Bought a new XT at the end of April - put about 1k rounds through it and I noticed a hairline crack in the lower back end of the forearm. Real small and in fact I had to use a magnifying glass to note that it was all the way through the wood at the beginning edge. I called a service center and was told that wood repairs need to go to Browning (it's a warranty issue) so I called Browning and they confirmed. I boxed it up, sent it and they got it a week ago yesterday. Foolish me; I thought they'd go to the shelf, get the wood, put the metal on it and sent the gun back. Huh uh. My gun repair is scheduled to be completed (this is an estimated time) on October 4th. If I had known that I would have waited until the Cardinal Classic and my local club's fall trap league was over. 3 months? What do they have to do, call Miroku and have new parts shipped by boat? Won't do that again... I had no backup gun so had to go get one and that is another thread I guess - got a new satin, 34" BT99 (yeah, I know---another Browning) and unless I want to shoot dbls, the BT is going to be the "go to" gun. Damn thing shoots!
Browning Service - I should have waited
yakimaman
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Bought a new XT at the end of April - put about 1k rounds through it and I noticed a hairline crack in the lower back end of the forearm. Real small and in fact I had to use a magnifying glass to note that it was all the way through the wood at the beginning edge. I called a service center and was told that wood repairs need to go to Browning (it's a warranty issue) so I called Browning and they confirmed. I boxed it up, sent it and they got it a week ago yesterday. Foolish me; I thought they'd go to the shelf, get the wood, put the metal on it and sent the gun back. Huh uh. My gun repair is scheduled to be completed (this is an estimated time) on October 4th. If I had known that I would have waited until the Cardinal Classic and my local club's fall trap league was over. 3 months? What do they have to do, call Miroku and have new parts shipped by boat? Won't do that again... I had no backup gun so had to go get one and that is another thread I guess - got a new satin, 34" BT99 (yeah, I know---another Browning) and unless I want to shoot dbls, the BT is going to be the "go to" gun. Damn thing shoots!
Have a Browning Superposed Lightning Trap that was a "saltwood" I bought in 1968. These have a lifetime guarantee so I took it to the gunsmith that works on my guns (FFL). He took care of sending it to Browning. Never cost me a penny but it took 11 1/2 months to get my gun back. Fortunately that was not my primary gun.
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I could tell you stories about Browning in Arnold, MO. Hope it doesn`t come back broken and have to go back. That`s where you will go, to the back of the line. They had a $6000 superposed of mine for the first year and a half that I owned it. I`ve got 2 Browning pistols that I kept, and sold everything else. I`ve never had that problem with Perazzi or Krieghoff. Larry
My wife purchase a XT unsingle from Guns Unlimited. Took it directly to stockfitter to have stock cut (she needs a short LOP), adj comb and pad. First time she shot it we noticed the front of the rib would not stay down. The threaded screw that holds it in place was undersized for the hole and threads. We took it to a authorized repair center. They concluded that Browning had changed parts in mid production....and assembled it with the wrong parts. Ordered parts....same thing. Browning said to ship the gun to them. Got it back in just less that 5 weeks. Rib was fixed...forearm looked like somebody beat on it with a hammer. Not a shipping/packing problem. Browning denied doing any damage.....abut agreed to replace the forearm IF we shipped the complete gun back to them. We decided to cut our losses...and I'll sand and refinish the forearm after the season is over.
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5,697 Posts
What you should have done is fixed it yourself. You said it was so small
a crack that you could hardly see it. A little thin super glue applied inside
the forend would have fixed it. Even if they replace it there's no guarantee the new forend won't develop a crack.
The forend on the XT is notorious for developing cracks. For one thing the wood is very pretty and figured but not very strong. It's also too thin where
it butts up against the receiver. Usually the crack develops on the side rather than the bottom.
If you were Browning, you think that instead of making hundreds of forends to replace the cracked ones and fixing them right away, they might have decided to just sit with a gun for several months and save thousands of dollars?
a crack that you could hardly see it. A little thin super glue applied inside
the forend would have fixed it. Even if they replace it there's no guarantee the new forend won't develop a crack.
The forend on the XT is notorious for developing cracks. For one thing the wood is very pretty and figured but not very strong. It's also too thin where
it butts up against the receiver. Usually the crack develops on the side rather than the bottom.
If you were Browning, you think that instead of making hundreds of forends to replace the cracked ones and fixing them right away, they might have decided to just sit with a gun for several months and save thousands of dollars?
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4,830 Posts
I bought a new Browning Unsingle last year and had Phillips install a release
trigger. A few months later, I noticed a crack in the stock near
the recoil pad. I removed the pad and the crack was all the way
through the wood. Before sending it to Browning, I removed the
release hook so it was back to a pull trigger. Browning noticed
that a release trigger had been in the gun and refused to warranty
it. No connection between the two but they didn't care. That's the
last new Browning I will ever buy.
trigger. A few months later, I noticed a crack in the stock near
the recoil pad. I removed the pad and the crack was all the way
through the wood. Before sending it to Browning, I removed the
release hook so it was back to a pull trigger. Browning noticed
that a release trigger had been in the gun and refused to warranty
it. No connection between the two but they didn't care. That's the
last new Browning I will ever buy.
