Benelli Lupo, Benelli's first bolt-action rifle

On January 21, 2022, the SHOT Show 2020 took place in Las Vegas - one of the largest gun shows in the world, and definitely the most important for the American market. In fact, the exhibition opens the season of expositions and a parade of new products, which is why many large companies present their products in Las Vegas. One of these premieres was the new carbine from the Italian company Benelli. The new product is significant in many ways - it is the first bolt-action hunting rifle from the Italians, better known for their smoothbore guns. The Benelli Lupo (Lupo means “wolf” in Italian) is a classic bolt-action hunting rifle with manual reloading.

But, despite its traditional essence, the Italians were able to put it in a very modern form: the carbine is produced with an ergonomic plastic stock. The external appearance of the weapon has distinct features; the new product looks stylish and recognizable. At the same time, the stock is also very functional - according to tradition, the Italians used as many as 7 patented technologies in it, designed to ensure high accuracy, ergonomics and customization of all parameters for a specific shooter.

Design features and technical specifications of Benelli Lupo

So far, Benelli Lupo is available in three main calibers: 270 Win, 30-06 and 300 WinMag. However, on American forums, interested hunters are already actively demanding 308 caliber, so perhaps in the future the list of available calibers will expand.

The carbine is equipped with a longitudinally sliding bolt with three lugs. The lever lift angle is 600. The box-shaped double-row magazine is removable, but can be loaded without removing it from the carbine. In the basic American version, Lupo is produced without open sights. To install optics, a Picatinny rail is provided, but not a solid one, but two small rails, clearly under the base of the sight.

One of the main features of the design is the modular system. The carbine does not have a single stock; instead, there is a chassis made of aluminum alloy, onto which the stock and fore-end are already attached. Thanks to this system, the carabiner gives much more options for adjusting parameters. The butt is attached to the chassis through special attachments that allow you to adjust the length, inclination and retraction of the butt in accordance with the individual anthropometry of the weapon owner.

This system also allows you to easily reconfigure the rifle for right-handed/left-handed people and change the distance from the butt plate to the trigger. By the way, the trigger here is also unusual - it is located quite high - according to the designers, this ensures an anatomically correct grip in any position. The trigger force is adjustable, ranging from 0.99 to 1.99 kg.

The barrel is steel, free-floating, cold forged with 5/8×24 threads in the muzzle. The barrels are connected through a special coupling to a steel receiver installed in an aluminum chassis. In calibers 30-06 Spr. and 270 Win. The barrel length will be 560 mm, in caliber 300 WM - 610 mm. The overall length of the rifle is 113 or 118 cm, with a weight of 3.17 or 3.22 kilograms, respectively.

Benelli Lupo: new bolt-on carbine

PHOTO PIXABAY
Of course, there were completely new and, one might say, innovative solutions, but more on them a little later.

Such steps are known for both new breakthroughs and epic failures.

So what is the new Benelli Lupo?

First of all, the new Benelli Lupo bolt-action carbine presented at the exhibition in Russia will be called Benelli Wild.

The name has been changed because the word “wolf” in this transcription does not sound very good, and “wild” does not raise any questions even in the transcription.

Such name changes are not uncommon when developing new markets; just remember the Mitsubishi Pajero, which suddenly turned into Montero on the American market, so this is a fairly standard move.

But what do the Italians offer? And they offer an advanced innovative product. The rifle has many original and interesting solutions, some of them have been tested and have taken root on shotguns, others are completely new.

In the appearance of the new weapon, one can discern a classic design for Benelli and “Italians” in general: something swift, light, elegant and a little sharp. Thus, sharp and straight lines emphasize swiftness and speed.

The rifle has a classic shape for bolt guns, and at the same time it cannot be confused with any other: once you see it, you will remember it forever.

What are the immediately visible features? First of all, locking on three lugs. Of course, the real classic is two stops on the bolt, but three means not only reliability, but also unlocking with a bolt rotation of less than 60 degrees, which means quick reloading and the ability to shoot without lifting the butt from the shoulder.

