RE: Floating 4th shell in a SBEII
Let me start by saying that this subject interests me solely from an academic standpoint only to satisfy a technical curiosity but serves no practical purpose for me.
This started as a question about the Benelli and that is the only one I had previously heard of. Now, we have seven different guns that can supposedly float the fourth shell. If this were really the case, do you not think that some savvy game wardens would be writing tickets like crazy? It would not matter if you actually did it or not. What matters is if the gun is capable of it. To everyone that says, "Well, my gun will do it but I don't do it because it is illegal". That is the same as saying "Well, I leave the plug out but I never load more than three shells".
Back to the technical side, my SBE was manufactured in 2000 and while it is possible to float the fourth shell, I only see two ways to do it, neither one is easy, safe, or feasible. One would be to omit or modify the cartridge drop lever in the trigger assy to allow the cartridge carrier to be pushed down as the bolt is closed. The other would involve disassembling the magazine after a round was chambered.
Yeah, I know this sounds crazy and irresponsible. That is why I would highly advise against the practice and will not be doing it myself. Cats aren't the only thing curiosity can kill.