shotgun won't open

[Lankyframe #44046]

I've got a SKB Royal that doesn't always want to open after firing. I'm definitely pushing the lever all the way over. Most of the time it works fine. It only acts up when firing live ammo. It always opens when dry firing. Any thoughts as to what's causing this?

[Lazy Eeyour]

Check for a burr on the barrel selector or safety.

[Badlands Bob #61228]

Sounds like the firing pins are sticking in the primers.  

[Still hand Bill]

10 minutes ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

Sounds like the firing pins are sticking in the primers.  

Quite possible.  You can see if the firing pins are proud of the breech face.   Also you may see marks from them dragging when you close it.   Had a 28 ga that did this horribly and had to have the pins ground shorter.  

[Lankyframe #44046]

wouldn't that do it all the time?

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Start with the simple things first.  What kind of ammo are you using?  The cheap steel based shells from Walmart make a lot of shotguns stick.  The steel bases expand but do not contract like brass.  To make sure what they are made of see if a magnet sticks to the metal base.  Some brass colored bases are a brass wash over steel.   If it sticks shut with quality BRASS based ammo then you can move on to looking for more difficult problems.

[Lankyframe #44046]

winchester AA brass

[Dusty Devil Dale]

2 hours ago, Lankyframe #44046 said:

I've got a SKB Royal that doesn't always want to open after firing. I'm definitely pushing the lever all the way over. Most of the time it works fine. It only acts up when firing live ammo. It always opens when dry firing. Any thoughts as to what's causing this?

The firing pin is probably  sticking in the primers.  Primers may need to be seated more solidly.  Primers might also be blowing back, if the hulls have seen a few firings. 

[Jeb Stuart #65654]

2 hours ago, Lankyframe #44046 said:

I've got a SKB Royal that doesn't always want to open after firing. I'm definitely pushing the lever all the way over. Most of the time it works fine. It only acts up when firing live ammo. It always opens when dry firing. Any thoughts as to what's causing this?

Do you reload?  if so, what primers do you use?

[City Slicker]

Howdy Lanky

I have the same thing happen when using Win AA LNLR factory shells.  Firing pains weren't able to retract to allow the action or open.  I sent the SKB back to Johnny Meadows to have fixed, but still did it when I got it back.  He said to try different shells.  I've never had the problem with factory Remington STS or reloaded shells with Winchester 209 or any other primer.

Hope to see you at Bonanza

City Slicker

[Lassy LaRock]

I had the same problem with a Boito.
Another shotshell (Rem STS) solved this.

[G W Wade]

Strange occurrence. but some friends complain about factory WW LRLN sticking. Reloading same hulls with WW primers is OK       GW

[Warden Callaway]

A non cowboy shooter friend bought a 20 gauge Stoeger coach gun. Seemed to work ok. Then he went down to the farm supply store and more than a few flats of Federal shells that were on sale.  Steel heads. His gun wouldn't open. Hulls swelled or something.  Not sure what of anything he did about it. 

 

I know nothing if this model shotgun but many have some kind of way to retract the firing firing pins. You could try blasting the firing pins with some kind of WD40 in a spray can. Or maybe brake cleaner. Last old double I took apart,  the firing pins were caked with dried grease. 

[Lankyframe #44046]

Thanks for the information. These are reloads I bought off a guy, probably been reloaded several times. Don't know what brand of primers they are. I'll just use them for monthly matches

[watab kid]

im going to encourage the cleaning efforts that warden callaway suggested as it worked on my stoeger when i had some firing pin issues - i did not experience that opening failure but still seems a first approach to me , 

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

19 hours ago, watab kid said:

im going to encourage the cleaning efforts that warden callaway suggested as it worked on my stoeger when i had some firing pin issues - i did not experience that opening failure but still seems a first approach to me , 

I like this idea for starters also.  Maybe just drop of any oil on firing pins for a quick try.  You might be surprised.

[watab kid]

56 minutes ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

I like this idea for starters also.  Maybe just drop of any oil on firing pins for a quick try.  You might be surprised.

a bit of oil can work wonders , 

[Three Foot Johnson]

I bought a single trigger Tedna coach gun six years ago that was a real bear to get open after firing. Another shooter suggested switching to European 209 primers, like Fiocchi, Nobel Sport, Cheddite, et al, which are flat and not domed like US 209's. I bought 5000 Fiocchi 616's online and 3000 Cheddite CX2000's from Sportsman's Warehouse, and *problem solved*. I suspect the firing pins are not retracting quite quick enough as the action opens. Easy fix, but the primers solved the problem so I'm not going to mess with it.

 

Don't put oil in/on your firing pins, unless you disassemble and clean them regularly. Oil attracts dust, dirt, & crud and will gum up the channel & springs.

[Eyesa Horg]

The one and only thing my Stoeger doesn't like is steel head shells like white box Winchester from Wally World. Only tried 2 shells! Never an issue with AA  or STS hulls. For primers I mostly use Cheddites, but have used Federal and Winchester with zero issues as well.