SBE3 Never Fires First Round

[RaulHidalgo]

As the title says, I can never get my SBE3 to fire on the first round.  I always get the infamous click.

I am aware that the most common answer and suggestion deals with the bolt not locking completely.  I've tried several methods to ensure this isn't the case. 

- I've manually loaded the shell into the chamber and used the bolt release.  Visually inspected the seating of the bolt and noticed no discrepancies.

- I've loaded the shell into the magazine.  Pressed the cartridge drop lever.  Pulled the bolt back manually to cycle the shell into the chamber.  Visually verified bolt seating afterwards.

- I've done both methods listed above and manually pulled the bolt back and pushed it forward again to verify that it twisted completely at the end.  Still clicking.

-I've tried not pressing the cartridge drop lever after chambering the shell with no success.

 

After the first attempt and subsequent click, I can push the cartridge drop lever, manually cycle the next shell, and it will fire fine.  As long as I keep shells in the magazine it will continue to fire.  If I don't press the cartridge drop lever, I am only able to eject the currently chambered shell and the bolt locks open.

 

I would like to know opinions on this matter and possible solutions.  It's a variation of the common "click" problem I've read about with the SBE line but unique in that it doesn't happen randomly, only on the first chambered round.

[remarkable]

" If I don't press the cartridge drop lever, I am only able to eject the currently chambered shell and the bolt locks open."   This would be normal.

A loading sequence should start in this position, bolt lock back.  Place shotshell in chamber, use bolt release to close bolt.

Secondly I would look at your bolt head and ensure it is not packed with debries, thus your firing pin is not traveling through the bolt and make contasct with the primer or not deep enough.

Search "Understandin Light Strikes" on this forum  very good photo sequence.

Please send me a PM if you can not make any progress, be glad to help.

[Steve Rose]

On 1/7/2024 at 6:41 PM, RaulHidalgo said:

As the title says, I can never get my SBE3 to fire on the first round.  I always get the infamous click.

I am aware that the most common answer and suggestion deals with the bolt not locking completely.  I've tried several methods to ensure this isn't the case. 

- I've manually loaded the shell into the chamber and used the bolt release.  Visually inspected the seating of the bolt and noticed no discrepancies.

- I've loaded the shell into the magazine.  Pressed the cartridge drop lever.  Pulled the bolt back manually to cycle the shell into the chamber.  Visually verified bolt seating afterwards.

- I've done both methods listed above and manually pulled the bolt back and pushed it forward again to verify that it twisted completely at the end.  Still clicking.

-I've tried not pressing the cartridge drop lever after chambering the shell with no success.

 

After the first attempt and subsequent click, I can push the cartridge drop lever, manually cycle the next shell, and it will fire fine.  As long as I keep shells in the magazine it will continue to fire.  If I don't press the cartridge drop lever, I am only able to eject the currently chambered shell and the bolt locks open.

 

I would like to know opinions on this matter and possible solutions.  It's a variation of the common "click" problem I've read about with the SBE line but unique in that it doesn't happen randomly, only on the first chambered round.

When letting the bolt go forward in these examples are you letting the bolt fly forward under is spring pressure, not holding it or touching the operating handle in any way? (Sounds like you are operating the SBE3 correctly, but still worth asking just in case)

[bambihunter]

Is this a new gun that doesn't work right, or has this issue developed on an used one? If not new, did it develop suddenly, or missing occasionally more as time went on?

To make sure I follow.. If you completely load the magazine, and then cycle the action it works? Or, does it still mess up until you've had one successful firing? Do you have to press the cartridge release when the gun fires normally after the issue?

When you get the click, have you ejected that round (after waiting a little bit in case of hang fire) and inspected it? Does it have an indentation from the firing pin on the primer? Any other scratches/gouges around the rim?

What happens if you press the bolt release while holding it, then forcefully pushing it home?

Another thought, is perhaps when dropping round in manually the extractor is keeping it from fully seating. Subsequent rounds from the magazine likely come up under the extractor instead of it having to go around the cartridge case head.

I don't have a SBE3, but I have fixed quite a few SBE1's of fellow hunters. Most of the time in similar situations it has been rusty or gunked up recoil tube in the buttstock. One had a broken recoil spring. However, these weren't repeatable and always first round like yours. They were the opposite in fact.

One other one which yours isn't doing, but I mention it as other places to check. On this one, the cartridge release internal was malfunctioning. Sometimes it wouldn't feed any rounds, other time it might let an extra round go through. The SBE1 would self-clean in that situation. He also did have it try to feed the entire magazine once which of course caused it to jam.