Savage 16 Gauge Auto Troubleshooting: Shell Ejection Issues

Question
I have an old (c. WWII) Savage 16 guage auto that I
inherited from my father.  I remember the gun always
performed very well when I was a kid, say around 1960.  As
the years went by we used it only occasionally.  The last
few times I did use it I had a lot of trouble with it not
ejecting the used shells.  Could it be that this gun was
designed for 2 1/2" instead of 2 3/4" shells? Otherwise,
what could be causing this problem?  Thanks much.

Answer
Hello David. If you were using 2 3/4" shells, they were the right length. GUN SMITH ALERT!! This malfunction could be from a dirty chamber,dirty retracting barrel assembly or a broken retractor spring. I use the word 'retractor' which may not be the proper part name, however, do not shoot it again until you have a competent trained gun smith look at it. I always liked the sound of a retracting barrel between shots. I hope this answers your question and thank you for asking for me. Charles Gage