Reeder Custom Guns - One gun that I regret buying....

A couple of years ago I got bit by the waterfowl bug. A group of friends convinced me to get a Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 for some duck and goose hunting.

So I bought one and thought I had the ultimate autoloading shotgun. This gun is supposed to be better than sliced bread.

I took it out and did some shooting but it did not seem to shoot as well as it should have. What I mean specifically is that the gun seemed to shoot awfully high.

Anyways. Prior to all of this pandemic nonsense we headed to Carthage NY along the Black River Valley for some goose hunting from coffin blinds.

If you have never hunted from such a blind it should be classified as a form of torture if you have back issues.

This was a two day goose hunt and needless to say I got one goose. It wasn't for the lack of trying but it seemed that I could not hit the damned birds. In addition I did have a jamb in the blind.

On the bolt release button if you hit it while the gun is in battery it more or less seizes up the action. I accidentally hit that button and when I shot the gun went off but did not cycle.

Again I kept on missing birds on top of that. So when I got back home I did some shooting at club raised pheasants. Again I kept missing some really easy shots. I decided to switch to Dad's Browning Sweet 16 lightweight. Well. Every shot taken resulted in a downed pheasant. Hmm. Something isn't quite right!

I did some patterning and even shot a slug out of the gun with the IC choke tube.

Hmm. Not good. The gun shoots a good 18 inches high and slightly to the left.

After some research I discovered that this is a big problem with Benelli's . They have tendency to shoot very high. So their answer is that you need to shoot below the bird.

Sounds like a cop out.

I became aware of another fact. This problem is large enough that at least one custom gunsmith works on this problem. He will do his best to get the gun to shoot on point.

Needless to say I would never buy another Benelli shotgun nor would I recommend one to another person.

So I am wondering if Gunbroker is the best route for me right now?

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FULL DISCLOSURE??

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has just bought it off one of the internet sales sites and it has problems. We got a S&W model 14 in 38 spl a day or so ago and it had a big bulge about 2" down from the end of the barrel. The owner didn't notice it until his 3 day inspection period was over. So he was stuck with it. We are going to cut and crown the barrel for him and put a new sight on it. But his great deal wasn't as good as he thought it was.
Another one we got in is a 20 gauge Browning BSS side by side. Somebody Ceracoated the entire gun, stock, internals and all. We could take the crap off the outside of the gun and the wood stock and forend but all the tiny little internal parts were coated and nothing worked. Again he didn't get back with the seller in the 3 day inspection period so he is screwed. In fact I won't even try to work on the internals and told him to send it to a shop that takes that stuff off electronically. That is his only chance to get that great little 20 gauge back to life.

We get that stuff 2 or 3 times a week, most from guys buying something from a pawn shop thinking they are getting a great deal and finding out the gun has a lot of problems. People that have guns with problems dump them at the nearest pawn shop and get pennies on the dollar for their guns rather than take them to their local gun shop and have them taken care of.

One thing to remember when buying a gun off the internet is if you think the deal is just too good to be true it probably is.

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a problem with it. Send it to a repair station and have it fixed. Then sell it if you like.

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Super Black Eagle shoots to point of aim for me, dead on. Only negative is with trigger guard tenderizing my finger using the big 3 1/2 shells.

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I know on a $1500 shotgun you shouldn't have to. I'm old school on shotguns. M12, 870, Stevens 5100 16 DB, 20 ga. 1100 Lg. on Std. frame. I do have a Browning 12 Gold Hunter of late, their answer to the Benelli. I figure it's made by Beretta like most other Brownings of that type. Not for sure.

My go to is of all things a Mossberg 500 Turkey gun! I just cannot get passionate about shotguns, they are tools to me. I've had some nice ones too. Another favorite was the Winchester 24 DB. I've had lots of Auto 5's but they kick the crap out of you with that howitzer action they have. Like I said old school.

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Shims that fit between the buttstock and the receiver? The shims chage the cast and how much daylight you see between the front bead and the target?
The old way to correct cast of a shotgun is how much pressure you push with your cheek against the stock. Mount the shotgun and close your left eye (assuming right handed), is your eye in the center of the receiver? If not, increase or decrease pressure against the stock until it is centered. Work with the shotgun at a trap range, checking rear sight alignment before each shot.
For elevation adjustment, with the shotgun mounted and opposite eye closed, eye centered on the receiver, how much of the barrel do you see? If you only see the bead, and none of the barrel, you wiil have to cover the target with the barrel. If you can see the whole barrel all the way back to the receiver you will have to have the bead “well below” the target. If you can see the last 4~6 inches of the barrel, you hold a little light between the target and the bead. To adjust the old way, push your head down into the stock (keeping the receiver centered). Now all you have to do is remember how much pressure to hold…..
It’s easier to show in person, at a trap range. Brownings fit me the way you describe this Benelli fitting you. Email me tontotodd at icloud dot com if this doesn’t make sense.

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I do plan to take it out and see what happens. My friend has one and he did the same and added an extra large front bead.

I will try it out with the shim and factory front bead this AM at the range and see what it does.

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I’m no expert, and i’ve never hunted geese (or anything else laying on my back), but i have helped people improve their trap scores rather quickly.

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One gun that I regret buying....

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GUNBROKER TO SELL IT? IF SO

Amen John. We get a lot of guns in here where the owner

besides the gun should be under warranty if there is

Sorry to hear your gun is a lemon. My 1rst generation--

Can't you just install a taller bead?

Did your Benelli come with shims?

I just put them in for the lowest setting.

Let me know how it goes

I will find out at about 12 noon today.