Sticking shells.....again....?

B

bswiv

New member
Before I describe the problem let me say that I know and have done the cleaning of the chamber with steel wool.

This is the third time this has occured.........

So we were in SD chasing pheasants last week and as in years past I bought Fiocci Golden Pheasant shells. This is what the guy who's land we hunted on suggested.

And for the third time the darn things would stick in the chamber. Not all of them but maybe every 3rd one.

First year I scrubbed out the chamber after getting home and during the off season shot it at least a dozen times and maybe 500 rounds at the range, not to mention a few rounds of 3 inch buckshot at hogs.

Not one shell stuck. So I figured I had the problem solved.

For good measure before we left for SD last year I cleaned the chamber up real good again. Had a few stick again, not as many but still a couple.

During the off season I shot it a great number of times, and ran a few more 3 inch buchshot through it. Not one stuck. And this was without cleaning it after the SD trip.

So this year right before we leave I clean the chamber up real good just to be sure even though I'm convinced there is not a problem. Get to SD and sure as heck the Fiocci shells stick. At this point I borrow some steel wool from the guy we are hunting with and clean the chamber AGAIN. No improvement.

Last day of the hunt and I've had it so I get a box of Kent 1 1/4 oz and use them. They kill the pheasants just fine and not one sticks.

Out of cuerosity I saved one of each of the empties to compare. Looks to me that the Fiocci are brass is much more heavely imprented with the bolt face than the other shell. It also looks like the brass has flowed a bit into the extractor slot on the Fiocci.

What this leads me to believe is that the Fiocci are loaded to significantly more pressure levels and this is causing the problem.

So what do you think?

Mossberg 500 with lots of faithful years of service in her and in good condition........
 
I don't think there is any doubt its an ammo issue.

I would recommend you quit fussing with it / just quit using Fiocchi - switch over to Remington or something else.

I've seen this happen with Fiocchi ammo before / but never with Rio or Estate if you're looking for a less expensive shell option - and never with a higher end shell like Remington. I think its a tolerance issue / or maybe the base on the shell that Fiocchi is using that is causing the problem.
 
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I picked up a box of those shells to test out for sh*** n giggles and found they stuck almost every 3rd or 4th shell..in my 870 none the less..Ill never count on those for hunting...try remington or federal?
 
Fiocchi, Kemen and some others have opened US factories and have had some issues with their quality. It was my understanding that they were cleared up - it seems my source was wrong. Fiocchi Golden Pheasant have always been one of the THE choices for wild birds that I and others have used. This is most disconcerting - let us know if the issue resolves itself with other shells besides the Kent - wonder if it was the way the hull/rim were made???
 
I thought that maybe the brass was a little thinner allowing less purchase by the exstractor after it was fired?

Or maybe it was a couple of thousand's smaller in diameter?

As I said this is the only brand I've had a problem with. And I will be honest I buy JUNK to target shoot with.....but then none of the JUNK has ever stuck.

As for the Fiocci, last ones through this gun while hunting.

It is odd thuogh because they have a great following from what I hear.
 
There are Remington, Winchester and Federal shot shells any and everywhere you go that sells Ammo. These are tried and true and have worked extreamly well for nearly a Century. I am almost certain that these 3 brands will take a pheasant in the field. :)
 
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