winchester long beards or benelli super black eagle causeing me trouble?

[allaboutshooting]

Here are a couple pictures

Just so I understand correctly.

Those shells looked okay when you loaded them in the magazine but that's how they looked after you fired a chambered shell. Is that correct?

Thanks,
Clark

[boyhowdy]

I just got a 3.5 #4 LB out of the box yesterday with the end piece (where the crimp should be) missing....I checked the others in the box and chunked the bad shell....I ran across a number 3.5 #5 the other day that wouldn't chamber in a SX3(bolt wouldn't close)....I didn't really think much about it, just chunked it, from now on, I'll examine each one I put in my shell vest

[29810434]

Probably checking with they're legal department to make sure they are not in trouble.

[turkeyhunter91]

Here are a couple pictures

Just so I understand correctly.

Those shells looked okay when you loaded them in the magazine but that's how they looked after you fired a chambered shell. Is that correct?

Thanks,
Clark

Yes that is correct. I looked at the shells before putting them in my vest and they looked fine. The first one happened after I shot another 3.5 in Longbeard shell at a turkey, I was picking everything up and notice the bolt on my gun wasn't shut and I could see about half of my shell. The second time was after I cleaned the gun, I wanted to make sure the gun would cycle and shoot correctly after the gun wouldn't go off the morning before, so I put 2 long beards into he magazine and a 2 3/4 in the chamber and shot it, that is when the other one came apart. I looked at the shells both times before they came apart. Thanks

[boyhowdy]

you know.....now that I think about it....I wonder if I had fired a shell while hunting with one of those #4's (now missing the crimp cover) in my magazine, then unloaded my gun and took the shells from my vest pocket and put them back in the original box.....

[allaboutshooting]

Here are a couple pictures

Just so I understand correctly.

Those shells looked okay when you loaded them in the magazine but that's how they looked after you fired a chambered shell. Is that correct?

Thanks,
Clark

Yes that is correct. I looked at the shells before putting them in my vest and they looked fine. The first one happened after I shot another 3.5 in Longbeard shell at a turkey, I was picking everything up and notice the bolt on my gun wasn't shut and I could see about half of my shell. The second time was after I cleaned the gun, I wanted to make sure the gun would cycle and shoot correctly after the gun wouldn't go off the morning before, so I put 2 long beards into he magazine and a 2 3/4 in the chamber and shot it, that is when the other one came apart. I looked at the shells both times before they came apart. Thanks

I suspect that it's the force placed upon those shells in the magazine when a chambered shell is fired that is fracturing the overwad cap. That overwad is segmented and it looks like at times maybe one segment is fracturing and at other times all of them are. That same force could cause the resin to fracture, at least in part, and put some buffer, as well as the overwad pieces,  into the magazine tube, receiver, chamber, etc. and that debris could easily cause a failure to feed or jam.

It would also seem that shells in a magazine when another chambered shell is fired might be weakened and more subject to having that wad fracture.

We often think of recoil as a force that just affects us as shooters but all that energy is disbursed throughout the gun. That's the reason parts break in them. We don't often think about the effect on the shells.

It will be interesting to hear what the Winchester engineers have to say about this and if it's an isolated situation. The spring turkey season should tell the tale.

Thanks,
Clark

[owlhoot]

I just got a 3.5 #4 LB out of the box yesterday with the end piece (where the crimp should be) missing....I checked the others in the box and chunked the bad shell....I ran across a number 3.5 #5 the other day that wouldn't chamber in a SX3(bolt wouldn't close)....I didn't really think much about it, just chunked it, from now on, I'll examine each one I put in my shell vest

Well that is one way to get the price equal to HEVI    Sorry couldnt resist Guess you could push on it with your finger to check if it will stay together, a field load causing it cant be to much recoil? Loose shot , not enough resin in it?

[BINK McCARTY]

CALL WINCHESTER AMMO DEPT. @ 800-356-2666 .I'd be willing to bet they will replace yr shells but also offer a solution. In the mean time get some left over turkey loads and see ifn they give u any problems.

[Bowguy]

Here are a couple pictures

Had 2 shells do the same thing as bottom pic, called Winchester, really pissed when it took a day to return my call. They wanted the shells back. I sent em one. Haven't heard a thing back yet

[sixbird]

The overwad issue I would address Winchester about, like you already have but it sounds like you have another issue regarding ejection. I had that issue with Longbeards and thought it was the shells. As it turned out, it was the recoil spring. I replaced it with a new Wolf spring and problem solved. You can actually see and hear the difference in bolt return. They're about 12 or 13 bucks from Wolf.
If you're unsure of how to disassemble, look on Youtube for instruction. It's easy but the demo will help lots...
My guess is the recoil spring will solve your problem...

[owlhoot]

Checked some of my Longbeard shells out this evening.
No busted sections of endcaps.
Out off 8  , 3" 5's  one cap was down further in the shell and loose. No loose shot in those.
Out of 7  , 3" 4's  3 had loose shot. Of course you cant tell how much, just hear it rattling around.
out of 9  , 3" 6's  2  had loose shot.
Rooster XR 
Out of 12 2 3/4" 6's  5 had loose shot.
Out of 12 3" 5's  1 had loose shot.
Pushed down with finger tip on another LB 3" 5 and the endcap went POP , did not take much pressure.
What is there, glue holding it in?
None were in the mag tube , just in the range bag. Need to check the other  3" 5's in my backup vest and tote.  All shells were purchased last year.
Just a little FYI