Even if a gun is excellent, it does not mean that it cannot be improved in some way”. This was the philosophy that urged the Benelli factory to produce a new series of automatics in 1978, the SL 80 series.
The new production had four objectives:

to improve the quality of the inertial operated shotguns; to widen the choice; to perfect the mechanics; to use a new trigger assembly.

The new SL 80 range consisted of the following models: 121 - 123 - Special 80 - Extra Lux;  each of which was made in three versions: Hunting - Target shooting - Slug. The different 12 gauge models differ in the quality of the woods, the finish and the decoration on the receiver. The Benelli SL 80 series used for the first time Italian barrels, made in the Brescia area, in top quality steel, cold rotary-forged with a chrome lined bore, subjected to localised heat treatment to give each point of the tube the mechanical characteristics most suited to the different stresses.