in the name of the gun itself. In essence, it's some kind of very tricky choke that allows the pellets to fly further in a sheaf even from such a short barrel. It is stated that the optimal range for firing at air targets is 50 meters and the maximum is up to 100 meters. However, apparently realizing that this may seem insufficient to many consumers, there is also a long-barreled version of the shotgun with a barrel length of 650 mm. In the manufacturer's promotional video, all the most spectacular long-range shots at drones with dummy RPG "carrots" are made from the long-barreled version of the new product.
Still from Benelli's promotional video.
Does the "Advanced Impact" system work as advertised? Only use will tell. Another question: how will buckshot and bullets get along with the innovative choke from Italian engineers? I think there are plenty of gun bloggers in the US who would be happy to shoot the new product and compare it with the regular M4. So all that remains is to wait for comparative tests from private enthusiasts.
One gets the complete impression that the marketers were the first to work here, and the engineers were brought in later. News The news that the Benelli M4 Super 90 is starting to be used in a specialized role as a drone fighter came with enviable regularity. The US Marine Corps began training to shoot down drones with their Benelli M1014, and the Belgians created special drone-hunting units with the Super 90 as part of the Air Force. The idea was obvious - a commercially successful shotgun, which is in service in many places, to attach a new role and functionality to it. When your fighters are already trained to handle a specific weapon model, logistics and infrastructure are tailored to it, but new tasks need to be solved, you give the exact same gun, but better, and the buyer does not need to change anything. The Italian manufacturer picked up the banner ... which was essentially thrust into its hands.
Belgian Air Force soldiers from the special counter-drone units during training, 2023. All are armed with Benelli M4 Super 90
A shotgun is a universal weapon, and this is what attracts operators. But attempts to create a shotgun for specific tasks have been made before. It is worth remembering the same Kalashnikov MP-155 for practical shooting with a fashionable body kit, camera and sight. Although in essence it was the same good old MP-155 ... only much more expensive. I would like to believe that here we see something different and Italian engineers managed to give their gun unique characteristics. But how it will be in reality, whether this is a new word in the fight against drones, said by Italian gunsmiths, or just a successful marketing move, only operation and combat use will show.
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