How often do you clean your benelli

[lucas]

And what exactly do you do.

[gl]

I clean my factory M1 Super 90 12gauge (18.5" barrel, ghost ring sights, 7 shot extention and a straight stock) only if it not going to be used within a month or more or if it gets very dirty. If I am shooting alot I will just lube the bolt lugs and bolt carrier rails until it gets dirty. I consider it to be dirty if I have shot 1-2 cases of clean burning shotgun shells or I have been training in the dirt alot. I have gone as long as 4 cases of shells (or more) and I had no problem. Keep in mind I am using 1 1/8 oz. shot loads and if you are using lighter shot loads your gun is going to be more tempermental (with the factory springs) and it will need to be kept REALLY WELL CLEANED AND WELL LUBED (and it still may not run right). I have found the M1 Super 90 to much more sensitive to the shot weight (less than 1 1/8 oz weight) than to the amount of powder charge........ whether the gun is clean or dirty! But I am sure we will have others chime in on the ammo situation with a stock benelli here in a while. Here is how I clean mine and I wish you luck in cleaning yours!

UNLOAD THE SHOTGUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, strip down the shotgun by seperating the barrel, forend, mag extention/follower and spring, trigger assembly, extention and bolt assembly. I place all the parts except the stock/frame assembly in a naptha bath in a large parts cleaner.

I have a rod with a brush and I put it on an electric drill and go all through the barrel being careful to watch the choke to make sure it is not loose, but I do not remove it, I do not lube or oil the barrel. I inspect the nut on the ghost ring front sight for looseness by hand.

Clean the mag spring, follower and extention tube and oil the mag spring only with light oil. (Hint: the biggest problem with this shotgun (and many other semi shotguns) is it won't run right if the mag spring is weak, err on the side of replacing it if it does not stick out of the mag tube a generous amount (I have one that is 29-30 " long and it works fine. Brownells sells an extra long spring part# 301-000-115 that is an excellent replacement, when in doubt with this part REPLACE IT!).

I clean the stock/frame assembly with a rod with a rag through the magazine tube and wipe down the inside and outside of the frame, I do not oil inside the frame (I will do that on the bolt) and inspect the rear sight for any damage ot looseness. Then I make sure not to get solvent in the recoil spring/tube assembly )a small amount won't hurt) but I then place a rod into it and check it for 'grittiness' to see if it needs to be cleaned, if it does (not often, I have done it twice) I remove the buttpad off the stock and I let it soak with naptha, work it and blow out all solvent making sure it is bone dry,then moderately oil it then blow out the excess oil with an air compresser. If it is not real dirty (gritty) I MAY put a small amount of oil down the tube and work it in with a rod by moving the spring with the rod. Lots of people remove the spring and grease it, I use oil.

All during this time the trigger group and disassembled bolt assembly are soaking.

I spray out the trigger group with a cleaning spray or naptha then air hose it out so it is dry, then I inspect it to make sure the clips that hold the tubes in place are still there and check everything else as well. I then put one drop or oil in the saftey spring/detent hole and place a small amount on the other areas that parts move or just spray the whole thing and blow away the excess with an air hose then wipe the outer portion off with a almost dry naptha soaked rag and cock the hammer back and place it on saftey. If you spray the whole thing it will attract more dirt.

I then thoughly clean the bolt assembly parts seperately. I oil and blow off the excess on the springs (firing pin and the heavy bolt spring) and bolt and carrier bodies. I place a drop of oil on the base extractor where the spring is and work the extractor but do not put any on the extractor hook itself. Put a small amount of tetra lube on the cam pin and roll it in your fingers. Then I reassemble the bolt carrier assembly (make sure the extractor is facing to the right of the bolt). Place tetra lube, sparingly, on the bolt lugs and the carrier body rails where it contacts the frame and put it back in the frame making sure the rod portion orients correctly with the recoil spring tube and spring follower.

