Benelli has never failed me I use to guide duck hunts and there is no telling how many thousands of rounds i have put through 2 of the original Benelli Super Black Eagles over about 25 years. Thousands of dead ducks and the only issue is a weak recoil spring in one gun but I used it the other day and it still cycled fine with some 3" loads and killed another limit. They are just about indestructible shotguns. I have thought about upgrading many times over the years to a newer version but always think that would just be a waste of my money there isn't a shotgun made that can do anything better than go bang every time you pull the trigger in every weather condition imaginable with anything you feed it. I've shoved countless handwarmers in the action to de-thaw it, picked ice out of it with a screw driver, dropped one in the lake when the dog knocked it off the front deck of the boat, broke ice with the buttstock.. Been covered in mud, water and duck blood most their days. Both guns are good as new today believe it of not. Look great.
The last man on earth will be wielding either an AK-47 or a Benelli SBE maybe both.
Good post and I agree 100%. My SBE2 looks like it's been through the wringer, because it has. But it always shoots and holds the best pattern of any shotgun I've ever owned, and I've owned a ton of em.