On-going quest for pump-action shotgun perfection

[MAC702]

Skip to the end if you just want to help with the latest question.

I started with some research last year, as much as could be found in a reasonable period of time, with what little is out there for us shooting Heavy Metal Limited requiring a pump-action shotgun. My favorite has always been an Ithaca 37, but I saw right away it wasn't going to work. Slow to load, and lower capacity with no easy way to extend it. It soon became a two-way race between the Winchester SXP and the Benelli Nova/Supernova.

Research told me the Winchester would have the advantage in shooting speed, while the Benellis would have it in reloading speed. I went with the Winchester first for a couple reasons. It was significantly cheaper. It could be had with a wood stock (I hate all-black guns), and I wanted to shoot fast. I soon learned that the reloading was where the real time saved would be.

I borrowed a friend's Nova and put the same size 10-round Nordic tube that I have on the Winchester. It was definitely easier to load, even without doing any modifications to it since it wasn't mine. It was enough to give it a slight overall advantage. So I ordered my own, and got the Supernova, thinking there wasn't much difference, and it came with the recoil-absorbing stock. It's all black, but there is paint in its future for sure.

Just handling it out of the box I started to hate it over the Nova. The trigger guard is huge, hideous, and in the way. I can easily reach the bolt release on the Nova. On the Supernova I have to come completely off the grip to reach around and activate it. Looks like I can just start filing away at all that plastic and get rid of the big wall between it at the trigger. Wild West Guns did a nice job beveling the mag well and filling in the shell lifter. It is very fast to load, even with my inexperienced techniques thus far.

Today was the Supernova's first match. I confirmed what a horrendous PITA it is to use the bolt release, and will be taking it apart to start cutting away a lot of plastic soon. Here's my question to some 'smiths, though. Is there anyway to remove the inertial lock on the Benelli? I didn't notice it often with the borrowed Nova, but this new Supernova is a lot slower to shoot because I'm constantly fighting the inertia lock between shots. It was enough to make me wish I was shooting the Winchester, despite being a lot harder to load.

[co-exprs]

Stone the sharp edges off the stamped bolt catch, then polish it up. After that, shoot 2 cases of shells to peen the back of the bolt carrier. After peening, polish the back of rhe bolt carrier. If you are still having trouble, stone and polish the bolt catch until it works the way you want. Warning... If you take off too much material you will begin to experience light primer strikes. The process is trial and error. Go slow and creep up on it.

Don't worry about the bolt release much. As you get better, you won't use it much any more. Focus more of your attention on proper fit, smooth operation and reloading technique.

[MAC702]

When loading, I find I want the bolt locked, or it will move back ever so slightly, which is enough to prohibit loading the magazine. Then, I'd either need to pull the trigger or the bolt release in order to load the chamber. I'd rather not be in the habit of using the trigger to accomplish that task.

I suppose I can load the chamber through the ejection port and then lock that shell in the chamber and then load the magazine, but it seemed faster on an unloaded start to just shuck shells in the tube and then pump. I could be wrong.

One of my many problems is that I am the only one in Southern NV and Southern UT and shoots HML on a regular basis. I never get to see any one else's techniques as I've not made it to bigger matches yet.