An Interesting Observation

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cosmic

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I was playing around with one of my shotguns (Beretta semi) and noticed that if I hit the bolt release and gradually let the bolt slide home while I had pressure on the trigger, the gun would fire out of battery by about 1/8 inch. This piqued my interest, and I found that many of of my pumps and semis did the same.
Anybody else come across this?
 
The hammer may fall but is it hitting the firing pin? A dummy round with only a primer will tell you if it is actually firing or just hitting the back of the bolt.
 
Lots of shotguns do this.

I have one of the new lever shotguns that are floating around, and it does it as well. However, the the hammer drop pushes it that last 1/8th inch into battery and locks the bolt.

Here's a neat trick to demonstrate what I'm trying to explain:

#1 MAKE SURE THE GUN IS EMPTY AND NO SHELL IS IN THE CHAMBER
#2 See #1
#3 Repeat 1-2
(Ok, I'll let off on that now, but really, make sure the gun is clear)
#4 Slide the action forward until just before it is in battery, about that 1/8th inch the OP referred to.
#5 Use your index finger to apply pressure to the bolt through the ejection port, and slide it back. With a lot of pumps and semis, this is possible, and the bolt will slide back (not in battery and locked).
#6 Slide the action forward until just before it is in battery, as above, and depress the trigger. Watch the bolt carefully. It will travel that last 1/8 inch fully into battery.
#7 Re-attempt the finger push technique above. You will find that the bolt will no longer be readily pushed back - it was in fact locked by the striking of the hammer.

Some guns actually mess this up. The first batch of Adler lever shotguns (that went to Australia), it was possible to make them fire out of battery. Some the problem was quickly reported, and the guns were recalled. But a minor adjustment to the action solved the problem and produced the same results as described above.
 
It is the safest way to uncock the firing pin. The pin will not strike a loaded shell as the top of the bolt has a mobile piece that has to sit in the groove at the top of the barrel. In battery, the piece sits in the groove and allows the firing pin to continue and hit the primer.
BTW the safe way to unload a Beretta semi:
Make sure safety is on
Rotate to see loading ramp and point in safe direction
Insert thumb to lower loading ramp and extend into magazine and touch first shell
Depress with other hand bolt release, this will allow the shell in the magazine to exit
Remove shell and repeat until no shells are visible in the magazine
Turn over and press the little button on the loading ramp, don't forget to point in a safe direction
Pull the bolt to extract the loaded shell, with practice you can empty the chamber in your other hand, BTW the bolt will say open now
 
cosmic said:
I was playing around with one of my shotguns (Beretta semi) and noticed that if I hit the bolt release and gradually let the bolt slide home while I had pressure on the trigger, the gun would fire out of battery by about 1/8 inch. This piqued my interest, and I found that many of of my pumps and semis did the same.
Anybody else come across this?
Click to expand...

If I recall, this is suggested in the Beretta manual as a way to store the gun.

RF
 
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