3-Gun Benelli Malfunctions

[Excelsior]

I ran a 1100CM for 7 years. Did fine for 3 1/2 years then started having issues.
Jams, not ejecting, not feeding. Did ALL the things to get it to run but just got tired of not having a gun that was unreliable. Some people have 1100/1187's run with no problems. Hated cleaning it. Pain in the butt. Looked real hard at the FN and the Mossberg 930. Bought a Salient M2 after shooting a friends. They do kick more than a gas gun, but it is so, so easy to clean. Salients have the bolt lightened, loading gate opened up, lifter welded up, trigger job, barrel tuned, larger safety, larger bolt release, I Bond treatment. No issues with loads a light as 2.75 drams, had to run 3.25 in my 1100. So far the Salient had worked with all loads. No issues with 3 Gun Gear 8 round side saddle and a +2 mounted on the reciever. Fast shooting and light. LOVE MINE. Shooting a 3 gun match is not like shooting trap or skeet on a concrete and grass range.
Put 36 rounds down range in 60 seconds while kicking up dust at a range then dumping it in a barrel to transition to your rifle or pistol, do that 2-3 times and day for a couple of days at a major match. All 3 gun competition shotguns FN, Mossberg 930, Remington 1100/1187, even stock M2's need to be worked on to get ready for 3 gun. The Salient is ready to run from the box.

Did you ever figure out what changed with your 1100? Something did and it it would have been repaired correctly you would have been on your way.

So you too shoot a lot of stages that requires 36 shotgun shots in one minute? Really?

[3GunFunShooter]

As a matter of fact I have shot stages that require 36 shots. I have been to 5 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals and Superstition Mystery Mountian. 15 NCPS 3 Gun matches at Sac Valley. As far as the Remington goes, having a gunsmith who know about the rigors of 3 gun, they are limited, and the ones that do know about 3 gun, Benny Hill, have given up on trying to keep Remingtons running for 3 gun. JP quit offering their modified 1187 for sale because of the problems. I heard JP even switched to a Benelli. There was Shaun Cardrock who would do a reliability package to the 1100/1187 and he quit. I changed the o rings at each cleaning, drilled out the gas ports, changed the piston, changed the mag spring, went to a Sure-Cycle recoil spring, changed the interceptor latch, polished the chamber, used Mobile One oil, use Rem Oil, polished the inside and outside of the mag tube, changed the follower, shot only AA Winchester 3.25 dram loads. I really did like my Remington, loved the new factory pistol grip stock. Soft shooting. I really hope Robbie, Remingtons sponsored 3 gun shooter, can get the bugs worked out on the Versa Max and as someone who has owned Remingtons for over 40 years I would buy one again if they would run reliable all the time. I really did not want to spent that kind of $$ on the Salient or drink the tomato sauce, but I wanted a shotgun that I could trust to run and not choke a major match with only 50 rounds after major cleaning.

[Excelsior]

As a matter of fact I have shot stages that require 36 shots. I have been to 5 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals and Superstition Mystery Mountian. 15 NCPS 3 Gun matches at Sac Valley. As far as the Remington goes, having a gunsmith who know about the rigors of 3 gun, they are limited, and the ones that do know about 3 gun, Benny Hill, have given up on trying to keep Remingtons running for 3 gun. JP quit offering their modified 1187 for sale because of the problems. I heard JP even switched to a Benelli. There was Shaun Cardrock who would do a reliability package to the 1100/1187 and he quit. I changed the o rings at each cleaning, drilled out the gas ports, changed the piston, changed the mag spring, went to a Sure-Cycle recoil spring, changed the interceptor latch, polished the chamber, used Mobile One oil, use Rem Oil, polished the inside and outside of the mag tube, changed the follower, shot only AA Winchester 3.25 dram loads. I really did like my Remington, loved the new factory pistol grip stock. Soft shooting. I really hope Robbie, Remingtons sponsored 3 gun shooter, can get the bugs worked out on the Versa Max and as someone who has owned Remingtons for over 40 years I would buy one again if they would run reliable all the time. I really did not want to spent that kind of $$ on the Salient or drink the tomato sauce, but I wanted a shotgun that I could trust to run and not choke a major match with only 50 rounds after major cleaning.

