Ruger Red Label and Estate target loads

DOUGLAS D

DOUGLAS D

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Here's a bit of a puzzle that cropped up recently.
A while back I picked up a used first generation Ruger 12 gauge here on EE.
The gun appeared fine and I put it in the safe for a few months until I had a chance to fire it.
A couple issues cropped up as soon as I fired my first 2 rounds of Estate target loads. First I noticed that the safety had been modified and was no longer automatic as all Red labels should be from factory.
Secondly the gun failed to extract or eject one of the tubes.
Repeated the test after giving it a good cleaning and got mixed results. Sometimes full extraction. Sometimes one or the other tube would eject the empty.Other times top and bottom tube would not extract nor eject empty hull.
Long story short I contacted Snap Shots and they were able to supply new ejector springs and guides as well as forearm ejector springs and plungers.
With the gun fitted with all new plumbing I again tried it with Estate 2.75 target loads.

Different day and same result so by now I'm about ready to wrap this nice classic around the nearest tree.

While I'm back inside knocking out the empty hulls with a cleaning rod I grabbed a box of Remington STS and decided to give it another go.
Gun functions 100 percent fine.
Tried Winchester Double A's. Gun functions fine.
Winchester, Dominion and Federal field loads....works 100 percent.

Switch back to Estate (made in France according to the box) and once again no extraction.
Should also mention that those same Estates work just fine in my 725 and Ultra and always have.

Any ideas why that Ruger just cannot digest them?
 
I know it's not the same gun or shells, but the bulk Winchester shells would not eject half the time out of my 870 or my friend's Mossberg, any other shell worked just fine. They had a low aluminum case head and would often stick in the chamber hard enough that the extractor would slip off over the rim and they needed to be pried out.

The should just work, but some combinations just don't.
 
Having never owned a Red Label, I'm not that familiar with them but I've had various over and under guns that didn't like a particular brand of ammo and wouldn't extract or eject the hulls. Not something I'd lose any sleep over if it works with all the other brands.
 
unstableryan said:
I know it's not the same gun or shells, but the bulk Winchester shells would not eject half the time out of my 870 or my friend's Mossberg, any other shell worked just fine. They had a low aluminum case head and would often stick in the chamber hard enough that the extractor would slip off over the rim and they needed to be pried out.

The should just work, but some combinations just don't.
Click to expand...

The case heads are thin steel on the cheap Winchesters, and they expand more than others, which makes for tougher extraction.
 
I would say your ruger may have tighter chambers and using the cheap plated steel base estates with little or no rebound of the base is causing them to stick in the chambers .winchester super targets are known to create the same problem in other guns .
 
Have used Estate shells in each of my six clay shotguns and have never experienced any difficulty with extraction/ ejection but a friend with a Beretta Perennial had the occasional hang up.
 
rembolt said:
I would say your ruger may have tighter chambers and using the cheap plated steel base estates with little or no rebound of the base is causing them to stick in the chambers .winchester super targets are known to create the same problem in other guns .
Click to expand...

That must be it.
I also have the sporting clays version of the Red Label and oddly enough it cycles the same Estate loads with no problem.
That's kind of the reason I put the blame on the gun rather than the ammo at first.
 
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