23 June 2023

Comfortech 3 System

Technology at the service of the best performance. The Comfortech 3 System.

This is what drives the constant Benelli research and is perfectly exemplified in the full comfort system, a set of design solutions evolved over the years and which have forever revolutionized shooting habits.

Benelli and the search for the best anti-recoil system in the world on technopolymer stock: Comfortech 3.

Are not seemingly impossible challenges stimulating the search for new paths and new solutions? Isn't that the desire to overcome the common laws of physics and widen the horizon of the possible a little more?

According to an old empirical rule of general use, the weight of the hunting shotgun had to be equal to a hundred times the lead charge that was intended to be used; for example, to conveniently shoot cartridges loaded with 28 grams of lead pellets, a side-by-side weighing about 2.8 kg was considered suitable.

Today things have changed: on the one hand it is claimed that the semi-automatic shotgun fires the powerful cartridges with Magnum (or even Super Magnum) loading, on the other hand the weight of the firearm must not be excessive and, ultimately, recoil must not be punitive.

Three seemingly incompatible features, and the keyword it's just seemingly.

How did you get to anti-recoil Comfortech 3 system?

This challenge stimulated Benelli to seek new solutions with results that even twenty years ago would have been judged miraculous: to reduce the feeling of recoil without renouncing the lightness of the firearm.

Experience teaches us that among the most common expedients to reduce the perceived recoil are the use of shock absorbers for the moving parts of the mechanics, the muzzle brakes, the increased bore of the barrel, the softening of the connection between the cartridge chamber and the core of the barrel and so on.

Benelli technicians, rather than mechanics, preferred to focus on other aspects of the semi-automatic shotgun, much more important for post-shot behavior.

They started from the interface between the hunter and the shotgun going through the recoil: stock.

The result of this study was the ComforTech stock, built using a particular technopolymer; hollow inside, it is externally recognized at first sight by a series of eyelets cut in the shape of a boomerang, arranged on both sides of the stock.

Polyurethane inserts, also in the shape of a boomerang, fill the eyelets mentioned above; it would almost seem that the set described was designed to create a pleasant aesthetic motif in the shape of an arrow and nothing more; instead, it is an original system, covered by an international patent, to make the stock more flexible, or rather to make it a deformable elastic structure.

In reality, in use this stock is as rigid as that of any other shotgun, but on the evidence of the facts it transmits recoil much less. In other words, stock manages to absorb part of the recoil energy, especially the peak, thus obtaining a considerable decrease in the impact on the shooter's shoulder.

The Comfortech 3 system: stock, recoil pad and comb work together to ensure full comfort

It was not the classic genius intuition, but the final result of a systematic research work conducted by Benelli, which redefined the shape of stock, the arrangement of the eyelets, the material used for its construction.

In fact, during the tests, about one hundred different combinations of technopolymer were tested. From the advanced calculation and simulation programs to the finite elements (FEM, Finite Element Analysis) we have arrived at the practical results of the experimental tests: a better shotgun behavior that translates not only into a lower perceived recoil on the shoulder, but a faster and more immediate return to aiming in the event of a second shot, a characteristic to which the stock design contributes.

In developing a revolutionary stock, Benelli also intervened on the geometry of its grip in order to improve its ergonomics and facilitate the control of the firearm.

But not only: recoil pad can also make an important contribution to the containment of the perceived recoil.

ComforTech is made with polyurethane foams, a solid and soft material resulting from the most advanced research in cutting-edge sectors, such as medicine and the aerospace industry, where high performance absorption and distribution of impact forces are required.

In addition, this stock has an asymmetrical design designed to adapt perfectly to the shape of the hunter's shoulder and thus discharge the force on the maximum possible surface. It is in fact designed to rest exactly between the deltoid and pectoral muscles, which is why there are right and left recoil pades, mirrored among them.

The stock is simply inserted into the stock and this allows it to be removed in a few seconds and possibly replaced with models of different thickness, in order to vary the L.O.P. length (recoil-pad-trigger distance).

Another area of "disturbance" transmitted by the shotgun to the hunter is the stock comb, the part where the cheek rests and through which annoying vibrations arrive. Against the latter, the best healing touch is also in this case the elastic material. The ComforTech comb decreases the transmission of vibrations to the hunter's head, makes the impact of the firearm on the cheek sweeter, but above all it decreases the harmful effects on the auditory system.

In fact, hearing damage is caused by both the sound intensity of the shot and the vibrations transmitted through the stock comb. It can thus be said that ComforTech acts at various levels.

