So I received a bunch of bits from Brownells, not bad service to the UK took about a week to arrive. I installed a brand new action spring into my 1950's A5 and also brand new magazine and recoil spring and friction rings. I carefully cleaned out the action spring tube and gave it a light swabbing with breakfree and did the same for the inside of the mag tube. Gun reassembled and all seems ok but the action spring seems a bit rough when you operate the bolt handle. Kind of hard of explain but you can hear and feel the spring compressing and operating doesnt seem as smooth as my other gun. I checked the tube for burrs and it was smooth and clean so I dont think thats the problem. I took the gun out on Sunday to a local clay shoot and set her up for light loads. I used 1 oz loads (Lyalvale Power Blues - not sure if you get them in the US) which cycle my older A5 perfectly. I shot around 20 rounds and she cycled perfectly but towards the end of the session I was getting a few stoppages. What happened was the second shell in the magazine failed to come fully out of the magazine tube to get lifted into battery by the carrier. They were a little tough to get out manually and clear but i managed to do it. Looked to me like the shell had started to come rearwards but stopped for some reason. First shell ejected perfectly.. Any ideas or views guys on what I should next?
If i was you i would put the old action spring back for now and see if the grinding stops.As for the cartridge that cycles properley well that can vary between guns.when i fit new springs i tend to use cartridges with more powder behind the shot so your could try kent velocity or game bore black gold these cycle the old brownings a treat.When browning A5,s were at thier best (for me early 1950's) the main competetion load was the 32 gramme winchester no longer allowed at clay grounds here but if you can get them out to a field your gun will work all day.Once a few hundred shots are done your new springs should settle and you might find you dont need quicker trap loads. Hope this helps.
Sounds like your new magazine spring either weak or something is interfering with it. Possibly the modifications made to the tube to limit capacity are the problem. The question is, did it operate OK with the old spring? I thought your post was going to be about trouble with target loads. I was a big advocate for replacing the recoil spring, but when I did the guns became temperamental with light loads. In Art's latest video he has trouble after replacing the spring. Made me feel better.
Ok sounds like it could be the action spring its a tad longer than the old one. I shot the gun in the field before I replaced the bits but used a mixture of heavier loads, 34 and 36 gram pigeon cartridges it cycled these perfectly, no issues. Examining the old spring it did look worn some of the coils had worn flat and we shiny which suggests that the spring was rubbing against the wall of the tube perhaps, but the gun worked 100% and there is no visible damage or burrs on the tube (inside or out)... I guess it just needs to bed in, so I may leave it as is (it makes me feel good that its got all new parts!) and use it as my hunting gun rather than for clays...
This is why I'm a big advocate of replacing one thing at a time. Be patient and get a feel for the new part before replacing the next one... saves time in the long run and yields valuable knowledge. My dad's a5 is giving him problems too.. very similar to yours but his isn't flinging the fired shell... he also replaced a whole bunch of parts when he got the gun.. now it's trial and error until he finds the culprit component!
I agree but the springs and friction rings I would consider as "consumables" I have a feeling it may be down to the cartridge the gun works fine with heavier loads so I suspect that the new springs may be in need of running in. I'll take it out for a walk in the woods at the weekend with a pocketful of my heaviest loads 36gram no 5's. The pigeons and rabbits won't stand a chance!!!
