Benelli chokes are confusing for one simple reason: the name on the packet is not always enough to identify the thread. Mobil, Crio, Crio Plus and Advanced Impact are different systems, while Benelli often calls the current Crio Plus pattern simply "Crio".
A choke can even start screwing into the wrong barrel and still be completely wrong. So this guide starts with the metal in your hand: the gauge, overall length, thread position and markings on the original tube. Then we can look at the model and age of the gun.
This is what we have learnt from Benelli manuals and catalogues, the major choke manufacturers, and dealing with the guns themselves. It covers the common UK guns as well as the awkward older and specialist exceptions.
The four systems:
Standard / Mobil
Short tube, threads at the muzzle end.
Original Crio
Long tube, but still threaded at the muzzle end.
Current Crio / Crio Plus
Long tube with the threads recessed down the tube.
Advanced Impact
The extra-long matched A.I. barrel and choke system.
What does a shotgun choke actually do?
A choke controls how quickly the shot pattern opens after it leaves the barrel. A more open choke normally gives a wider pattern. A tighter choke normally keeps more pellets together for longer.
It does not add power to the cartridge, make individual pellets hit harder or magically extend the safe range of a load. It only changes the pattern. That pattern is affected by the barrel, cartridge, pellet material, shot size, wad and choke together, which is why the only definitive test is a pattern plate.
Standard flush — 12 bore
Factory flush set for Standard-thread barrels such as the Nova, SuperNova and M4. See the genuine 12 bore Standard choke.
Crio flush — 12 bore
Factory flush set for the current recessed-thread Crio system. Compare the genuine 12 bore Crio flush choke.
Crio extended — black
Factory black extended Crio set offered in specialist forms. See the black 50mm extended Crio choke.
Crio extended — nickel
Factory nickel-plated extended Crio set covering the normal range. See the nickel 50mm extended Crio choke.
Crio extended — ported
Factory stainless ported Crio set for sporting use, from Skeet through Improved Modified.
Advanced Impact
Official Benelli internal and extended A.I. tubes. These are only for barrels marked Advanced Impact.
All six photographs are unchanged official Benelli imagery. The first five come from Shop Benelli factory choke listings; the Advanced Impact image comes from Benelli's official A.I. technical material. Benelli also shows these factory choke forms in its 2025 dealer workbook. Select any photograph to zoom it on this page.
Show the comparison table
| Benelli system | How to recognise it | General era | Typical guns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard / Mobilchoke | About 51-52mm long. Threads are at the muzzle end of the tube. | Late 1980s onward. Still current on some models. | M1, SBE I, Nova, SuperNova, M3, M4 and older Montefeltro or Legacy barrels. |
| Original Crio / Crio Sport | About 70mm long, but with the threads at the muzzle end. | Early to mid-2000s. Changeover was roughly 2006-08 depending on market and model. | Some early Sport II, SuperSport and Cordoba barrels. |
| Current Crio / Crio Plus | About 70mm long. Threads start roughly 19mm below the muzzle end, leaving a smooth band above them. | Mid-2000s onward. | M2, SBE II and III, Vinci family, later Montefeltro and sporting guns, ETHOS, 828U and many Raffaello models. |
| Advanced Impact / A.I. | A much longer tube for an A.I.-marked barrel. The 12 bore versions are 100mm internal or 120mm extended. | Introduced in 2023. | Only models explicitly marked A.I., including selected Raffaello, ETHOS, SBE3 and 828 variants. |
| Fixed or rare legacy | No removable tube, an external female-thread tube, or an unusual short collared tube. | Model dependent, especially pre-Mobil guns. | Some older SL80, 121 and 123 guns, early import barrels, slug barrels and tactical variants. |
Show the full choke-system guide
Crio is Benelli's name for its cryogenic barrel and choke treatment. It is also used in the names of choke systems. Those are related ideas, but they are not the same thing.
The current long tube with recessed threads is normally called Crio Plus by aftermarket choke makers. Benelli's own catalogues usually shorten that to Crio. There was also an earlier 70mm Crio tube with its threads at the muzzle end. It looks like a long Mobil tube, but it is a different system.
