KSG-12 (Non-Functioning)

[outlawdaveyjones]

Tried regular birdshot from Federal & Winchester (100 Round Box). Won't work worth a ****. Have to run Buckshot or 00 Buck or Slugs which costs money but its works 85% of the time! Is there a break in period before it cycles everything? I Slide pump hard enough to catch the next cartridge, pull trigger to find out nothing is in the tube. What have you all done to make it work both ways?

[69Mach1]

What position is the mag tube selector on? Are you having a feeding issue? A trigger reset issue? A mag tube issue?

[Thanatos2203]

Being that it is a pump, bird shot versus buck shot shouldn't make a real difference in the way that it cycles. If you cycle the gun and it ejects, but then there is nothing in the chamber, it sounds like you are short stroking it. The KSG requires a very deliberate pump both going backwards and forwards. I have some well trained and competent guys have similar problems with my old one. They would then hand it back to me and I would shoot it without issue. Make sure you are giving it a full cycle all the way back when you are pumping the action.

[SkyHawk]

Yes, the KSG requires a very deliberate, like you really mean it - stroke.

[jmaglipay]

I had similar issue with my ksg with 100 round pack winchester bird shot. It would double feed or fail to eject the spent shell 60% of the time. It has to be the worst firearm purchase I've ever made.

[Thefeeder]

A pump needs to be smooth enough to rack with just the thumb and one finger.

Rough and stiff is just unreliable in my book.

[K001]

Which gen ksg makes a big difference...

[elSquid]

I’ve only had a chance to dryfire a recent production KSG with dummy rounds, so keep that in mind...

That said, one thing that I noticed was an apparent “false stop” while running the pump slowly.(1) What happens is that you appear to hit the end of the rearward pump travel, then run the action forward, but no shell gets picked up.

It turns out that if you pull through the false stop - it takes a decent amount of effort - you get another third or so inch of travel...and a shell gets released from a tube.

I pulled out a newish 870 and did the same test; the difference was noticeable as to how easy it was with the 870 during a slow pump.

The upshot appears to be that the KSG -really- needs a hard rack to ensure full travel of the action, and release of the shell. It’s not very forgiving. This was a new KSG, not sure if there is a break in where things get easier.

My guess is that when the OP is using heavy loads, he’s more likely to have adrenaline encouraging a hearty rack.

— Michael

(1) the reason why I was running it slowly was because I was having the odd issue running it normally, so I wanted to get a better look at what was going on.

[Nephthys]

Originally Posted by elSquid

I’ve only had a chance to dryfire a recent production KSG with dummy rounds, so keep that in mind...

That said, one thing that I noticed was an apparent “false stop” while running the pump slowly.(1) What happens is that you appear to hit the end of the rearward pump travel, then run the action forward, but no shell gets picked up.

It turns out that if you pull through the false stop - it takes a decent amount of effort - you get another third or so inch of travel...and a shell gets released from a tube.

I pulled out a newish 870 and did the same test; the difference was noticeable as to how easy it was with the 870 during a slow pump.

The upshot appears to be that the KSG -really- needs a hard rack to ensure full travel of the action, and release of the shell. It’s not very forgiving. This was a new KSG, not sure if there is a break in where things get easier.

I've had my KSG (gen2 or 3, unsure) since Sept of last year, and have ran over 1k rounds through it, mostly slugs. I know that little "false stop" and that 1/3rd inch travel you're talking about, and it hasn't smoothed out for me. That said though, I believe I won the KelTec production lottery with my KSG, of those 1000 shots, I haven't had any malfunctions of any kind that weren't induced by me.

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

Mine had a shell release issue on my left tube. Sounds like the same isue. Try dry cycling a couple hundred times. The problem went away for me after doing this and has been totally reliable since, even with aluminum short base walmart ammo.

[outlawdaveyjones]

Ok, up to ball on everyone's response:

1. My selector is always left or right when firing and have both issues reloading. The ejection is fine. Only in the middle when sitting in my bag when I travel to the range.

2. Its definitely not a GEN 1. Almost certain its a GEN 2, and not a GEN 3.

3. I do rack it back full stroke and a full stroke forward. I have a shorty Tapco forward grip on it.

4. I do notice a huge difference with High & Low brass. The High brass being on the slugs & buckshot seem to flow for a few rounds then give up. Maybe I'm just not racking the pump hard enough and still need to break it in?

[NETar]

Make sure to lube it well.

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

Originally Posted by outlawdaveyjones

Ok, up to ball on everyone's response:

1. My selector is always left or right when firing and have both issues reloading. The ejection is fine. Only in the middle when sitting in my bag when I travel to the range.

2. Its definitely not a GEN 1. Almost certain its a GEN 2, and not a GEN 3.

3. I do rack it back full stroke and a full stroke forward. I have a shorty Tapco forward grip on it.

4. I do notice a huge difference with High & Low brass. The High brass being on the slugs & buckshot seem to flow for a few rounds then give up. Maybe I'm just not racking the pump hard enough and still need to break it in?

Let's see if I got this straight. Your having no problems with extraction or ejection. Your problem is after firing, extracting and ejecting a spent case and moving the pump forward the next she'll isn't being released from the magazine tube so it can be chambered?

If so that is the exact problem I was having. Also unless your having problems with sticky extraction I don't see how high or low base would make a difference.

Also note that Keltec does not recommend aluminum low base shells due to supposed sticky extraction issues with those shells. But like I said earlier mine runs fine with them.