Benelli Supernova Upgrades and Accessories – Updated 2020

Benelli Supernova is one of the best shotguns for competition shooting. I will have separate post about advantages it gives to a competition shooter. This post is about Benelli Supernova upgrades and accessories.

I decided to get the longest 28″ barrel because my +7 extension is still longer than the barrel. Longer barrel enables you to hit the targets on longer distances.

Got one More Shotgun – Benelli Supernova

I’ve got one more shotgun – Benelli Supernova. This shotgun is very good and I really like it. I decided that I need second shotgun when it became obvious that I want to tune up Remington 870 for home defense, not for competitions.

Things which are good for competitions are not always good for home defense. For example, I love my short Remington 870 because it is easier to manuevre with it in close quarters but on competitions I need longer barrel for low recoil ammunition to be able to hit targets on a longer distances.

Vitaly Pedchenko with Benelli SuperNova

On the photo above you can see that I have chosen the longest SuperNova available which is really good for competition shooting.

But I still like pump-action shotguns more than semi-autos :) So lots of new posts about my home-defense Remington 870 are coming soon. Also, blog about Benelli SuperNova modifications and upgrades is coming soon too…

Benelli Supernova doesn’t have much things to upgrade but there are some important upgrades I want to tell you about.

Let’s start with magazine extension because this is the must have upgrade for any competition shooter.

Nordic Components Magazine Extension for Benelli Supernova

Nordic Components Magazine Extension for Benelli Supernova

Magazine extension enables you to have as many shotshells as you want. The minimum amount which you need to have is 9 shotshells in magazine tube. And remember to test your shotgun with slugs or buckshot because they are usually longer than birdshot rounds.

Why 9+1? Practical shooting rules allow you to have 9 rounds on the start in condition 2 (magazine loaded, chamber empty). And this would be stupid to have less shotshells than allowed. That means that you are making your life harder and will have to load additional rounds during the stage.

Another thing to consider is that you can load additional rounds immediately after the start signal. What does this means for you? Sometimes it is good idea to load 2 additional rounds immediately after the start signal, especially if you need to move to the first group of targets. If you have stage with 1st condition (shotgun loaded, 8 rounds in magazine, 1 in chamber) and have +7 magazine extension, you can laod 4 rounds after the signal if needed.

I chosen the longest +7 rounds magazine extension. Now I can have 12 rounds of birdshot in my magazine. Nordic Components magazine extension is the best you can find for Benelli Supernova. It is lighweight and reliable.

It will be difficult to operate shotgun with longer magazine tube at first. But the more you use it the better you feel it. I was hitting barricades at first but now I got used to the length of my shotgun and everything is ok.

I can remember 3 competitions when long (+7 rounds) magazine tube helped me to show better result. This is competitive advantage and you can use it.

Please note that I use birdshot with short hull, this enables me to load even more shotshells into a magazine.

Nordic Components Magazine Extension for Benelli Supernova	Get Nordic Magazine Extension for Benelli Supernova here: http://tinyurl.com/c43zkfd

Upgrading Benelli Supernova with HiViz Comp Sight

Benelli Supernova with HiViz Comp Sight

I don’t like factory sight of Benelli Supernova shotgun. It is not light gathering and it is too big. This sight will cover whole target if you are shooting slugs on long distances. That is why I strongly recommend upgrading it.

The best aftermarket sight I could find is HiViz Comp Sight for vent ribs. What is good about it? It is extremely easy to install it on Benelli Supernova and many other shotguns. Different screws are included, so you just need to unscrew the factory sight and use correct screw to install the HiViz Comp Sight.

It has steel not plastic base as some other aftermarket sights. That means that it will withstand hard use and will not brake even if you hit something (tested by me several times).

You will receive eight interchangeable light pipes, three red, four green and one white in different diameters. This is fantastic set for competition shooting. I don’t know the purpose of white light pipe but all others are very useful. Usually I use the smallest green light pipe. You can change them from stage to stage but the small green pipe is strongly recommended for slug stages.

Also, included are rotary carrying case to store light pipes and spring release key.

Highly recommended product which is used by many competition shooters.

Benelli Supernova Front Sight Upgrade (HiViz Compsight Installation)

HiViz Comp Sight for Benelli Supernova	Get Nordic Magazine Extension for Benelli Supernova here: http://tinyurl.com/anbhlcf

Nordic Components Magazine Extension Support Clamp

Nordic Components Magazine Extension Support Clamp

Nordic Components magazine extension support clamp is a must have if you use such long magazine extension as me. The longer the extension the easier it to brake it. That is why I strongly recommend getting this magazine extension clamp.