This is why a seller saying "it takes Crio chokes" is not quite enough. Ask for a photograph of the original tube beside a ruler and look at where the threads begin.
Benelli Standard is the familiar Mobilchoke pattern. A flush tube is about 51-52mm long and its threads sit at the muzzle end. It is shared by a number of Beretta and Benelli-family guns in the same gauge, which is why it is often described as Beretta/Benelli Mobil.
Typical Benelli applications include:
- M1 and Super Black Eagle I.
- Nova and SuperNova.
- M3 and M4 barrels fitted for removable chokes.
- Earlier Montefeltro, Legacy and related field barrels.
See the genuine 12 bore Standard/Mobil flush choke supplied for Nova and M3 applications.
It remains a current factory system. Newer does not automatically mean Crio Plus: the current Nova, SuperNova and M4 are still listed with Standard chokes by Benelli.
This is the uncommon one. The original Crio tube is about 70mm long, like the later Crio Plus tube, but the threads are at the muzzle end. It was used mainly on some early Sport II, SuperSport and Cordoba barrels in the first half of the 2000s.
Published aftermarket changeover dates vary. Some place the change at about 2006 and others nearer 2008. That is not unusual with guns built for different markets or assembled around a model change. If the gun falls anywhere near that period, inspect the original tube rather than ordering by year.
It is not a Mobil tube just because the threads are in the same place, and it is not current Crio Plus just because it is 70mm long.
This is the mainstream modern Benelli system. The flush tube is about 70mm long and the threads begin roughly 19mm below its top. That leaves a plain section of tube between the threads and the muzzle.
It arrived with the M2 and SBE II generation in the mid-2000s and has remained the normal removable choke system across most of the Benelli range. Typical applications include:
- M2.
- Super Black Eagle II and non-A.I. Super Black Eagle III.
- Vinci and Super Vinci.
- Later Montefeltro and Legacy barrels.
- Later Sport II, SuperSport and Cordoba.
- Ultra Light and ETHOS.
- Non-A.I. 828U models.
- Many later Raffaello models, including the Raffaello Supersport World Cup.
Current Crio products: 12 bore flush, 20 bore flush, 28 bore flush, 12 bore 50mm extended and 20 bore 50mm extended.
Beretta Optima Plus can look very similar from the outside. The bore, skirt and shoulder dimensions are not the same, so the two should not be interchanged unless a choke manufacturer explicitly lists that exact application.
Advanced Impact is Benelli's latest matched barrel and choke system. It was introduced in 2023 and appeared commercially across selected lines from 2024. The tubes are considerably longer than ordinary Crio Plus chokes.
For 12 bore, Benelli lists a 100mm internal version and a 120mm knurled extended version. The 20 and 28 bore A.I. tubes are 70mm internal or 90mm extended. They are available across the usual one to five star constrictions.
An A.I. choke is only for an A.I. barrel. It is not a long Crio Plus choke and it must not be fitted to a conventional Crio barrel. This matters because Benelli sells A.I. and non-A.I. versions of some familiar model names.
Show the model compatibility table
| Model or family | Usual system | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | Standard / Mobil | Very early import-era barrels need checking. |
| M2 | Current Crio / Crio Plus | Check special barrels rather than assuming from the receiver. |
| SBE I | Standard / Mobil | Early import-era examples can be exceptions. |
| SBE II | Current Crio / Crio Plus | Gauge must still match. |
| SBE III | Current Crio / Crio Plus | A.I. versions use A.I. chokes instead. |
| Nova / SuperNova | Standard / Mobil | Some slug or fixed-choke barrels have no removable tube. |
| M3 / M4 | Usually Standard / Mobil | Tactical and slug barrel specifications vary. |
| Montefeltro / Legacy | Older Standard, later Crio Plus | The broad change was around 2007-08, but inspect the tube. |
| Sport II / SuperSport / Cordoba | Early original Crio, later Crio Plus | Changeover falls roughly in the 2006-08 period. Some Performance Shop guns are separate. |
| Vinci / Super Vinci / Ultra Light | Current Crio / Crio Plus | Confirm gauge and barrel markings. |
| ETHOS | Usually current Crio / Crio Plus | A.I. sporting versions use A.I. chokes. |
| 828U | Usually current Crio / Crio Plus | 828 A.I. models use the A.I. system. |
| Raffaello | Varies by age and version | This family spans several generations. Use the original tube and barrel markings. |
Remember: the barrel decides which choke fits, not the name on the receiver. Replacement and spare barrels can be from a different generation.
