I have some Federal power-shok #3 buckshot 2 3/4" 20 ga and it keeps jamming when cycled in my wife's Mossberg 500. When you look at the shells you notice that the case is lumpy corresponding to the pellet locations. These lumps keep the shell from being chambered and wedge it in place. Is all Federal buckshot this way and can someone recommend some better alternatives?
Lumpy buckshot not feeding properly
- Thread starter Harvster
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Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
No,it's not typical and different ammo will work better.
I've used some lumpy ammo in the past. It wasn't Federal. If I could get it in the chamber it worked.
I've used some lumpy ammo in the past. It wasn't Federal. If I could get it in the chamber it worked.
That ammo is bad. Not sure why, but it should NOT be deformed the way you describe.
Toss that stuff and buy some new. Being unable to chamber a round when you and yours are on the line is NOT a good thing.
Sometimes, if shotshells are kept a very long time in a full magazine, the mag spring pressure will deform them. Doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.
Or, those rounds may have been 'over-filled' with buffering material between the shot pellets, and when the shell was crimped, it pushed the pellets into the walls of the shell a bit too much. This doesn't happen very often, either, but I have seen it a few times in my 30+ years of shooting.
I do sort of very vaguely remember about 20 years back a box of #4 shot that was supposed to be 1-1/8th OZ. They were bulged and lumpy the way you describe. I cut open a couple, weighed the shot charges, and they were 1-3/8 OZ. I don't remember the brand now, but when I contacted the maker with the lot number, they sent me 2 boxes.
Toss that stuff and buy some new. Being unable to chamber a round when you and yours are on the line is NOT a good thing.
Sometimes, if shotshells are kept a very long time in a full magazine, the mag spring pressure will deform them. Doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.
Or, those rounds may have been 'over-filled' with buffering material between the shot pellets, and when the shell was crimped, it pushed the pellets into the walls of the shell a bit too much. This doesn't happen very often, either, but I have seen it a few times in my 30+ years of shooting.
I do sort of very vaguely remember about 20 years back a box of #4 shot that was supposed to be 1-1/8th OZ. They were bulged and lumpy the way you describe. I cut open a couple, weighed the shot charges, and they were 1-3/8 OZ. I don't remember the brand now, but when I contacted the maker with the lot number, they sent me 2 boxes.
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627PCFan
Member
Ive got some Federal 3 1/2's OO Copper plated that have the same thing but still cycle in my SBE. I would assume that 12 ga. chambers dont very too much in size?
41magsnub
Member
I received some of the exact same Federal Power Shock 20ga 2 3/4 #3 Buck from MidwayUSA and it is also a little lumpy but nowhere near as pronounced as yours. I agree with foghornl, it seems there is a bad batch or some extra weak hulls or something. A sampling of the stuff I received feeds just fine in my Win Model 1300.
Usually this is caused by exposure to heat. Ammo left in the trunk of a car in the summer for instance. Rounds left loaded in a shotgun which stays inside a vehicle out in the sun will get lumpy and distorted too. I've seen quite a few police cruiser shotguns full of ammo that wouldn't cycle. Since this is new ammo it makes me wonder. Ross
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