Too bad for you. It stinks to have gear fail in the heat of the battle.

I have a 300 and a 400 and have found them to be very dependable. However.... the "new" 5500 and 6500 are far an away a better reel.
I had the same trouble with the "old" black and silver Ambassadeur's went through 3 reels in a month. Drag problems, gears freezing up. So I tried the Chorsair's, sounds like I got the only two good ones. ( Their drags aren't a tight as the ambassadeur's by any stretch on the imagination.)

But the new Ambassadeur's are far a much better reel. I'm sure you will enjoy.