[billrector]

How do I tell if there is a shell in the chamber? I've been hunting armadillos and twice now have thought one was in the chamber but all I got was a click. I did recently change out the followers, but everything seems to work okay.

 

[nwfenton]

Well, you gotta practice with this guy. The slide needs to come all the way back, until it starts to resist, then you have to push until a round pops onto the elevators. You can feel that happen if you practice enough with it. Beyond that, while you have it shouldered you can quickly lift the butt stock up, retract the slide part way, and look inside from the bottom. The shell should be easily visible in the breech. I do this fairly often out of force of habit.

 

[qthaballa]

Well, you gotta practice with this guy. The slide needs to come all the way back, until it starts to resist, then you have to push until a round pops onto the elevators. You can feel that happen if you practice enough with it. Beyond that, while you have it shouldered you can quickly lift the butt stock up, retract the slide part way, and look inside from the bottom. The shell should be easily visible in the breech. I do this fairly often out of force of habit.

You rock fam!

 

[CharlieB]

A lot of folks including Mr. Hickok45 have had problems with an empty chamber when switching between magazine tubes. The problem is the order in which they do things. If you look at Hickok45 KSG video on it you'll see.

 

[126342]

Well, you gotta practice with this guy. The slide needs to come all the way back, until it starts to resist, then you have to push until a round pops onto the elevators. You can feel that happen if you practice enough with it. Beyond that, while you have it shouldered you can quickly lift the butt stock up, retract the slide part way, and look inside from the bottom. The shell should be easily visible in the breech. I do this fairly often out of force of habit.

Indeed. A lot of the advice given is " Rack it like you mean it", etc.. Considering the KSG25 was my first ( only actually) plastic long gun I never thought jacking the slide back full force was that great of an idea. It's also completely unnecessary. Just rack it like you would any other pump shotgun and be sure to go ALL THE WAY BACK.

The first day I got my KSG25 I had one failure to eject. The spent shell got stuck in the chamber. And I short shucked it once. Since then I've put over 1000 rounds through it without either of those things happening again. I did mop the chamber just because, but that was after a couple hundred rounds with no issues so it really was kind of pointless. Mine is the latest generation and doesn't seem to exhibit the problems some of the earlier ones do/did. I haven't done any "Fluff and buff" stuff. I do use a small amount of grease on the bolt carrier. The action on mine is smooth.

 

[CharlieB]

" Rack it like you mean it", etc..

The first day I got my KSG25 I had one failure to eject. The spent shell got stuck in the chamber.

There was one shooter here, a few years ago, that had real problems with shells sticking in the chamber, and used brute force to "unstick" the empties. I can't remember for sure (no coffee!) but I think they whacked the stock downward on a hard surface, while grabbing the slide (which works on an AR-15/M-16/M-4 platform). My memory's off on the method, could have involved a hammer... At any rate - and the point of my post - is that they wailed and complained bitterly, when the brute force _method-du-jour_ broke or badly bent the bolt carrier. Then there was a big commotion on how the bolt carrier is a bad design, how it needs redesign, etc etc., all of which is nonsense. We do see an occasional broken carrier, just as most any part can break, and they usually break at one of the forward welds. All that being said: A smooth chamber is a happy chamber, and a happy chamber is a happy KSG.

If you've not already done so, have a gander at your chamber, and if it looks sort of micro-bumpy in there, or even looks like a matte finish (like the outside of the KSG), a little fluff'n'buff there might be something to bring it to unfailing 100 percent reliability, and possibly avoid brute force breakage of parts.

And for the record - clearing a stuck (FIRED) shell would be better off done with a stout rod down the barrel, a very light hammer giving tappity-tappity hits while pulling back the slide. Never heard of an UNFIRED shell getting stuck, but if that happens... then the only safe way is the butt on hard surface method, with muzzle pointed safely away from anything you don't want to make holes in.

 

[126342]

There was one shooter here, a few years ago, that had real problems with shells sticking in the chamber, and used brute force to "unstick" the empties. I can't remember for sure (no coffee!) but I think they whacked the stock downward on a hard surface, while grabbing the slide (which works on an AR-15/M-16/M-4 platform). My memory's off on the method, could have involved a hammer... At any rate - and the point of my post - is that they wailed and complained bitterly, when the brute force _method-du-jour_ broke or badly bent the bolt carrier. Then there was a big commotion on how the bolt carrier is a bad design, how it needs redesign, etc etc., all of which is nonsense. We do see an occasional broken carrier, just as most any part can break, and they usually break at one of the forward welds. All that being said: A smooth chamber is a happy chamber, and a happy chamber is a happy KSG.

If you've not already done so, have a gander at your chamber, and if it looks sort of micro-bumpy in there, or even looks like a matte finish (like the outside of the KSG), a little fluff'n'buff there might be something to bring it to unfailing 100 percent reliability, and possibly avoid brute force breakage of parts.

And for the record - clearing a stuck (FIRED) shell would be better off done with a stout rod down the barrel, a very light hammer giving tappity-tappity hits while pulling back the slide. Never heard of an UNFIRED shell getting stuck, but if that happens... then the only safe way is the butt on hard surface method, with muzzle pointed safely away from anything you don't want to make holes in.

Chamber has been dealt with. 12 gauge mop and a drill. Although I don’t believe it was actually necessary since I fired hundreds and hundreds of shells through it with no issues. A little insurance never hurts though.

 

[CharlieB]

It all depended on some brands of low brass shells . I never had a problem either