Got a new FN SLP Mark 1 Tactical yesterday

jimbobborg · Feb 28, 2015

I picked up my new to me FN Tactical shotgun yesterday. It is unfired, and has the "skeet" piston in it. I've heard that the break in should be 15 rounds of buckshot then it will shoot low-brass shells with no problem. This is from several 3-gun sights. Just checking with the folks here, is this the case? Can I use high-brass bird shot, like Remington Express, instead of buck shot? Will I finally finish a 3-gun stage without having a problem with my shotgun?

CrawfishStu · Mar 5, 2015

I didn't run any buckshot to break mine in. It would only not cycle some really light stuff right out of the box.
Run what you have for break in. Just get it cycling. Also, I would clean it up a bit first. Mine was kind of gunky with packing grease forward of the breech. You only want a very very light amount of lube up there. I over oiled mine once with bad results when it was new. Breech back, wet. Breech forward, almost dry.

bryanjusmc · Mar 5, 2015

joppaj · Mar 5, 2015

Keep me posted please. I bought one late last year and haven't fired it yet. I usually use low recoil buckshot so I'm curious which buffer I should be using.

jimbobborg · Mar 5, 2015

The original owner never fired it, but he cleaned it up real good. The shotgun was bone dry when I got it. He included the original FN hard case and all of the goodies that go with it. If the weather ever clears up, I'm going this weekend to the range to run it, along with two or three other shotguns. Fortunately, Sharpshooters lets you shoot birdshot at their indoor range. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

jimbobborg · Mar 5, 2015

joppaj said:
Keep me posted please. I bought one late last year and haven't fired it yet. I usually use low recoil buckshot so I'm curious which buffer I should be using.

According to the manual, you use the skeet buffer for loads up to 1 1/8 ounce, heavier requires the magnum buffer. From what I've read, the heavier buffer will work with standard and 3" buckshot, and it's not as bad recoil wise as a pump.

deltapeej · Mar 5, 2015

I have around 2000 rounds through my SLP. Using the light buffer it still will not cycle cheap target loads reliably. Luckily I have had no problem finding Federal or Remington shot which the gun loves. Even though mine is picky in which ammo it likes I still love the gun.

jimbobborg · Mar 5, 2015

BenL · Mar 5, 2015

I broke mine in with a couple of boxes of cheap Federal Wally World shells. Later, I changed the recoil system to a Surecycle System with extra light spring to shoot 7/8 loads, but otherwise it runs. I haven't "sealed" the piston like many do. (I do have a spare piston I may send out to get sealed, as a backup.)

Just keep it *clean*.

bryanjusmc · Mar 6, 2015

jimbobborg said:

jimbobborg · Mar 7, 2015

Here's my range report. Instead of burning my precious stock of high-brass bird shot, I went to Gander Mountain to get 25 slugs. 15 rounds of Remington Sluggers and 10 rounds of Federal slugs. 10 rounds of the Remingtons and 5 rounds of Federals and they're good to go. I brought several brands of shotshells with me. First up were the Winchester White Box shells. FTEs and FTFs, so they got put to the side. Estate 1 oz loads cycled perfectly. Remington 1 oz loads worked great, and Rios worked, too. A guy next to me had some Federal 7/8 oz loads and they cycled fine, too. Fortunately, I stocked up on the Estate shells so I'm set for a while. This was all with the Skeet buffer installed. Two things bugged me about this shotgun. The forked lifter, and the checkering on the stock and handguard were like holding a rasp. I'm definitely getting the lifter welded later this year. Recoil with the slugs was stout but better than a pump or single shot. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with this shotgun. It just needs some mods to make it perfect for 3-gun.

Vile Shadow · Mar 8, 2015

Nice boom stick. :thumbsup:

Needs a pistol grip and shoulder thing that goes up. :innocent0

jimbobborg · Mar 9, 2015

Sling Blade said:
Nice boom stick.

Needs a pistol grip and shoulder thing that goes up.

I have a pistol grip on my 870 Supermag. I've tried loading it under pressure and the pistol grip gets in the way, so the stock is staying stock on the FN. I did figure out how to load a 9th shell so it stays on the carrier under the bolt.

CrawfishStu · Mar 9, 2015

I actually sanded the checkering down a little on mine. Many people get a lifter welded up for these guns. I epoxied a thin delrin strip to mine to cover the thumb grabbing fork.

I could not tell you how many rounds mine had through it at this point. It runs whatever I throw at it. It did not like a few light loads initially but it has broken in great.

photoracer · Mar 9, 2015

I would suggest you run some Remington #6 Express loads thru it also, meaning 1-1/8 oz loads because on some of the steel knock off targets because they are heavy and have a lip on them you need to run the biggest load you have with a full choke (#6 is the biggest shot you are allowed). Always take about 2 boxes of these also unless you are really good with a shotgun because being off by as little as a few inches might not knock them off their stands. As for slugs there are 2 levels full power (1500-1600 FPS) and light recoil (1150-1300 FPS) and they both shoot to different POI at 50 yards which is what the slug steel is set to. Just in case you should know how to shoot each and hit with them.

jimbobborg · Mar 9, 2015

Thanks for the tip, Photoracer. I'm just going with the Remington Slugsters since they're cheap and they work. Do they mix slugs and shots during stages? When I shot at Cavalier, they had the slugs on a separate stage from the shot stages.

jimbobborg · Jul 27, 2015

Just an update. I shot a 3-Gun match at Cavalier this past Saturday. The shotgun ran fine for the most part. Had a partial feed on one stage, so I'm guessing she needs some cleaning. And of course I forgot the heavy 6 shot so the cans were tough targets.

joppaj · Jul 27, 2015

Mine is still for sale, unfired. Sadly I had a chance to shoot one after I bought mine and found that I just don't care for it. Glad yours is serving your needs well.

Got a new FN SLP Mark 1 Tactical yesterday

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Oddball caliber fan

Creeper

Celer Silens Mortalis

Sheepdog

Oddball caliber fan

Oddball caliber fan

Member

Oddball caliber fan

John Galt Speaking.

Celer Silens Mortalis

Oddball caliber fan

...

Oddball caliber fan

Creeper

Competition Shooter

Oddball caliber fan

Oddball caliber fan

Sheepdog

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics