[ledavatar]

So I got my Benny Benelli M2 tactical package (21" barrel) a couple of months ago, tested it with various loads - target shot (Remington gun club 1185fps, walmart special Federals and Winchesters), slugs (winchester low recoil slug RA12RS15), buck (Winchester Military-Grade 00buck), low recoil buck (winchester low recoil 00 buck RA10005) - and all ran fine. I even tested the ghost load 9+1+1 option and it ran just fine. I ran maybe close to 60-70rds of shells through it in testing with zero problems.

My setup other than the stock configuration is this: 5rd extension tube with clamp, mesa tactical 8rd side saddle (aluminum), hi viz fiber optic

Then I took it to my first 3gun match and experienced some cycling issues. Most times it's when I start with the gun loaded (10 or 11 rounds in the gun, 8 in the side saddle) - the first round in the chamber would fire just fine, but the gun would not feed the second round. I would manually cock the gun for the second round an then subsequent rounds are fine. But this is not consistently so. Once it did not feed a round maybe after 5-6 rounds and I had to manually chamber a round.

I did some research and I think there are a couple of reasons why this could be the issue:

1) I'm holding the gun too tight during competition and I'm going against the M2's inertia driven cycling system
2) I'm running too light a load - Remington Gun Club #8shot 1185fps
3) My gun is too heavy - my aluminum side saddle + 8 rounds, + 10-11rds in the tube are too heavy for the inertia cycling system (although Mesa Tactical says it did extensive research about this issue and did not find it to be an issue)
4) I didn't clean the gun enough - I didn't clean the gun after 60-70rds before the match
5) I'm not operating the gun correctly - e.g. there's something about the tiny cartridge drop lever that I should know about

I'm wondering if you guys have ever experienced this issue and can shed some light on how you resolved it. As I'm new to shotguns in general, I'm most curious about #5.

Thanks in advance.

Here's the video to my first 3gun match - OBcats 3-gun match 10/24/09. I finished #8 out of 29 which I was surprised about since I thought I sucked so much, but it was just so much excitement and I couldn't care less about the score. I can't wait for the next one.

[steel1212]

I would just call Benny up and pick his brain....he did build it for you

[Merlin Orr]

steel1212, on Oct 27 2009, 11:22 AM, said:

I would just call Benny up and pick his brain....he did build it for you

+1

Why would you even think of asking anyone else?

[00bullitt]

Without a doubt....call Benny first. When you bought from him....you paid for his expertise. Get your moneys worth.

Benny is always willing to help from my experience. I know a dozen guys he has helped and they didnt even buy guns from him.

[gose]

I had two FTFs with my Benny M2 during the Nats, so I guess I'll be calling Benny today as well...

[Larry White]

ledavatar, on Oct 27 2009, 08:33 AM, said:

So I got my Benny Benelli M2 tactical package (21" barrel) a couple of months ago, tested it with various loads - target shot (Remington gun club 1185fps, walmart special Federals and Winchesters), slugs (winchester low recoil slug RA12RS15), buck (Winchester Military-Grade 00buck), low recoil buck (winchester low recoil 00 buck RA10005) - and all ran fine. I even tested the ghost load 9+1+1 option and it ran just fine. I ran maybe close to 60-70rds of shells through it in testing with zero problems.

My setup other than the stock configuration is this: 5rd extension tube with clamp, mesa tactical 8rd side saddle (aluminum), hi viz fiber optic

Then I took it to my first 3gun match and experienced some cycling issues. Most times it's when I start with the gun loaded (10 or 11 rounds in the gun, 8 in the side saddle) - the first round in the chamber would fire just fine, but the gun would not feed the second round. I would manually cock the gun for the second round an then subsequent rounds are fine. But this is not consistently so. Once it did not feed a round maybe after 5-6 rounds and I had to manually chamber a round.

