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Patterning new gun

John A.

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I was able to test some ammo today in the used shotgun I recently acquired from a friend. I suppose the title "new" is not technically correct. But it's new to me anyway.

I have never owned an auto 12 gauge myself and I must say that I'm really digging it.

I tried a handful of my recent reloads today now that I had some time to do it.

First off the Remington STS low brass handicap reload copies. The gun managed to place 74 pellets inside the 3 inch bullseye which is very respectable in itself. These are with #6 shot. Not the typical 7-1/2 or 8 shots that you usually find them in the store and used some of the Remington figure 8 wads that a forum member gave me to try.


charles daly 001.JPG

Shot a decent pattern, but the shells were not strong enough to chamber the next round. Which leaves me wondering if there is a slightly weaker spring that I can exchange this to so it would cycle correctly?

Anyone got any suggestions of possible remedies? If you do, I am all ears and willing to try just about anything.

If not, I'll still be loading these shells to use in my double barrel and pumps. They work just fine in them.

*These are near max charges of titegroup for this recipe combination, so I can't bump the charge up any and go that route.

So, next, I wanted to try some of my high brass loads and I hit the jackpot with the first shot. Cycles like a dream, and soft shooting too, considering the big heavy spring and all.

These are my Hornady copy reloads. While I'm still using Remington hulls for them too, I'm loading them with longshot powder, 1-1/8 oz Hornady versatite shot cups and according to the chrony, am getting 1455 fps average out of them. And I could even go hotter if I needed to (I don't), but am going to log this recipe in my load book because it's a keeper for sure.

Here is a photo of the target. At the same distance as the Remington STS copies from earlier. 17 yards, and off hand.

As mentioned above, the velocity was great, and the gun cycled, ejected and functioned perfectly. And look at this pattern. Exactly where it should've been, and with so many pellets and the wad through the bullseye, I couldn't even determine how many there actually were within the bullseye. The entire load could be covered by a paper plate.

My buddy warned me that with the Remington full choke that is in it, it would tear a squirrel in half if you're too close to it. And from judging by this, I would tend to believe it.

He told me that if you hold the bead on it, you can shoot them from as far as you can see them.

Another plus, it has the shortest 24 inch ported barrel they offered so it's easy to carry and shoot.

This gun, is definitely a keeper.

charles daly 002.JPG
 
Nice score John...and good pattern

So...it's a Remington, right ? What Model ?


17 yards away from the patterning target both times...right ?
 
It has a Remington steel/lead Full choke in it. Sorry for the confusion.

Which being chambered for 3-1/2" magnum is why I suspect the action spring is just too heavy for the low brass shells to cycle and why I was asking if anyone knew of a lighter weight replacement because I'll never use anything more than a high brass 2-3/4 through it. I have no need or reason to.

I'm actually curious if maybe an AR15 buffer spring might work. I have several of them in my parts bin of various lengths and things.

Yes, 17 yard patterning both times. Off-hand
 
Wow, a good lookin gun and pattern!

I have no suggestions or advice on springs or loads but I dig it!
 
AR15 buffer spring is just a little too small.

Anyone have an idea what may work? Can someone out there measure the inside diameter and (approximate) length of a 930 or Rem 1100 spring? (Will 930's or 1100's cycle low brass?)

I can measure the approximate size of mine tomorrow for comparison and try to order a replacement spring from another manufacturer. My calipers are in the basement and after babysitting this evening, I don't feel like going down there looking for them tonight.
 
Just a little update for anyone following the thread.

I found an OEM action spring at Numrich, so I ordered it. I plan to cut a coil at a time off of it until it cycles the low brass. If I have to, I can stretch the spring some to make the difference back up if I have to cut a lot (which I hope I don't have to because it ejects the low brass, it just short strokes enough so it doesn't pick up the new round). I am going to keep the original spring unchanged because I know it works right for high brass in case cutting the one I ordered doesn't work out as I planned.

Following (hopefully) getting it to cycle low brass, I'm going to run a high brass or two through it to see if I think it'll batter and punish anything.

Considering how I only plan to use run of the mill low and high brass out of it and don't use any sort of 3 inch or nitro magnum loads, or 3 1/2 inch shells through it that it was designed to handle, I really think I can tune the new spring to work and be alright with just the low/hi brass assortment.

Or, at least that's the plan at the moment anyway.

I also had to order a plug for it since KY's hunting laws are stupid. I can load it up all 5 rounds for deer, but I can only use 2+1 for everything else.
 
Was able to do some shooting this morning with my Mom, Uncle and little Sis. We were getting the range ready for tomorrow. All 4 of us are going to be doing our CCW test tomorrow and we're going to use our range for the shooting portion of it.

Afterwards, I checked the shotgun with one coil removed and it ejected, but still wouldn't pick up the next shell just as before. So, I cut another coil and that was all it took. I went through a half a box with no more problems cycling the low brass hulls.

I mixed up the high and low brass in the last mag full, and had no problems with anything.

Now I'm content with it. I have learned long ago to never say never, but I don't think I'll ever have the need or desire to fire 3-1/2" shells through any shotgun, and being able to use the lower recoiling shells is much more beneficial to me and tuned more to my taste.
 
Thank you. I am glad to get it working with both types of shells that I will be using in it.

I still have the original spring that I could put back in it if anyone ever wanted to borrow it or something that would be using the 3 and 3-1/2" magnum shells, but I won't ever be using them.
 
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