Benelli Problem

J

jim bosanny

Active member
Just getting back from chasing snow geese in Kansas. The first day temps hit 35-40 degrees and the Benelli M2 cycled all the 3" BB's w/o problems. The following day temps were in the single digits. The 3" shells wouldn't cycle after 4-5 shots. Switched to 2 3/4" and they worked for another 4-5 shots then the same problem. The gun would eject the spent shell but fail to grab and load the next. The gun is kept clean. I use Rem Oil and was told that's the problem. Because it's Teflon based at low temps it doesn't function well. Said to clean it thoroughly and switch to FP-10 oil. It made sense to me. Anyone have thoughts or suggestions? Thanks for your input. Oh yea, even with the cold weather there were 400,000 white geese in the area.
 
I use Rem Oil exclusively and in temps like you experienced and the only time I have had a problem is with to much oil. When the temperature is seasonal I will clean the gun by hanging it from a nail and letting the oil drip off it and maybe I will wipe it. When it is colder I wipe all excess oil from everywhere otherwise it holds stuff and can freeze or gum. Sure others will have more technical answers but keep it dry and it is fine even my 1187 says so.
 
Grab some brake cleaner go to town on the parts after you've broke it down.
Let it dry.
spray the parts in Aerokroil

Havnt had an issue since.

Rem oil used to be decent but the aero keeps it smooth
 
These guns don't usually require a lot of lubricant to run.. I shoot them for both hunting and 1000s of rounds of sporting clays. . My first place to check is the recoil spring assm.. This is in the butt stock of the gun.. most people never take them apart. If the bolt is staying back this is likely the culprit. .Clean it and lightly lubricate. .I use either Break Free CLP or Slip2000.. my second place to check would be the magazine tube spring and follower. .These can get dirt in them and not put enough pressure on kicking the shell into receiver to load.
 
I have had similar problems with cold weather, but when switching from shorter shells to longer shells. As was said before grab some brake cleaner and hose it out good then I would suggest Fastex. It dries to a solid film that does not retain soot and unburned powder.
 
My M1 did the same thing in very cold temps. As already stated, it's the spring in the butt stock accumulating oil, water & dirt. I use Clenzoil to flush out, and clean Every part of the gun. Wipe dry, and use as little lube, and oil as possible. Again, as already stated they work better dry.

In my experience all types of shotguns have issues in zero temps, if over lubed and dirty. Steel shot shells are much better than they used to be, but still leave a mess.
 
Jim,

I'll bet the Rem Oil played a part. My buddy affectionately calls it "Rem Glue".

I picked up a tip from a shooting forum several years ago. They recommended using synthetic motor oil. The viscosity doesn't change until -90F. That's pretty good by my standards; I don't plan to hunt on Mars...... :) I would clean it with gun scrubber and get the old oil off and also out of the spring as mentioned. Wipe down lightly with the synthetic oil and then wipe that down. Benellis "like" to be dry when shot.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Steve
 
Jim,

I have the same problem with my Citori Magnum. When it gets butt-cold my fingers take longer to reload shells. Extraction and ejection remain consistant. :)^)

*
 
Just getting back from chasing snow geese in Kansas. The first day temps hit 35-40 degrees and the Benelli M2 cycled all the 3" BB's w/o problems. The following day temps were in the single digits. The 3" shells wouldn't cycle after 4-5 shots. Switched to 2 3/4" and they worked for another 4-5 shots then the same problem. The gun would eject the spent shell but fail to grab and load the next. The gun is kept clean. I use Rem Oil and was told that's the problem. Because it's Teflon based at low temps it doesn't function well. Said to clean it thoroughly and switch to FP-10 oil. It made sense to me. Anyone have thoughts or suggestions? Thanks for your input. Oh yea, even with the cold weather there were 400,000 white geese in the area.
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Pulling the rear spring is very easy. For all the Benellis I've taken apart, you need a 13 mm deep socket on an extension to pull the stock. After the stock is off, the spring is in the tube, it is on with red loctite (needs heat to remove). Put a little heat on the rear bolt (not the junction where it goes into the action). You need some combo of wenches to remove the bolt or just put the tube in a vice and use a wrench (it is plenty strong and won't be crushed within reason). I've done it in the field for people with vice grips and a wrench with heat added. Clean it out and very lightly lube. Put back together with red loctite (you need the loctite there otherwise the next time it comes apart you may remove the bolt, not the nut). Lots of people upgrade the spring (cheap) or the whole assembly (more expensive from Sure cycle). My SBE 1 is all orig and works great.
 