Nordic Components Magazine Extension Support Clamp will protect your magazine extensions when you accidentally hit it with something.

Magazine clamp is inexpensive and very useful upgrade for your competition shotgun.

Nordic Components Magazine Extension Support Clamp	Get Nordic Components Magazine Extension Support Clamp here: http://tinyurl.com/bc3cmb6

Benelli Supernova Buttpad Upgrade

Benelli Supernova comes with standard rubber buttpad which is good but there is better option. You can get gel pads with different length of pull. Also they are softer and work with recoil better.

Benelli Supernova Gel Pad 13.5 LOP

Benelli pads are expensive but they worth the price. There are versions designed specially for right hand and left hand shooters. I have chosen short 13.5 LOP pad because it is now easier to shoulder the shotgun.

One of the other upgrades I find extremely useful is Benelli gelp pad with 13.5 LOP. That makes shouldering faster and easier.

This gel pad is softer and designed specially for right hand shooters. There is version for left handed shooters available too.

This is very important upgrade because proper shouldering means a lot.

You can get gel pads of different sizes, there are longer pads available for shooters with longer hands.

Benelli Gel Pad with Short LOP (13.5)	Get Gel Pad with 13.5 LOP for Benelli Supernova here: http://tinyurl.com/a4gfkxc

Mesa Tactical Sidesaddle with Rail for Benelli Nova/Supernova

Mesa Tactical Sidesaddle with Rail for Benelli Nove/Supernova

The Mesa Tactical Sureshell Shotshell Carrier is a shotgun sidesaddle that is designed to fit onto a 12-gauge Benelli Nova/Supernova. This sidesaddle can hold up to 6 additional shells which will be conveniently accessible on the side of your receiver. That way, you can keep one hand on your weapon and use the other hand to pull a shell out from the sidesaddle and then load it into your weapon. The sidesaddle itself is made out of 6061-T6 Aircraft Aluminum, which is a high-quality lightweight metal that is extremely durable. The best part is that you won’t need a gunsmith to mount this sidesaddle onto your shotgun. As long as you have a Benelli Nova/Supernova shotgun, the Mesa Tactical Sureshell can easily mount onto the side of the receiver by following just a few simple steps. Directions on how to do this are included with the sidesaddle, in case you are new to mounting sidesaddles onto weapons.

Mesa Tactical: Sureshell Aluminum Ammo Carrier	Mesa Tactical Sureshell Aluminum Ammo Carrier on Brownells

Upgraded Follower for Benelli Nova / Supernova

Bought, installed and tested HFD2 Compression Follower. I really liked gold color but it is similar to color of shell, so bright colors are better for safety reasons.

This follower fits Benelli Nova, Nova Tactical & Super Nova in 12 Gauge. It is good alternative to Nordic Components followers. HFD2 Compression Follower has tail which prevents spring from binding and kinking.

Machined from 6061 T6 Aluminum which is lightweight and corrosion resistant.

Feeding is very smooth and much better than with plastic factory follower.

Upgraded Follower for Benelli Nova / Supernova

Upgraded Follower for Benelli Nova / Supernova

HFD2 Compression Follower for Benelli Nova/Supernova is inexpensive and very good uprade for your shotgun. Highly recommended. Makes feeding smoother.

My Thoughts About Benelli Supernova upgrades

As you can see, all upgrades are functional and have a lot of features. They are not for looks but for helping you to win the match. I have carefully selected them and they really work.

I have several other upgrades which I test now and I will make updated post with results. You can save time and upgrade your Benelli Supernova using my advices.

Good luck in competition shooting! I hope we will meet each other on some of the practical shooting competitions one day!

My Custom Painted Benelli Supernova Shotgun

As you know, my favorite home defense shotguns is Remington 870 but my favorite competition shotgun is Benelli Supernova.

I want to show my custom painted Benelli Supernova. My friend tried painting it using Gunkote and it was pretty difficult. Duracoat is recommended when painting Benelli shotguns.

Here are some photos:

Vitaly Pedchenko on Bavarian Shotgun Cup

and closer:

Custom Painted Benelli Supernova, Stock

Custom Painted Benelli Supernova, Forend

Custom Painted Benelli Supernova, Receiver

Custom Painted Benelli Supernova, Extension

Benelli Supernova – Additional Rear Sight for Slugs

Shooting slugs out of a shotgun is little difficult on long distances. Benelli Supernova has mid-bead which helps in this but I have better soltion.

