"FLOATING" a fourth shell

**nw tenn duckslayer** · 07-06-2007, 03:05 PM

Does anyone know how to float a fourth shell in the SBE II or if it can be done? I could do it with my original sbe. Thanks

**tucker301** · 07-06-2007, 04:18 PM

Yes, I know.
Yes, it can be done.
I've discussed it before, so you can look through my posts and find the information. There aren't that many

**acmf74** · 07-12-2007, 10:21 AM

What is floating?

**tucker301** · 07-12-2007, 10:40 AM

One in the chamber, two in the magazine, and one "floating" on the carrier underneath the bolt.

**mudhen** · 07-12-2007, 01:02 PM

Floating was allowed by design in older Benellis. I recall an old HK video that shows how a Benelli can cycle even with a shell on the carrier. It was clearly an intentional feature.

Benelli made a remedial alteration to the bolt at some point in order to prevent floating a shell. This modification can be reversed by several mechanical methods.

There is some speculation as to who asked Benelli to do this. Might have been USF&W. Might have been no one. They might have been responding to customers who were cited for floating. Who knows?

A Benelli with the modification, that is plugged to hold only two in the magazine, will satisfy the federal law requiring a waterfowling gun to hold no more than three shells. Of course, you can float a shell any time it is legal.