Benelli Raffaello

About the Benelli Raffaello

The Benelli Raffaello is an Italian semi-automatic shotgun built on Benelli's patented inertia-driven operating system. Introduced in 1987 as a premium sporting and hunting gun, it combines the classic lines of the earlier Model 121 with a refined, low-maintenance action that cycles on the inertia generated by recoil rather than gas or moving barrel. Later variants adopted the cryogenically treated Crio barrel for tighter patterns and the ComforTech recoil-absorbing stock to reduce felt recoil and muzzle climb. Chambered for 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shells, it is a favourite among upland and waterfowl hunters and clay shooters.

The Raffaello name is part of Benelli's tradition of naming high-end sporting shotguns after Italian Renaissance masters, here after the painter Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael). Its inertia-driven action traces back to Bruno Civolani's 1967 patent, the mechanism that came to define modern Benelli semi-autos.

Benelli Raffaello specifications

The base Raffaello fires standard 2 3/4 inch (70 mm) loads and, unlike the Nova and SuperNova pump guns, is not rated for 3 inch magnum cartridges; magnum-capable comfort variants exist. Barrels are offered from roughly 18.5 to 28 inches and the gun ships with a multi-choke set (C, IC, M, IM, F).