Serious Shotgun Anomaly - 11/28/2010

[Land_Owner]

Sunday, my 19 y.o. killed a duck.  The circa 1990 Winchester Model 1300 fired, but the pump action did not complete the cycle, or eject the casing, and locked up.  Here is a look at the end of the 12 ga casing:

[AtlLaw]

WOW!!!     I haven't seen a hull like that since I learned the difference between "drams" and "drams equivalent!"     Was that a factory shell?   

[SHOOTALL]

looks like the action was either not closed or opened to fast . Ask him if by chance he pushes forward on the forearm while shooting . On most pumps the forearm must go forward before it will come backward and work the action. Check and see if yours is working this way. With an empty gun both chamber and mag. pull back on the forearm while pulling the trigger . NOTHING should happen other than hammer falling. Then push the forearm forward and then it should come back and work the action. I have seen a couple shells like the one you posted on the range once and in Duck blinds in Canada . In Canada it was with Caniaian made shells which are not of the quality American shells are built to. In both cases the shells were on the ground and I have no clue as to the gun used. I shot one that sorta looked like yours but it was a 16ga shell in a 12 ga. gun   .

[Land_Owner]

Sorry to leave you guessing.  Can you believe it?  They actually wanted me to do some WORK at the office this morning...go figure that one!  jk...jk.

It was a new just-out-of-the box Winchester factory round.  It was the 2nd shell he fired that morning with the first being OK/"normal" just short shucked.  He had said that he "wasn't short shucking" as the reason it was not ejecting the hulls.  I now know him to be right about that!  Should have listened earlier...and not taken it for granted.  We were all lucky.

Upon inspection, the Breech Bolt Slide was locked up in mid-stroke; the Slide Arm Bridge's bent metal tang - by design as seen in the excerpt from the Winchester Owner's Manual below - that engages the groove in the Firing Pin had "jumped" forward of the groove in the firing pin.  How that occurred without shearing the tang or bending the Slide Arms is something that only recoil in a duck blind can explain.  My 27 y.o. had to pry the Slide Arms up and out to get the Slide Arm Bridge and Bolt out of the gun.  These parts are typically easy to extract and clean.

I called Winchester this morning.  Their suggestion is to return the gun for inspection and repair - if required.  They indicate there would be no "Inspection Fee" and should a repair be required, they would call me prior to any repair or charges being authorized.

I am not a gunsmith although I have purchased new parts and made repairs to both the Slide Arm Bridge (once when its tang broke) and the Slide Arms (once when one of them sheared in two) over the 20-plus years of use of this gun.  My observation of the "wear and tear" on the Bolt, Slide, its parts and pieces, and the Receiver of this gun is not as good as my ability to replace broken parts.  I am leaning toward sending the gun back to Winchester for their gunsmith to review.  Thoughts on that?

[SHOOTALL]

If its happened before that may be a good plan. I have a 1400 that has been rebuilt twice ( read most of the parts that wear were replaced by a gun smith) . Last time I was told it would not be worth doing again .

[dukkillr]

Get a BPS or if you're a winchester guy (real Winchester, not just the name), a Model 12.

[Land_Owner]

Only twice before over 20 years (not bad, a once in 10-year average), have wearing parts broken, which were easily replaced by me.  This time is different, inherently so.  With 20-plus years of wear, but only two or three thousand rounds through it (a small pittance compared to many duck, dove, skeet and trap shooters), it now has me convinced that it is capable of catastrophic failure to cause bodily harm.  That is unacceptable, particularly since I can rectify the situation before harm is done or doom it to be a Wall Hanger forevermore.

I have two Benelli Nova shotguns that I like better for duck/turkey hunting, but the Winchester is now the favorite of my 19 y.o. (and still my favorite too) with its wooden stock and fore end.  It is, to my eye, a very attractive shotgun.  Sure, there are better 'wooden guns' out there, but this was my first; purchased when times were lean.  It has served me well.

I rarely use a shotgun, 'cept maybe once in a while (when it is out of the safe) as 'standby' home defense; when I am not already packing a revolver.  It is strictly for ducks (and once for turkey).

[SHOOTALL]

Its most likely something easy to repair . With the rotary bolt to bbl lock up I doubt a major accident is waiting to happen . AS for looks YES ! but even more it just fits right . BUT then its a Winchester ! 
Like an earlier post it may have been an over load and not the gun at all. Like the ones I saw were both in places where over loads are seen. Hand loads on a skeet field as someone tries to gain something or in Canada where one shell sounds like a 22 going off and the next like a cannon.
Have you tried another shell yet ?

[Land_Owner]

The shotgun sits in multiple pieces on the dining room table.  My 27 y.o. (former Marine) dismantled it to get the Slide Arm Bridge and Breech Bolt Slide out, took the Breech Bolt apart, and did not restored it to "shotgun mode" in the off chance that it is something simple and easy to restore.  No real reason not to reassemble it and "see what happens", other than an inherent need to maintain safety. 

Winchester/Olin [WIN SUPER-X DRYLOK SUPER STEEL MAGNUM 12GA] could have packaged an overloaded round.  I feel pretty safe about their Quality Control though.  My 19 y.o. had complained on three prior discharges that it was not shucking the spent hulls and we told him he was "rusty" from last season and was short shucking.  I believe the shotgun needs some attention, to which parts I am not yet sure.

[SHOOTALL]

As to quality control I would say most of the time. I have had a box of Remington buck shot that 3 out of 5 were falling apart . Federal shells that were not crimped enough to hold payload in and 2 winchester handgun rounds with primer in backwards. I would say they work in a range at best. But do agree they do a good job most of the time.
 Did ya'll check the bolt - bbl lock up for trash etc. ?

[Land_Owner]

Nothing has been checked, but keep the suggestions coming as we will put her together again and test them all.  Provided I still have ten fingers and both eyes, I will post results, in particular for the dry fire tests.

[SHOOTALL]

If in doubt about safety then don't try it with a live round . Eyes and fingers are hard to replace