Benelli M4 "unloading" problem

[720]

I bought a new Benelli M4 tactical recently, and I'm very impressed with this shotgun. But I'm having problems unloading shells from the magazine tube by depressing the cartridge Retaining lever. I have been able to unload using this method, but it is surprisingly difficult and I often cannot get the last one or two shells to unload. I've heard that a lot of people have experienced this problem.

Has anybody experienced this problem? Have you found any solutions? Will this problem go away after the shotgun is broken in? Thank you for any advise you can give me.

[c-mac]

I never had that issue. What kind of shells are you using?

[tyrist]

if you rotate the shell it sometimes help. You are keeping the bolt pulled back the entire time correct?

[Corbin Dallas]

Should not be a problem. Make sure your bolt is all the way forward. Don't ride it, let it slam home.

[720]

it's a brand new M4 and i haven't had a chance yet to get out there and break it in properly. i've just been familiarizing myself with the M4, and in the process i wanted to load up the magazine and unload it just for fun. that's when i noticed how difficult it was to unload the magazine using the cartridge retention lever. so tonight i loaded/unloaded the magazine about a thousand times and it's starting to unload noticeably easier. i'm pretty sure that my problem was just due to everything being new and not broken in at all. it's still a little tricky unloading the last shell for some reason, but at least now i can get it to unload. previously, i just could not get the last shell out. period.

btw, i've been using 2-3/4 inch low brass and high brass shells of all types (winchester, remington primarily) and it seemed slightly easier to unload high brass for some reason. probably skinner's pigeons

thanks for all the help

[NorCalAthlete]

Haven't had any problems with mine unloading, but actually just recently I noticed that even when the "unload" lever is out, IE the shotgun is loaded, I can rack the bolt back and unload the gun without pressing the button or the trigger. Not sure what's up with that, seems to be fine otherwise. I'm pretty sure it's something to do with me putting it back together after remounting the OEM stock but not entirely sure what I did. I'll be fiddling with it later if anyone wants to chime in on ideas.

[HKMadness]

that last one is trickier, eh? is it as if there were something wrong with the spring behind it? too loose perhaps?

[PEBKAC]

I have had that problem, but likely for a different reason, and only once.

In my case, the brass rim of the shotshell had become somewhat deformed and refused to leave without me removing the FCG, holding the shell retaining lever out of the way, and hitting the stock on the ground a few times. I fixed the problem by not loading that shell into the magazine.

In your case, as long as they come out otherwise, it sounds like a weak/too short spring.

[720]

i have had the same exact problem unloading the shells from my completely stock M4. then i replaced the stock magazine and spring with a VERY NICE titanium 7 shell magazine tube with a spring made specifically for the 7 shell magazine. i experienced the exact same unloading problems as before, so i'm thinking the problem was some how with the cartridge retention lever itself. if you take a close look at how that lever works it's fairly simple and only a very small piece of the lever protrudes just enough to hold the cartridges from being forced out of the magazine under pressure from the magazine spring. you can see how the lever was designed such that the small protruding edge can be moved to the side by pressing on it with your finger allowing the next shell in the magazine to enter the receiver.

in my case, something may be just slightly out of tolerance so that when i depress the cartridge retention lever it just doesn't quite allow me to depress it enough (no matter how hard i press) for the shell to be released. but after doing this a thousand times last night (my fingers still hurt this morning) it seems that it's getting easier and is working better.

i'm hoping that when i actually get to break in the gun properly by shooting hundreds of shells that a combination of heat, pressures, vibrations, lubricants, etc. will free up this lever just a bit more so it will allow me to unload much more easily in the future

btw, if you aren't familiar with a guy named "kip" at carriercomp.com you should go to the benelli forums www.benelliusa.com/forum and read what people think of him and his products for the M4 kip makes some first class accessories for the M4 including 7 shell titanium tubes and a VERY NICE hybrid titanium/steel enlarged charging handle.

here's kip's description of the magazine tube spring they provide along with their 7 shell magazine tube:

We developed this exclusive replacement spring, made to our specifications for the Benelli M4 equipped with a Full Length magazine tube, utilizing W.C. Wolff's proprietary HTCS materials, that exceed the OEM's spring properties in many critical respects. Ever have the OEM spring "get away" from you during takedown/removal? If you noticed it kinked, and required straightening, then you've seen 1st hand one of it's weak links. A spring that kinks easily, will likewise take a "set" easily, diminishing its performance capabilities. No other spring on the market has ever been specifically engineered for the Benelli M4 full length magazine body... until now!! Note; Our Benelli Full Length TITANIUM Magazine Tubes include this "Extra-Power" Spring FREE! Will also work with the "8th round EXTENDER Nuts" made by carriercomp

[L84CABO]

They can be hard to unload...

http://www.benelliusa.com/forum/showthread.php/26311-New-to-Benelli-having-trouble-with-unloading

[themailman]

Cycle it. Thats what I did with my issued 1014.

[FARRIER]

Try pushing the shells slightly forward and then see if they come out. It's a little tricky to do at first cause it's just a wierd feeling pushing that tiny piece. Also after a few hundred rounds mine was significantly easier. Still hard to press but easier than at first. I'm pretty sure its a good thing that it is hard to depress as far as being rugged piece. But i understand your pain.

[720]

Thanks farrier. Some people have told me that there's nothing wrong with the M4 so it must be cockpit error. I've tried fiddling around with pushing the shell inwards like you suggested, but nothing seems to help. But I have seen the problem start to improve after i loaded/unloaded a ton of shells the other evening

I'm sorry that you have experienced the same "issue", but I'm glad to hear that the problem improves with usage