somebrains

Steel makes me want to get a 22 and spend a bunch of time working on the mechanics. I have a club 30mins away where I can setup a bay for practice on non event days. Both people that suggested different approaches are correct. You have to go fast, yet you want to not mike bc that screws with your flow. Lots of little things to work out for yourself mean you’ll need to shoot an event, then go off and practice a bunch.

It's been a long rainy winter. Local shotgun events are starting so I pull my M1 with the M2 barrel I bought for gaming and there is some spots of surface rust near the rib. I checked my M1 barrel, no probs. Why did they have to change the finish? I mean a little steel wool and it's gone but for the price of Benelli barrels they should have stuck to whatever they used before. I mean I shot my Sei in the rain around December, stripped it down and it's totally fine. Pistols are totally fine. I haven't touched my Benelli since October. Generic cheapie home defense pump that gets banged around the closet, totally fine and it cost less than the M2 barrel.

Keep your eyes peeled, you'll eventually run into a deal.

Practicing on a plate rack with cheapie Federal bulk 7.5# I ran my usual IC and splashed the plates to either side. When debugging my gun with STS and AA's IC was fine. Pattern first, then go setup steel and play.....I need to follow that every time I change to a different batch of shells.

If I see one really cheap I'd get it. As it is the quarterly shotgun match at the range 45mins from my home range is next weekend. A diffuser choke costs the same as the Walmart 7.5 I was going to pick up on the way.

My 93 M1 was doing nothing in my safe besides long balling slugs once a year. A $25 club match was all it took to get me hooked. The usual Glock 34, 18" AR, Stoeger guys are on the action range everywhere, every weekend. Shoot one of their M3K's, I did. I decided to throw $ into my gun instead. I already owned it, and I took it out for a bit to 3gun practices as it came from the factory with a light, barrel like yours, factory +4 tube, and a pistol grip. All I heard from those guys is that after a bolt rebuild with Benelli parts, it's just like a Benelli (with an A5 recoil spring). Well, you and I already own Benelli's. It's kinda like Falcon and Maverick guys telling Mustang owners their cars are just like Mustangs. Now that it cycles birds of reliably, I wouldn't give it up after I've dumped $ into it BC the local shotgun matches are what I like best. I like to put my guns to work.

I'm down with less muzzle rise. I'd probably go hipster and mill the side of the bolt you can't see thru the ejection port. Anyone have input on whether that's a bad thing or not?

So weird, I got a red flat faced Nordic follower a month or so ago from them, and one of the problems I was straight ing out was the OP's. I think I'd better call Nordic Monday.

I'm really happy with it. Hauling around a bunch of junk on your belt is easier when it's tight to your body. Underbelt may bunch up a bit, but I flipped my belt over so the ratchet is forward instead of the feed end. Loosening up the ratchet so your belt sags a little is nice when you need a break from getting squished.

Save $, keep your eyes peeled for a deal on a used M1/2 built by a reputable Smith?

I'm only using a Wolff reduced power recoil spring, no problems. My hammer and trigger springs are worked in, from 1993. When I have to change them, I'll use reduced power replacements.

I swear it's a laziness issue in my case. I'll start to hose and either Mike or a steel won't go down BC my focus has gone from neutralizing the target to running the trigger as fast as I can. I've seen other guys intentionally run a diffuser choke that will splash other plates. I'm at the point where I want to know 6 steel drop in 6 shots, rather than hope they drop in "surprise me". I was using 1300fps #6 with an IC my last local match. My gun would not cycle reliably with 1145fps 7 1/2 until I used a reduced power recoil spring. 7 1/2's IC is too loose. I'll revisit big patterns later using bigger, hotter shot if I see another novelty target group like 10 2" eggs on a table. I really appreciated the extra power with a loose choke. I have the same problem with rifle & pistol, if I concentrate on making good hits then my times are lower. If I'm speed racer, not so much.

I dunno what the problem with slugs at varying distance. I mean, find something you like and pretend it's a musket.

IC is easy, but I have been feeling sloppy on something like 8 steels in a row. I'm going to choke down and set myself up a simple practice run this weekend and tighten up. It's really noticeable on a pipe sitting on an i beam that won't go down b/c you walked so far past it or aren't hitting it square. IC I kinda take everything for granted.