A 36 shot shotgun stage would be an exception -- an extreme exception.

Benny Hill writes (at length) over at BrianEnos.com about prepping Jerry Miculek's Mossberg and how it ran throughout a major match unlike the 6-7 Benellis he left the match with -- all belonging to brand new customers. So yes, a great deal depends on preparation.

I know a Browning A5 would easily survive a 3Gun match -- time after time. Why doesn't anyone use them? Too heavy? Excessive recoil? Difficult to load?

[3GunFunShooter]

The 5 Dogs Winter Classic 3 gun match has stages with 44 rounds, the MGM Iron Man has 100 round stages. Check to see what most all the major winners are using. Yes, I know what Benny writes at Enos about the Mossberg. I almost bought his first 930 tactical conversion back in October after talking with him at the 3Gun Nationals. Friend of mine has the first open division he has done for sale, on order now. It's been 3 months. The question about the Benelli's that crapped out at the match, where they his conversions! LOL!

[prc77]

A 36 shot shotgun stage would be an exception -- an extreme exception.

Benny Hill writes (at length) over at BrianEnos.com about prepping Jerry Miculek's Mossberg and how it ran throughout a major match unlike the 6-7 Benellis he left the match with -- all belonging to brand new customers. So yes, a great deal depends on preparation.

I know a Browning A5 would easily survive a 3Gun match -- time after time. Why doesn't anyone use them? Too heavy? Excessive recoil? Difficult to load?

Did BH leave with said shotgun because thet crapped out, or are they all new job orders for him.
Bring you A5 out to Richmond Rod & Gun June 26th and see what it and you can do. That is, if you can meet the requirements.

[Excelsior]

The 5 Dogs Winter Classic 3 gun match has stages with 44 rounds, the MGM Iron Man has 100 round stages. Check to see what most all the major winners are using. Yes, I know what Benny writes at Enos about the Mossberg. I almost bought his first 930 tactical conversion back in October after talking with him at the 3Gun Nationals. Friend of mine has the first open division he has done for sale, on order now. It's been 3 months. The question about the Benelli's that crapped out at the match, where they his conversions! LOL!

Stages or matches?

If it was a 100 sound single stage, did you bring a forklift to carry your ammo for the entire match?

As I said they were brand new customers of Benny Hill's -- those he picked-up AT the event...

[Excelsior]

Did BH leave with said shotgun because thet crapped out, or are they all new job orders for him.
Bring you A5 out to Richmond Rod & Gun June 26th and see what it and you can do. That is, if you can meet the requirements.

Naw, the barrel is too long and I don't want to cut it.

But I will make a run or two locally and see how it does. If it's not too heavy, if the recoil doesn't kill me and most important if I can reload the thing under pressure (something I have no practiced) I'll look for a shorter barrel.

[Excelsior]

Did BH leave with said shotgun because thet crapped out, or are they all new job orders for him.
Bring you A5 out to Richmond Rod & Gun June 26th and see what it and you can do. That is, if you can meet the requirements.

That is what I understood from reading his postings.

[prc77]

Naw, the barrel is too long and I don't want to cut it.

But I will make a run or two locally and see how it does. If it's not too heavy, if the recoil doesn't kill me and most important if I can reload the thing under pressure (something I have no practiced) I'll look for a shorter barrel.

We have a field class that you can shoot the A5 in. Shoot your 870 or 590 in Tac
If you meet the requirements

[3GunFunShooter]

I believe that the Richmond shotgun match has a stage with over 40 rounds.
Iron Man has stages that are a 100 rounds, yes they do stage ammo over the course of fire. To be honest 3 gun shotgunning is not about shooting, it is about reloading. Remingtons are fine for the guys that are strong hand loading doing the Cooley Flip and Burn, but where the Benelli, FN and Winchester stand out is with the weak hand loading. Much easier and faster. There is a NorCal shooter that can shoot one, load 8 shoot, one in under 7 seconds. Tactical Division, not Open. Hard to do with a Remington.

