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Well, my superlight feather came in and no, it is not too light. Will be my grouse gun but first time out on clays will not fully eject top and half the time on the bottom. What have I got here? Big or little problem. Back to Browning or local? I'm not a gunsmith.Help!

Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 1480 Location: Mpls, MN.

Try some different ammunition. Also, some guns take a few rounds to "break in" get all the parts to loosen up, and work together as intended. A good cleaning in between sessions won't hurt a bit.
Best,
Ted

Never fails does it, just when you think you've got what y;;ou wanted and WHAM! Most of the new guns O/U and SxS are shipped with heavy grease protecting internal parts generally a thorough cleaning and lubricated with product called zero friction, teflon base and darn good stuff, will correct your problem. This will require removing the stock so if this is not your fortay head for a competant gunsmith. Wink

Good Luck, Charlie

I agree with Birddog's cleaning part. A good cleaning with a good solvent (WD-40 works just fine for this) and an old tooth brush to scrub out the junk, will usually do the trick. Alloy receivers and action blocks have less lubricity than steel ones. Alloy will gall rather than smooth out at first sometimes, because its surface is softer than steel. Any rough areas will smear against each other rather than slide past. So the advice about teflon sprays and such is also valid if you don't go overboard

Also regrease the hingepin areas, the forend metal contact areas, the sides of the barrel block where it abuts the action, the locking bolt cut in the barrel block, and the forend latch on the bottom of the barrel. These areas are epecially in need of lubrication with alloy parts. However, frequent cleaning and frequent lightrelubing is the way to go. Grit and grime are tough enough on steel. They are 10 times worse on ally parts. Don't cake it on or it will load up with grit like a lapping compound. Wipe the grease off frequently and recoat more often than a steel gun to remove any trapped grit or grime.

This wear in problem might be part of the sacrifice you make to save weight. However, alloy also wear in faster after a bit of use. So I'd advise a bit of patience and about 300 to 500 skeet targets worth of use before blowing the alarm whistle.

However, if after a reasonable amount of time and targets, the gun does not wear in properly, I'd send it back only to Browning's Arnold, MO repair facility. It willl not cost you anything but shipping to them. It will also protect your warranty rights. Letting a local gunsmith, even a competant one, go into the gun, will negate the warranty unless he's a certified Browning smith. These outside guys are few and far between, so make darned sure. Also, if things go wrong, you'll be looking for compensation from a very small firm as opposed to a big one with a national name to protect if you go to a local smith. I think you know how that one will go.

I speak from experience here, having done business with Browning for many years. Otherwise, I would not be so assertive about letting Browning do the repairs if needed.

Thanks fellas! I had the gun boxed up to ship out . I shot 3 boxes this pm, two boxes of 1 ounce superX game loads and a box of Fiocchi 1 1/8 loads that were a little hotter. Same problem with both. I will clean and lube. Thought I had done that well enough. Will report back. Thanks again. JRC

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

One of the league shooters recently purchased a Browning XS in 20 ga and was having problems---I pulled the stock and was amazed at the amount of metal filings stuck to the heavy grease--the gun wouldn't even reset the triggers due to this accumulation----After a good cleaning and lubing it never missed a beat--You would think Browning would pay closer attention to what goes out the door Rolling Eyes

Its probably not a matter of how heavy or how light the ammo, but just a matter of repitition. I'd save on my shoulder and use the lightest kicking ammo I could buy or load. 3/4 ounce skeet reloads will do just as well. You could also use snap caps while sitting in front of the boob tube. A couple hundred or more cycles should get it going in your direction.

However, if after 500 cycles, its not doing any better, box it up and send it to Browning at Arnold, MO with a clear note about the problem. I'd also call and get the name of at least one good customer service rep and have him follow up on it for you. The 1-800 number is in your instruction manual.

This little extra step to get some personal attention is a very wise thing to do. Just be friendly and don't get hot at the guy. He's already been worked over by a dozen PO'd customers and will most likely go out of his way for a nice, pleasant and fun to talk to customer. If not, dump him and ask for another staffer. He's a jerk most likely and won't be there long anyway

The repair shedule will also probably be very optimistic in order to appease you. My experience tells me its probably pure fantasy. However, this poor guy has to take all the heat, 'cause he answers the phone. Be honest, but be nice, and interject some friendly humor and ask him how his day's been going up front before you unload on him. He'll follow up on it for you like a good bird dog on a covey of quail.

A nice thank you phone call after the job is done and the gun is shipped back to you, plus a positive word to his supervisor will keep the door open in case the job is not up to snuff or if you get another bad one later on. It's always worked for me. I've made some friends insideBrowning over the years this way, and its paid off in spades. Good luck. Keep us posted, thanks.

You know, putting all of the above in perpective, I thought a Citori purchase would be as safe as you can get. I haven't bought a new gun in years. What 16 o/u is foolproof if not a Citori?

*Last edited by 16gaugeguy on Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:17 pm; edited 1 time in total*

John, like every other product, some runs are better than others. Its always a crap shoot in this respect. However, what makes Browning a safer bet is not how it starts out but how it will finish. If the gun does not smooth up for you, Browning will fix it right come hell or high water. Believe it.

