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SBE II - couple notes for newbs like me.


T Reed

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Got a new SBE II comfortech a couple of weeks ago. Sold a Nova and some other stuff to get it - absolutely the best shotgun I have ever had in my hands. Exceptionally simple engineering, functioned perfectly out of the box. Just finished break in with heavy 3" #1's and #3's; brutal recoil after two boxes. Shot a couple of boxes of 2 3/4" 1-1/8 oz cheapies also and the recoil was minimal. After shooting the heavy stuff it felt like shooting a small caliber rifle. smile.gif

 

Cleaning notes: had trouble getting the recoil sping free. Researched on here and there is a little mis-information. It is not covered in the owners manual. The stock is held on with a nyloc nut. The bolt that holds the recoil spring in it's tube is held on with loctite. Probably red loctight which is more for permanent bonds. (I read a post that claimed the recoil spring was held in by a nyloc type bolt/nut combo, just like the nut that installs the stock itself.) Per cust serv and my dealer who is also a gunsmith, this is not true. Heat is required to loosen it. That info has been posted here before, I just wanted to clarify it again for other newbies. If you use just force without heat, the recoil tube may come loose from the receiver. I used blue loctite to re-install it, so it will be easier to get off the next time I need to clean the spring mechanism.

 

Cleaning products: Benelli cust serv recommended using Breakfree CLP to clean. For lube they recommended (in this order) Benelli oil, Militec oil or Breakfree CLP. I think something stronger may be needed to get the carbon residue out of places like the outside of the choke tube. My choke tube worked free shooting the heavy stuff so it got a lot of fouling.

 

On to the pattern board from here.

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FYI - Your information is not accurate as it applies to my SBE II, or you do not understand what was being described, or maybe Benelli has changed the part since February 2005 when I bought my SBE II.

 

Benelli stocks have always been held in place with a $.05 nylock Stock Retaining Nut.

 

The part in question is the Stock Retaining Nut Screw, which is now stainless steel.

 

I will post photos on Monday of my gun and the modified Stock Retaining Nut Screw that has been modified from the original to include some sort of threaded c-ring retaining band. This c-ring retaing band somehow compresses to hold the Stock Retaining Nut Screw in place I presume.

 

My Stock Retaining Nut Screw was removed by me, not a gunsmith, with a mere 17mm closed end wrench without the aid of heat. I saw no visible Locktite, red, blue, purple or any other shade of the spectrum. It has been put back into place many times, without the aid of any color of Locktite, without incident.

 

I did not have the desire to ruin that threaded c-ring retaining band to find out what material it is made of, but someone mentioned nylon. I think now that it is not nylon, but I will give it some closer inspection over the weekend.

 

I have been using Breakfree CLP on Benellis for as long as I can remember...

 

mudhen - CA

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Benelli cust service told me it was held on by loctite and to use heat to free it. My gunsmith told me to use heat to free it. The gunsmith also told me that on some of the Benelli's he worked on the tube itself will detach before the retaining nut screw frees up if heat is not used. I cranked on the retaining nut screw with a great deal of pressure without success before I called Benelli cust service.

 

You guys may be right though. Heat would also cause the retaining lock ring to soften enough to allow the locking nut screw to loosen.

 

I do not know how long this gun sat on the shelf so it is difficult with our limited sample to determine Benelli's method of securing all of the retaing nut screws out there. I believe I have a 2006 model, but don't know for sure. What is needed is for Benelli to publish definitive information on the issue. Maybe they have and I just don't know where to find it. Like: serial numbers a through c use this defined method and serial numbers d through e use this alternative defined method.

 

I would like to know for sure so I know how to deal with the issue in the future. Other owners new to Benelli autos probably would also. I will once again call cust service and ask for this information as it applies to the entire run of this model and post the results here. Thanks.

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Here's a picture of the plastic insert.

If you heat this with a flame, it will melt.

It would probably be OK to submerge the end of the tube in boiling water, but there's no loctite present.

 

407421.jpg

 

Mine was REALLY tight when I first removed it.

I clamped the receiver in a padded vise to get it.

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Wallhanger may be able to confirm this, and I'm guessing, but I believe the design allows for gas to be vented from the tube.

Otherwise, the piston that pushes the spring back could compress the air in the tube and affect the operation.

 

/cancel that - I see the hole now redface.gif

 

[ 05-21-2006, 10:52 AM: Message edited by: tucker301 ]

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Just got off the phone with Benelli cust service. They are telling me that BOTH ends of the recoil spring tube are secured with loctite.

 

They do not recommend disassembly of the tube unless cycling issues are encountered. If cycling issues are encountered AND the "retaining nut bolt" does not come off readily, then it is appropriate to use heat "SPARINGLY" untill the loctite is softened enough for the retaining nut bolt to be removed. She cautioned me that too much heat can damage the nylon or plastic insert depicted above. I used a heat gun so I could control the temperature applied.

 

Both cust service reps I talked to recommended using loctite to re-install the retaining nut bolt. I recommended useing blue loctite in my earlier post because it is designed for applications where disassembly of the parts will be required at some future date. As we are reminded in the header upon entering this forum, it is not a conduit to customer service, so do your own research, as your mileage may vary. I am just relaying the information I got from them. Thank you.

