Very disappointed in my SBE

[ErikOR]

I bought a used (unfired) Super Black Eagle last fall and had problems with it from the get-go. Cycled fine most of the time but if I lightly bumped the bolt handle back or dropped the gun lightly on the butt hard enough to cause the bolt to ride back a half-inch or so, the bolt wouldn't re-close completely, causing a misfire on my next shot ("click"). I missed three birds this season because of the problem. I explained the problem to Benelli customer service and they said some of their guns do that, and to send it in for service.

 

I just got my gun back and all they did was put more lubricant on the bolt. The problem still persists. I called them back and this time, the same guy said "That's just the way Benelli's are", and that I just need to keep an eye on the bolt when I'm hunting to make sure it's closed all the way. I told him that I shouldn't have to do that, given Benelli's reputation (and price), and that I don't have confidence that the gun will fire when I need it to. It really ruins the hunting experience. He said they'd look at it again, but that I shouldn't expect any different results. Arrrgh.

[BM4robbins]

They wasted your time with the return. They can't fix what is not broken. Similar to any firearm, it must return fully into battery, which occurs reliably during proper cycling, whether that be firing mode or operator's manipulation of the bolt. There is nothing they can do to change how the inertia driven bolt operates, and the relative momentum needed to fully rotate the bolt to fully locked-ready-to-fire mode. The M1 Super 90 was exactly the same, requiring knowledgable instructors to make our troops aware of this simple and imperative safeguard against FTF related stopages.

Edited March 20, 2012 by BM4robbins

[BM4robbins]

... the same guy said "That's just the way Benelli's are", and that I just need to keep an eye on the bolt when I'm hunting to make sure it's closed all the way.

The way Benellis are;

It will function properly after the bolt is released with the button, and after firing. It will also function properly after a chamber check if you abruptly release the charging handle from a distance that exposed roughly half of the chambered round. Easing it forward will almost certainly produce the FTF which has frustrated you. This is not a defect. It is an intrinsic part of the ingenious operating principle that I doubt I can put into words past stating the bolt, cam pin, and inertia spring all act in unison WITH the momentum of an abruptly closing termination of the journey, which is improbable by closing the bolt slowly.

Most of us have experienced the same epiphany you are now confronting. Once grasped I hope this allays your concerns, and yields an adaptive technique which will enhance your shooting experience.