neil smith

At last weekends PSG competition at Romsey I witnessed an uncommon breakage on a fellow squad members Remington 870, we regularly see broken extractors & shell latches but I have never seen an action slide tube fail. The tube that is up the inside of the forend & connects the action bars to the forend snapped of near the base rendering the gun useless & forcing the guy to go to a spare gun for the rest of the day. If like many shooters & I include myself in that, you rarely if ever strip the action tube out of the forend when you clean your gun it may be worth inspecting this item more closely every now & then. Keep on pumping folks. N

The Beretta 391s & 400s both have firing pin springs, so now Im left wondering what your definition of free floating might be, but lets quit this discussion as it really doesn't matter, but if you need one they sell them here... http://www.midwestgunworks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=C95322&Store_Code=mgwi&search=beretta+A400&offset=&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high=

Hi Chrispti I agree it does depend on the make, which is why I said "in most semi auto's" there are a multitude of designs, most do have it in the stock, some don't. I also agree that firing of the hammer is unnecessary in modern coil spring equipped guns, which is why I said not all the tension will be released & so the full benefit cannot really be obtained & as coil springs are cheap its not really worth worrying about, to my mind the only spring worth protecting is the action spring, and its why I store my guns with the bolt closed to save the action spring a little. If keeping the gun stored with the bolt open makes people feel safer then there is nothing wrong with that, it just means you may get cycling issues further down the line & excess wear on the gun if you don't swap the spring as it becomes weaker over time, but so long as you do that then all is well. I also agree the Beretta 1301 does have the action spring fitted around the magazine tube instead of in the stock, I have worked on them a number of times, but the gun does not have a free floating firing pin, there is a spring that fits around it & acts upon it, the gun does have a free floating hammer, which is what I think you meant to say, it also has another coil spring that is fitted around a guide rod too the side of the trigger group that acts on the carrier dog (shell lifter) like a Benelli its not uncommon for this spring to get damaged or the guide rod bent. So as regards storage I don't think there is a right or wrong way to store a semi so long as you have the correct maintenance plan in place to support your chosen preference with regards to the springs. Kind of strayed off topic a little here so my apologies to the OP. N

Most Auto's will have at least 3 or 4 within the mechanism. By leaving the bolt closed you allow as much tension as possible off the largest of those springs, that is the action spring, located in most cases inside the tube that runs within the stock & acts upon the rear of the bolt, if you leave the bolt open then this spring will be compressed & under maximum tension & may weaken the spring over time. The second strongest spring is usually the hammer spring & by firing the gun prior to storage you again release this spring to a lower tension than if left cocked, but by doing so you place a small amount of extra tension onto the firing pin return spring housed inside the bolt. Most also have a spring the acts on the carrier dog (lifter) but again by leaving the bolt closed its under lower tension than if left open. As all of the springs mentioned are modern coil springs & are easily available these days & also cheap to replace, its not worth the trouble of trying to go to any great lengths to protect them, I change these springs in my main competition guns every 5-10 thousand rounds to avoid spring related issues & excess wear on the associated component parts, but closing the bolt & dry firing helps to extend their life a little bit, works for me. N

If any of you are planning to do PSG competitions with your pump or semi-auto guns then be aware that flags made from old cartridge cases are prohibited at most clubs, the tapco flag is the preferred flag because it not only sticks out of the ejection port it actually goes into the barrel of the gun preventing anything else being in the chamber. It is made from plastic & friction grips the inside of the chamber meaning that it cannot fall out & you can leave the bolt open or close the bolt onto it. Pump shooters especially will appreciate these flags as other kinds tend to fall out if the gun is stored vertical with the muzzle up, best of all they are only a couple of pounds.

If your on a budget, get in touch with Bentley at Riflecraft, they may have some Steoger M3000s left, they are a virtual copy of the Benelli M2 but at half the cost. The 1301, SX3 & Versamax along with older gas guns like the 11-87 will all need careful cleaning of the gas parts to remain reliable, I have seen all of these guns have problems after poor cleaning. The Benelli isn't perfect despite claims to the contrary but its as close as you will get in my opinion, it will however need some upgrades to certain parts to make it competitive & more user friendly, the carrier will need welding up to prevent trapping your thumb, oversized safety & bolt release buttons will speed up operation & the obligatory nordic magazine extension tube to increase capacity. Don't by the the fixed 7 round model as they are harder to extend. Or you could always buy the Bora magazine fed shotgun which is developing a following in open division. N

Hi Geoff Yes as my old mate points out I should have been a bit clearer, an extension fitted to a gun that remains restricted by some physical means like a crimp means no law is broken. N

Only when fitted. Some police forces have been pressuring dealers to ask for FAC proof but its not a requirement in law.

Yes, in the past I have fitted the pistol grip plastic stocks to mossbergs belonging to a mate of mine & they will easily interchange between the two models, hope to see you at the next WNSC club shoot, keep an eye out for me, I'm easy to spot with my name on the back of my shirt so tap me on the shoulder & say hello. N

I must have seen you there then, it was a shame about the weather, the WNSC matches are good & a great bunch of guys. N Yes they will....

Shoot at WNSC ? We're you there on Saturday ? N

I would say so, welcome to the club N.

I would say have a good read through the "Pump Club" thread..... http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/236687-pump-club/ And change your friends N

For the pumpers here that are into a little PSG, last weekend saw many of the UK's keen shotgunners down in Dorset for Round 4 in the Four4islands Shotgun Championship, the match was held at Shield Shooting Centre run by Steve Pike, here is a link to BL Photographics page containing some of the better pictures from the day. https://www.flickr.com/photos/benlove79/sets/72157645114368124/ And here are a few less than professional ones that I took….

