Benelli Nova Maintenance

[CCI]

At what interval (rounds fired) is it advisable to remove and clean the trigger assembly group?

Assume shotgun is properly stored, not subjected to severe environmental conditions, barrel bore is cleaned after each use.

Any other thoughts or advice on this model?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

How many rounds a year are you shooting in it a year 5, 25, 5,000?

 

[CCI]

Initially enough to become familiarized with what various loads will do and become comfortable with the change from a different shotgun, after that it's just maintenance of proficiency which doesn't usually take much.

So in terms of numbers, at the very most maybe a few dozen rounds now, and then a dozen or so quarterly.

This isn't something I will be shooting for fun, I hope I never use it off the range.

 

[billt460]

Put it this way. I have a Remington 1100 Trap gun I purchased new in 1973. I know I have shot at least 4,500 ATA registered targets with it. And probably 1-1/2 times that in practice rounds. I have never had the trigger group out of it, and the trigger breaks today the same as when I took it out of the box.

Now what I have done is give the inside of the receiver a good Kerosene wash and a blow dry with compressed air every 400 rounds or so. That gets a lot of crud out. I have done much the same with both my Browning BT-99 Plus, and Citori O/U. They have seen similar round counts since the early 90's.

I have never had the trigger group out of any of my shotguns, or either of my wife's Beretta A-390 Trap guns. And none of them have ever given me or her any problems or indications that I should take them out and clean them. As always YMMV.

 

[totegoat]

Every 5 years no more than you shoot it.

 

[CCI]

Billt460, I was hoping you'd weigh in on this. I appreciate your knowledge, experience, perspective, and tone.

On the basis of your comments, I'm not going to give this one another thought.

After our last discussion about severe use and gun cleaning, I bought a can of aerosol Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber and a can of compressed air like what one might use for cleaning keyboards, it's in a box a long with a few other things behind the seat. It's just there in case things get really messy out in the field. I'm guessing this would work as well for the shotgun?
The dirt, dust, rain, snow, and mud problem has been largely solved with a different holster, I'm using the Bianchi M12 with the drop leg (thigh) extender and the flap instead of the thumb break. Had zero problems with dirt ever since.

 

[billt460]

Gun Scrubber is a good product. The only thing you might want to watch with it, is if you use it in a hot and humid environment. If you do what can happen is after a liberal spraying of Gun Scrubber on the metal, it acts like a refrigerant, and can cool the metal to the point it will cause moisture condensation on the metal surfaces. It also removes any oil from the metal. As we all know moisture condensation + dry metal = rust.

I see you are in New Mexico so this might not be an issue. When I lived back in Illinois in the Summer, I would spray a liberal coating of WD-40 on the same metal I cleaned with the Gun Scrubber. I then blew as much of the WD-40 off as I could with compressed air. The WD-40 is actually meant to displace water. I then oiled everything liberally. I never had an issue with rust. But after I discovered the Kerosene as a cleaning solvent, I had such good luck with it I never used Gun Scrubber again.

 

[CCI]

I will put a small container of oil in the box alongside the scrubber.

Thanks much, I do appreciate the help.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted By: CCI
I will put a small container of oil in the box alongside the scrubber.

Thanks much, I do appreciate the help.


I would strongly suggest you forget the oil and just use a little lighter fluid on the trigger.

 

[bubbatime]

Its super easy to pop the trigger group out, so you can take a look, wipe things down, and throw some lube in the proper spots.

If its used for home defense, then I would personally argue that its your moral obligation to have good working equipment, thats properly cleaned, lubed, AND inspected.

If its just a plinking or hunting gun, then who cares.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: CCI
Billt460, I was hoping you'd weigh in on this. I appreciate your knowledge, experience, perspective, and tone. On the basis of your comments, I'm not going to give this one another thought.


When it comes to shotgun fit, shooting, cleaning, functioning, maintenance, and failures, I always seek the advice of Trap shooters. Simply because they burn more powder, and throw more lead downrange than anyone else. No one works a shotgun harder or longer than dedicated Trap and Skeet shooters. Not Sporting Clays. Not 3-Gun. Not anyone.

For example, if a person shoots the full program in a weekend ATA tournament, they will shoot a minimum of 300 targets. (100 singles, 100 handicap, and 100 doubles). Most will shoot a practice round or two of singles to warm up. So from the time you take your gun out of the case, to when you put it back in, your going to run as much as 350 rounds through it.

Most Trap shooters shoot 1-1/8th ounce loads. (Some of the older AA singles shooters will shoot 1 ounce, because it affords a little less recoil). 1-1/8th ounces of shot will give you approx. 355 rounds to a 25 pound bag of shot. So we would go through 2, 25 pound bags for one tournament. Most of the larger Trap clubs like Las Vegas, (and Litchfield Park Trap & Skeet before they shut down), do group buys, purchasing several tons per order. (There are 80 bags to a ton). They then pass the savings on to the club members. Many clubs also sell reclaimed shot.

You do this over several years, and you can see just how much powder and lead you're going to run through a shotgun. Literally more in one season than most shotgun shooters will in a lifetime. So if anyone is going to experience problems, it's going to be Trap and Skeet shooters. It's a bit like getting an opinion on reliability of a certain make and model vehicle from taxi company. As opposed to a single individual who puts 3,000 miles a year on the same car.

 

[CCI]

Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Originally Posted By: CCI
I will put a small container of oil in the box alongside the scrubber.

Thanks much, I do appreciate the help.


I would strongly suggest you forget the oil and just use a little lighter fluid on the trigger.


Interesting idea. Can you say a little more about this?

Why lighter fluid?

Cleaning / water displacement / no residue / no dust?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Because it still lubricates and it won't gum up like oils do. Also you might just Google this for grins.

 

[CCI]

That's part of the reason I frequent this place, great tip, thanks much!

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: CCI
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Originally Posted By: CCI
I will put a small container of oil in the box alongside the scrubber.

Thanks much, I do appreciate the help.


I would strongly suggest you forget the oil and just use a little lighter fluid on the trigger.


Interesting idea. Can you say a little more about this?

Why lighter fluid?

Cleaning / water displacement / no residue / no dust?




For a Zippo style lighter, lighter fluid is Naptha, isn't it?

 

[Maritime Storm]

I pull mine every 1000 rounds or so, clean the action, lubricate the action bars and breechblock, wipe off the trigger assembly, remove any visible crud and put 1 drop of ATF on each pivot pins, a touch of grease on the face of the hammer and reassemble. Whole procedure takes about 2 minutes. My last Nova had 16,000 targets through it in 3 years before I sold it. The current one has only 2000 through it.