I recently bought a 20ga semi-auto from a local gun store. Thru research I have found it is an original TriStar Kral Viper(verified by Importer-TriStar Arms). I will preface my remarks by saying, I have never owned an auto shotgun. I have my s/s that I have had since I was 8 and that is mostly all I have ever use. Occasionally I have used my dads 870 pump.
I brought some federal target loads (2.5 dram, 7/8oz shot) and a box of clay pigeon to test it out with. The first round fired as it should. The second and successive 3 more rounds, all the brass was cut off. The plastic stayed in the tube and the brass jammed with the new round trying to be loaded. The plastic was easily removed from the chamber with a cleaning rod. Brass was not split. No high pressure indications were found. The hull left in the chamber was not split and looked normal.
I took it back to the gun store. Their smith looked it over but was just as confused as I was as to what the root of the problem might be. He did take it apart and (according to him) found a plugged gas port which he thoroughly cleaned. They asked me to try a different brand of ammunition and report back to them. I took it home and fired 2 rounds of Winchester thru it. Again first round was ok, second the brass was pulled off the plastic. I tried 5 rounds of Federal high velocity loads and 5 Remington high velocity loads. Similar results with the high velocity loads however the brass was not completely cut off, just cut halfway thru on both brands. The one thing I did notice is that the high velocity loads were ejected approximately 15-18 feet from where I was standing. Seemed a little far to throw a spent hull to me.
I contacted another local gun smith. They had no useful information. I contacted TriStar. Their response was that it was a gun no longer in production and there were no parts available. I could send it to them and their smith would look at it for a $35/hr rate but no guarantees it would/could be repaired and I would have to pay shipping both ways.
My main question is has anyone seen anything like this before. I certainly have not. If so, any idea on where to start to resolve the issue?
Secondly, is it worth spending any money/time on? I know its not an expensive gun. Certainly not a Remington 1100 or Browning. The gun store is willing to take it back. I have reported all my testing to them and kept all spent hulls for their inspection.
I brought some federal target loads (2.5 dram, 7/8oz shot) and a box of clay pigeon to test it out with. The first round fired as it should. The second and successive 3 more rounds, all the brass was cut off. The plastic stayed in the tube and the brass jammed with the new round trying to be loaded. The plastic was easily removed from the chamber with a cleaning rod. Brass was not split. No high pressure indications were found. The hull left in the chamber was not split and looked normal.
I took it back to the gun store. Their smith looked it over but was just as confused as I was as to what the root of the problem might be. He did take it apart and (according to him) found a plugged gas port which he thoroughly cleaned. They asked me to try a different brand of ammunition and report back to them. I took it home and fired 2 rounds of Winchester thru it. Again first round was ok, second the brass was pulled off the plastic. I tried 5 rounds of Federal high velocity loads and 5 Remington high velocity loads. Similar results with the high velocity loads however the brass was not completely cut off, just cut halfway thru on both brands. The one thing I did notice is that the high velocity loads were ejected approximately 15-18 feet from where I was standing. Seemed a little far to throw a spent hull to me.
I contacted another local gun smith. They had no useful information. I contacted TriStar. Their response was that it was a gun no longer in production and there were no parts available. I could send it to them and their smith would look at it for a $35/hr rate but no guarantees it would/could be repaired and I would have to pay shipping both ways.
My main question is has anyone seen anything like this before. I certainly have not. If so, any idea on where to start to resolve the issue?
Secondly, is it worth spending any money/time on? I know its not an expensive gun. Certainly not a Remington 1100 or Browning. The gun store is willing to take it back. I have reported all my testing to them and kept all spent hulls for their inspection.
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