With any luck, come October nobody else will care either. N

Mark Like the UKPSA, F4i relies on clubs willing to host matches at their ranges, the fact that no clubs from Scotland have come forward to do so would be the main reason, we would love to have some scotish clubs on board, I would like a good excuse to head up there. F4i is a not for profit organisation & puts any money it collects back into the sport or to charity, unlike the UKPSA who have been obsessed with building up a war chest of cash for years, that they are only to happy to offer in brown envelopes as so called "incentives" when it suits them. N

Hi Jeff 12 bore dominates of course but you are good to go with a 20 if you prefer. The only real issue is finding suitable slug & buckshot rounds for the 20 here in the UK. But if you home load then even that can be overcome. As you say all (steel) targets must fall to score & the gun must comply with divisional restrictions, most club level shoots are fairly relaxed & the fun factor is high ! N

Guys The guns are separated into divisions. The Magazine fed guns like the Bora 99 shown are what we call Open Division guns, there are very few restrictions in this division & so you can add red dot sights & just about any go faster part you like to your gun, the magazines usually hold 10-12 rounds but speed loads are much faster & thats why they are separated into Open only. The other most popular division is Standard, basically any semi-auto shotgun, the initial load is restricted to 9 rounds but after the start signal you can load more if your gun can hold them, most shooters run a gun that will hold between 12 & 14 rounds. Standard Pump is very similar to Standard, except its limited to pump or lever action guns only & its a very popular division that is keenly contested, some of you guys from the pump club here should try it, its my favourite division & where I usually compete even though I have guns I could use in the other divisions. The cheapest & easiest division to get started into PSG is pump division obviously, the initial costs of buying a gun are usually much cheaper, then Standard division with any semi-auto & finally Open being traditionally the most expensive, but guns like the Bora can be had for a lot less money than a tricked out Benelli M2 these days, gone are the days when you had to spend a fortune on a Molot or Saiga just to get it to run & so the Open division is growing well in the UK these days. If any of you guys want to try it, get yourselves along to a four4islands match & get stuck in. N

The guy following the shooter has several rolls to play, his primary function is safety, he will ensure the shooter follows all safety procedures while loading, shooting, moving, re-loading & clearing malfunctions, & unloading at the end of the stage, he is an extra pair of eyes that are separate from the shooter who is concentrating on shooting & may not see a situation develop that could compromise range safety, his secondary role is to record the shooters score & time for the stage he is working on, he must also ensure that the rules are followed & spectators remain protected. One incident that highlights the value of a range officer happened several years ago at a match I attended, the shot fallout area was on private land & all access gates had been closed & signs placed that shooting was in progress, although you would think the loud bangs would give that away anyway. During one competitors attempt at a particular stage the range officer shouted STOP STOP STOP at the top of his voice, all practical shooters will recognise this command & freeze on the spot, as the shooter did so a guy riding a mountain bike passed in front of the shooter some 45 yards away the other side of a tree line, the range officer saw what the shooter & others at the event had up to that point missed, the guy was trespassing & had ignored all the signs, locked gates & loud shots, you can never underestimate the stupidity of some people, if he had been injured Im sure the media would have run a story on how a group of shooters managed to hit an innocent biker enjoying a day in the countryside. That is an extreme example but it is not beyond the realms of possibility for inquisitive local youngsters to pop their heads above backstops, & I have seen this happen abroad, the range officers are a belt & braces approach to safety & give their time for free & for the good of others. We simply could not run matches without them. N

Guys As promised here is a link to some pictures taken at the recent Four4islands ShotgunTeam Challenge. 3 Man Teams from clubs up & down the country came together to compete for the first annual team trophy. The Guys from "The Tunnel" club in Dorset were victorious this year. Pictures thanks to Ben Love Photographic. https://www.flickr.com/photos/benlove79/sets/72157643212071145/ Also at the end of the month we will be heading off to Germany once again for the Bayern Cup, I will try to post a few pics from the trip if I can. N

So you will be looking to hammer a few steel plates soon then ? N

Yes no problem at all, the slugs with the vanes down the sides will even go down a full choke. N

I am looking forward to this weekend, Australia is one of my favorite places in the world & I love F1. I also think that the Sky coverage is worth the money, you get a lot of behind the scenes stuff like Teds notebook which I like. I would like to see Williams back up there with the winners this season, but I dont like the sound of the new engines much. N

Well March arrived & that meant the start of the practical shooting season & one match in particular that has always been one of my favourites. The "Hardy" match at Shield Shooting Centre was last weekend on the 8th-9th, this year the start of the season was blessed with beautiful weather on the south coast & we had a lot of fun. I bumped into "ChAoS" at the match & just want to say many thanks to him for his kind gift, cheers Mark & see you at the next one. Here are a few pumping pics from Saturday. Texas Star Jon on Stage 2 A "tight" No Shoot ! "Easy" :-) Team Shiela ! It was a great weekend & round 2 will be later this month as well as the new Team Challenge event which will see teams from all over the UK competing, ill post a few more after those matches, anyone who wants to get into PSG should give the four4islands matches a go, you will be welcomed & I can guarantee you will have a fun day out. N

Any that are around have probably been here for years, I dont think anyone imports them these days. I have one, its made by Mossberg to fit the 870, its a 24" cyl choke barrel with no rib & rifle sights, shoots slug quite well. I think they are still available in the USA as are other makes, the problem is getting them here. N