As expected, the rifle has different bolt groups: long for calibers .30-06, .300 WM, .270 W and relatively short for calibers .308 W, .270 W, 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 W. It’s good that the company did not unify the rifle, but made the bolt groups in accordance with the length of the cartridge, and it is clear that this required additional costs, but in the end it was justified.

In total, they offer a good selection of the most popular calibers in Europe, and in Russia: .243 WIN, 6.5 CREED, .270 WIN, .308 WIN, .30-06 SPRG, .300 WIN MAG. In general, there is plenty to choose from.

Interestingly, Wild’s BE.ST coating is applied to the barrel, bolt box, fore-end nut and other parts and not only protects external surfaces from rust and scratches, but also protects moving parts of the internal mechanism from abrasive wear. Another feature: the Lupo rifle, which went on sale in the USA last year, is not coated at all.

The rifle stock is plastic, comfortable and ergonomic. Not everyone shares this opinion, but for me, she is also beautiful.

What's unusual? First of all, the barrel and box, which are placed in the stock by attaching the box to an aluminum tire. This is a good step because... no additional bedding is needed, and the quality of the placement is confirmed by the company’s guarantee that groups of three rifle shots will be less than one arc minute, and this is a group size of 29 mm at a distance of 100 meters.

It is also unusual that the butt of the weapon is separated from the rifle itself and can have a different geometry. The kit includes four spacers, by installing which you can get 36 options for the stock's bending and retraction.

Spacers installed between the stock neck and the receiver also allow you to change the distance to the trigger (+1 mm).

Of course, this is a bold and interesting solution that allows you to adjust the weapon not only to any anthropometric data of the shooter, but also to a left-handed shooter. Although there is no provision for moving the shutter handle to the left side. The designers set themselves the goal of making the recoil of the weapon as comfortable as possible.

On the one hand, they used the Progressive Comfort system, which minimizes the recoil impulse, and on the other hand, they used the Combtech system, which allows them to relieve the impact load on the cheek. Together, these systems also make rifle shooting safe, even when using sights with a short focal length.

A frequently asked question is the adjustment of the trigger. This rifle implements this in a rather original and convenient way. To access the adjustments, you need to remove the magazine, and that's it. Using a hexagon, you can adjust the trigger pull from 0.99 to 2 kg, as well as the free play of the trigger.

Having removed the magazine, we are surprised to discover that it is two-row, and not just two-row, but with an exit in two rows. Unfortunately, it has become a “good” tradition to develop weapons with single-row magazines, and if with double-row magazines, then with an outlet in one row.

This, of course, is very convenient for designers, but inconvenient for the user. Why? Firstly, a normal double-stack magazine is quick, simple and easy to load, and secondly, and more importantly, it can be loaded without removing it from the rifle, directly through the cartridge case extraction hole.

The likelihood of losing it is reduced to zero, and the fact that it is still detachable remains a pleasant addition. The fact that this is understood will be reflected in the enlarged window for ejecting the cartridge case, which allows you to equip a magazine that has not been removed, as well as load the rifle through this window one cartridge at a time, which is sometimes required for very accurate shooting.

If the bolt group is the heart of any rifle, then the barrel is the second heart, excuse the tautology. Both parts are equally important, which is why there is nothing better if they are combined into one. Benelli did not follow the now fashionable path of interchangeable barrels and rigidly, inseparably combined the barrel and the weapon box.

This, along with other features, made it possible to obtain a weapon with guaranteed high accuracy. The barrel of the rifle is suspended and has cryogenic treatment. In general, the company does cryogenic treatment for all its barrels, including shotguns, which has always raised the question: why does a shotgun need cryogenic treatment?

But Benelli believes that such barrels provide a more stable performance. Maybe. But there is no doubt that cryogenic treatment is useful for a rifled barrel: the steel of the barrel without internal stress clearly affects the achievement of good accuracy of the final product, and this can only be welcomed.

The box has a Picatinny rail; the rifle does not have open sights and is “sharpened” exclusively for optics. This rail, or rather, two separate rails, can be used to install any optical or night sights.

Separately, we should talk about the butt. It is detachable (a very unexpected moment!), which makes it possible to install, as described above, various spacers and get almost any reasonable die and release of the stock.

