Jump to content

Benelli Vinci Problems


CMMN

Recommended Posts

I purchased my Vinci and another gun at the same time at Gander Mountain - which has provided awesome customer service through this whole process.

 

I am currently on my second Vinci since I experienced an approximate 10-15% misfire of my shotgun shells - which were the Winchester Xpert Hi-Velocity 3" shells.

 

With my first Vinci, I went on three major, 5-day duck hunts. During these hunts, some different, yet similar failures were happening:

 

1. At first I was having periodic misfires with the first shell. Simply pulling the trigger, all I would hear was the 'click' of the firing pin, and of course, there was an associated firing pin indentation in the primer. The indentation was faint and obviously not strong enough to fire the shell. This happened a handful of times.

 

2. Occasionally, the 'click' of the firing pin on the first shell in the gun would not even leave a firing pin indentation at all. When these misfires of the first shell occurred, I was eventually more prepared and would quickly pull the slide back, ejecting the shell and loading the second round in the chamber which would then fire.

 

3. In the beginning, all misfires occurred only on the first round, however, at the end of my second hunt, I also experienced a misfire (hearing the firing pin 'click' and no indentation on the shell) on the third round. This misfire occurred after attempting to fire three rounds in succession.

 

The gun was disassembled and thoroughly cleaned after every use.

Gander Mountain(GM) was contacted after each hunt as well as the gun being brought into their in-house gunsmith. Neither any of the sales reps or gunsmith heard of this or any problems with the Vinci thus far and only a guess as to what the problem may be. They suggested that the 'machined groove' (on the barrell) that the bolt locking head could have been dirty and did not provide good shell:firing pin contact. This was the only thing that we could collectively come up with and I was sent out in the field to try it again after the first hunt. I did not have much faith as the gun was thoroughly cleaned after each use. As, described, the problem continued.

I contacted Benelli which was quick to offer to send out a new firing pin and spring, however, I knew that there was something else going on and that it would not solve the problem. GM also contacted Benelli to find out what they wanted to do; they did not hear back from them and GM simply replaced the Vinci with a brand new Vinci.

 

Well, I just got back from another duck hunt. I shot only 23 rounds through the gun and had two misfire (first shell only) as well as one feeding problem where the third shell and carrier would get stuck. Again, this is nearly a 10% failure rate.

 

During this trip, I realized what I believe is to be the problem. When the bolt is automatically and/or manually put in the forward position (ex, loading a shell), sometimes the bolt locking head is not in the proper position. When the bolt (action) is properly closed, the bolt locking head (BLH) actually turns a bit counterclockwise as it gets seated into the machined groove on the barrel. I noticed that sometimes, the bolt locking head is not turned - thus preventing enough of a gap between the shell primer and the firing pin.

 

The photo below is the proper position of the bolt locking head (note this by the ejector on the BLH):

 

 

DSC00077.jpg

 

Below is what I believe is happening when the gun misfires, whether it is the first or third shell - compare the position of the ejector to the picture above!

 

 

DSC00079.jpg

 

Finally, the last picture (not shown since there is a limit of two photos per post) is duplication of how the shell got hung up in the carrier and does not pushed all the way into the chamber. This failure only happened once in the last 20 or so shells.

 

 

This is the first Benelli that I have ever owned. Two other hunting partners bought the Winchester Super X3 and the Beretta Xtrema 2 have shot a season of trap and season of hunting without a hitch. It is a bitter-sweet purchase. For my first semi-auto, I would never imagine that I would have these problems for the amount of money it costs. Has anybody else had any problems at all in the field with this gun.

 

I will be taking the gun back to GM tomorrow to see what they think. I will also be contacting Benelli in the near future to get their opinion on this problem. I hope that since it is a brand new gun this year, that maybe there was a quality control issue or something that has now been straightened out. I will check out some other blogs to see what others are saying....good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just received my Vinci last week. While getting familiar with it, I noticed that if the bolt action did not have good momentum sliding back, it stopped short like your second picture. I am a novice but I went shooting for the first time today with a tactical instructor and shot 75+ rounds with no issues at all. I shot slugs, 00 buck and birdshot.

