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M1 "Click" firing issue...


Airdale

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I purchased my M1 field in new condition, with not a single shot fired through the gun, last year from a good friend who had it as a spare. He shoots an M1, loved it so much, he bought a second for a spare and never had to use it.

 

I hunted the entire duck season last year without a hitch. In fact, I fell in love with the damn thing. I won't even touch my Browning anymore.

 

That being said, my last two duck hunts I've had an issue. The first occured while hunting in a snow storm. We had been gunning all morning the Benelli team, myself and my buddy with a SBE, were on fire. We had a lull in the action for awhile, and then we had a bird decoy. I went to fire, and all she said was "click". What the **** right? Racked up another round, chucked the shell in the water thinking it was a misfire. Next round fired just fine. Reload, first shot again, just goes "click". I disassembled the entire gun beneath my blind. Cleaned it out, reassembled. Not a single problem rest of the hunt.

 

Yesterday I was gunning in the rain. Benelli was again on fire all damn day. This thing is a duck killing machine, I love it. About mid-day, again after a lull in the action, I go to shoot and "click". What the #@$% , 2 birds short of a limit and I get a click again. I rack another round, being sure the bolt slammed forward. Flock of birds came in, fired 2 shots, dumped 2 birds. No problem.

 

This seems to be happening in wet conditions, after the gun has been sitting with one in the chamber for awhile with no action. I haven't heard of the M1's having a "click" issue. I do not like to leave oil residue on the internal parts, because in the cold, it causes problems. I always clean the gun and use oil to clean her up. But I wipe or use compressed air to blow the oil off. Never had an issue doing this before.

 

Suggestions?

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Good question, because I don't really know. Everytime its done this, I don't even dismount the gun, I just grab the bolt, rack it back and let it slam forward with a new round. I was just playing with the gun (unloaded of course), and once the bolt is forward, it doesn't take much to break the battery. I'm going to keep an eye on it next time out and stay aware of the bolt. I can't see how it would be a firing pin issue, as it shoots just fine 99% of the time.

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There have been a number of threads on this particular malfunction, including myself having the same problem. After it happened a few times in a practical match, I examined the bolt closely after the malfunction and found that the bolt head was not rotating fully after going forward, causing it to be out of battery ever so slightly. Others have had similar issues. I fixed my problem by replacing the old blued bolt head with a newer chrome plated one. The malfunctions ceased. Others replaced the recoil spring with similar results.

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Airdale,

 

I owned a M1 Field as well. You are correct the gun is awesome and COULD be the best Benelli ever made!

 

Your analysis of the problem leaves alot on the table - when you look at the primer from the shell that you are getting the misfire, is the firing pin dimple as deep as the shells that did fire!

 

I have replaced the hammer SPRING on several M1's that lacked the force to ignite the primer. If this is true simply replace the hammer spring with a Wolff 25% increase hammer spring. This will put noticeably deeper dimples into your primer for better lockup and ignition.

 

Well stated in previous posts your breach bolt will need to be "locked" before firing. Maybe you are fumbling with the breech bolt handle during idle time which would then cause a misfire as well.

You truely need more cause & effect before "internet gun smiths" can help you.

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it's the benelli "auto-loader" curse...they will ALL do this to you sooner or later, M1's, SBE's 12 ga or 20ga...it don't matter! it usually happens when you pull the trigger on that 26# Gobbler at 12 yards...or when you are in the duck blind with your buddies braggin 'bout this great benelli shotgun you own!

 

I own 3 Benelli's right now...an older M1 in 20ga, a SBE & SBEII (12's)....they have ALL done this at one time or another. Sold a Benelli Sporting Clays gun because of this problem back in 2000...during some competition shoots a "misfire" is scored as a missed bird and can cost you dearly in competition so I went back to my Beretta's for SC shoots!

 

someone ahead of me has already explained the problem...the bolt isn't closing completely in most cases and this can happen when the gun cycles on it's own or when one doesn't let the bolt "slam" shut upon loading the gun...mostly happens in the second scenario! benelli will tell you it is "operator error" in 99.9% of the dreaded "click" cases rear their ugly head.

 

watched a turkey show last year where the host was using a benelli and right on camera he "clicked" on a BIG gobbler! LMAO, because it happened to my son with the M1 on a turkey in 2004 we just didn't have it on camera! My SBE slug gun "clicked" on me during a deer drive this month in the rain...fired 3 slugs at running deer, reloaded and a doe steps into my shooting lane broadside standing perfectly still (a dead deer is what I'm thinking) and "click" the dreaded Benelli curse strikes again! Like the original poster, my gun was very wet that day so perhaps moisture has an effect on the bolt closing everytime?!?!

Edited by 10Gauge
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