All Guns Ship Free!

shopping cart

Try Bud’s New Website Try Bud’s New Website Try Bud’s New Website
budsgunshop.com uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Details can be found in our Privacy Notice.

BudsGunShop.com - Shell cycling


Answered
  • Shell cycling

    Community Default Avatar
    Asked
    in Long Gun


  • I recently purchased a semi-auto 12 ga. It seems to cycle several other brands of 12 ga. birdshot and buckshot. It didn't like the Fiocchi buckshot I shot though. Those shells either wouldn't chamber and/or one round would chamber and the one I JUST fired would be partially hanging out of the chamber. Could this just be a break-in period thing or maybe because those shells are low recoil?


    6 Answers

You must log in to ask, or respond to a question
  • Community Default Avatar
    by - Lifetime Points: 1056
    Chosen as Best Answer
  • Good evening to you!! It is possible that it is both. Most autoloading shotguns need a minimum of 1300fps to function reliably. Most have a break in period of roughly 500 cycles. You can speed this up by leaving the bolt locked back when not shooting it and racking the action every once in awhile. Hope this helps. Have a good rest of your day.
    🇺🇸🇺🇸 'Merica' 🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • Community Default Avatar
    by - Lifetime Points: 23434
  • Hi Nathan, the issues you're experiencing with Fiocchi buckshot may be due to the low recoil of those shells, which can sometimes prevent proper cycling in semi-auto shotguns. It's also possible that your shotgun is still in the break-in period, where it may not function perfectly until it has been used more extensively.
    Stay safe & have a great day!

  • Community Default Avatar
    by - Lifetime Points: 173
  • Probably both! Most semi-auto shotguns need shells with a min velocity of 1300fps up to 1600fps for the first couple hundred rounds. I’ve been looking and probably the Fiocchi shells were under 1300fps.

  • Community Default Avatar
    by - Lifetime Points: 92018
  • Hi Nathan and welcome. A method I have used that has allowed me to cycle even low brass loads is to store the shotgun with the bolt locked fully back. This will condition the bolt spring to allow full rearward travel to cycle most loads no issue. This prevents you from a lengthy break in period. Cheers, stay safe and enjoy!

  • Community Default Avatar
    by - Lifetime Points: 3944
  • It is highly likely a combination of a break-in period and the low-recoil nature of the Fiocchi shells causing the cycling issues. New semi-auto shotguns, especially inertia-operated ones, often require 50–100 rounds of high-velocity (high brass) shells to break in and loosen the action before they can reliably cycle lighter, low-recoil, or low-brass loads.

  • Community Default Avatar
    by - Lifetime Points: 37
  • Both more than likely. Most semi auto shotguns need shells with velocity of a minimum of 1300fps not to exceed 1600fps for the first couple hundred rounds. The Fiocchi shells may have been under 1300fps.

Receive Money Saving Offers

Enter your email address to receive our best deals and other store updates.

Connect With Us

Buy With Confidence

4,982,509 Customers Since 2003
BBB ACCREDITED BUSINESS, A+ Rating

Copyright © 2003 - 2026 budsgunshop.com. All Rights Reserved. (NW1)

Loading...