New Beretta 391 jams

[45crittergitter]

OK, so the wife's brand-new 20 ga. 391 is sluggish with 7/8 and 1 oz loads to the extent that the bolt does not travel all the way back, creating a jam with the empty and fresh shell, or with a failure to eject. Works fine with 3" shells, but we got it for use with standard 7/8 and 1 oz loads. The gun has been cleaned and nothing appears out of order. Just needs breaking in? Suggestions?

 

[PJR]

How well lubricated was this gun when the problems happened? We had a fellow at our club with a 20 gauge 391 and was experiencing the same problems. He asked me to look at it and the gun was bone dry. 391s like to be shot "wet." I liberally doused the moving parts with BreakFree and the gun worked fine.

 

[Pete409]

No offense intended, but the gun probably needs a better cleaning and several hundred rounds to break it in.

Been there, done that, seen it many times.

 

[ArmedBear]

Sounds like a lemon. I'll take it on as a project, though. I'll give you 500 bucks for it.

 

[JNewell]

We've got a bunch of 390/391 Berettas - all worked like a clock right out of the box with no need for any break-in, even with very light loads. I'd call BUSA service.

 

[Pete409]

I'd call BUSA service

.

Yeah, and they'll tell you to send it in for them to inspect. Then, if your case is typical of many I've heard of, they'll keep your gun for six to eight months, send it back to you with scratches and dings in it, and tell you that there is nothing wrong with it.

My advice is to run 300 to 400 shells through the gun (after a thorough cleaning with solvent) and then see if you still have the problem. If the problem no longer exists, then you've solved the problem. If the problem still exists, then you've eliminated "break in" as one possible source of the problem. Then contact Beretta.

Personally, I don't care what he does with the gun, but I assume that he bought it to use it NOW, not six months from now. And just because SOME Berettas don't require break in doesn't mean that NO Berettas require break in. It all a matter of how the tolerances stack up in each individual gun..... and it might have something to do with how much wine Guido drank the night before he put that gun together.

 

[Pete409]

I'd call BUSA service

.

Yeah, and they'll tell you to send it in for them to inspect. Then, if your case is typical of many I've heard of, they'll keep your gun for six to eight months, send it back to you with scratches and dings in it, and tell you that there is nothing wrong with it.

My advice is to run 300 to 400 shells through the gun (after a thorough cleaning with solvent) and then see if you still have the problem. If the problem no longer exists, then you've solved the problem. If the problem still exists, then you've eliminated "break in" as one possible source of the problem. Then contact Beretta.

Personally, I don't care what he does with the gun, but I assume that he bought it to use it NOW, not six months from now. And just because SOME Berettas don't require break in doesn't mean that NO Berettas require break in. It all a matter of how the tolerances stack up in each individual gun..... and it might have something to do with how much wine Guido drank the night before he put that gun together.

 

[Pete409]

Yeah, and they'll tell you to send it in for them to inspect. Then, if your case is typical of many I've heard of, they'll keep your gun for six to eight months, send it back to you with scratches and dings in it, and tell you that there is nothing wrong with it.

My advice is to run 300 to 400 shells through the gun (after a thorough cleaning with solvent) and then see if you still have the problem. If the problem no longer exists, then you've solved the problem. If the problem still exists, then you've eliminated "break in" as one possible source of the problem. Then contact Beretta.

Personally, I don't care what he does with the gun, but I assume that he bought it to use it NOW, not six months from now. And just because SOME Berettas don't require break in doesn't mean that NO Berettas require break in. It all a matter of how the tolerances stack up in each individual gun..... and it might have something to do with how much wine Guido drank the night before he put that gun together.

 

[45crittergitter]

Update

Kinda weird. First day it worked with cheap 7/8 oz. loads, but was sluggish, just dropping the empties under the gun. Next time, would hardly fire two one oz. shells in a row. This continued for a box or more of shells. Cleaned and checked out - didn't help. Worked perfectly with 3" mags. Then it gradually started working with the 1 oz. and 7/8 oz. loads. Guess it just needed a little breaking in, but that doesn't explain why it started out working with the lightest loads before choking. Weird.

 

[sm]

Ammunition.

Most semi-auto shotgun problems are Chamber , extraction , not assembling a gas system correctly and ammunition.

Ammunition: Just what is some of this stuff these shell mfgs trying to pass off as shot shells anyway??

Out of spec, poor metal base heads, out of spec and not assembled to plastic correctly...also out of spec, add powder fluctuation's.

Cut apart shells from the same box and weigh powder charges if you want some eye-opening on some of these shells that seem different in the same box, or report sounds, feels different.

Not just the inexpensive loads, some more expensive ones too!

 

[Pete409]

Thanks for the update. Glad it's working for you now. Wasn't it a whole lot easier (and a LOT more fun) to run a few boxes of shells through it than to send it off to Beretta?

 

[45crittergitter]

Yeah, Pete, and everyone thanks for the replies.