Hoosier Hillbilly Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I have started to have a few problems with my SBE II whilst shooting at the range over the past several weeks. Before explaining, a bit of background. I have had the gun for about nine months now, and have shot everything through it from 1185 fps 1 oz estates to 3.5" Federal Blackcloud. While at the range I mostly shoot 1 oz Rios at 1200 fps (very clean burning, too, I might add). I have probably put about 2500 rounds of various sorts through the gun, mostly the lighter stuff. No here is the problem I have started to have. I load the first shell in the chamber and hit the bolt release. The shell is pushed into the chamber but sometimes, for whatever reason (I think the boltface may not be fully seating) the carrier will only push part way down and I can't load the second round in the mag. tube. I have to rack out the first round and start again. This happened again today with increasing frequency. And if I just loaded one at a time (i.e., as in shooting a single) sometimes all I would get when pulling the trigger was a click. I know this must be the sign of a dirty gun. But I recently cleaned out the recoil spring tube etc. (Probably about 350 rounds ago, although I will clean it again). And I have not used it for anything but clay target shooting since then (i.e., no burrying it in mud in a cornfield, etc.) The one thing I have not done (in fact, ever, I believe) is scrub the chamber really well with a copper brush and a variable speed drill--obviously something I can and will do. I am just a little bit curious, however, if this is a rather common problem? And if so is it most likely to be in the recoil spring assembly, chamber, or might something else be going on? I would sort of hate to have to mess with cleaning the action spring every 300-400 rounds. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veduci Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 From one Hoosier to another! Same thing was happening to a friend's SBE II today! He thinks like you the chamber needs to be cleaned with a brush. Shooting many 2 &3/4" in a 3.5" chamber? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tucker301 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 There is a raised tab on one side the carrier. The tab fits into a slot that is machined into the bottom of the bolt. Sometimes, especially on newer guns, these are not aligned exactly as they should be, and rather than slipping into the slot, the tab will hang on the edge of the slot. This prevents the carrier from going all the way up and it's impossible to get another shell into the magazine. The simplest fix is to determine which way the tab needs to go and then remove the trigger group and bend it in that direction slightly. It only takes a small amount of effort with a decent wide plier. Linesman pliers work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Hillbilly Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 From one Hoosier to another! Same thing was happening to a friend's SBE II today! He thinks like you the chamber needs to be cleaned with a brush. Shooting many 2 &3/4" in a 3.5" chamber? Yes, Veduci, that would be me...you Putz! And now that you have discovered this forum you should cruise over and sign-up at the Shotgun World Forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Hillbilly Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 There is a raised tab on one side the carrier. The tab fits into a slot that is machined into the bottom of the bolt. Sometimes, especially on newer guns, these are not aligned exactly as they should be, and rather than slipping into the slot, the tab will hang on the edge of the slot. This prevents the carrier from going all the way up and it's impossible to get another shell into the magazine. The simplest fix is to determine which way the tab needs to go and then remove the trigger group and bend it in that direction slightly. It only takes a small amount of effort with a decent wide plier. Linesman pliers work well. Tucker, many thanks! I will have a close look at this soon, but what you have described sounds very plausible. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Hillbilly Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 I know this is an old post, but I started it...and I am still having problems. Here's what happened last time I shot my SBE II at the skeet range. The first round it worked flawlessly...not a hiccup, nothing (shooting 1185 fps 1 oz. Winchester target loads, too). Then the next round it started. About every third time I would load a shell, hit the bolt release, and flip the gun over to put a second round in the magazine the carrier would not fully raise because the bolt was not fully seated in the battery. (Also, per Tucker's instruction I carefully checked the alignment of the tab relative to the slot on the bottom of the bolt, and frankly I could see no problems.) By the time I got to station 8 on the second round I was going nuts...two misfires on station 8 because I forgot to check and see if the bolt was full seated. Soooo....I took the gun to my gunsmith/friend the other day, and he is going to have a look at it. He did notice some unusual wear on the top left rail...it almost seems like the bolt could be slightly binding here at some point. And before you say it, yes, I lube the rails well (but lightly). Oh yes, the chamber was spotless, as well as the locking groves where the bolt seats into the battery. Frankly, I find this all very frustrating. I love this gun, and I honestly shoot it better than anything else I have ever owned. But I want to make this problem go away. This is beyond the occasional "click," this is darned near "terminal click." Any thoughts? Observations? Similar experiences? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepp Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 No observations just a thought...maybe your recoil spring has gotten too weak to reliably seat your bolt fully into battery? I would think that's not the case based on the number of rounds you've fired but stranger things have happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Hillbilly Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 No observations just a thought...maybe your recoil spring has gotten too weak to reliably seat your bolt fully into battery? I would think that's not the case based on the number of rounds you've fired but stranger things have happened. Yes, I have wondered the same thing. Perhaps it's just time to do it, change it that is. In the newer SBE II's is there any advantage of the Sure Cycle system relative to the factory spring? I have read not, but then I personally have no experience here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Hillbilly Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 No observations just a thought...maybe your recoil spring has gotten too weak to reliably seat your bolt fully into battery? I would think that's not the case based on the number of rounds you've fired but stranger things have happened. BTW, are you truly at the North Pole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tucker301 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 The North Pole is not in Alaska. North Pole is a town in the state of Alaska. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Hillbilly Posted May 1, 2009 Author Share Posted May 1, 2009 The North Pole is not in Alaska. North Pole is a town in the state of Alaska. Thanks for clearing that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Hillbilly Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 So, where do I find a replacement recoil/action spring for the SBE II? I see that Brownell's sells them for the SBE, but it does not specifically state if these will fit the SBE II. Moreover, it is my understanding that the SBE II has a coating of some sort on the spring while the SBE spring does not. Is there some other outlet? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tucker301 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 http://surecycle.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4&idcategory=2 Or you can call Benelli CS and ask about buying one direct from Benelli. Keep in mind that you have a 5 year warranty as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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