Shotgun Malfunction Answers

[Brian Payne]

Brand new Benelli M2 Tactical. 18.5" barrel.

Weather conditions: -8 degrees with -32 degree windchill. Shotgun is "lightly" oiled.

Took it out for some test firing/break-in. 12ga. trap loads, 2 3/4 dram and 1 1/8 oz., 7 1/2 shot. Would not function 100%. A round would sometimes be left on the lifter with the bolt locked back. I thought this would be normal since the gun is brand new and it still has the tactical "heavy" recoil spring in it.

Then tried some 3 1/4 dram, 1 1/8 oz., 7 1/2 shot. Worked perfect when shooting slow, but shooting very fast it would sometimes have an unfired shell in the chamber but the trigger would not drop the hammer. Like it had not been reset. I had to pull the bolt about 3/4 of the way back, let it go, then it would work. By then my fingers were frozen (not kidding, they were white and when I tapped them on the shotgun stock I could feel nothing , gotta love Minnesota) so I don't really know if I had let the trigger go all of the way forward to reset or not. This one puzzles me.

#4 Buckshot functioned perfectly.

I have a "regular" recoil spring on order to replace the factory Tactical "heavy" spring. I will also be having Benny Hill do his bolt lightening trick once I get a few hundred rounds through the gun. Any other ideas or helpful hints from the Benelli gurus of the forum?

[benny hill]

The un-fired round in the chamber is because you are out-running the bolt. This will not happen in a match as you do not just hose one target. Also the lighten bolt will cycle faster. It is not a issue.

[Neil Smith]

The un-fired round in the chamber is because you are out-running the bolt. This will not happen in a match as you do not just hose one target. Also the lighten bolt will cycle faster. It is not a issue.

Benny is spot on, if your trigger finger can run faster than 0.13 sec splits then the hammer follows the bolt on a Bennelli, read Pat Kellys extensive investigation into the fastest firing shotgun here.

http://www.multigun.com/speedsg.html

In a match this is never gonna be an issue, target seperation will take care of the problem.

Neil

[GringoPerdido]

I had a similar problem way back in the old days (about 1995) while shooting the SOF match in Las Vegas.

Benelli M1S90 ran perfect in practice, using full power buckshot, right up until the first shotgun stage of the match. First and every shot after the beep, the hammer followed the bolt down on a live round.

Rack the bolt to eject the live round, release a round, rack it to chamber the round, pull trigger, repeat...not quite the recipe for speed.

Turned out the 'big match" nerves had me holding the shotgun solid with a BGDG.

(Big Guy Death Grip.)

No movement under recoil = no cycling...I learned fast to relax my grip.

Maybe you had a death grip on it?

[Brian Payne]

There is a thought I hadn't come up with. I was hanging on pretty good.

I did some shooting with my strong hand only and never had any problems. Then shot some with weak hand only and also never had any problems. Don't ask me why I was shooting with one hand only, just trying to make it jam I guess. I have the pistol grip stock so it makes shooting one handed very easy.

Love the gun. Can't wait for spring to get here.