Bad Longbeards

[mikejd]

I have shot hundreds of longbeards with no issues. And honestly if I had a misfire at a bird and didn't get the bird that would not be that big a deal. Not enough of a big deal to pay TSS prices.

[Tom007]

I hope everyone had a safe, healthy season. There has been talk this year about defective Winchester Long beard shells. I myself "might" have had a problem shell this year. I shot a Tom in NY with Longbeard number 6's. The shot was 25 yards, wide open. The shot sounded different, muffled, not so loud. The gobbler did drop right over, but he was close. I was in a hollow valley it might have been a weird echo, not sure. I was wondering if anyone experienced this, and does anyone have any lot numbers of potentially defective shells? Thanks...

Tom was this shell 12 ga or 20 ga ?

12 3.5 #6 Greg...be well

[Tom007]

Great feedback, could have been a valley echo, just didn't sound like a normal 3.5 inch.....

[countryboy3006]

I've shot LB shells since they came out in my 870 and I have never had a shell misfire. This year when I was patterning my gun I had a few shells that just seemed to have an off pattern form the rest.  Never had a problem with them before that. 

[Turkeyman]

As stated earlier, I had a misfire this year. However my background as an engineer dictates that a misfire requires analysation. Did you have a good dimple in the primer? Well...that would be a primer problem. I may be mistaken but I would think all the primers for Winchester shells are the same. If not...someone let me know different. Now on forward to a less than normal dimple....which is what I had with my misfire. Upon ejecting the shell I immediately diagnosed it as the hammer not striking the firing pin with sufficient force. When I removed the trigger assembly from my 930 some "crap" came out. I was immediately suspect. So I guess what I'm saying is that you need to investigate the problem thoroughly before blaming the shell.

When I returned home, after removing my trigger assembly, I went out to the range a fired 5 shells. All worked fine. In the future I'll have my spring loaded center punch with me to easily remove the 930 trigger assembly during season. I don't think I'll have any further problems.

[perrytrails]

Not longbeard related, but I had Winchester 350 legend loads with a good dimple in primer not fire.

I realize they are not the same primer, but seems to be a Winchester issue.

No problems with other loads I tried.

[Turkeyman]

I'd be surprised if the primers were different amongst the Winchester shotshells. Now, with rifle shells you have standard and magnum primers. But, I'd be very surprised if primers differed with the shotshells. Only Winchester could answer that.

[yelpaholic]

Buddy wanted to try my long beards several years ago, gave him one next day he called up a bird and it misfired .. we both moved on to tss ..  he still thinks I gave him a dummy shell ..??

[deerhunt1988]

Longbeards have been notorious for misfiring ever since they first came out in 2014. In the beginning the majority of people with the issue seemed to be shooting Mossbergs, so a few chalked it up to a firing pin problem. Even though the Mossbergs didn't have trouble with other shells. But in the coming years more and more people had issues with them and it obviously isn't tied to a specific gun brand or model. You are rolling the dice if you shoot them IMO.

[Sir-diealot]

I had one I shot, the primer went off, the black color of the exit was gone and only clear remained but nothing exited from the shell itself. That was in 2019 By the way, by the title of the thread I thought it was for a new Jim Spencer book.

[Tom007]

I had one I shot, the primer went off, the black color of the exit was gone and only clear remained but nothing exited from the shell itself. That was in 2019 By the way, by the title of the thread I thought it was for a new Jim Spencer book.

Wow Steve, that's a bad shell........lol

[Turkeyman]

I had a bad one years ago when I did some shotshell handloading. Didn't drop the powder. Primer was enough to throw the load a few yards out the end of the barrel but that was it! Luckily it was a patterning load...not on a turkey.

[Tom007]

I am sure it happens on occasion.....

[lacire]

I took a nice Gould's in Mexico this year with the 3" Winchester 1 1/4, #5 shot in a 20ga. at 30 yards. It's the only time I've used a Long Beard load. I did have a Browning TSS fail to fire this year at about 15 yards, 20ga 3", 1 1/2 of #7, the click sent a big Merriam running back into the woods. I fired the shell two more times at a target and it's definitely a dud. I emailed Browning ammunition and told them about the shell failing to fire and got an e-mail back from Winchester Ammunition Marketing Services. I did a quick search and sure enough Winchester manufacturers the ammunition for Browning to there specifications. If you run into this you'll need the box because they'll want you to answer the following questions.

"The symbol # this should be located above or below barcode and should start with a letter, the Caliber, the lot code and how much do you have left? Also, can you please provide me with what type of firearm you were using (Make, Model, Caliber), also was this an OEM firearm or was it assembled from aftermarket parts?"

Currently Winchester is sending me a $5.00 check for my inconvenience and to please allow them 8 weeks to process it.

[Kylongspur88]

No primer issues but I did have pattern issues this year. I'm back on hevi shot