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Maybe your comment is tongue in cheek but who said anything about poor customer service except you mudhen? I was able to reach them proptly and they answered my questions accurately and in great detail. I am satisfied with their information.

 

This isn't about questioning your knowledge, it's about getting information out to new owners when it is not covered in the owners manual. There have been numerous posts in the Benelli forums and other forums on cycling issues and cleaning of the recoil assembly is often suggested as a remedy. We should know how to do it when required.

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Fact is, T Reed, your information can be every bit as wrong as ours, depending on which version of the weapon an individual may have.

 

Telling someone to heat the nuts can damage the nylon c-clip that I went to all that trouble to photograph - and you went to all that trouble to ignore.

 

One of two things has happened here, and depending upon which it is, there are varying consequences.

 

Scenario #1 - CS misunderstood you and thought you were talking about the light load cycle tube (part number 190G in your parts manual). In this case, they are, as they have been known to be before, mistaken, and your information can lead a Benelli owner towards damaging a small, cheap, and yet important part of their weapon.

 

Scenario#2 - The Benellis were built using two different methods of securing the retaining nut.

Results - see #1.

 

The best advice I can offer to anyone is to check your gun and see if there is a black nylon C-clip like the one shown above. If there is, then there's no need to apply heat, because there's no loctite present.

If you do feel compelled to apply heat, use a pan of boiling water, and do not use an open flame or any other source of dry heat which may melt something that you may have to wait three weeks for another to come over on the boat.

 

My last bit of advice is that you, T Reed - a self-confessed newb, should perhaps consider more time lurking before passing yourself off as an authority on Benellis (even though CS told you so).

 

mudhen's comments are very much tongue-in-cheek and they harken back to a post he made some time ago.

 

If you search through his posts, I'm sure you'll find it.

 

[ 05-22-2006, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: tucker301 ]

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My gun, and many others it seems, came without Locktite.

 

You state the official Benelli position is that the gun was supposed to have Locktite when new, and that Locktite is required for my gun to operate. Therefore, factually, my gun is lacking a factory required component, and someone at Benelli knew or should have known that my gun was sent out lacking this critical component. At that point, Benelli, having actual or constructive knowledge of this lacking component part, had a duty to recall all affected weapons.

 

I received no such recall, as would be standard customer service protocol. I filled out the yellow card, so Benelli knows where I am. That little yellow card is legally binding by gum!

 

Therefore, I did not receive proper customer service.

 

Perhaps I will continue to reassemble my Benellis for another 17 years without Locktite, and then file some sort of complaint in the year 2023...

 

Until then, I expect some sort of apology note from Benelli. A nice Benelli polo shirt (XXL Ash) would be a nice token of their sincere regret in keeping me informed. Maybe a personal call from Tom Knapp while they are at it?....

 

mudhen - CA

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Originally posted by tucker301:

I called customer service, and they don't make polo shirts in ash. tongue.gif

They state "Ash" in the 2006 catalog.

 

Yet another complaint to add to my list :mad:

 

I guess Black will do...

 

Ya know, for $41, I would expect Ash to be in stock...

 

mudhen - CA

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I know you guys are going to think I'm pulling your leg but...... my dad called and actually tallked to Tom Knapp about his illegal Super 90. By illegal, I mean the gun was capable of holding 4 shells by floating one behind the magazine. Ol' Tommy promptly upgraded the bolt so that can no longer be done. Anyway, that's the story.

 

What's the deal with cleaning the spring assembly out anyway? I've never had to do that. Are you guys exposing your guns to salt water or something?

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Originally posted by P. Steve Morgan:

What's the deal with cleaning the spring assembly out anyway? I've never had to do that. Are you guys exposing your guns to salt water or something?

I get all sorts of crap in mine. And yes, it does get exposed to saltwater on occasion.

 

During turkey season, those little clear buffer balls that Winchester uses in the XR's makes a total mess out of my mag tube and recoil tube. I seal the shells, but the buffer still seems to get stuck all over :mad:

 

Sitting upright in a rice tank 45-50 days a year seems to do the trick as well. I get little bits of rice straw, mud, gunk, etc. all jammed in the recoil tube.

 

Add in 1500+- magnum duck loads in a good season, and the recoil tube can get pretty gummed up with unspent powder.

 

By design, water runs right into the recoil tube along with anything that happens to be anywhere near the bolt.

 

mudhen - CA

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Originally posted by dblcluck:

The gas auto's have their reliability problems with grit and debris in the action just due to the "combustion gases" cycling the action. Now it seems that Benelli's have a "potential" problem with dirty recoil springs? What gives???? :confused:

Like I said before, I've been cleaning Benelli recoil springs since 1991 with good results...

 

Guns need to be cleaned...

 

mudhen - CA

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I replaced my action spring tube with a Sure Cycle, no reason other than I wanted to, the gun was brand new. Tucker and Mudhen are absolutely 100% correct. I took my tube apart with little effort, the only problem I had was removing the tube from the reciever, it took a considerable amout of effort, there is no way you could have it come loose by removing the stock retaining screw without heat. The new Sure Cycle came with instructions to not apply any threadlocker on either end. My stock retaining screw looked exactly like Tuckers photo. T Reed I have read many of Tuckers and Mudhens post, and have asked them several questions, and have yet to be steered wrong by anything they have ever said.

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