The butt is attached to the light alloy tire with a long bolt; Most of all, this mount is similar to the mounts for stocks in shotguns. also unexpected and interesting. The butt itself has a time-tested recoil damping system built into it.

In addition, butts of different lengths can be installed on the butt, which makes it possible to adjust the butt within the range from 350 to 385 millimeters. Such a reserve will allow a hunter of any build to adjust the stock to himself.

Six Progressive Comfort recoil pad thicknesses and three Combtech comb heights provide even more options for perfect gun ergonomics. As standard, the delivery set includes a low comb and a 350 mm thick butt plate.

What can we say in conclusion? The rifle is interesting; I am pleased with the accuracy guarantee: for three shots with a factory cartridge no more than one minute of arc. This is a very bold statement.

The system is completely modular, everything that is of fundamental importance can be adjusted and tailored to the shooter, and in essence each hunter receives an individual stock.

Today on the market of rifled bolt guns there are not many rifles with guaranteed good accuracy and a price of about 200 thousand rubles, and there are none from famous brands, which is why the new rifle is of certain interest to hunters and shooters.

Unfortunately, it is still difficult to obtain more detailed information about the rifle; it has just been imported and certified in Russia, its official presentation will take place in the near future. We hope that in the future we will be able to talk about our impressions of shooting with this weapon.

Sergey Smolnin July 1, 2022 at 15:10

Benelli Lupo, Benelli's first bolt-action rifle

With its first bolt-action rifle, Benelli goes its own way and surprises Lupo with many innovative solutions in details At the SHOT Show 2022, the Italian manufacturer Benelli, world famous for its shotguns, came up with a big surprise. Because with the Lupo, Benelli took a step into the world of bolt action rifles. And the Lupo is an innovative rifle whose seven Benelli patents combine to make it a concentrate of technology and precision.

Benelli in Italy is synonymous with the 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun with its Montefeltro series of models. Then came the Argo, and Benelli also became synonymous with semi-automatic hunting rifles. But this was not enough, the 828U over-and-under shotgun appeared, which changed the concept of the double-barreled shotgun and achieved incredible success. This would satisfy some manufacturers, but resting on their laurels is obviously not part of the Benelli mentality. That's why Benelli introduced the Lupo (Italian for "wolf") bolt-action rifle at the 2022 SHOT Show.

Available in three calibers for the US market, Benelli has added new calibers for 2022, giving customers a choice of .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and .300 Winchester Magnum. The two versions of Lupo for the US and European markets are significantly different. We've included these features in our news, so you can read here about what you'll see live at your dealer in Europe. Here's what we can say: the new Lupo Benelli 2022 is a delightfully innovative firearm. Here are the details about the EU version.

Featuring a perfect fit, Combtech stock comb and Progressive Comfort recoil damping, the Benelli Lupo can be adjusted in many ways to suit any hunter

What technical innovations and patents went into Benelli's first bolt-action rifle, the "Lupo"?

Even at first glance, the Benelli Lupo differs from many other hunting rifles. It primarily features a chassis-style design and a fully modular polymer stock that allows the user to customize every detail. Thanks to a set of shims and spacers (neutral, right or left) called "Perfect Tuning". With a total of 36 settings, 36 stock parameters can be adjusted. The Combtech replacement stock comb is available in three sizes. The rifle features an integrated Progressive Comfort recoil reduction system, already known from autoloading shotguns and 828U over/under shotguns, but it had to be redesigned for the Benelli Lupo and is significantly different from the shotgun systems. This gives the rifle an extremely pleasant and smooth shooting experience. The length of the stock can be easily adjusted from 350 mm to 385 mm using spacers and two different butt pads. The stock grip surfaces feature a patented AirTouch coating for a comfortable, soft grip. The swivels are integrated into the butt.

The Benelli Lupo's free-floating barrel is fixed to a hardened steel barrel extension attached to a steel block in an alloy receiver. The Crio Benelli Lupo's barrel is made from cold-forged steel, giving it sub-MOA accuracy. Benelli offers three barrel lengths for the Lupo: 51 cm (6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield), 56 cm (.243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, 308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield) and 61 cm (6.5 Creedmoor and .300 Winchester Magnum).