I did some research and I think there are a couple of reasons why this could be the issue:

1) I'm holding the gun too tight during competition and I'm going against the M2's inertia driven cycling system
2) I'm running too light a load - Remington Gun Club #8shot 1185fps
3) My gun is too heavy - my aluminum side saddle + 8 rounds, + 10-11rds in the tube are too heavy for the inertia cycling system (although Mesa Tactical says it did extensive research about this issue and did not find it to be an issue)
4) I didn't clean the gun enough - I didn't clean the gun after 60-70rds before the match
5) I'm not operating the gun correctly - e.g. there's something about the tiny cartridge drop lever that I should know about

I'm wondering if you guys have ever experienced this issue and can shed some light on how you resolved it. As I'm new to shotguns in general, I'm most curious about #5.

Thanks in advance.

Here's the video to my first 3gun match - OBcats 3-gun match 10/24/09. I finished #8 out of 29 which I was surprised about since I thought I sucked so much, but it was just so much excitement and I couldn't care less about the score. I can't wait for the next one.

Side saddle held on with screws? Back them off some. You have probaly bound up the reciever. That is the reason Benny uses the velcro side saddles. Use 3dr 1 1/8 oz loads, that wally world stuff sucks.-----------Larry

This post has been edited by Larry White: 27 October 2009 - 12:11 PM

[Merlin Orr]

gose, on Oct 27 2009, 12:58 PM, said:

I had two FTFs with my Benny M2 during the Nats, so I guess I'll be calling Benny today as well...

Usually.... Keep the tube clean - no oil and grit - and change the spring once a year or so and you will have no problems. Occasionally I have found shells with fat or swollen bases on them that can cause problems. I have also had a problem when I did not get the gun shouldered properly when I pulled the trigger - off side barricade or shooting after loading before I got the gun snugged up and the recoil driven Bennelli did not fully cycle and pick the shell up. IF you are shooting low power loads (1 oz cheapies) this happens much more frequently........

Just my experience.....

[gose]

Merlin Orr, on Oct 27 2009, 11:21 AM, said:

gose, on Oct 27 2009, 12:58 PM, said:

I had two FTFs with my Benny M2 during the Nats, so I guess I'll be calling Benny today as well...

Usually.... Keep the tube clean - no oil and grit - and change the spring once a year or so and you will have no problems. Occasionally I have found shells with fat or swollen bases on them that can cause problems. I have also had a problem when I did not get the gun shouldered properly when I pulled the trigger - off side barricade or shooting after loading before I got the gun snugged up and the recoil driven Bennelli did not fully cycle and pick the shell up. IF you are shooting low power loads (1 oz cheapies) this happens much more frequently........
Just my experience.....

This was on the second shotgun stage (12) of day 2 and I did clean it the night before (even though not completely). Shooting Wally world federal bulkpacks.
Both times it looked like the loading gate failed to lift them into the chamber. The first time it took a while to figure out that all I had to do was to push the lifter up to chamber the round. It was faster the second time, but still not fast enough to get the darn flying clays...

I've had it for two years now, so maybe I should replace the spring. It was the first jams I've had with it, afaik, but maybe it's a sign of things to come. Guess it can't hurt to change the spring before Benning

[benny hill]

Weak mag spring can cause that malf.------------Larry

[ledavatar]

benny hill, on Oct 27 2009, 03:04 PM, said:

Weak mag spring can cause that malf.------------Larry

First, thanks for all the comments. The reason why I didn't call first was that it's pretty difficult to talk at work about gun-related stuff, and I have pretty long hours. I'll try to make some time for it.

1) I do remember screwing in the side saddle pretty tightly, so I'll try backing it off some.

2) I had been shooting the wally world specials and the remington gun club 1185fps shells in practice just fine, but the problem happened on pretty much all the stages - the only difference i can think of was maybe during the stress of the match, i'm gripping the gun tighter, and i'm loading to full capacity with side saddle full.

