A buddy of mine has a Stoeger over-under shotgun and while it loads and fires just fine, after firing, it is impossible to open with out tapping or gently banging the top of the barrel on a bench or something. He sent it to a gunsmith and they tried some things to loosen it up (I think), but it is still doing the same thing.
We took it to the range today and noticed that the primer in the shell in the top barrel had a "drag mark" going from the indent to the outside edge of the primer. Upon closer inspection, I think I see what it's doing. When breaking open the unloaded gun, the bottom firing pin retracts into the receiver as it should, but the top pin actually comes OUT of the receiver. I think it's retracting when the action is closed - so no issue with slam fires or anything. But since it's going out when it should be going in, it's catching on the primer indent and keeping the action from opening unless you force it open as described.
I'm not sure what the "guts" look like inside an OU shotgun, but it seems to me like something is hooked up backwards in there... like maybe a spring that should be attached to the top of a lever is attached to the bottom (or vice versa). Anyone familiar with what goes on in there? Does that sound like a reasonable explanation?
We took it to the range today and noticed that the primer in the shell in the top barrel had a "drag mark" going from the indent to the outside edge of the primer. Upon closer inspection, I think I see what it's doing. When breaking open the unloaded gun, the bottom firing pin retracts into the receiver as it should, but the top pin actually comes OUT of the receiver. I think it's retracting when the action is closed - so no issue with slam fires or anything. But since it's going out when it should be going in, it's catching on the primer indent and keeping the action from opening unless you force it open as described.
I'm not sure what the "guts" look like inside an OU shotgun, but it seems to me like something is hooked up backwards in there... like maybe a spring that should be attached to the top of a lever is attached to the bottom (or vice versa). Anyone familiar with what goes on in there? Does that sound like a reasonable explanation?