The Lupo Crio's barrel, steel slide and bolt, including locking lugs, have been reinforced with a durable BE.ST coated construction. Benelli is so confident in this surface treatment that the manufacturer offers a 25-year warranty on it.

The steel movement features an extremely functional and modern design with a coating called BE.ST (DLC “Diamond Like Carbon” coating, also developed by Benelli). The three-lug locking system is also protected by a BE.ST coating. The robust steel construction with 60° bolt rotation allows for quick and smooth follow-up shots from the Benelli Lupo.

The two-piece Picatinny rail sits in front of and behind the ejection port, reducing weight and allowing the magazine to be top-loaded. Thanks to the spacer and a very soft lift spring, the patented double-stack box magazine can be loaded as easily as a single-stack magazine without ever having to remove it from the rifle. The top fuse is double-sided. The magazine holds five rounds (four inches of .300 Winchester Magnum). Depending on the caliber and length of the barrel, the weight varies from 3130 g to 3230 g. In Germany, the recommended retail price is 1798 euros. Benelli offers a 10-year warranty on the rifle and a 25-year warranty on the BE.ST coating. (Sold exclusively through specialist dealers).

The Benelli Lupo not only impresses technically, but also with its clear and slim design

Benelli Lupo specifications and price:

• Model: Benelli Lupo
• Price: 1798 euros (may vary depending on VAT)
• Type: Bolt Action Rifle
• Calibers: .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and .300 Winchester Magnum
• Barrel length: 51, 56 or 61 cm
• Magazine capacity: 5 rounds (4 rounds .300 WinMag), double stack
• Stock: Polymer, fully adjustable
• Weight: about 3200 grams

Benelli

The Benelli Armi joint stock company was created in 1967 by the Benelli brothers, who by that time already owned the famous motorcycle manufacturing company in Pesaro. The brothers came up with the idea to apply their experience in the field of precision mechanics to the manufacture of hunting rifles back in 1940. Being passionate hunters, they believed that the further development of hunting weapons would follow the path of self-loading rifles, but under the pressure of various circumstances they postponed the implementation of these plans. The decisive impetus for the implementation of their plans was given by a meeting with the inventor from Bologna Bruno Civolani, who proposed a revolutionary automation system based on the use of mass inertia. The moving system of the new gun consisted of almost one bolt, while possessing the fastest reloading cycle in the world - five shots in less than a second. Having created the production of self-loading shotguns in Urbino, the Benelli brothers equipped it with the most advanced equipment with the highest possible level of automation. The company's management adheres to this initially laid down concept to this day, giving primary importance to the development of new technologies and the development of new design solutions. This approach had a beneficial effect on commercial performance: Benelli within a short time became the world leader in the semi-automatic shotgun segment. New prospects opened up for the company in 1983, when it became part of the Beretta holding. Constant modernization of production, development of new technologies, search for original design solutions, use of modern materials, high precision machining and unique design - these are the main components of success. Benelli products are self-loading hunting rifles, characterized by high quality workmanship, extensive use of modern technologies and materials, outstanding reliability and sophisticated style. And it is no coincidence that many hunters around the world dream of a Benelli gun. Thanks to advanced production organization and the application of the most stringent quality standards, these guns have excellent shooting performance and excellent consumer properties. Decisive in achieving commercial success was the increased attention of management to equipping the enterprise with modern high-precision equipment, automated management and quality control tools, as well as large investments in R&D. A program of continuous training for employees at all levels contributes to the technical improvement of products and the improvement of the quality of service. The creation of new guns begins in the design office, where automated computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software and hardware systems are widely used. This equipment makes it possible not only to carry out complex engineering calculations, but also to create digital models that reproduce the operation of future full-scale samples with a high degree of reliability. This approach allows you to completely prevent all design flaws and create an almost perfect mechanism. The embodiment of guns created in this way into metal takes place on high-precision, fully automated processing centers, the quality of which is absolutely independent of the human factor. As a result, the consumer receives the best semi-automatic shotguns in the world.