3) As for the velcro vs. the side saddle, I guess I just didn't like the velcro. It didn't feel that secure to me, especially with a full load. The mesa tactical holder worked fine for my on my 870pump, so I thought I'd give it a shot (pun intended) for the benelli since the website said they did extensive testing on benelli inertia systems and they worked fine. I guess I can test

4) Thanks for chiming in Benny - I know you cruise the forums! As for the weak mag spring, I assume it came with a new spring so I don't see how it could have degraded so quickly? Do you really think that's the issue? If so, where/which one do I need to get?

Moreover, I'm scratching my head as to why the problem usually occurs on the 2nd round in a string - I mentioned that i would rack the bolt back, drop the bolt, load to capacity, then open the bolt again and drop a round into the chamber. That first round in the chamber would fire, but the second round wouldn't feed, and all subsequent rounds are fine. This makes me suspect that 1) I'm doing something wrong mechanically, 2) gun just crosses the too heavy threshold in the beginning.

[Larry White]

I made the post about the mag spring from Bennys computer and it was directed to the post from Gose, I should have made that more apparent. I still think the screws are too tight on ledavatars gun. we have seen that happen many times. Bennys set up on those guns is well tested and proven. Almost every time we see one of those guns with a problem someone has changed something, change parts or ammo and they might work, or not. Loosen those screws and try it, better yet put a velcro shell holder back on it. Many many of those guns out there chugging away without problems. If you just cant get it to run Benny will.----------Larry

This post has been edited by Larry White: 27 October 2009 - 01:46 PM

[Stuck in C]

I have a stock M1, and the only problems I've had with the old spaghetti tosser are with the mag springs. I only shoot 2 or 3 3-gun matches a year and never practice, yet I still find that I have to replace the mag spring every couple of years to keep it cycling. Symptom is a shell on the lifter but not feeding up into the chamber. I use the Wolf general purpose extra power 12 gauge springs and cut them to fit.

[benny hill]

Change the mag spring every 6 mo.'s, they only cost about $6.00. Take the alum. side saddle off & see if it runs good, if it does, do not put it back on. If you use it loctite the screws loose so as not to bind the receiver. Remember, the benelli's are alum. & the remy's are steel.

[mike4045]

Also depending on the match you are at, torching a round not on a target will get you dq'ed. Might want to keep that in mind. Most matches just put it on safe.

+++ on the magspring change I keep a few on hand and change them every few months.

Mike

[Jadeslade]

Just wanted to say thanks for the video of Old Bridge. One up to Strong Island!

[Religious Shooter]

benny hill, on Oct 27 2009, 12:04 PM, said:

Quote

...Both times it looked like the loading gate failed to lift them into the chamber. ...

Weak mag spring can cause that malf.------------Larry

Can you please explain why a weak mag spring would cause that malf? I had the same problem.

[Fullauto_Shooter]

Does the Nordic extension on a Benny mod M2 require a special mag tube spring? Never realized this might be an issue and want to stock on several of the "right kind" for preventive maintenance.

This post has been edited by Fullauto_Shooter: 27 October 2009 - 09:42 PM

[benny hill]

Get them from ISMI @ 1-800-773-1940 & cut about 13" to long.

[Larry White]

Religious Shooter, on Oct 27 2009, 09:31 PM, said:

benny hill, on Oct 27 2009, 12:04 PM, said:

Quote

...Both times it looked like the loading gate failed to lift them into the chamber. ...

Weak mag spring can cause that malf.------------Larry

Can you please explain why a weak mag spring would cause that malf? I had the same problem.