I definitely recommend running your Benelli as dry as possible. The only part I ever lubricate is the "rails" on the side of the bolt that slide through the receiver. I have been using Royal Purple for a while and it seems to work well.

I shoot a lot of skeet and hunt exclusively with an SBE2. I shoot about 2 cases of shells per hunting season. Aside from wiping the gun down, the only time I "clean" it is when it fails to cycle. I do as I described above and it's usually good for at least a few hundred rounds in hunting conditions (cold, wet), and up to a thousand rounds of summer skeet shooting before its time to clean out the gunk and re-oil the rails. If I were smarter, I'd do this regularly before the gun fails to cycle and probably avoid any issue.

I also suggest you take a look at the recoil spring, though I've never done it. Also, have you looked at the magazine sping? If you are putting more than two shells in the magazine (don't know what's permitted right now in Kansas), it could be more compressed than usual, gunked up, and freezing a bit? That last one is just a wild guess.

Mike
 
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Double guns fail to work in Cold temps as well, and more than just yer fingers. Gunked up firing pins hangup...... no shot gun is immune, when it's minus 0. It's all part of the Sport. Very cold steel can break when stressed, as anyone who has ever worked on a RR Track Gang will tell you.
 
Thanks for all the helpful tips. I'm taking it to a young guy that will give me a hand breaking it down. See what we find. Thanks again.
 
I have a sbe2 first year with the gun.had the same problem with to much rem oil and single digit temps.cleaned it and it was fine.i think you may have to be careful with brake clean because it may screw up the plastic parts in the newer Benelli guns. Plastic stocks also
 
Another vote for the butt stock recoil spring. Mine was very gummy and definitely needed the maintenance I gave it this year. Have not had any cycling issues since then, it snaps closed like it did when it was brand spankin.
 
Breakfree CLP and wipe off every bit of it when you break your gun down all the way. I now use 5/30 synthetic on my rails. I rub it on and scrub it off with a rag.
 
Breakfree CLP and wipe off every bit of it when you break your gun down all the way. I now use 5/30 synthetic on my rails. I rub it on and scrub it off with a rag.
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x2 on the Benelli and breakfree CLP, I had the exact same problem with my SBE 2. That was two years ago. This winter was way colder here and no issues.
 
Just getting back from chasing snow geese in Kansas. The first day temps hit 35-40 degrees and the Benelli M2 cycled all the 3" BB's w/o problems. The following day temps were in the single digits. The 3" shells wouldn't cycle after 4-5 shots. Switched to 2 3/4" and they worked for another 4-5 shots then the same problem. The gun would eject the spent shell but fail to grab and load the next. The gun is kept clean. I use Rem Oil and was told that's the problem. Because it's Teflon based at low temps it doesn't function well. Said to clean it thoroughly and switch to FP-10 oil. It made sense to me. Anyone have thoughts or suggestions? Thanks for your input. Oh yea, even with the cold weather there were 400,000 white geese in the area.
Click to expand...


Several years ago I had a problem with a Benelli not fully ejecting and picking up the new shell in freezing temperatures. When I visited the gunsmith the first question was... "do you use Rem-oil?" The answer was yes and I was promptly told to switch to Break Free CLP. Apparently the issue with Rem-oil and cold weather is well known. Since making the switch I have not had an issue.
 
If the recoil spring and tube are a rusty mess I would second the sure cycle system, They work great and well worth the money
 
I'm guessing it's not about what oil you were using and more about the amount of lube. I hunt in negative temps in WY almost every season and all I've been using is remoil. Like has been mentioned, run it as close to dry as you can, while still having a sheen of oil on the working surfaces.
 
Step 1: take rem-oil and throw in garbage....I'd let my dog urinate on my gun before using rem-oil


Funny how some folks opinions change from site to site....Anyway, Brake clean, G96 WD40 and some compressed air...I only use areokroil on the spring(love the way it smells) maybe once or twice throughout the season...Best thing about the SBE's is that the break down so quickly and easily and allow for a thorough cleaning...I've had my SBEI for 14 seasons now cycled 1000's of rounds and shot piles of birds...Its get used abused drenched in salt by shaking dogs...I think it has jammed or stove piped maybe 3-4x's...
 
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