Here is additional rear sights which is manufactured by gunsmith from Germany. It can be added to any shotgun with vented rib barrel. I have never seen better rear sight for vented rib barrel.

Here is how it looks when it arrives to you:

Benelli Supernova - Additional Rear Sight

You need to find gunsmith which installs it on your shotgun and also adds light gathering elements to sight:

Benelli Supernova - Additional Rear Sight Up

But the best thing is that you can fold it when you don’t need it. It is not needed on short distances or when shooting birdshot.

Benelli Supernova - Additional Rear Sight Folded

One of the best upgrades for Benelli shotguns or any other vented rib barrel shotguns.

The only factory alternative sights for vented rib barrels are made by Tru-Glo:

Tru-Glo Sights

You can get Tru-Glo sights on Brownells

Benelli Supernova Choke Problem (Defect)

My friend bought a brand new Benelli Supernova and found a choke with defect. One of the chokes had very strange looking edge.

Look at the pictures, it looks like the choke was sanded from one side:

Benelli Supernova Choke Problem (Defect)

Benelli Supernova Choke Problem (Defect)

Dealer replaced that choke with a new one. So be careful when buying a shotgun and check everything (including chokes) in a gun shop.

Benelli Supernova or Nova Must Have Repair Kit

We use Benelli Supernova shotguns in our club. That is very good shotgun for competitions. It is reliable and enables you to load it fast.

We have found out that hammer spring and hammer spring cap should be replaced after 5000-10000 of rounds due to light primer strikes. This problem was found on two shotguns.

Replaced Benelli Supernova Hammer Spring and Hammer Spring Cap

Advice: always store your Benelli Supernova shotgun with hammer down, this will prolong the life of the hammer spring and hammer spring cap.

Another parts which you MUST have are: extractor and ejector. You will need to replace them after about 10000-15000 rounds. Double feeds are also common problem after that number of shots. We haven’t found reliable solution for that problem yet but it may help replacing left and right shell latches.

Another my friend had Firing Pin Retaining Pin broken but I think it’s not a common problem.

So, here is the list of must have spare parts for Benelli Supernova or Nova:
1. Hammer Spring
2. Hammer Spring Cap (same for Nova and M4)
3. Ejector
4. Extractor
5. Hammer
6. Latches (change them when you start having double feeds)
7. Firing pin. (Read about slam fire discharge on Benelli Super Nova)
8. Bolt Latch

And one of the recent problems is broken hammer on Benelli Supernova, so I added it to the list.

One problem was broken firing pin, so added it to the list too.

But as you can see from the numbers of fired shells – Benelli Supernova is a pretty reliable shotgun.

Note: Hammer spring, hammer spring cap, ejector and extractor are the same for both Nova and SuperNova shotguns. M4 hammer spring cap is the same for Nova and Supernova.

Light Primer Strike on Benelli Supernova

I have already had article about Light Primer Strike on shotguns.

Here’s how it looks like:

Light Primer Strike on Shotgun

Benelli Supernova is a very reliable shotgun. I use it on shotgun competitions. Didn’t have any problems with it for a very long time.

I started having regular light primer strikes on my Benelli Supernova shotgun. The solution was easy and cheap: $3.99 Hammer Spring.

I will make a video explaining how to replace a hammer spring on Benelli Supernova soon.

Benelli Nova/Supernova Hammer Spring	You can get Benelli Nova/Supernova Hammer Spring on Brownells

Benelli Supernova Broken Bolt Latch

My friend from Poland told me that they bought several Benelli Supernova shotguns for their shooting club. Two new Benelli Supernova shotguns had the same problem after just few weeks of use – broken Bolt Latch.

Benelli Supernova Broken Bolt Latch

The same happened to another shooter which recently bought Benelli Supernova. So it looks like a manufacturing defect. If you bought the Benelli Supernova recently, test it thoroughly on the range and using dummy rounds at home. Dealer should help if you find this problem.

Benelli Supernova Firing Pin	Get Benelli Supernova Firing Pin on Brownells
Benelli Supernova Extractor	Get Benelli Supernova Extractor
Benelli Supernova Ejector	Get Benelli Supernova Ejector
Benelli Supernova Hammer Spring	Get Benelli Supernova Hammer Spring
M4 and Benelli Supernova Hammer Spring Cap	M4 and Benelli Supernova Hammer Spring Cap
Benelli Supernova Right Shell Latch	Benelli Supernova Right Shell Latch
Benelli Supernova Left Shell Latch	Benelli Supernova Left Shell Latch
Benelli Supernova Hammer	Get Benell Supernova Hammer on Brownells

How to Fix Benelli Supernova or Nova Double Feed Problem

One of the common problems of Benelli Supernova or Nova shotguns is double feed. When you have two rounds coming out of magazine tube simulatneously and blocking the action.