 

My only issue is the advertised 3 in the mag plus 1 in chamber. With various brands, I could only load 2 in the mag. It was close but no cigar.

 

Anyone experience the same?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If this is happening on the first shell only, my theory is that it is not going into full battery, and from the pictures, this is obvious. With the Benellis, it is important that you let the bolt slam the first shell home. I take the empty gun and push the shell drop lever. This allows the bolt to stay open when you cycle it. Now drop the first shell to be loaded into the ejection port opening and onto the carrier (elevator). Next you push the button that closes the bolt. The carrier will automatically lift the shell up and into the chamber as the bolt slams home. This system ensures that the gun is in battery. There have been a lot of hunters who baby the bolt forward as to not make any noise in the turkey woods. Then the time of reckoning comes and all they get is the famous Benelli ''click''. Now, if you load your gun as I have described and still have problems, then you have an issue with Benelli. From what I have read, for this to happen on two different shotguns leads me to believe it is more shooter error than gun failure. I hope this helps you get the problem worked out. Let me know how turns out. Good luck... Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have only fired about 20 some rounds through it... typically, they dont need to be broken in, but hoping that after a few more boxes that it may loosen up a bit.

 

Allowing the bolt to slam shut absolutely helps in getting proper seating of the bolt locking head. I have noticed that when sliding the bolt back (example, occasionally checking to make sure that there is a shell in the chamber) part way and letting it slide back forward is when the problem mostly occurs. Even so, a gun of this expense and renown gun manufacturer, one would not expect this to occur and it should close smoothly, accurately, and full each and every time. I can see if the gun is really dirty or something, but not out of the box...

 

Below is a (picture) recreation of where my third shell got stuck this past weekend when attempting to fire all three rounds off at a flock of mallards...

 

DSC00080.jpg

 

 

I am going back out twice this week duck hunting....hope to get more rounds fired through it....

Edited by CMMN
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I am going back out twice this week duck hunting....hope to get more rounds fired through it....

 

You can edit your posts. :o

Never seen a better reason to do so than above.

 

Clean it well, lube it well with CLP, Try a different brand of ammo.

My SBEII eats Kents and Black Clouds like candy, but it has struggled with Drylock and other Winchester stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After reading your last post, I am absolutely convinced that it is not the fault of the gun. When you open the bolt to check if it is loaded, it is not slamming shut. Load it as I described, ALWAYS. If you are worried that a shell is in the chamber, watch it as you push the bolt closing button. As far as the third shell hang up, Tuckers' advice is golden. If you load your new Vinci as I have described, you will not have a misfire on the first shot ever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I purchased my Vinci and another gun at the same time at Gander Mountain - which has provided awesome customer service through this whole process.

 

1. At first I was having periodic misfires with the first shell. Simply pulling the trigger, all I would hear was the 'click' of the firing pin, and of course, there was an associated firing pin indentation in the primer. The indentation was faint and obviously not strong enough to fire the shell. This happened a handful of times.

 

2. Occasionally, the 'click' of the firing pin on the first shell in the gun would not even leave a firing pin indentation at all. When these misfires of the first shell occurred, I was eventually more prepared and would quickly pull the slide back, ejecting the shell and loading the second round in the chamber which would then fire.

 

3. In the beginning, all misfires occurred only on the first round, however, at the end of my second hunt, I also experienced a misfire (hearing the firing pin 'click' and no indentation on the shell) on the third round. This misfire occurred after attempting to fire three rounds in succession.

 

They suggested that the 'machined groove' (on the barrell) that the bolt locking head could have been dirty and did not provide good shell:firing pin contact.

 

Well, I just got back from another duck hunt. I shot only 23 rounds through the gun and had two misfire (first shell only) as well as one feeding problem where the third shell and carrier would get stuck. Again, this is nearly a 10% failure rate.