On the one hand, it alters the "vibratory regime" compared to a conventional stock thanks to the flexible structure; on the other hand, the particular gel interposed both between stock and shoulder and above all between comb and cheek of the shooter has a superior effectiveness in cushioning and damping shocks and vibrations.

Last but not least, the pistol grip of ComforTech stock, but also the grip area of the fore-end, are finished by AirTouch checkering, which allows the ventilation of the skin in contact with these parts of the shotgun, a feature that is very appreciable, for example, in case of rain or damp heat.

Finally, we must remember the availability of the plates kit to vary the fold and advantage of ComforTech stock, which allows the perfect adaptation to any preference of the shooter. The revolutionary ComforTech stock made its appearance in 2005 on the Comfort models, in 12 and 20 gauge, and Super Black Eagle II 12 gauge Super Magnum (12/89 mm): from the "pleasant" cadet gauge to the powerful SBE for waterfowl hunting, Benelli shotguns offered "something more", the result of the technological avant-garde that is at home in the company.

The evolution of the Comfortech 3 system.

It is interesting to note that Benelli has been producing shotguns with conventional concept technopolymer stock since 1987, but – in a sector made up of rather traditionalist enthusiasts – it was the technological ComforTech stock that changed the habits of hunters. Today, technopolymer stock has not only been accepted, but even demanded by the public, determining a real paradigm shift in the world of hunting: half of the Benelli shotguns currently sold are equipped with polymeric stock precisely because of the practical advantages it offers.

A history, that of the full comfort system, which has seen numerous evolutions, following the development of a technological research that never stops.

In 2009, ComforTech stock switched to ComforTech Plus, the second generation of this recoil reduction system, mounted on the revolutionary Vinci shotgun.

The system has a slight modification to the rear and the comb, newly designed, becomes interchangeable and available in two sizes in terms of its height. The reduction of recoil is a need particularly felt in semi-automatic shotguns that fire the most powerful ammunition: thus, 2017 was the year of the new ComforTech 3 system of the Super Black Eagle 3 12 gauge Super Magnum.

Compared to the previous version, the geometries have been improved, changing the size and arrangement of the boomerang-shaped eyelets. The Combtech comb has also appeared, able to cushion the impact on the cheek even more effectively, thanks to the incorporation of an elastic structure (a sort of leaf spring) combined with an ergonomic system capable of adapting to the shape of the cheekbone.

The comb is applied to the stock through a quick coupling that does not require the use of tools; this offers the possibility of replacing the comb with others of different heights and hardnesses in an easy way. Another rule of thumb, known among the old gunsmiths, stated that wooden stocks with the veins arranged in the length direction (horizontal) were certainly to be preferred to those with vertical veins, because they were considered capable of absorbing recoil better.

Although not knowing the actual validity of this assumption, probably born from the comparison of numerous shotguns, it certainly denotes the attention to the problem of recoil, even if addressed in an empirical way. Benelli solved the problem with his own method, that of technology, designed and optimized according to the firearm to which it must be applied and never vice versa.

From this methodological approach, the Progressive Comfort system was born, initially applied only to wooden stocks and recently implemented in the Lupo bolt action, to denote Benelli's design fluidity, which elaborates and chooses the best solution for each new project.

From the Comfortech 3 system for technopolymer stocks to Progressive Comfort in wooden stocks

Progressive Comfort is an innovative recoil absorption system, which intervenes gradually according to the weight of the cartridges and the ammunition used. In addition, it allows you to mount an interchangeable comb in favor of the modularity of the firearm, a note of absolute novelty for wooden stocks, which turn towards functionality while maintaining the aesthetic value due to the material.

From the initial idea of creating a stock capable of absorbing recoil, thanks to the continuous work of improvement, today we have reached a real integrated system: full comfort, in which recoil pad, comb and stock work together with surprising results, marking another important step forward in the development of firearms for hunting and sports use. So, the only thought at the end of a day of hunting, will be to come back out for a new adventure.

The Comfortech 3 system is present in many Benelli semi-automatic and rifle systems. See all models:

• Raffaello Be Diamond BE.S.T.
• Raffaello Ethos Super Sport
• Raffaello Ethos Super Sport 28
• Black Eagle (full range)
• Super Black Eagle 3 (full range)
• Endurance BE.S.T. Comfortech 3
• Endurance Comfortech 3
• Endurance Comfortech 3 Battue