How to Fix Benelli Supernova or Nova Double Feed Problem

The easiest way to fix double feeds is to change right and left shell latches. Usually, this needs to be done each 5000-10 000 of rounds. The latches are inexpensive and should be in Benelli Supernova or Nova Must Have Repair Kit.

It is easy to change them if you know how to disassemble trigger group (I will record a video soon).

Broken Benelli Supernova Forend

Broken Benelli Supernova forend on training today. Piece of the forend stuck inside and shotgun was not functional.

Broken Forend, Benelli Supernova

Broken Forend, Benelli Supernova

It is too cheap not to have a spare one. Benelli Nova forend fits Benelli Supernova too. The price of the forend is just about $20.

Problem with Benelli Supernova – Broken Hammer

Offtopic today. I own Benelli Supernova shotgun. It was working good for a very long period of time. I’ve put about 15,000-20,000 rounds through it. The only problem I’ve had was a light primer strike on my Benelli Supernova. It was easy to fix.

This time I’ve broken hammer:

Problem with Benelli Supernova – Broken Hammer

Problem with Benelli Supernova – Broken Hammer

I was really surprised that it is possible to brake a hammer. But this problem is easy to fix, new hammer is just about $10.

Benelli Supernova Hammer	Get Benell Supernova Hammer on Brownells

Benelli Supernova Firing Pin Problem – Slamfire Discharge

This happened to one of the shooters on shotgun competition. Firing pin on his Benelli Supernova stuck in forward position and slamfire discharge occured when he pushed forend forward loading shell into a chamber.

The problem was in firing pin. It is little deformed (probably from dry-fire trainings). That caused it to stuck in forward position. It looks like the metal is too soft and easy to deform:

Benelli Supernova Firing Pin Problem

Benelli Supernova Firing Pin Problem

I recommend to check the firing pin of your Benelli Nova or Supernova regularly and replace it if you see any deformations.

Firing pin is the same for both Benelli Nova and Benelli Supernova.

Benelli Supernova Firing Pin	Get Benelli Supernova Firing Pin on Brownells

X-Ray Photos of the Benelli Supernova Receiver

I think it will be interesting for you to see what’s inside of the plastic receiver of the Benelli Supernova. Here are x-ray photos:

As you know, Benelly Supernova has a steel frame and polymer receiver. I was always curious to see what’s inside!

There are many holes in the metal frame of the polymer receiver. I think it’s made for polymer to stick better to the steel frame.

X-Ray Photos of the Benelli Supernova Receiver

X-Ray Photos of the Benelli Supernova Receiver

X-Ray Photos of the Benelli Supernova Receiver

Basic Tuning/Modification of Benelli Supernova Shotgun for Practical Shooting

My friend bought a new Benelli Supernova and asked me to help with basic tuning modification for practical shooting.

So, we started polishing action bars, it makes work of a shotgun smoother:

Benelli Supernova Action Bars Modification

Then you need to sand down the action bar lock to be able to load it using Load-Two or Load-Quad method. It still sticks out too much on the pic, the job is not finished yet:

Benelli Supernova Action Bar Lock Modification

The right side of the chamber has very sharp edge and when loading a shell it cuts into the side. So, you need to polish it slightly and very accurately to remove the sharp edge. Be careful and don’t overdo this:

Benelli Supernova Barrel Modification

You need to sand down the forend to be able to use load-two and load quad more comfortably. The job is not finished on the pic:

Benelli Supernova Forend Modification

Then you need to modify the trigger guard. It is made of plastic, so it will be easy:

Benelli Supernova Trigger Group Modification

You need to open it a little, and then make angle in the front to make it easier to insert shells. Also, you need to make it rounded for load-two/load-quad.

Unusual Malfunction on Pump Action Shotgun (Benelli Supernova)

Found one more interesting pic from recent training. This what can happen to a shotshell:

Unusual Malfunction on Pump Action Shotgun (Benelli Supernova)

Unusual Malfunction on Pump Action Shotgun (Benelli Supernova)

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If you use any other upgrades or have any thoughts or questions, please leave a comment.