JerryJ

This is not normal at all- Mine is easy butter like on and off. By chance did you remove the automatic safety? I like the feature and did not remove mine, If you haven't try removing it and see how it works- Something is hanging it up. I love the gun and have racked over 5000 rounds through it. If you can't get it to work like butter send it to Benelli they will fix it- The gun is lights out- Just don't shoot 3 in prairie storms through it lol- Interested to learn the outcome. Fix it don't hunt with the safety off brother

On sporting clays I use light mod

Let me know how it goes- I would do both oil it and remove the automatic safety and see how it is.

I just bought the 828 U-- I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You might want to try removing the automatic safety clip may be it's hanging it up or something- Just a thought

I just picked mine up and its fine- I will say this out of the box the gun was very tight assembly/disassembly . I went and shot 300 rounds out of it and gun has loosened up a bit. I would put a fine drop of oil on it switch it back and forth numerous times and shoot some rounds out of it- I got to say this is the finest o/u I have ever shot in my life and I have shot a lot of em. It is an incredible gun. Out of the box mine is a complete beast. I have no idea why on the web they say this gun kicks- I shot 2.75 and 3 in and my black eagle kicks a lot harder than this beauty!! I LOVE IT!!