I then push in the bolt release button on the frame and then place the trigger assembly in the frame holding the bolt release button in. If you don't do this the gun won't work! Replace the trigger group retaining pin. Lock the bolt open. If it won't you did not press in on the bolt release when you put in the trgger group.

I place the barrel in the forend, making sure the metal rings in the forend are still there, and then push the barrel COMPLETELY into the receiver and over the mag tube.

Replace the follower first, then the mag spring and extention tube or mag cap, and make sure the barrel is all the way in the receiver, and then tighten the extention nut handtight (not gorilla-man tight) with your hand, not pliers.

Replace the mag tube clamp, if any.

FIRST MAKE SURE IT IS UNLOADED!

Now fuction test the weapon:

Point the weapon in a safe direction The bolt should still be locked in the open position! Drop the bolt. hand cycle it, it should not lock open. Place it on safe and pull the trigger, the hammer should not drop. Take off the saftey and pull the trigger, it should fall. Pull the bolt to the rear, it should lock back. If it does not lock back repeat the trigger assembly instructions paying particular note to pressing the bolt catch button completely in and holding it while replacing the trigger assembly.

If you are worried about rust you can wipe down the exposed metal with a rag with light oil, but will attract more dirt. Store it with the bolt closed and the hammer dropped (do so in a safe direction!) and UNLOADED!! Remember that you do not want to weaken the spring in the mag tube. If you do keep it load I would have a fresh spring I would rotate into the weapon before a match.

(I think I remembered everything, but if not, ya'll correct me)

I hope this helps! Good luck and have fun!

Guy Hawkins

[BillL223]

The Benelli is the last gun I worry about cleaning. 250-500 rounds sounds about right. Hard to add to the previous post. I do not use a brush on a drill although I did when shooting conventional slugs, I now shoot reloads in conventional shot cup wads and do not get any leading in the barrel. Most of the crap in the barrel is plastic and wad solvent or Hoppes Benchrest gets after it. I do clean the bolt. I lube the cam pin with a moly lube and use light Benelli oil on the lugs. I lightly lube the hammer and "sear". I don't depress the bolt release when re-assembling the trigger group and haven't had problems. Don't know whats going here. I strongly follow the 1-1/8 oz min load. The only time my gun stopped in the last several years was in Reno at the 3-gun Natls in very sandy and dusty conditions, got a second round released from the mag tube which took so long to clear that the swinger I was engaging had stopped swinging and I had to shoot it weakhand to hit it.

[Garryowen]

cleaning? What's that?

[blackdragon]

Wow! Are you supposed to clean it?

Ivan

[Loves2Shoot]

I cleaned it when I bought it, it been so long now I forgot how.

[HHjr]

Hi there everyone ......... do more reading here than posting ........ I have a M1 Tactical I do EVERYTHING with. 3gun, bunnies, deer, steel and .... you get the pic. I have about 1200 rounds of PMC thru mine, plus slugs and buck and I have never had the barrel off since I put it together brand new. I swab the bore once in a while, lube the bolt, rails and lifter with FP10and that has been it. Mine functions perfectly with 1oz loads but most have been 1 1/8. Tha PMC ammo is incredibly clean. Reduced recoil slugs run 100%.

I appreciate this forum. It is gold.

Harold H.

[M.E.Anglin]

I thought they were self cleaning.........every time I pull the trigger it makes things dissappear.......

[scottmilk9]

In 4 years i have owned mine, i cleaned it 4 times, wow once a year, maybe i should clean it before mystery mountain. I have never had a malfunction on my benelli, I was amazed last time i was out practicing I outshot the benelli, I know some say it cant be done, but I was doing triples and the third shot went click, and yes there was a shotshell in the gun. Guess I got lucky or unlucky however you look at it.

[JohnMc]

I've been shooting mine for 2 years. I run mine pretty dry, just a little oil on the rails. It runs with anything you can put in it.

[JohnMc]

Sorry, Double post