Show the specialist exceptions
Pre-Mobil external chokes
Some early SL80, 121 and 123-era guns used an external system. The barrel has a male thread on its outside and the choke has a female thread which screws over the muzzle. This is obsolete and is not compatible with Mobil, Crio or Crio Plus.
Early collared internal chokes
A small number of early H&K-import-era M1, Montefeltro and SBE barrels are reported with a short internal tube and a collar which projects from the muzzle. These are mainly a North American issue, but used guns travel. No dependable factory changeover chart has surfaced, so treat one as its own system and have it identified properly.
Back-bored Performance Shop guns
Some mainly American Performance Shop or Briley-prepared SuperSport and competition guns use a larger back-bored barrel and their own choke application. A tube can look like Crio Plus and still have the wrong internal dimensions. Check the build paperwork and barrel bore.
Fixed-choke barrels
If there is no removable tube and no thread, the barrel is fixed choke. This is seen on selected slug, tactical, short and older barrels. There is nothing to unscrew, so do not attack it with a choke key.
Names which are not separate thread systems
A few Benelli descriptions sound like new choke families but are actually features within an existing family:
- Flush, extended, ported, black or nickel: these describe the length, design or finish. The underlying thread must still be correct.
- Sport or Sporting: this can describe an extended competition-style tube. It does not, by itself, mean the uncommon old Crio Sport thread pattern. The current 12 bore Crio Sport 50mm choke is an example of the modern sporting form.
- Crio Steel Shot: a choke designed around steel-shot use, not a universal new thread.
- Powerbore: a barrel profile, not a choke thread.
- Ampliator: a specialist close-range dispersant choke used on selected Beccaccia models. Benelli describes it as giving a broader useful pattern at roughly 10-20 metres. It still has to match the exact barrel.
Show the constriction and use table
Benelli uses stars or notches as well as words. One star is the tight end and five stars is the open end. The constriction figures below are useful working ranges, not Benelli engineering dimensions. Actual constriction depends on the measured bore of the barrel and tube.
| Benelli mark | UK name | US name | Typical nominal constriction | General use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * / one notch | Full | Full | .030-.040in | Tight patterns where the load genuinely patterns well. |
| ** / two notches | Three-quarter | Improved Modified | .025-.030in | Tighter, more distant targets. |
| *** / three notches | Half | Modified | .015-.020in | A useful general-purpose starting point. |
| **** / four notches | Quarter | Improved Cylinder | .005-.010in | Close to medium sporting and field shooting. |
| ***** / five notches | Skeet or Cylinder end | Skeet or Cylinder | 0-.005in | Close and fast targets where a wider pattern helps. |
Benelli manuals normally call the five-notch tube Skeet, while the genuine 12 bore Crio flush range also includes Cylinder marked C or CYL. Read the word or letter stamped on the tube as well as counting the notches.
There is no honest table which can promise a certain choke will be perfect at a certain yardage. Two cartridges carrying the same shot size can pattern very differently through the same gun. Start with a sensible middle choke, then pattern it with the cartridge you intend to use.
Show the shooting guide
Steel shot and proof
The marks on the actual gun, choke and cartridge matter more than an internet chart. If any one of them is uncertain, stop and get it checked before firing.
- Check the barrel proof marks. High Performance steel cartridges require a barrel proofed for them, normally identified by the fleur-de-lys steel-shot mark.
