Two weeks ago, I did a six day string of shotgun classes at Gunsite (#260 Defensive Shotgun, Shotgun Advanced Tactical Problems, and then a Shotgun Range Day).
I recorded only the eight guns that made it through the first five days, and I didn’t get the three that only did the first three days.
- Benelli M4 12ga semi-auto with an Aimpoint H2, Crimson Trace light. There was an issue with the magazine tube/clamp and light loads, about 5% failed to cycle;
- Benelli M4 12ga, Holosun EPS & Streamlight ProTac HLX, lost the bolt handle 2x, no other issues;
- Benelli M4 12ga, absolutely nothing added to it, no issues either;
- Beretta 1301 12ga, with a Holosun & a Streamlight, had issues with the sling, and it was perpetually too dry;
- Benelli M4 12ga (Agency Arms) with a ported barrel. Failures to feed regardless of the loads and failed to feed, extract, eject with low recoil loads, I recovered the bolt handle from various spots on the ground at least seven times & lost count of how many more times it happened;
- Beretta A300UP 12ga with a Holosun 510C and an Olight, no problems noted;
- Beretta 1301 12ga with LTT/GG&G parts and Holosun 507C, Streamlight HLX fell off with the cord across the front sight & IFO the bore, shell carrier screws repeatedly falling out, completely jammed magazine tube, failures to fire & eject;
- Beretta 1301 with Streamlight ProTec HLX that kept strobing <-- “That’s trash!”
This is the first time I have not had a single pump gun in these classes.
There were two-night shoots. The first was all square range work, covering manipulation of the gun and light, static searching, and engagements. The second started on the square range before moving through two outdoor and one indoor simulator.
Two more indoor and two more outdoor simulators were run in the daylight, too.
The round count was around 350 rounds of buckshot, 300 rounds of birdshot, 100 rounds of slugs, and about 30 rounds of handgun.