April 21st was a sight-in day before I left for my annual KY/IN hunt. I try to do this every year to start out. Weatherby SA-459 Turkey I bought back in 2017, with a Vortex Venom on top. I threw a target up at 25, and was low with field loads. Dialed the red-dot in, then moved the target to 35. Pretty good, so decided to throw a couple TSS through to make darn sure, and to see the difference between Heavyweight 7's and the 9's from another ammo manufacturer. 7's hit great, devastating pattern. Up next was the 9's. I had the shotgun in a lead-sled on the tailgate of my truck. Pulled the trigger, and felt my hand and side of my face stinging. WTH? The pellets went downrange, but looking at the gun the shell was blown apart ... the back of the brass was now just a separated flat coin, the walls of the brass had a nick in one side, and the plastic was badly deformed ... with nothing ejected, it was stuck in the receiver. A little closer inspection and the carrier plate was blown almost 30 degrees down, the action wouldn't work, and I had about 30 little spots on my fingers/back of hand that were starting to bleed. Went inside, and I had a few spots on my face that were the same.
When I bought the gun, the dealer asked if I wanted the box. He told me the choke tubes and wrench were already in the case I dropped off, so I elected not to take the box (usually toss them anyway once the box is empty). After this malfunction, I took the gun to a local gunsmith. He confirmed what I feared ... the gun failed, not the ammo. Turns out this gun came with a light load and heavy load gas piston, and the dealer installed the light-load one. Where the heavy load piston went is a mystery that will never be solved, that particular FFL sold the business since I bought the gun.
I shot 8 turkeys with it since new, and probably threw another 5-6 rounds through it sighting in each year. With the light load piston in there, I was basically beating the ever-loving crap out of the gun each trigger pull. Gunsmith said the bolt was broken, one rail carrying it was broken, the carrier plate was ruined and there was a hole in the bottom of the trigger assembly. I had sent that trigger to Rob Roberts when new, as well as the barrel for lengthening the forcing cone. Now? Wrecked beyond repair ... or at least repair at a reasonable cost.
I ended up picking up a Franchi Affinity 3 turkey before my season(s) started.
Bagged a bird in Indiana on the opener on an in-laws family farm, then another bird in KY later in the week. The new gun works, and except for the weird sling slot on the stock ... I like it. I am bummed that the SA-459 is no longer, as I loved that gun.
In reality, I'm darn lucky it didn't go worse. Lesson learned, take the box and "trust, but verify".
