28 WILDFOWL Magazine | September 2019 wildfowlmag.com
guns & loads
the magazine, it shoots out tripping
the carrier release that hoists it up
as the bolt slams home. All of this,
mind you, happens faster than you
can wink.
If we do an autopsy of the bolt that
enables such fast and reliable cycling,
we find there are only six parts—the
bolt, firing-pin retainer pin, firing
pin, spring, index pin and bolt head
—which, by the way, is so easy to dis-
assemble and reassemble that anyone
without the help of an eight-year-old
can do it. Remove the pin that holds
the firing pin, take it and its spring out,
then pull up the bolt index pin and
the bolt head slides free. Clean and
lightly lube and put it back together.
Even the index pin is marked so you
have it in the right position for the fir-
ing pin to slip through. To quote our
gun-club manager who sold Benellis
in the pro shop, “There’s nothin’ in
them.” With the simple bolt and the
action-return spring in the butt stock
that’s all there is.
The ComforTech stock is an excel-
lent addition which I recommend. I
went to its roll-out, and the differ-
ence in recoil with the standard plastic
stock is monumental.
Last fall I hunted in Manitoba with
Michitoba Outfitters (michitobaoutfit-
ters.com) using the SBE3’s stable mate,
Stoeger’s Inertia Driven M3500 that
uses the same style operating system
as the SBE3, but at a bargain price start-
ing at $669. The SBE3 is made in Italy
and the M3500 in Turkey, but over
three days of lots of shooting—huge
Canadas and a gallery of mallards—I
poured several boxes of Kent’s No. 4
Bismith and new No. 2 Fasteel 2.0—
through the M3500 without a sneeze
or blink. Both guns shoot 3½-inch artil-
lery rounds, but the 3-inch stuff works
as well if not better.
Take your choice, the 116-year-old
inertia system is alive and well and
does its job in mud, snow and, “I for-
got to clean the danged thing.”SHIM IT UP
Both the SBE3 and M3500 come with
shims that allow you to fit the gun
to you. Ribs and beads be damned,
the sight of a shotgun is our eyes. If
the gun shoots where we look, you’ll
limit out every time. Here’s the drill.With a safe backstop, set up a
30-inch sheet of paper at eye level.
Mark the center and then step back
a measured 16 yards, which must be
exact. Why? When we shoot, for
every inch our pattern is off the cen-
ter mark, the stock must be adjusted
1/16-inch. With everything set, shoot
three shots aiming your shoul-
dered gun at the center mark —I
like full, but any choke will do.
Then measure with a ruler from
the center of the pattern to the
center of the mark.
For each inch its off, you need
to correct by a 1/16th. Cross ref-
erence with the owner’s manual
which shim will move your
stock closer to that dimension.
Install it—a 13mm deep socket
removes the stock—shoot again
with a fresh target and see where
it hits. Once you have it set try a
couple of shots mounting your
gun with your eyes fixed on the
target and shoot just as you
would with a duck. It might
take a couple of hours, but its
time well spent.
It'll make the difference
between being a hot-shot in
the field or just another dude
who can burn up ammo."There's nothin' in them." Withthe simple bolt and the action-return spring in the buttstockthat's all there is.