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4,436 Posts
Browning target shotguns have traditionally been one of the best values available. That said, a meaningful warranty is NOT part of the deal. It hasn't been since at least the mid 1980's which is the last time I made the mistake of dealing with their facility in Arnold, MO.
sissy
sissy
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I bought my XT second hand, so no warrantee. I cracked the forend...didn't just happen. Took it to the certified Browning repairman at the Springfield, MO Bass Pro Shop. He fixed the crack and you can't tell where it was, I had the gun back in service within the week, and the charge was very reasonable,(less than shipping would be). I know this is not an Arnold, Mo experience, but I was very satisfied. Jack
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4,436 Posts
Martinpicker:
That's pretty much the point. There are any number of places doing quality work on Brownings at reasonable prices and with reasonable turnaround times. Unfortunately, Browning's own facility isn't one of them.
Browning's facility in Arnold has spent at least 25 years earning a reputation for spotty quality and inexcusably slow turnaround times.
sissy
That's pretty much the point. There are any number of places doing quality work on Brownings at reasonable prices and with reasonable turnaround times. Unfortunately, Browning's own facility isn't one of them.
Browning's facility in Arnold has spent at least 25 years earning a reputation for spotty quality and inexcusably slow turnaround times.
sissy
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1,258 Posts
I had a pad put on my Xt a few weeks before hunting season and didnt get it back for 6 weeks, I also had gone and bought a Bt99 on the second week and I kept shooting it and only shot the XT 3 times after that. I sold the XT 2 weeks ago and the BT last year but only sold the BT after I bought a Joel Etchens Beretta.
But your right the BTs are nice shooters for the money!
Not looking forward to any repairs
Jerry
But your right the BTs are nice shooters for the money!
Not looking forward to any repairs
Jerry
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1,356 Posts
Send your Brownings to Midwest Gun Works for warranty repairs. Factory Authorized Service Center and quicker turnaround. And they do great work.
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2,283 Posts
these stories are the reason I purchased a K gun and not a Browning. It only took me one time to figure out that I was not going to deal with that kind of service. The summers and the shooting season is not that long in my neck of the woods to not have a quick turn around on service work.
I guess the old saying, "you get what you pay for" stands true in a lot of things.
Good luck and I hope you get your gun back soon.
I guess the old saying, "you get what you pay for" stands true in a lot of things.
Good luck and I hope you get your gun back soon.
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3,187 Posts
Wonder what would happen if I called Browning on Monday morning and told them to send my gun back to me. If I can't fix the forend myself I can take it to any number of furniture or wood repair shops locally. Eyster gunsmith is just up the road for anything else. If I'd had even a remote idea that it would take more than 3 months for a really minor repair I'd have never sent it to them and certainly won't do it again.
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1,601 Posts
You should have sent it off to Dave Wolf in Waco Texas and he would have made it disappear in about 1 week. I sent my Browning sidelock to Browning because the stock cracked. Came back 6 months later with every screw buggered, the top lever wouldn't work properly because it was dragging on the wood, and the gun wouldn't fire, and they replaced a beautiful piece of wood with a 2x4. To make a long story short after 2 years and 4 times back to Browning I finally gave up and sent it out to be repaired by a stock guy that knew what he was doing. I stopped collecting Brownings at that point.
Browning and Beretta apparently are competing against each other to see who can provide the worst factory service. I ordered a different angled stock washer for my son's A303 when he was in 7th grade. It finally showed up when he was halfway through his sophomore year in high school.
Dan
Dan
On the other side, I sent my Gold Sporter to Arnold as the inside of the receiver had galled and would not feed. They called within a week to say that the gun could not be repaired but if I would like they would send me a new gun. The following week the new gun arrived by UPS. It was dropped in my driveway.
Clyde
Clyde
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While I have numerous Brownings... and not standing up for the Company's service record... there is a reoccuring theme here - Browning is in the business of manufacturing firearms. Service/Repair is secondary.
I have a BT99 SHOT Show special - laminate/nickle. I had a loose forearm I attributed to a poor wood screw. Called service and asked for a screw - likewise, they wanted me to send the whole gun - that was not going to happen and I told the woman that... she said normally they wont send parts out, but she did send me a screw when I told her I would go to my ACE Hardware and find something!
No charge, but the invoice showed and $8 screw and $6 shipping cost...
That's Wrong - "R.O.N.G."
regards all,
Jay Spitz
I have a BT99 SHOT Show special - laminate/nickle. I had a loose forearm I attributed to a poor wood screw. Called service and asked for a screw - likewise, they wanted me to send the whole gun - that was not going to happen and I told the woman that... she said normally they wont send parts out, but she did send me a screw when I told her I would go to my ACE Hardware and find something!
No charge, but the invoice showed and $8 screw and $6 shipping cost...
That's Wrong - "R.O.N.G."
regards all,
Jay Spitz
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