Some shotgun help...

[smalls]

Since there is no shotgun forum, I decided to throw this thread in the most heavily read forum.

My problem is that the enamel has worn away in the slide rail track on my Browning Gold Hunter (12 ga. synthetic) and it prevents the shotgun from cycling correctly when the temp drops below 40 degrees. Regardless of how clean it is, it gets sticky just before the action fully closes. I don't have enough money at the moment to trade it off and get an Extrema or SBE so I am pretty much stuck fixing the one I have.

My question is does anyone make new springs or mechanisms to help close the action. It doesn't sound like Browning is going to help me out w/ the enamel wear, and it sounds spendy to have my shotgun sent to them to have the repairs done.

Anyone have any solutions? If I can't find anything, I may trade the POS off and go back to the Auto-5 (wishing I would have never switched in the first place).

 

[Whiskers]

Smalls how old is this gun? I can't afford Brownings but do they all have the same enamel on the slide rail?

 

[smalls]

The gun is probably 6 or 7 years old. I am not sure if the new ones have the same enamel on the slide rail, but every used gun I have looked at has the same wear spot that mine does. I recieved a tip from another board that said it could be my spring has a kink or something in it, but I don't understand how that would be so affected by temp. I think I am bringing it to a gunsmith tomorrow.

 

[bluehair]

This may not have a damn thing to do with your gun, but might also be worth a try.

I don't have any Browning auto's, but I have had a couple of Berettas. After lengthy analysis, and many beerz, I have found that the most critical factor in a reliable cycling gas operated action is making sure the gas ports are kept clean*. I don't know where they are on your gun, but for most Berettas they are accessed through the "sleeve" that holds the slide on the bottom of the barrel. Disassembled gun of course.

You should be able to see the ports in the barrel by looking it over while dissasembled, or possibly by looking closely at the inside of the bore. A pipe cleaner works well to clean them.

*I have shot a fair amount of trap over the last ten years or so (75,000 targets or so ). I have a Beretta auto that I keep around for a spare/loaner. I hate cleaning the frickin thing , so I embarked on a mission to make it more reliable. I polished, cleaned, lubed, etc. I later discovered that if you keep the barrel ports clean, all you really have to do is doutche the thing off with wd-40 or rem oil every once in a while, and knock the bigger chunks of crud off. This gun probably had 1500-2000 rounds through it before it's last thorough cleaning.

My real gun is a Perazzi.

 

[Wally Dog]

Smalls,
I've used A-5's and Beretta autos for years and I never use any petroleum based lubricant on them. I use "Break-Free" which is a teflon based lube. It doesn't gum up in cold weather or be as prone to collecting dust/debris. Just another thought.
WD

 

[MarvB]

Ditto what Wally Dog said...I use the same thing on my Berreta (have used it HARD since 1988) and haven't had a problem!

 

[smalls]

Thanks guys. The gunsmith also said that shen I had it snowgoose hunting this spring that some that part of the flooded corn field may have ended up in the action return spring in the butt of the gun (not something I care to take apart myself), he was going to clean it and possibly repalace the spring. I will try use the teflon based lube from now on.

Thanks again.