SBE problems

[superglide]

I have a SBE I. It is 3 years old and has had probably 5000 rounds through it. Zero problems until last week. I have a surecycle in the stock and it has been there since I bought the gun. Works great. I dropped my gun and broke the surecycle tube even with the receiver, and had to have it replaced. I sent it to surecycle and they replaced it for me. I got it back and put the gun together and now it will not cycle shells.

If I put a shell in the magazine and push the button by the trigger guard the shell shoots out onto the carrier just as it should. Then if I manually pull the bolt back to load the shell, it hangs in the rear position. If I push forward on the bolt handle, or push up on the carrier it will chamber the shell and close properly. It does the same thing when I shoot. The first shell is ejected, and the next shell gets stuck on the carrier with the bolt locked back.

My gun is very clean right now and well oiled. Much cleaner than it usually is. I am not sure what the problem is, and I am in the middle of hunting season so I hate to have to send it off. Any ideas?

[tucker301]

No particular revelations, but since the difference between working and not working seems to be the trip to Sure Cycle, I'd start with a call to them.

I would say fully diassemble and reassemble to make sure everything is back properly, but I assume you can't do that since you sent the gun to them to have it installed to begin with.

[superglide]

Thanks for the reply. Actually I am very familiar with working on the gun, and installed the surecycle myself. The problem was when the surecycle broke, the threaded end of the tube was stuck in the receiver and was broke off flush, so I could not get it out. Also there was no way to grab onto the tube and keep it from spinning when I was trying to get the nut off inside the stock.

I have taken the gun apart several times and everything looks ok. I use my gun everyday as I guide hunts and I am used to all of its little problems and usually can fix it, as well as the problems clients have with their guns. This one just baffles me because the action seems smooth as glass. I can not see any cause as to why it would be hanging up.

[superglide]

Here is some more info. I am doing some experimenting. With the barrel off if I slide the bolt all the way back I can get it to hang at the rear most position. Not a real hard hang, but if I pull it all the way back and let go lighty it will stay there. Now if I remove the trigger group and try the same thing it will not hang at all. This makes me think it may have something to do with how the bolt interfaces with the trigger group?

[superglide]

Also I did not send the whole gun in to surecycle. Just the receiver and stock. I kept the trigger group and bolt here.

[Butch-M]

Not to sound simplistic, but did everything function after it was dropped and before it was disassembled? Could there have been more damage than to just the Surecycle?

[superglide]

When it dropped, the gun broke in half. It disassembled itself. The stock fell completely off, and the plunger and recol spring went flying.

[mudhen]

Originally posted by superglide:
The problem was when the surecycle broke, the threaded end of the tube was stuck in the receiver and was broke off flush, so I could not get it out.

How did you eventually get the broken threaded portion out? Easy out?

Some SureCycle users have gone back to the factory tube after having problems. Maybe your new SS tube was made wrong? Maybe just a fraction off? Bad spring? Dunno.

Otherwise, I would agree with your own assessment that something is binding in the trigger group.

I would box the entire gun up and return to Benelli. Have the trigger group looked at and see what they find.

Maybe have them reinstall the factory recoil tube assembly? I have had no problems with a 16 y.o. SBE once I started cleaning the tube with a drill and bore brush.

Good luck!

mudhen - CA

[woodsie]

From what you are explaining, I had the same problem with my M1.
I had a surecylce in it and the Magazine upgrade kit. I took out both and replaced them with my factory originals, and now the gun works flawlessly.
I still love thier Terror Chokes though.
W.

[ 01-10-2006, 12:34 PM: Message edited by: woodsie ]

[wallhanger54]

My 2 cents. Since it seems that the gun took a pretty good impact, I'd check the trigger guard itself. Look for hairline cracks in the area in front of the safety but behind the trigger and also in the area around the trigger retaining pin. These small cracks can throw off the geometry of the trigger assembly just enough to keep the action from working properly.