A lot of the time it comes down to shooting technique. No one wants to hear they’re doing something wrong. Guys sometimes get all butt hurt when I’m instructing and trying to correct a bad habit they have. I have plenty of bad habits myself. Especially when we can’t shoot as much as we should.
It’s not so much a matter of strength. I see it a lot of the time on the range. People allow the shotgun to push their shoulder around. When you’re braced up on the shotgun, you want to provide a solid base for it to recoil against. Not only will the firearm cycle better, but you’ll return to target and regain your sight picture faster. When you have a weak shoulder, your body robs the firearm of the inertia energy it needs to cycle the action. I catch myself standing improperly all the time or realize I’m not bracing like I should. I can hear the Benelli action cycle differently when I’m not doing my job. Mix in weaker ammo and you have the recipe for cycle failure.
The closer a gun operates to the bleeding edge of function, the easier it is to cause a failure. Examples of this would be AR15’s that people have adjustable gas blocks on. Many set it to where the action just has enough energy to cycle the bolt. Then real life happens and it gets dirty or they’re not holding it firmly and these events rob the energy from the action and cause a failure or the bolt doesn’t lock back on the last round fired.
Another example would be putting more powerful main springs in pistols to reduce perceived recoil. You’re just tightening the envelope on function and it will bite you eventually.
On the Benelli, you should be listening to the action. Note the difference in how it sounds with full house loads vs Walmart value pack loads. If you can hear the bolt hit the rear and then hear it back in battery, things are operating slow and at the edge of reliability.
Another cool technique for diagnosing problems is to have a buddy film the action in slow motion. Most modern phones have this capability. Often times this will point you in the right direction as to where the problems lie.