When the gun is fired a round is released from the mag tube. There is a catch in the trigger assy that unlocks the lifter, the round coming out of the tube has to hit that catch hard enough to release the lifter, then the bolt moveing to the rear will lift the round into position to feed into the chamber when the bolt closes. A weak mag spring will not generate enough energy to release the lifter.Most autoloading shotguns work similar to that and weak or short mag springs can create all sorts of problems in a shotgun. Wolf, Benille and IMSI all make mag springs(I think Nordic uses IMSI springs) IMSI is the best, Benille next and Wolf draging up the rear as usual. Brownells stocks springs or Benny usualy has them on hand.----------Larry

[dmshozer1]

ledavatar, on Oct 27 2009, 09:33 AM, said:

So I got my Benny Benelli M2 tactical package (21" barrel) a couple of months ago, tested it with various loads - target shot (Remington gun club 1185fps, walmart special Federals and Winchesters), slugs (winchester low recoil slug RA12RS15), buck (Winchester Military-Grade 00buck), low recoil buck (winchester low recoil 00 buck RA10005) - and all ran fine. I even tested the ghost load 9+1+1 option and it ran just fine. I ran maybe close to 60-70rds of shells through it in testing with zero problems.

My setup other than the stock configuration is this: 5rd extension tube with clamp, mesa tactical 8rd side saddle (aluminum), hi viz fiber optic

Then I took it to my first 3gun match and experienced some cycling issues. Most times it's when I start with the gun loaded (10 or 11 rounds in the gun, 8 in the side saddle) - the first round in the chamber would fire just fine, but the gun would not feed the second round. I would manually cock the gun for the second round an then subsequent rounds are fine. But this is not consistently so. Once it did not feed a round maybe after 5-6 rounds and I had to manually chamber a round.

I did some research and I think there are a couple of reasons why this could be the issue:

1) I'm holding the gun too tight during competition and I'm going against the M2's inertia driven cycling system
2) I'm running too light a load - Remington Gun Club #8shot 1185fps
3) My gun is too heavy - my aluminum side saddle + 8 rounds, + 10-11rds in the tube are too heavy for the inertia cycling system (although Mesa Tactical says it did extensive research about this issue and did not find it to be an issue)
4) I didn't clean the gun enough - I didn't clean the gun after 60-70rds before the match
5) I'm not operating the gun correctly - e.g. there's something about the tiny cartridge drop lever that I should know about

I'm wondering if you guys have ever experienced this issue and can shed some light on how you resolved it. As I'm new to shotguns in general, I'm most curious about #5.

Thanks in advance.

Here's the video to my first 3gun match - OBcats 3-gun match 10/24/09. I finished #8 out of 29 which I was surprised about since I thought I sucked so much, but it was just so much excitement and I couldn't care less about the score. I can't wait for the next one.

OH MY GOD! Say it aint so! A Benelli malfunction! I will have to mark this on my calender!
Standard answer. Get a Remington or a winchester or a Mossberg or a Ithaca or how about a double barrel?
Just kidding. Hope you get the problem solved. I know the feeling.
Take care.

[JRW]

benny hill, on Oct 28 2009, 07:26 AM, said:

Get them from ISMI @ 1-800-773-1940 & cut about 13" to long.

To clarify, should you cut the spring to match the current spring. 13" is much shorter than my current setup...

Thanks

[Merlin Orr]

The spring needs to be about 12 or 13 inches longer than the entire tube assembly. With the Nordic tube..unscrew the cap on the end of the tube - pull the old spring and put the new spring down the tube. When its reaches the bottom end allow about 12 or 13 inches to protrude past/out of the top end of the tube and snip it off.

[Fullauto_Shooter]

Merlin Orr, on Oct 28 2009, 08:57 AM, said:

The spring needs to be about 12 or 13 inches longer than the entire tube assembly. With the Nordic tube..unscrew the cap on the end of the tube - pull the old spring and put the new spring down the tube. When its reaches the bottom end allow about 12 or 13 inches to protrude past/out of the top end of the tube and snip it off.

Thanks for the clarification Merlin. I'm tracking the springs should be ISMI - but is it a standard Benelli mag tube spring we're talking about or a special spring made specifically for the Nordic extension?

[ledavatar]

Alright, thanks for all the feedback. I think for now I'll just take off the side saddle and see how it goes.

Since I have limited time to go to the range, unfortunately the only time I'll get to try it is at the next shotgun match on 11/8. I'll give some updates then.

[JRW]

Thanks for the clarification. I will need to see if I can get mine replaced before Benning.