- Check the exact cartridge, barrel and choke instructions. "Steel Shot OK" on a tube is useful, but it is only one part of the answer.
- Benelli's factory manuals say the one-star Full and two-star Improved Modified tubes are not recommended for steel shot. Follow the manual supplied for your particular gun if it is more restrictive.
- Steel can pattern tighter than lead through the same nominal choke. Pattern it rather than guessing.
- If the proof, choke or cartridge marking is uncertain, stop and get it checked before firing.
The same caution applies to solid slugs. Some are designed for use through open chokes, but that is not permission to fire any slug through any Benelli tube. Follow the ammunition maker's instructions and the manual for the barrel.
When to change choke
You probably do not need to change chokes at every stand or every drive. A sensible choke which gives an even pattern is normally more useful than constant fiddling. Think about changing when:
- The normal target or quarry distance has genuinely changed.
- You change cartridge, pellet material, shot size or wad and the new load patterns differently.
- A pattern plate shows thin patches, a pattern which is too tight, or a point of impact problem.
- You buy a used gun or spare barrel and need to establish what is actually fitted.
- The tube is damaged, badly fouled, corroded or will no longer seat correctly.
If you are missing, do not automatically blame the choke. Gun fit, mount, point of impact and the cartridge are often more important.
How to pattern the gun
- Make the gun safe and confirm the fitted choke is correct, clean and properly seated.
- Use the exact cartridge you intend to shoot.
- Put up a large sheet and mark a clear aiming point.
- Shoot from a supported, repeatable position at the distance which matters to you. Forty yards and a 30-inch circle are useful for comparison, but your real shooting distance matters more.
- Fire at least three patterns, preferably five. One cartridge can be misleading.
- Look for even pellet coverage, gaps and point of impact, not just the total pellet count.
- Change one thing at a time, then repeat the test.
Removal and maintenance
- Unload the gun completely before touching the choke.
- Remove the tube periodically, clean the tube and barrel threads, and apply a light smear of suitable choke grease.
- Tighten it snugly with the correct key. Do not use excessive force.
- Check an extended tube occasionally during a busy day because any removable choke can work loose.
- Never fire the gun without its removable choke fitted.
- Stop if the tube sits proud when it should be flush, binds, has damaged threads or leaves an unexpected step inside the bore.
A proper Benelli choke key and thread cleaner is inexpensive compared with repairing a damaged barrel thread.
Show replacement choke options
We stock a range of genuine Benelli tubes. Each option below is a separate product, so the size and destination are clear before you select it.
Flush — 12 bore
For the Standard/Mobil family used by guns including the Nova and M3.
View 12 bore chokeFlush — 12 bore
A genuine flush tube for current Crio and Crio Plus 12 bore barrels.
View 12 bore chokeFlush — 20 bore
A genuine flush tube for current Crio and Crio Plus 20 bore barrels.
View 20 bore chokeFlush — 28 bore
A genuine flush tube for current Crio and Crio Plus 28 bore barrels.
View 28 bore choke50mm extended — 12 bore
An easier-to-handle extended form of the current Crio system.
View extended chokeCrio Sport 50mm — 12 bore
The current 50mm extended sporting choke for the Crio system.
View Sport chokeIf you are not certain, contact us before ordering. Send a clear photograph of the original choke beside a ruler, both ends of the tube, its markings and the markings on the barrel. That is usually enough to avoid an expensive guess.
Jonny Carter at TGS Outdoors has made several useful videos which explain the practical side well:
Show sources and further reading
Sources and further reading
- Benelli factory manuals.
- Benelli 2026 dealer workbook.
- Benelli Crio System explanation.
- Benelli Advanced Impact technical information.
- Briley Benelli choke identification photographs.
- Carlson's choke identification and dimensions.
- Muller Benelli interchange guide.
- BASC guidance on non-lead shot.
Compatibility can vary with gauge, market, barrel and production change. This guide is intended to help identification, not replace the markings and manual supplied with the gun. If anything does not seat exactly as it should, do not fire it.
The Definitive Benelli Choke Guide