We have a Field division in a couple of my local matches. Some of those guys are really good shooters. I had a duck hunter and a skeet guy in the squad, they used SBE 2's and were fine. Full on sporting get up and all. 35+ shot stages were slow. Cops had the biggest issues using cylinder bore 18" pump guns they grabbed from work. Do not shoot buckshot at clays, its a waste of time, even if the ammo is free. I just had my last problem go away on a really early M1 using a Wolff reduced power recoil spring after trying better birdshot. AA's and STS were hanging up with a Wolff factory power spring. Original one was a rusted pos.

More is better, 8+1 just isn't enough mostly.

Saturday practice with #8 and 7 1/2 IC wasn't the way to go. I was catching it not taping and resetting while adjusting my caddies. I was trying out different brand shells and it was a major pain btw runs just keeping shells on my belt. With the #6 I was using for my local match I could beat everything down with an IC. Next time I'm going to set off by myself and pattern shot. I should grab a plate rack and sort some things out in a different bay. Our practices can be chaotic with everyone trying to turnaround as many runs as they can, while individually focusing on some such problem.

I did confer with him. The practice right after my local match I noticed more guys shooting Walmart Remington bulk, or Fiocchi. We all had problems, but when you are in the moment with a gun you have been learning or performing 20 year deferred maintainance it can be like rebuilding your first Quadrajet while out on your first date. I took Riggers advice and spent a few extra $ on AA's and STS. My gun ran fine on either, AA's were a little short so I had to adjust my caddies. I've stopped messing with my gun after tossing in the original inertia spring and a Wolff reduced recoil spring for the practice day. Feels normal now. There was something wrong with the way my gun was timed, if you will. Hadnt felt right cycling birdshot. Maybe I'm fine with just a reduced power recoil spring, not messing with it. Everything feels right again. I'm not giving up on this gun. Quite the opposite, I'm working thru my issues. Going to shoot through some cheapie options until I find what works best now that AA's and STS 7 1/2 or #8 are known good 1145fps+ Worst thing that happens is that I spend time on the action range shooting a stack of test bulk birdshot through my M1.

+1 on having to play around with the TTI lifter nose.

Shot a box of STS and AA's, zero problems. I'll stop chasing problems that are due to cheap shells now.

Give it some time for stages to build bigger and I think you'll find yourself ahead of the game. I'm waiting to see big matches hit their limit with ground targets and start filling up with aerials.

I was in the same boat as you. No one wants to trade a 24" for a 21" M2 barrel right nowm I had an M1 that I used to throw 100 slugs once or twice a year. I bought an M2 21" and a +5 tube off a guy that owned a Taran M2 BC I'd been looking for a field barrel for a couple years. He ended up buying a 24" barrel and a +7 tube for a little under what I'm into my M1. It's painful knowing I should have more capacity and a longer barrel, but I'm so used to a 20" that the 21" handled well when I shot my 1st match a few weekends ago. Clamps drove me nuts, BC I keep buying the same Winchester low recoil slugs from SGammo and my point of impact kept changing noticeably. I stopped using a clamp, and my point of aim is consistent. There is something about pushing a shotgun around a stage that rifle and pistol don't have. Maybe it's frustration factor on a steel that won't go down with bird, and a port loaded buck just does the trick viscerally over the berm. I'm not sinking more $ into a barrel, there is only 1 shotgun match a year locally. I would just get a 28" M1 for trap/skeet cheapish and try a few practices with it until the event swings around next year.

I used 1290fps Federal #6 at my local event. Shooting thru a Texas Star no-shoot at a Polish plate rack was easy using an IC choke, 15yds. I like the way my 21" handles, but I think your want longer if you are seeing more than a couple aerial clays in a match. It's really disconcerting when you realize you are tracking your mag tube, and not your barrel. I guess you could adapt, but I thought it was weird.

Guess I'll go buy one and try it. I know my slug hold with IC, time was ticking down to my 1st shotgun only match at my local, didn't realize everything I'd need wasn't in the 5-pacl of chokes I already had until I Miked a buck target.

I shot a local like that last weekend. IC was fine except when I Miked a buck target....I blame that on some cheapie Rio 00 haloing 1 of 4 paper at under 15yds. If I really cared, I had a pack of Flitecontrol in my trunk. I know my slug hold using an IC, and everything fell down. Guys running Mod or tighter got into trouble on their timing moving thru a lane too fast. I didn't have that issue. Aerial clays it wasn't an issue bc I don't spend anytime on trap or skeet, so I'll blame my indifference instead of a choke.