I have yet to find another gun company that stands more solidly behind their product. I've owned shotguns, handguns, and rifles from just about all the major domestic companies and a bunch of imports too. None, I repeat, none are better at customer service and warranty claims than Browning even when considering the actual price of the gun. After all, a Citori is not a 10k Kreighoff or a Kolar. These firms are absolutely rock solid about customer satisfaction. Browning is just as good-no BS if my experiences give an accurate indictation of the matter.

Don't forget, Browning imports them, but Miroku makes them. Some sources say that Miroku was under the gun to get them done in time for the '06 hunting season. There was also a rumor flying around that the guns were not going to be made at all, or postponed until better financial terms were negotiated due to the falling dollar against the yen last spring. Another rumor is that the tooling for the Citori line of shotguns is in need of a refit, and it has not been done because Miroku has been focusing of the Cynergy line as a replacement. Who knows what transpired on this lot. I've heard a number of complaints that this lot has not been one of the best. I'm beginning to think it is true--not that it will make it right in your case. But Browning America will.

I've ordered and bought Citori shotguns sight unseen many times. I've gotten some great guns. I've also gotten one or two so bad they were not even worth fixing. You'd wonder how in god's name they got out of Japan that way, but here they were in all their sorry glory.

Browning replaced these rarities every time with a gun much better in every way. In one case, they refunded every dime of my purchase price, because the seller refused to take it back and it would have taken too long to replace it according to their production schedule. They could have shrugged and walked away on that one. It was a Browning distributer. The seller was out of line--way out. Browning ate it instead rather than see a customer screwed over. However, the seller was dropped like a hot potato. they still are barred from buying guns directly from Browning to this day. Bad mistake on their part. that same gun was placed in the hands of a top Miroku exec and was sent back with him to Miroku. Things got better quick I heard later. But that was over 14 years ago. Times and circumstances rarely stay static for long in the manufacturing world.

I've had several Citori models with minor parts fit problems over the years. They were fixed perfectly every time. I had a couple or three with bad barrels. Replaced, either barrels or gun, every time.

In fact, that is how I ended up with a standard Grade III Lightning with 30", ported target barrels. The gun was bought with standard Invector plus 28" barrels and drop dead wood. This was before I learned to look at the barrels first on any gun regardless of how good the wood was. The barrels weren't well regulatd and would not put both patterns within 8" of each other at 40 yards.

The folks at Arnold offered me my choice of any standard or target length pair of barrels I wanted--certified dead accurate, numbered, fitted perfectly to my receiver and finished to match the grade. Considering the opportunity presented to me, I opted for the 30" target set so I could use the gun for 5 stand and SC shooting. It is still the most accurate, best shooting SC gun I own and its a one of a kind--a genuine custom gun.

Browning barrels are now among the best for the price as a rule. I've not seen a bad pair in some time now. There was a production method change, it was a transitional problem, and Miroku worked it out within a year or so.

It might take some time, patience, and a bit of effort on your part. However, I believe with every bone in my body you will be well taken care of. Browning's customer service warranty work record has been consistantly that good--at least for me. I doubt I'm special. Keep us posted. Thanks.

Thanks, I feel better about the gun. I really like the way it carries and comes up. I grouse hunt and walk miles on end. I opted for the 16 gauge after reading the chapter on the 16 ga in Col Charles Askins book "The Shotgunner's Book" His comparison of the 16 and 12 with 1 1/8 ounces of shot is amazing. I killed a limit of grouse (4) here is Ky several years ago with a sweet 16 mod choke but thought it was just luck at the time. Switched to 12 gauge for years then the research. My shooting of clay targets left to right is better with a 16. It has to be the pattern. I'm a self taught grouse shot with 30 years of practice and really afraid to go to a sporting clay range or the 5 stand (whatever that is). I really like this citori and if it wants to be an extractor gun so be it! Thanks for your info on the Browning people. I will keep this gun.

You've made a great choice for your needs. A light weight 16 ga double gun is the Ne Plus Plus of upland guns in my opinion--and just about everyone else here too. You'll probably get a cheap shot from Terrible Ted or some other SxS fixated wacko about the barrels being oriented wrong-no offense to the wackos amongst us Smile

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Be patient and give the gun time. It just might work itself in. If it does not in a few monthes, then follow my advice about sending it in for warranty work.

By the way, the gun is an ejector model is it not? I've never seen an extractor model Citori. Is that something new? It would be a nice thing on a hunting gun. However, I did not know it was offered. I've also heard pros and cons about taking the springs out of a Citori to convert it to extractor only. It seems to cause problems, or so I'm told. I've never tried it. I've learned to simply eject the fired shell into my palm as I open the gun. Its second nature now. Extractors would probably screw me up. Rolling Eyes

I was just kidding about the extractor. It is an ejector gun. At least 40 per cent of the time. I always wanted an extractor gun. I don't like to leave shells in the woods and sometimes in the heat of battle they are hard to find.