promod1385 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 What is the idea or added benefit of welding or adding on to the lifter of a 3gun shotgun? This seems to be a very popular mod here on the forum and I am wondering if I am missing out on something with my stock lifter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaeOne3345 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) Go to your kitchen, pull out a a dinner fork, and then stab your thumb repeatedly on purpose. Kidding, kinda.. Many of the lifters have prongs can really tear your thumb up if you are not careful while loading. Edited October 17, 2011 by JaeOne3345 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveU Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 On Benellis if you reload wrong (eh Benny?) it catches your thumb and rips the sh!t out of it. Look up Benelli thumb. Rather than learn how to reload with the joint flexed, it's easier to have the lifter welded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShooterSteve Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 My FN did that to me when it was pretty new. In the adrenaline of the match it got grabbed on a reload, and I just snatched it out. Big mistake, as it about took the end of my thumb off. Then I was getting yelled at about "leaving my DNA" all over their range! I didn't get mine welded but I did take a dremel to the forks. It may be ugly, but it works and my thumb is still in one piece! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oak hill Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 If you are very careful and load really sloooowwww you will probably be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadleyOwens Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I was about to send my lifter out to be welded as well. I just polished it really good and practiced .....alot. If you keep your thumb bent properly the tip of your thumb never makes contact with the lifter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead-Head Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 My thumbnail is not grow back yet from Ozarks. Skewered by my SLP lifter. Got to the end of the stage and the RO said "dude you are bleeding all over your rifle" I will probably have it wleded after FNH. I love my SLP, but poor design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyro Shooter Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Slow is smooth Smooth is fast Practice practice practice Until the buzzer goes off just behind your head and the only thought you can focus on with any semblance of clarity half way through the stage is to shove 4 more birdshot in as fast as you can to make up time for the one slug miss and engage the last two popper flippers with at least 4 in the gun - while running to get into that sweet spot you found during your walk through... conceivably . . . conceivably . . . it might be possible you could gently and slowly unbend your thumb and and mount said shotgun in a stately manner and present your self to the last target array and calmly dispatch them with style. . . conceivably yeah . . . right no more likely you shall forget to SLOWLY and GENTLY do that little loading trick with your thumb and you will will shove, rip, bleed, shoot, loudly exclaim a long, unique and extensive string of naughty words (that will hang over the bay like a fog scaring spectators and a few junior shooters within screaming distance, and miss at least two of the last four shots causing you to do a standing reload without a thumbnail. this is not a prediction. I'm just saying that is little Timmy's excuse as to why he spent the money and welded up his lifter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I am told that there is a certain way, and with tons of practice, you can pet a Cobra. I also know that of the folks that do pet Cobras all of them have had an anti-venom shot a time or two. The reason we weld lifters is because the glue wouldn't stick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Only mr hill can answer this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyro Shooter Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) Gentlemen Gentlemen where are our manners? Did any one ask the young man his preferred set up? of course all of the previous explanations as to why to weld up the lifter is assuming that you shoot a limited shotgun set up. if your an open shooter you will never be faced with the indignities of having to actually handle a 12 ga. shell with your bare hands while "On the Clock". the down side of open is the extensive debris field of spent equipment leading like a breadcrumb trail back to the start box. (Us limited shooters just get to show clear and simply walk back to the rack an bag the gun. no bending no searching for that one mag tube loader handle, but that is a rant for a different forum) Edited October 18, 2011 by Tyro Shooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 O.K., Mr. hill say, you no bend the thumb, you weld the lifter or keep plenty of band aids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonicpepsi Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Ok, I'm new also so I'll ask for forgiveness up front. If I understand correct, you weld the lifter because a stock lifter has some edges and such that will try to rip your thumb off. What I have not seen is what is a welded lifter? Do you replace the whole lifter? Do you only do this if you have opened up the receiver? I know most of you have been doing this for some time but the noob's need a few more ideas, heck a pic or two would not hurt either (you're proud of that shotty so show it off) If there is a thread promod and I have missed, link us there. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAZZ Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) Sonicpepsi: The welded part is at the front end of the lifter--the area they are talking about that is notched, or looks like a spoon-shape was cut out of the metal. That part is filled in (welded), and smoothed out, so the 'pitchfork' looking area is no longer there. Just out of curiosity, I have heard of (a very few) people having problems / malfunctions with their welded lifters, as the scallop or pitchfork cut out is designed to stabilize and straighten the shell as it is lifted in front of the bolt, and since it is no longer there, the shell can move a bit and not line up correctly going into the barrel. Is that the reason for that kind of malfunction? Edited October 18, 2011 by RAZZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthyBlagga Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) Sonicpepsi: The welded part is at the front end of the lifter--the area they are talking about that is notched, or looks like a spoon-shape was cut out of the metal. That part is filled in (welded), and smoothed out, so the 'pitchfork' looking area is no longer there. Just out of curiosity, I have heard of (a very few) people having problems / malfunctions with their welded lifters, as the scallop or pitchfork cut out is designed to stabilize and straighten the shell as it is lifted in front of the bolt, and since it is no longer there, the shell can move a bit and not line up correctly going into the barrel. Is that the reason for that kind of malfunction? I did the same modification on my Remington Versa Max (a virtual clone of the Benelli M2/M4 platforms). Here are some photos showing the modification in progress: After installing the modified carrier, I hand cycled some rounds and encountered the same malfunction you describe: shells jamming against the right side of the chamber rim. It seems this is a common peril with welded carriers, as the fork is no longer there to keep the nose of the shell centered. Here are some photos of the problem: The culprit is the sharp rim of the chamber where it is cut out for the extractor: KurtM advised me to chamfer the right side of the chamber rim and stick with good quality shells with perfect crimp. I did some light Dremeling with a sanding drum, polishing wheel/valve grinding paste and then finished by hand with 600 grit wet abrasive paper. You can't even see where I removed material, but you can feel the difference when sliding a finger over the edge. I have put about 100 rounds through the gun since this modification without any more malfunctions (including when canted 90 degrees to the right). Edited October 19, 2011 by StealthyBlagga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyfreak Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Thanks for the great pics. Did you use stainless? I haven't done this mod to my Benelli yet but will be trying it. It looks like for most do-it yourselfer's this wouldn't be advisable due to the fact that a tig welder would cost a little more that just sending it to someone for the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthyBlagga Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the great pics. Did you use stainless? I haven't done this mod to my Benelli yet but will be trying it. It looks like for most do-it yourselfer's this wouldn't be advisable due to the fact that a tig welder would cost a little more that just sending it to someone for the work. Yes, per Remington, the Versa Max carrier is stainless steel - I used a piece of 316L stainless I had lying around in my scrap metal bin. In preparing the surface, the nickel coating (?) on the carrier came off with the light application of fine abrasive paper. I managed to do the whole job myself despite the fact that I am an appalling welder; I used DC TIG with argon gas. For anyone with real welding ability, this should be a walk in the park. I don't know what the Benelli carrier is made from... others will know I am sure. Edited October 19, 2011 by StealthyBlagga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatFender Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I got my thumb caught in my 930 this afternoon. Just about lost my thumb nail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 930's don't need to be welded up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatFender Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 930's don't need to be welded up I didn't have a problem going slow, but at the range this afternoon trying to go fast, I got stuck, and it sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebraman Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I had my SLP's lifter welded and the channel cut option done by C-Rums...what a great job! He even matched the original color of the lifter. Before the lifter job, I got my thumb stuck in the fork, I don't think I need to say how painful it was. Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 930's don't need to be welded up Probably true once you open up the loading port. With a stock loading port, it's a chinese finger trap. I ripped a chunk out of my thumbnail at my first match with the 930 last weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsydlooknin75 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 930's don't need to be welded up Probably true once you open up the loading port. With a stock loading port, it's a chinese finger trap. I ripped a chunk out of my thumbnail at my first match with the 930 last weekend. Do yourself a favor, pull the lifter and take a file to the cut out in the lifter and radius the cut out from side to side. It's got two meat hooks on either side that WILL bite you. It should be self explanitory if you look at it Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goat68 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 If you can't weld because you don't have the equipment, you can buy one instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 On the prototype 930 I did for Mosberg, I had Jeff Cockrum weld up the lifter and we speced it from that so if you need one welded up Jeff knows what to do, and YES you can get bit by a 930! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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