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Don't use Fiocchi Shells in your SBE II


realone

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I just got back from a great Duck, Goose, Dove, Pigeon & Pheasant hunt in Argentina. Out of the eight of us we had seven SBE Benelli's. I got my 2004 SBE II four days before the trip and was looking forward to breaking it in big time. The outfitter supplied us with Fiocchi Sporting 28g shells. The first day we found that five of the SBE's and two Browning would not cycle. The outfitter swore up and down that he had used thousands of Fiocchi shells and had only had problems with Bennelli guns. Well you can imagine that we had some pissed off hunters, but most of us kept an open mind. We planed to bring a box of Fiocchi shells back and test our guns with similar USA shells. Well on the way back to the USA in the Buenos Aires airport we run into the Benelli Staff and editor of Field and Stream Mag. who were just coming back from a field test of the new Benelli guns. Well one of the less polite and less successful members of our party jumped down there throat, which caused the rest of us to srink in embarrassment. We tried to apologize for our outspoken colleague, but it was to late. The munute we arrived home we took out our SBE's and loaded a USA shell the gun worked fine, three rounds cycled, we then loaded three Fiocchi shells and the gun jamed.

 

mortal of the story: Don't spend $4,000 on a trip unless you know what shells the outfitter is using, and if there have been any problems with them.

 

Again, I apologize to the staff and guest of Benelli for our friends out burst.

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realone:

 

I think your pretty much only gonna get Fiocchi in SA. From what I remember reading the government has some deal with Fiocchi and they don't allow any other ammo.

 

If the outfitter didn't warn you before about the ammo then he ain't getting paid, thats pretty crappy. What'd you guys do, shoot them as single shots?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, I got that the Fiocci shells didn't work. What exactly was happening that made them unsuitable? Is the shell diameter too large for the chamber and the round can't be ejected after firing? Loading too wimpy to cycle the action? Rims slip out of the extractor? What do your USA shells have that the Fiocci does not?

-Lazrus

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  • 2 weeks later...

the same thing happenned to me in Argentina, although at the time I used a winchester 1500 xtr which never malfunctioned. needles to say my father had two 1100 completly thorn apart. now I´m waiting for my SBEII to clear customs and see what are you all talking about.

 

the outfitter in Argentina gave us reloaded shots.

and we never had a problem.

Argentina as most of SA has ample brands to choose from, and since you are going to shoot lots of ammo they will give you the cheapest kind.

 

ammo boxes(25) will cost around 4 bucks and they will sell it to you at almost $9 usd. their profit is in the shells.....

 

in Mexico none of you will have trouble with shotgun shells since its rare to find 7/8 or 1 oz. shotshells. game shotshells are always 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 oz. are the norm.

 

joe.

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  • 2 months later...

I just got back from a dove hunt in west Texas yesterday. I shot 4 boxes of Fiocchi 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz #8 loads without so much as a hiccup out of my brand new SBEII. I love the gun and have had no complaints whatsoever about it. I even shot some 1oz Winchester target loads and it cycled those fine too. Sorry to hear about your problems though.

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Ive seen fiochi(p) all over NA and places like cabela's sell them. A low end shell mat have problems due to the shape of the lip being slightly rounded. This has been noted with Kent Estate shells in some cases. The answer, use a higher end shell or perhaps benelli could look at thier extractor and give it a bit more umph.

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