I just close mine with the least effort possible. No slamming. I too would like to know the RIGHT way. I was told slamming a breakopen gun is the fastest way to wear one out.

 

I retard the lever slightly.

 

Do not hold the locking lever, its made to lock up tight when you close the gun and you do not have to slam it shut ... They are made to operate on a close tolerance and to securely lock the gun closed it should be allowed to gently snap back when you close it ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

The old timers schooled me on how to close a break action shotgun. Holding the lever to the side, close the action and slide to lever over to seat. Seated is all the locking block can do, slamming it closed wears the block and on P guns, replacing locking blocks is common place! I can see why.

I used my TM-1, which was well worn when I bought it, for nearly 30 years before I had the locking block replaced by holding the lever to the right! As the old timers taught me to do! That locking block is an wedged angle seating into the barrel lugs which are also cut on an angle. One or the other is bound to wear as time goes by, how you close it does make a difference in the repetitions necessary to wear in and out!!

AND, Giamoco says to hold the lever over when closing P guns????? It's mind over matter, if you don't mind, it don't matter?

Hap

 

Hap,

Giacomo is one of the guys who told me not to hold the locking lever when closing the gun, one of the other guys is the Perazzi Doctor Tony DeSimone ... Obviously there is no right way or wrong way depending on who you are talking to ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

I just close it and let the lever close itself.

John C. Saubak

 

BT-100 Owners Manual. General operating procedures. Upon closing your gun,let the top lever snap into position---Do not retard its action with your thumb.If closed in this manner, the top lever spring will return the top lever mechanism to the locked position. it is not necessary that the top lever return to a completely central position; in fact, it will not usually do so in a new gun. Many expieranced shooters cultivate the habit of lightly pushing the top lever to the left after the gun is closed. It becomes automatic and is a quick method of assuring yourself that foreign matter has not interfered with the complete closure of the breech. Works for me.

 

I asked Luchio Sosta directly and he said close the action gently without holding the lever over for a 100 rounds with a new locking bar. From then on, hold the lever over.

Good enough for me.

 

What's it going to hurt to ease the top lever back? Makes sense to me to help it ease into lock position and reduce the torque of it slamming shut tight.

 

Close the gun smoothly and slowly. Let the opening lever snap closed under its own spring power.

When left to its own devices, the opening lever's spring always seats the locking block with the same pressure. If you feed the lever over by hand, the pressure with which the locking block engages is different each time because our hand pressure is not as consistent as spring pressure.

 

Caesar Guerini says in its manual to hold the lever while closing the gun.

 

I let mine Browning close as it wants. Even so, there are usually a couple times per shoot (300 targets) when I can tell the gun didn't lock up as tight (slightly oversize case head?). I wouldn't want to guess what the lockups would be like if I let the lever lock "manually" every time. Bad enough repeating the few funny lockups I run into.

If it requires conscious thought, I can't imagine it would be good for a trapshooting routine.

 

Thanks to all who replied! I guess the old adage..."all things in moderation" applies. Bumping this up may get a few more results. Thanks, Ed

 

Let's get it from an expert. This is the information I was supplied when I asked a well know gunsmith the very same question. I had over 25,000 rounds through my DB81 combo before I sold it and the lever was still well to the right........ Dan Thome (Trap2)

Dan,

I suggest letting the top lever trip and close on it's own. Easing it down, I would think, would be like closing the bolt on a bolt action rifle just half way. It will not lock tight.

One other thing. On occassion, when I rebuild or replace a locking bolt, the fit becomes "too perfect". You would think the the closer the bolt mates with the lugs on the bbl...the better. But what can happens is the bolt gets just too damn sticky on the lugs, making it difficult to push the top lever. I think this is why Giacomo recommends to ease the top lever. I've heard a few shooters that have complained that the new bolt that Giacomo just installed, has now caused a problem opening the gun. Easing the top lever allows the gun not to lock too tight.

Like I've said, I do run into it once in awhile. I usually make sure the lugs are at eight degrees. I now regrind the bolt at 8-1/2 degrees. At degrees, I will see a 50/50 chance the bolt will be sticky. You DO want a little stick, this is what keeps it locked during the shot, but not so much that it takes all your might to push on it. The 8-1/2 cuts the extreme stickiness to less than 10%. After about a thousand shots, the two mating surfaces find their happy medium, anf the gun is good to go for the next 30-40 thousand rounds.

Just my take on it,

Doug

 

Buy a Seitz or Alfermann and don't worry about it!

 

i close my Ljutic and my Browning Superposed firmly without slamming....never had a problem..

 

Let the gun close as it was designed, every gun has a little button device that allows this to happen.Don't second guess the engineers that made this happen..

 

I don't see anywhere in his post where he asked anything about either a Seitz, Alfermann, Browning, or Ljutic. These are all entirely different guns with different procedures for use and have absolutely nothing in common with a Perazzi.. He SPECIFICALLY asked about a Perazzi MX-15. He got the answer he was looking for as it related to an MX-15, and nothing more....... Dan Thome (Trap2)

 

I hold the lever over,close the gun,let the lever move into position & then push to the LEFT to lock it into it's tightest position. This takes all the slack out.

 

I would like to hear from

1. Gun Dr. (doug)

2. PBB (mike)

ernie

 

Giacomo also told me to just close the damn gun.....
don't slam it, just close it...

 

So whats the score here. I'm gonna go out and shoot a couple rounds and i want to make sure i'm closing it right. Guess i'll wait 'til i hear.

 

Ernie... The post I put up was from Doug Braker, the Gun Dr......... Dan Thome (Trap2)

 

Score: 8 for holding the cocking lever, closing, then releasing cocking lever; 12 for firmly closing the action (not slamming)....one reply said to use the cocking lever for the first 100 rounds, then firmly closing thereafter...this got counted once in each column. More sleepless nights. Ed

 

I hold the lever to the right, close the gun and allow the lever to close on its own. This will prevent you locking block from wearing out quicker that if you slam or close your gun softly. By holding the lever to the right. You stop the wear on the bottom of the locking block to the lug on your breech.
Allowing the lever to close on its own, the locking block will wear evenly on the top and bottom as it enters the lug area.

Jason in PA.