Joe Coogan's Blog - Benelli On Assignment Host

Racing down the backside of July the heat wave is still with us here in the DC area. We’re hitting triple digits given the heat index. Hunters consider this the off-season and a good time to go fishing. But it’s also a good time to prepare for the upcoming hunting season. There’s no better time than now to do some needed maintenance and repair on equipment.

It’s also a great time to become familiar with a new gun, or one that you haven’t used a lot. And the best way to do that is to disassemble your gun as far down as the manufacturer recommends for a thorough cleaning. This will familiarize you with the gun better than anything else you can do with it. (more…)

...and look where you're shooting!

Lack of lubrication can cause cycling issues with any gun, and that includes Benellis. Lubrication is always necessary whenever two metal parts move against each other. On a Benelli this involves the bolt rails where the bolt rides inside the receiver, and the recoil plunger, where the bolt extension fits into the stock. Both of these places must be lubricated in order for the gun to function properly. A good synthetic gun oil should be applied to the internal parts that move and a coat of oil should be applied to all metal surfaces to inhibit rust. WD-40, 3-in-1 oils or any kind of dry lube are not recommended for the internal parts of Benelli guns because of their tendency to gum up over time. (more…)

I hope everyone had a wonderful July 4^th weekend. I’ve returned to work where the temps have been over a 100 degrees. Makes you really appreciate air-con! …and thoughts of last winter.

A limit of Minnesota Mallards and snow that's now hard to imagine.

The popular gun writer, Townsend Whelen once wrote, “only accurate guns are interesting”—and truer words were never said. What makes a gun neat might seem a simple question, with “accuracy” being the simple answer. But personal opinion can provoke many answers based on personal preferences. If you break it down to some basic criteria beyond accuracy, the answer will define any gun that appeals to you. Some might believe that a gun must look good in order to catch your eye (and beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder). To do this a gun should be pleasingly shaped with appealing lines. Next, a gun must feel good—when you pick it up it should have good heft and balance, and come to aim easily and comfortably. And finally, and most important, a gun should handle well and perform its intended duties with efficiency, purpose and most important of all—accurately.

Some shooters prefer shotguns, some prefer rifles, and some any kind of gun at all. No matter what type of shooting you enjoy, what makes you say, “wow” when your first see or handle a gun? Is there a specific gun, or guns that appeal to you? Share your thoughts and opinions with us.

And don’t forget there’s fresh new episodes of Benelli Presents Duck Commander and Benelli On Assignment to watch on the Outdoor Channel.   Comment