 

During this trip, I realized what I believe is to be the problem. When the bolt is automatically and/or manually put in the forward position (ex, loading a shell), sometimes the bolt locking head is not in the proper position. When the bolt (action) is properly closed, the bolt locking head (BLH) actually turns a bit counterclockwise as it gets seated into the machined groove on the barrel. I noticed that sometimes, the bolt locking head is not turned - thus preventing enough of a gap between the shell primer and the firing pin.

 

This is the first Benelli that I have ever owned. Two other hunting partners bought the Winchester Super X3 and the Beretta Xtrema 2 have shot a season of trap and season of hunting without a hitch. It is a bitter-sweet purchase. For my first semi-auto, I would never imagine that I would have these problems for the amount of money it costs. Has anybody else had any problems at all in the field with this gun.

 

I have only fired about 20 some rounds through it... typically, they dont need to be broken in, but hoping that after a few more boxes that it may loosen up a bit.

 

Allowing the bolt to slam shut absolutely helps in getting proper seating of the bolt locking head. I have noticed that when sliding the bolt back (example, occasionally checking to make sure that there is a shell in the chamber) part way and letting it slide back forward is when the problem mostly occurs. Even so, a gun of this expense and renown gun manufacturer, one would not expect this to occur and it should close smoothly, accurately, and full each and every time. I can see if the gun is really dirty or something, but not out of the box...

 

I am going back out twice this week dick hunting....hope to get more rounds fired through it....

 

Ok this is your first benelli and first semi auto all in one fell swoop, there is a learning curve. As for the lack of break-in, it simply isn't true, read the manual and it specifically tells you to run at least 4 boxes of heavy loads through it. Seeing as you have only run 23 rounds through you are not done. So seeing your problems are very similar to my initial problems with my M2 the main thing I can tell you is to shoot it more.

 

The root of the problem is that the locking head doesn't rotate fully into battery. So make sure that those grooves are clean and the rails are oiled well. Check to make sure that the head is fully rotated when you first load the gun. One thing I found helpful is if the head is not fully rotated you can tap the bolt handle with the heel of your hand like a forward assist to make it happen. After breaking in the number of issues you see should go to zero. I have an M2 that I have put thousands of rounds through and it is smooth as silk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have experienced the same miss fires on my new Vinci on the 1st shell two times the last time I used it. And I too am new to semi-autos. Both times I held onto the bolt handle as I pushed the bolt closing button so as to not slam the shell into the chamber. After manually cycling the shell, shells 2-4 went off fine. I After the 2nd missfire I realized that the bolt was not completely all the way forward in it's correct seated position. After that I never held onto the bolt handle as I pushed the release button and had no more miss fires. I have a box of heavy load shells, 1 1/2 oz, magnum load which I'm going to fire to help completely break it in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:eek: "Duck Hunting!!" :D

 

I have never edited so fast in my life!

 

I believe that is the problem as well...not letting the bold slam forward with some force to lock the BLH into place.

 

Thinking back to hunting in a laydown blind during the heat of the action...without looking would sometimes take my right hand index finger and thumb and pull the action open a bit and feel for a shell to be sure I reloaded.....then gently close the action.....that definitely causes my problems!

 

As far as the other issue of the third shell getting stuck in the action/carrier....I think the shooting four boxes will loosen things up. I look forward til then!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:eek: "Duck Hunting!!" :D

 

I have never edited so fast in my life!

 

I believe that is the problem as well...not letting the bold slam forward with some force to lock the BLH into place.

 

Thinking back to hunting in a laydown blind during the heat of the action...without looking would sometimes take my right hand index finger and thumb and pull the action open a bit and feel for a shell to be sure I reloaded.....then gently close the action.....that definitely causes my problems!

 

As far as the other issue of the third shell getting stuck in the action/carrier....I think the shooting four boxes will loosen things up. I look forward til then!

