Probably a big variable there is state of readiness?Originally Posted by Paul Blackburn
I have at least 10k through my 391 but has never been stored loaded and many of those rounds were at skeet and sporting clays with only one round in the magazine.
ETA: Probably more of a time span than round count question.
I've not yet found the limit of service on the factory magazine spring or the Nordic Components replacement that they included with the tube extension. I suspect the Nordic spring is a chrome-silicon spring which should give it exceptionally long life, but I can't verify that apart from my suspicions based on comparing it to other chrome-silicon springs.
A good rule of thumb would be when you notice that shells inserted into the magazine tube go in with too little resistance, you're late on changing the spring. My main teaching 870, as an example, has a magazine spring that's due to be replaced because the follower offers incredibly anemic resistance.
Of course, if you don't know what "too little resistance" feels like and you're concerned about it, a super-aggressive rule of thumb would be to replace the spring once a year. The factory spring is available out there for $12 and that's really cheap insurance.
3/15/2016
Springs, some of them anyway, do take a "set" based on how long they've been compressed. But they are also worn by use. So if you've fired 10,000 rounds loading the gun repeatedly and emptying the gun repeatedly that's going to put a fair bit of wear and tear on the spring. That's a much heftier round count than most defensive shotguns will ever see and if the gun is still running it's a sign of how well the factory spring performs.
Pump shotguns typically use the cheapest music-wire springs you can get in the magazine tube. Remington's factory springs are thin and take a set almost immediately. Then factor in living life in a cruiser where the four shells in the magazine tube are being bounced around inside the police cruiser constantly and it's a wonder any of those guns work. That's why the advice of changing the magazine spring on a shotgun frequently came to be. It's sound advice for most of the repeating shotguns on the market, especially if you are depending on it working to stop a lethal threat.
One of the reasons why Beretta semi-autos are more expensive is that they use better quality parts...and that includes the magazine spring. They actually go through the trouble of using a real heat treat on the spring. Odds are your competition gun will tell you when you need a new spring because it will start manifesting stoppages. With 10,000 shells through the gun I'd change the magazine spring preemptively, but that's just me.
Your typical defensive shotgun owner who fires a few hundred shells in a year through their 1301 and stores the gun in a safe/case/closet where it doesn't get bounced around will probably be able to go a very, very long time without changing the magazine spring to no ill effect. Still, if one is depending on the gun to work as a first line of defense it would be wise to be preemptive about the spring maintenance since they're so cheap and easy to replace.
3/15/2016
FYI - Beretta 1301 Tactical Carrier, Pro Style is back in stock at Midwest Gun Works
https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/c7c940
When I got the thing (after saving up, $1k was/is a lotta money) it became my full time shotgun for at least a couple years. I try and shoot skeet on Wednesday evening during daylight savings, so that is 3-4k a year right there.
Especially since they only cost about nine bucks.
When I was using the thing for three gun I put a Nordic tube on it with their longer spring. Now that I have my 1301C I have the Nordic tube on it, but come to think about it I probably did put the factory spring back in. I will swap it out next time I think about it since (like I said) it is only nine bucks (and I have a bunch of them at this point). Not a defensive gun but it could spoil a day of hunting or sporting clays.
I'm glad I found this forum, so much info on the 1301!
I see that people are starting to use the GG&G accessories. Has anyone installed and used their side saddle?
I'm currently running a card w/ adhesive velcro on the side of the receiver, but have been interested in having a side saddle that is more mechanically secured. From the pictures, it looks like the GG&G bolts into a receiver end plate, but I can't see any other means of mechanical attachment at the front/top. I sent an email to GG&G a while ago asking how the side saddle is installed/secured and have heard nothing back from them.
https://www.gggaz.com/beretta-1301-s...ttachment.html
I can say for sure, but I think it is secured by the trigger group pin. Looking at the pics, it looks like there’s an end plate that it also bolts to. There are no top mounting points. I’ve had several other brand side saddle for other guns that were secured with the trigger pin.
Last edited by Pnut; 06-07-2022 at 10:25 AM.
Side Saddle utilizes a solid rubber shell retainer versus a rubber tube shell retainer with side walls. The Reason? The rubber tube type shell retainer easily distorts from heat and continuous pressure of the shotgun shell. Over time the shell becomes loose in the shell holder. The GG&G solid shell retainer with a speced durometer reading, retains its form resulting in a tight fit that you can count on for years of use.
To me that reads as "This thing will hold on to spare shells much tighter than you want it to"
Which is one of the big reasons why I use the Vang Comp shell cards. They hold the shells securely even when you're mag dumping the gun.
3/15/2016
I also prefer the card over the hard shell holder due to cost, simplicity, and compactness… I need to conserve space in my safe!!
1301 Tactical Pro Lifter is back in stock (again): https://www.beretta.com/en-us//gun-a...r-3-pro-style/
I wonder what's motivating them to crank these out quicker these days?
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