Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Gas shotguns should be cleaned at least once every five years

A friend showed me his Mossberg 930 that he'd been having trouble with. Trigger pull not going boom, poor cycling, and very slow bolt return. We take it apart and it is dry. As in no signs of lubrication at all. I know some people say 'gas guns should be run dry', but that means lubed and wiped off. This was no lube remaining - anywhere. So I add a drop of oil along the rails and between the block & carrier, and two down the bolt return spring. Then I pull out the gas piston. Or try to. It is baked into the cylinder. So we wiggle it out and it is basically solid carbon, probably 5 years or more worth of buildup since new. Mystery solved. He had heard that you shouldn't take the gas system apart because of that big spring in the cylinder captured by the nut on the muzzle end, but he didn't realize the piston was serviceable. Easy misunderstanding. He'll clean the piston and cylinder and that will be resolved. The gun is all put back together, with those few drops of oil, and the action snaps back like new. Big smile on his face.

So the moral of the story is that a torture test of the Mossberg 930 reveals it will run for about 5 years of average use at skeet, ducks, rain and geese before needing to be cleaned. Impressive.

People often diss Mossbergs, but that one deserves a smarter owner. I just wish Mossberg triggers were less like a cat on a screen door.

As for the 'run dry' nonsense, anyone who shoots a gas gun - don't care if it's an AR-15, Beretta 391, Mossberg, SX-4, eieio - discovers that wet is usually best. Sounds like you made a convert tho.

Funny you should bring that up........

I bought an SX2 3.5" when they first came out. Used it for turkeys, geese, recreational clay shooting.......everything. I fired every array of shell through it from 2.75" 7/8 oz Walmart el-cheapos to 3.5" 2.25 oz turkey loads.

I purposely decided to NOT clean the gun til it had its first hiccup. Well.........8 years in, I got to feeling guilty one day and went ahead and tore it down and cleaned it anyways. To this day, it has NEVER failed to feed, fire or function.

Thanks for reminding me. I got to tear down my Tri Star before I take it out again.

You don't want to over do it....lol

I’d cleaned the gas system on my Gold Hunter 20 a couple of times after reading that they go 200-300 rounds before needing it, and had just done that, but had some minor issues while shooting clays. Took it apart all the way and was amazed how much gritty black crap was inside the bolt. Pretty easy job actually, so I won’t be so lazy in the future.

Beretta A400….

3000 to 4000. Wipe down between.

I love the SX2, more so than the X3 or X4

Don't have an X4. But, the X2 would be my pick for high-volume waterfowling from a blind or heavy turkey loads in decent terrain. It's heavier and easier on the shoulder. The X3 is my pick if putting on miles in rugged turkey terrain........carry a lot shoot a little. Buddy of mine has an X4 for field geese and LOVES it.

5 or 6 years ago, I went to a 20 gauge single for turkey. Before that was the SX2 and SX3 for a long, long time. They pattern great. They function flawlessly. I've only ever named 3 guns in my life. My SX2 was named "No Doubt". A turkey never walked away from in front of that gun if the trigger had been pulled.