[prc77]

I believe that the Richmond shotgun match has a stage with over 40 rounds.
Iron Man has stages that are a 100 rounds, yes they do stage ammo over the course of fire. To be honest 3 gun shotgunning is not about shooting, it is about reloading. Remingtons are fine for the guys that are strong hand loading doing the Cooley Flip and Burn, but where the Benelli, FN and Winchester stand out is with the weak hand loading. Much easier and faster. There is a NorCal shooter that can shoot one, load 8 shoot, one in under 7 seconds. Tactical Division, not Open. Hard to do with a Remington.

Faster than that. Keith Garcia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc62hQe0IM4&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[Salient Arms Int.]

How does your Salient differ from a stock Benelli?

Hello here is what we do to a Benelli . Hope this helps.

We take the stock Benelli and do a couple of fundemental changes.

• We lighten the weight of the bolt, with relief cuts on both sides
• Lighten the recoil spring
• trigger job
• stipple forend and stock
• cut toe and heal of butt pad for a more positive contact
• mill out the bottom feeding area of reciever , and smooth and polish feeding ramps and area
• weld lift gate , smooth and polish
• cut a 10/22 V style relief cut on bottom of reciever between the forend and feeding area
• Mag extension , customer option 7,8, or 9 shot
• Straighten barrel
• depending on your system sights are an option

Bolt is refinished by Ion Bond and we recoat the receivers with cerecoate.

[mif_slim]

I've been preping my 11-87 for 3-gun and to be honest I've had my shotgun pass down to my by my father back in the early 90's and I havent changed the o-ring at all...its seen over 5k rounds easy since I used it to hunt everything from upland game to varmint to big game hunting and currently practicing 3-gun type shooting....anything I should worry about? I've had a few hiccups but I think it was more due to dirty'ness then anything...

[cal3gunner]

The 5 Dogs Winter Classic 3 gun match has stages with 44 rounds, the MGM Iron Man has 100 round stages. Check to see what most all the major winners are using. Yes, I know what Benny writes at Enos about the Mossberg. I almost bought his first 930 tactical conversion back in October after talking with him at the 3Gun Nationals. Friend of mine has the first open division he has done for sale, on order now. It's been 3 months. The question about the Benelli's that crapped out at the match, where they his conversions! LOL!

At this years 5 dog winter classic I shot the big shotgun stage which was 40+ rounds. At the very end of the stage I stepped on the activator to throw the flying clay. The clay didn't launch. I had to do a reshoot. I went over to the truck, loaded all my caddies, and the caddies I was borrowing, dumped a box of shells in to my cargo pants pocket, and reshot the stage. That was a lot of shooting.
I shot high base #6s on the spinner. Slugs on the paper targets and cheap federal walmart bulk packs on all the other steel and clays. No jams at all.

I've barely done any cleaning on my Benelli. The only reason I did was because I wanted to take it apart to see the insides and that was after about 4 or 5 matches. When I got it, I only ran half a box of birdshot and maybe 5 slugs through it before I started shooting it in matches.

I'm not saying Benelli is the only option. I chose to put my money into a Salient Benelli and I'm very happy with it and don't regret it at all.

[Excelsior]

Hello here is what we do to a Benelli . Hope this helps.

We take the stock Benelli and do a couple of fundemental changes.

• We lighten the weight of the bolt, with relief cuts on both sides
• Lighten the recoil spring
• trigger job
• stipple forend and stock
• cut toe and heal of butt pad for a more positive contact
• mill out the bottom feeding area of reciever , and smooth and polish feeding ramps and area
• weld lift gate , smooth and polish
• cut a 10/22 V style relief cut on bottom of reciever between the forend and feeding area
• Mag extension , customer option 7,8, or 9 shot
• Straighten barrel
• depending on your system sights are an option

Bolt is refinished by Ion Bond and we recoat the receivers with cerecoate.

I'm sorta wondering why Benelli doesn't do a great deal of this before the ship the guns? Especially the "Straighten barrel" comment...