Please Help! Stoeger M3K Freedom (M3000)

[Yodaman]

Hi all, I can really use some help here.

I have a Stoeger M3K Freedom which is the M3000 basically and I am having loading issues. I am new to autoloaders so please forgive me if I get a term wrong or describe it missing some details.

But, when I hit the shell release a round gets on the carrier, and at times it won't load. Sometimes it gets stuck and doesn't bind on anything it just doesn't get lifted into the chamber. Sometimes it does load.

And at times it seems to bind up on the shell still in the magazine tube.

But in both cases, as soon as I give a very light tap on the carrier from the bottom, it loads. Sometimes, just flipping the entire shotgun over so the magazine tube is on tops, makes the round feed. It so weird. I have no clue if it the carrier spring, the magazine spring or what.

I took it apart and degreased the trigger assembly and rubbed it. I checked the carrier spring and it seems to look good. It never did this before and it only has about 60 rounds through it.

I'm contemplating just buying a new trigger assembly group rather than sending in to Stoeger since I have never used the mail system to send something in and have heard horror stories. But that is an options, just hopefully the last.

The picture on top is where the round seems to touch the round in the magazine and the bottom is where there is space between the round in the magazine and the round on the carrier.


I will take any help the brain trust can give or if you know a good armorer in the north OC area that would be great too.

[deadcoyote]

Are those real shells or snap caps? If real shells have you tried different types? If snap caps have you tried real shells (in a safe range type environment)? Need more cowbell.

[meno377]

If those are snap caps, empty the gun, load a shell into the receiver, close the bolt, then load one into the magazine tube. Obviously with snap caps, squeeze the trigger, then pull the bolt back very quickly to somewhat mimic a real fired round that would recycle the bolt and see if the next shell loads into the chamber.

If that doesn't work, take it to a range with REAL shells and do the same sequence minus YOU pulling the bolt back. The shell will take care of that. The speed of the bolt recycling might be the reason for loading the next round into the chamber.

Worth a try before taking it to a gunsmith.

[Yodaman]

Are those real shells or snap caps? If real shells have you tried different types? If snap caps have you tried real shells (in a safe range type environment)? Need more cowbell.

[deadcoyote]

Also, I own this same shotgun. Stoeger recommends running 200 higher powered rounds like buckshot or slugs through for a break in. I realize in the current moment that’s not very feasible but I did it and mine runs 100%. They also recommend you run 3 dram charge minimum loads for low brass type shells in it for reliability.

[deadcoyote]

Well, I’m probably out of ideas for you. I would take it out and try to shoot it with some buckshot to see if it breaks in at all. Outside of that maybe someone else on here has a better idea.

[JagerDog]

To piggy back on others. Try real rounds under real conditions. Things can be different when there's actual dynamics going on. If you still have issues, try different ammo.