So today was the day. The day when my fire sale -cheap Stoeger 2000 finally cycled 1oz and even some 7/8oz shells without a problem. I've been procrastinating with this some 2½ years but finally got around to put my mind into it and results are rewarding.
Mechanically it was straightforward: polish action rails, magazine tube, bolt head, barrel extension, bevel the rear edges of rails, smooth, round and polish the rear of the bolt where it contacts the hammer and replace the hammer spring with a 40% lighter off-the-shelf spring. That made a noticeable difference in force required to cock the hammer yet it's still strong enough to avoid FTF.
I didn't even have to replace the action spring. MOA Precision has been extremely helpful with troubleshooting the gun and they have a custom lighter one in stock, but arranging export licenses according to ITAR regulations would've cost me an arm and a leg. Their customer service is out of this world, especially considering that I didn't buy - or wasn't able to buy - anything.
I stripped the lacquer stock and converted it to oil meanwhile like I mentioned in another thread (picture below), so now it looks decent and works like it's supposed to.
I might have a lighter action spring custom wound locally but that's not really necessary, reliable functionality with 1oz shells is all I need for sporting clays.
Stoeger M2000 may have a questionable reputation but with some elbow grease and a few dollars in parts even a bad one can be made to work. Those who have happened to get a good one right out of the box seem to love theirs and now I understand why.
Now mine isn't just a nice gun for the price; it's a nice gun, period.
Mechanically it was straightforward: polish action rails, magazine tube, bolt head, barrel extension, bevel the rear edges of rails, smooth, round and polish the rear of the bolt where it contacts the hammer and replace the hammer spring with a 40% lighter off-the-shelf spring. That made a noticeable difference in force required to cock the hammer yet it's still strong enough to avoid FTF.
I didn't even have to replace the action spring. MOA Precision has been extremely helpful with troubleshooting the gun and they have a custom lighter one in stock, but arranging export licenses according to ITAR regulations would've cost me an arm and a leg. Their customer service is out of this world, especially considering that I didn't buy - or wasn't able to buy - anything.
I stripped the lacquer stock and converted it to oil meanwhile like I mentioned in another thread (picture below), so now it looks decent and works like it's supposed to.
I might have a lighter action spring custom wound locally but that's not really necessary, reliable functionality with 1oz shells is all I need for sporting clays.
Stoeger M2000 may have a questionable reputation but with some elbow grease and a few dollars in parts even a bad one can be made to work. Those who have happened to get a good one right out of the box seem to love theirs and now I understand why.
Now mine isn't just a nice gun for the price; it's a nice gun, period.
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