I believe we have the problem solved.. With the Benelli semi automatic shotguns, the bolt will stay open after the gun is empty. If you are laying in a blind, there is really no need to open the bolt to check for a shell. If the bolt is open, you are empty. If it is closed, you have at least 1 shell in the gun. I'm sure that a few more rounds through the gun will help the jamming problem. Good luck with the upcoming ''duck'' hunt. By the way, that was a great typo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I bought a brand new benelli super Vinci 12 G at cabelas for 1499.00 plus tax. Beautiful case. Beautiful gun finish. The rep couldn't brag enough how the gun shot thousand of rounds in two days *in Argentina . Some kind of a video promo *they made. I took mine to the hills of Columbia , mo. Is not Argentina, but what the heck... I bought at Walmart 3 brands of ammo each for 22 bucks box of 100. Remington , Winchester , and federal. 2 3/4 inch regular clay target ammo. I shot fist box it jam 12 times. I load one in the chamber and 2 in the magazine. It will fire the one in the chamber , no problem, second will jam at a 75 degree angle before entering the chamber. I thought it needs to break in. My disappointment started after 150 rounds I was shooting basically single shots because it was constantly jamming. I call the *guys at the shogun range, with years of *experience shooting at the range, first guy told me you have to hold the gun tight, not like a girl, ok I said, *you try it. He did, no change , gun still jamming. He called another *guy. He came over and told me, *it needs to be well lube. He lube it to the point the *lube dripping everywhere. He shot it with same results. It will jam on average every second *to third round. A old timer that was looking at us with a smirk in his face told me, you are using weak loads. He load *3 inch heavy load Winchester ammo. No change after 12 rounds it jam 4 times. He turn around and ask me , how much you pay for this thing? His smirk turn into a big laugh. There u go, if you think benelli can't release a defective product, get a super Vinci , once you fired it you can't return it. You can't find that there is a problem until you fire it. What a scam. When i bought a car in 1970 u was very carefully with the engine need since *it to break in for few thousand miles , 2011 and a gun can't shoot well out of the box? Don't buy Argentina marketing, *is just that, marketing. I took it back to cabelas, now it is on it's way to benelli.

 

 

Sent from my ******

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Glad I saw the post from Chirriones. I thought I may be the only one. My new Super Vinci jammed out of the box and on an Eastern Turkey Hunt last year. Luckily I killed the gobbler with first shot. This is my second Benelli and both have jammed. The Super Black Eafgle seems to have gooten better after time. I was foolish enough to buy another after my buddy and I both agreed it felt the best. I sent Super Vinci back to Benelli and they said they made some adjustments. The gun jammed with 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2 shells after I got it back. Jammed today dove hunting with my kids. I am going to take it apart and clean it again and oil it again. Maybe I have not shot enough rounds but I agree with others why pay the money if you have to spend years breaking it in. I can always depend on my single shots. H&Rs never fail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
Ive never had anything but excellent service from benelli. if something is still not right give them a call. they have a 10 year warranty (best in shotguns) and im sure they will make it right.

 

It comes with a 5 years Warranty in Canada :( what a shame. Have any clue why there is no other Benelli Website for different Countries ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 years later...
  • 11 months later...

I know this is an old topic and yes by all means, send cheese for my whine.

I’m in my 55th season of hunting duck and this is my first season hunting with a Benelli.  I used a Remington 1100 from 1972 till 1996.   Started shooting a Beretta 686.   I had a fire last summer and lost both.  My son was telling me about the Benelli B.E.S.T finish and the abuse it would take so I bought an Ethos in this finish.  Both my old guns would show minor rust when I got them wet and yes, I took care of them.  Few stock dings and blueing wear where carried.   No other problems.   No issues with function ever.

new Ethos, first duck hunt, fired two times.#4 HeviShot, loaded 2 more shells.  Next shot was a click.   Waded out and had to disassemble to clear.   Reloaded and went back.   No more duck. Unloaded first round, second went into chamber and locked up.

 

what words of wisdom do you have?   How can I fix this fine firearm?

thanks, 

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...