Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades – Midwest Industries Parts

Looking for Beretta 1301 Tactical upgrades? Midwest Industries offers a stock, M-LOK handguard, and shell holder that improve ergonomics, durability, and modularity. I recently picked up a 1301, and though it’s an excellent shotgun, I realized a few changes were in order. While the factory furniture works, the polymer stock and hollow-feeling forend with aggressive texture can be uncomfortable without gloves. The addition of a few select components improves handling and performance for range, tactical drills, or defensive setups.

Beretta 1301 Tactical, before being upgraded.

Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades: Midwest Industries Stock

The Midwest Industries Beretta 1301 stock replaces the factory polymer unit with a 6061-T6 aluminum backbone, textured grip panels, and an adjustable polymer cheek piece for a more consistent optic sight picture. It’s ambidextrous, has QD sling sockets, and allows length-of-pull adjustments with spacers. The optional shell-holder plate adds an extra five rounds onboard.

Midwest Industries stock for the Beretta 1301 Tactical.

Stock Features and Benefits – Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades

Better ergonomics than factory polymer
Predictable cheek weld with optics
Improved recoil management
Multiple sling mounting options
Compatible with Midwest Industries shell-holder plate

Installation Notes:

My notes and photos are only intended to supplement the excellent stock installation instructions provided by Midwest Industries. Be sure your firearm is unloaded before starting. Check twice. As with most shotguns, two screws hold the recoil pad in place. Remove them, then remove the factory stock. Carefully install the adapter using the special screw supplied with the stock kit. Tighten to 40 in/lbs.

Attach the grip to the adapter with the provided hardware. These six screws should be tightened to 10 in/lbs.

At this point, you can slide the stock into the grip and attach it with the four supplied screws. They get snugged to 10 in/lbs as well. Last step is to install the grip panels, which only need a gentle amount of torque.

Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades: M-LOK Handguard

Overview:

The Midwest Industries Beretta 1301 aluminum M-LOK handguard is a big upgrade from the stock polymer forend. At 12.2 oz, it’s lightweight, fully dehorned, and provides modular mounting options for lights, QD slings, or grips. All those M-LOK slots make it easy to find the perfect location for whatever accessories you need to mount. And it fits both Mod 1 and Mod 2 1301 Tactical shotguns.

Midwest Industries M-LOK handguard for the Beretta 1301 Tactical.

Handguard Features and Benefits – Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades

True M-LOK modularity
More durable than hollow polymer
Improved grip and ergonomics
Better heat resistance during range use
Ideal platform for lights, slings, and accessories

Installation Notes:

Again, Midwest Industries supplies great instructions for installing their Beretta 1301 Tactical handguard. Uninstall the factory 1301 handguard by removing the barrel clamp and nut that’s on top of the magazine tube. Then pull out the front tension collar by sliding the O-ring to the rear and removing it. Insert the tension collar into the MI front ring, making sure the raised boss aligns with the slot, then reinstall the O-ring.

Fit the front ring into the MI handguard with the tension post facing forward. Degrease the screws, apply Vibra-Tite, and torque them evenly to 30 in-lbs. Finally, install the MI handguard onto the shotgun. Note that Midwest Industries offers a spare O-ring for $1.99 – save yourself some stress and include that with your order, just in case.

Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades: Shell Holder Plate

Overview:

This anodized aluminum plate with polymer carrier holds five 12-gauge shells directly on your MI stock. It’s lightweight (~3.8 oz) and keeps reloads fast without adding bulk.

Midwest Industries M-LOK shell holder for the Beretta 1301 Tactical.

Shell Holder Features and Benefits – Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades

Immediate access to five spare shells
Faster reloads during drills or defense
Minimal footprint, snag-free
Reliable retention
Lightweight and unobtrusive

Installation Notes

As this attaches via M-LOK to the stock, there’s no need to go into detail on the installation.

Range Time After Installation

Handling & Ergonomics – Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades

I’ve got big hands, and the width of the handguard is ideal for me. It’s not super wide, but no one is going to refer to it as “slim” either. There’s plenty of traction available, too. I also found the grip on the stock to be very ergonomic, though I will probably upgrade the grip inserts with the G10 versions. The adjustable cheek piece ensures a perfect cheek weld with the irons. In the future, I’ll be adding an optic that will co-witness with the factory sights, so that alignment is critical.

Recoil & Control

The big surprise was the Midwest Industries butt pad. Recoil has been a mixed bag – the 1301 weighs less than a similar pump action, but the gas system mitigates recoil a bit. Well, that butt pad softens 00 buckshot to the point where my wallet may give up before my shoulder does. I can shoot a lot more before my shoulder gets tender. Grip and technique play a role in felt recoil, but the butt pad makes a noticeable difference. Overall, shooting my 1301 is a much better experience with these upgrades.

Heat & Comfort – Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades

If there’s a downside, it’s that being able to shoot more means a hotter barrel. So a heat shield has been added to my shopping list. I can work around it for now, but this underscores the give and take of a pump vs semi-auto. With the pump action, you’re probably shooting a bit slower, so less heat. You’re also working the pump, so your support hand isn’t likely to touch the barrel. A semi-auto can shoot faster, and your hand isn’t tied to the pump, which introduces the risk of burns if you’re not wearing gloves.

This also plays into my decision to defer adding a light to my shotgun right now. I need to install my heat shield first, so I can figure out the routing for a light switch, if necessary.

Beretta 1301 Tactical Upgrades: Final Thoughts

These Beretta 1301 Tactical upgrades from Midwest Industries improve ergonomics, durability, and modularity. Out of the box, it’s already an excellent shotgun. And while I’m not averse to polymer, I prefer the adjustability of the aluminum stock and the M-LOK options of the handguard. It fits me better, handles better, and the felt recoil is reduced. Note that they also offer the stock for the Remington 870, Mossberg 590, Benelli M4, as well as Marlin lever action rifles.

As always, I’d like to thank Midwest Industries for supplying their high-quality parts for my testing and evaluation.

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