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Browning O/U difficult to break open

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SlimCookie

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have a Browning Citori "Special Sporting Clays Edition" that is a bit difficult to open. Any ideas on making the action open easier. Closing it is fine...after shooting about 50 or so rounds it gets even more difficult to open. I can still open the action...it just doesn't seem as easy as others with o/u guns.

Called Browning and they recommended to use white lithium grease
 
#4 ·
When you say it is difficult to open, are you having difficulty with the opening lever on top (having to push hard or as in "sticking?) or is the gun hard to pivot open after shooting? I have a relatively new Citori Lightning 12 gauge that I use for skeet (manufactured in 2010). It is pretty stiff upon opening after shooting both barrels. My fellow shooters all think the stiffness is in overcoming the automatic ejector springs coupled with the cocking of both hammers. Seems like it is getting some easier the more I shoot it. I clean away the old grease and apply new grease to the locking surfaces after each shooting session.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
no the lever to release the action is fine....its when I break the action to remove the spent shells....even if there isn't shells in the chamber it's difficult.

It's not a strength issue...6'1 230lbs

I have to pinch the stock between my arm and body and then open the action...
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
noatrophy said:
Mr. Saubak, I just read your reply to SlimCookie about the under lug. I'd like to know more about this too, since my gun is harder to open than I think it should be.
Click to expand...
here is something that I found online.

Here is what I have suggested in the past. It works if you do it CAREFULLY and don't overdo it. But don't blame me if you get heavy handed and screw it up.

Assuming that you have lubed the gun in all the proper places and still have difficulty opening and closing the gun, here is my suggestion.

When you remove the forend, you see the forend lug sticking down from the bottom barrel. Look closely at the extreme rear surface of this forend lug and see where the blueing has been slightly worn off. This is the area that you want to stone LIGHTLY with a sharpening stone like you use to sharpen knives.

Do the stoning very carefully and very gradually. Do a few light strokes then clean it off, lubricate it lightly, install the forend, and try opening and closing the gun several times. It may take several times of doing this before you even notice a slight difference in the effort required to open and close the gun.

You don't have to do it all in one day. Do it a little one day, then try shooting the gun at the range. If it's still too tight, do a little more then try it at the range again. After several times doing it this way, you should start to notice a bit of lightening of effort required to open and close the gun. Don't overdo it. Good luck.​
 
#9 ·
My Browning Citori Ultra XS Sporting Clays gets hard to open after shooting 1500 to 2500 shells through it. It is much harder to open than normal and it feels like it is getting stuck while opening.

I remove the rear stock and lightly lube all of the moving parts that are on the inside and then put the stock back on. This may not be the problem you are having but it won't hurt anything to check it out.
 
#10 ·
Could be the metal barrel/receiver is expanding from heating up after a number of shots causing the expanded tollerances to tighten the action, the hinge pin is a great heat sink.

New guns are supposed to be tight, some take longer than others to loosen. If it worsens becoming tighter, its time to see a Smith. Don't be filing or honing anything especially if the guns under warranty.

Keep it clean, Clean, Clean and lubed, it will break in if not damaged.

Surfer
 
#11 ·
Light file works like charm..just remember to be careful and not overdo it as gun will still loosen when starts to break in...did it to my 525 golden clays and my son's 725 high rib sporting and made a world of difference..but to each they're own..
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
After getting home and applying new grease. It's mainly difficult to open when fired. Seems like the ejector makes it difficult.

I've read about changing the ejector to an extractor.
 
#15 ·
SlimCookie said:
could you post a photo of the area you are describing?
Click to expand...
The arrow points to the area I'm describing. The drawing is representative of a Beretta, the lug on a Browning might be a slightly different shape but the function would be similar. This is the area that the forend iron bears against and determines how tight vs loose the forearm fits which in turn is USUALLY the problem with a gun that is difficult to open and/or close. Get yourself a new small sharp file and be careful not to change the angle of the surface and be VERY careful to not remove too much metal, it's easier to file metal off than to put it back on if you find you filed off too much
Image
.
 
#17 ·
Look for small marks on the base of fired hulls. Your firing pins may be dragging on the hull base. I have a Winchester 101 that had this problem. A few licks on a stone to shorten the firing pins did the trick.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I was going to ask that. Is it hard to open if the hammers are already cocked? You have to remember the cocking lever is pushing against two mainsprings. If the gun is new, and tight tolerances are still there you are fighting some friction there also. Even with grease.

You are better off wearing the gun in with grease. It allows wear exactly where it is needed. Filing creates uneven surfaces. That may work for a while with the higher points now touching in certain areas, but it will wear out and become loose much faster.

I would think there is some kind of grease out there with a very, very fine abrasive added to it, just to wear in tight tolerance metal joints evenly. May be an option. You would need to clean the gun very thoroughly afterwards.

I have had that happen with the firing pins before, but it was after a rebuild, and receiver face work.
 
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#19 ·
When you fire both barrels you are now cocking 4 large springs (hammer mainsprings and ejectors springs). My new Crossover Citori Target was very hard to open especially when shooting 5 post clays. There was an easy fix that lightened it greatly. Removed the two browning ejector springs in the forearm and replaced them with firing pin springs for a 1911 Auto. The 1911 springs lift the shells as high as the original springs but will not eject the empties. If shells are ejected just cut on a coil until the shell is just lifted. DO Not put a file to anything! You can get the 1911 springs from brownell for a few bucks. Or you can just remove the ejector springs if you have long fingernails to lift the empties out. It really makes a difference in opening the gun.
 
#20 ·
stilltrying, thanks for your post. My gun is easy to open when already cocked but harder to open after shooting both barrels. I really suspect you are right about the springs concerning my gun. And shooting it making it warm up does not seem to affect how it opens. I'm going to just shoot mine and see if it breaks in over time. I can live with it being a new gun and all.
 
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DonW217
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