Benelli thumb fixed by Randall

[mikeinla]

Benelli thumb fixed by Randall Rausch at www.ar15barrels.com

[esskay]

Nice work, looks great. That thing will chew your thumb up if you don't get this sort of thing done!! You should consider giving it back to him to open up and smooth out the opening too.

[MrNiceGuy]

Mind showing your Benelli brothers how you fixed that DMW button plate to the handguard?

[Prowler]

Mind showing your Benelli brothers how you fixed that DMW button plate to the handguard?

It looks like a Speed Bar from Dave's Metal Works.

[ke6guj]

Mind explaining what you guys are talking about

[Prowler]

At the top of the picture, you can see the bolt handle. It's the sheet metal piece that has the bolt release button under it. You can barely see the bolt release. The sheet metal piece slips under the foregrip and the foregrip holds it in place once everything is tightened up. It allows you to release the bolt more quickly by squeezing the speed bar, thus speeding up your shooting process.

[ke6guj]

so you would push on that steel piece which would push on the bolt release, instead of just pushing on the bolt release button? Why? faster? easier to hit?

[buffybuster]

What you guys are talking about is NOT Benelli Thumb. Obviously you've never had "benelli thumb".

What benellit thumb is: The OEM cartridge carrier has a "U-shaped" relief in the front lip of the carrier to ease loading of the magazine. Unfortunately in the heat of real-life/matches, when you are jamming rounds into the magazine, your thumb pushes the round all the way into the magazine and then your thumb gets caught between the cartridge carrier and the front edge of the loading port with your thumb still partway in the magazine tube. You're in a hurry so you rip in out of there....... tearing the all the skin off the top of your thumb down to your thumbnail.

After that happens, everyone gets that "U-shaped" relief welded up, filled in and squared off, so there's no room for your thumb to become caught.

[PEBKAC]

Yes...much easier to hit I would imagine...as it stands if you try to push that button fast it can be somewhat uncomfortable...or you just end up missing the button. I should probably get one of these. >_>

Good to know about the nasty Benelli thumb from the carrier though...that is one thing I wouldn't want to have happen either. O_O

[randy]

Buffy buster you are almost 100% correct except for a couple of things.

The cut out isn't for loading the magazine. It is to help center the shell when it enters the chamber. The cut out allows the shell to go in straighter/flatter.

The others were commenting on the speed bar not the shell lifter.

Randall it looks like you did a great job.

[esskay]

Good to know about the nasty Benelli thumb from the carrier though...that is one thing I wouldn't want to have happen either. O_O

If you're sitting in a duck blind, it's not so much an issue. When you're on the clock, shooting a 3-gun stage and trying to load 4 shells at a time -- your thumb is likely going to be toast without welding up the carrier like this.

[Prowler]

so you would push on that steel piece which would push on the bolt release, instead of just pushing on the bolt release button? Why? faster? easier to hit?

Yes, it's faster. You don't focus on finding the bolt release button as much, hence the quicker back-on-target time. You can use several fingers and just squeeze down, instead of using the "braille" method.

[Black Majik]

How much does Randall charge to modify the shell lifter? Even casually loading rounds into the magazine tube on my M3 gets my thumb caught between the carrier.

[buffybuster]

Buffy buster you are almost 100% correct except for a couple of things.

The cut out isn't for loading the magazine. It is to help center the shell when it enters the chamber. The cut out allows the shell to go in straighter/flatter.

The others were commenting on the speed bar not the shell lifter.

Randall it looks like you did a great job.

Randy,

You're absolutely correct. I had it done sooo long along it slipped my mind. If the carrier modification is done properly with the front lip profiled correctly, it will still center the round and present it to the chamber at the OEM angle.

I consider this modification and absolute necessity for any benelli.

Thanks for reminding me.

[mikeinla]

How much does Randall charge to modify the shell lifter? Even casually loading rounds into the magazine tube on my M3 gets my thumb caught between the carrier.

PM him. He has also done work on my AR-15