I have a Belgium made 20 gauge and I just recently changed barrels. I bought one of the Jap barrels from Midwest Gunworks. I am having a problem with the bolt not advancing far enough for the link to trip the sear, therefore the gun will not fire. I put the old barrel back on and it still is doing the same thing. I dont know what else to look at. Any suggestions or if you have ever had this problem what did you do to fix it? thanks!
Welcome to the site, Kenny. I hope you introduced yourself or this thread will disappear... Anyway, are you saying that now the gun won't fire with either barrel? Can you pull the trigger with the barrel removed? I don't think it's a Link/Safety Sear issue. I'll look at one of my guns and will have a better idea later.
Yes the trigger works with them removed. I can loosen the forearm nut with a barrel on and after the barrel comes out enough to let the bolt advance further the link will trip the sear. It has me baffled. I can't understand why the barrel has to be out a certain point for the link to trip the sear. The gun was working a year ago. Now it just don't work. I will introduce myself, where do I need to do that at?
Go here and say hi: http://www.browningowners.com/forum/index.php?forums/new-member-welcome-area.5/ Interesting, I would guess that you have a problem with your forearm. Usually wear at the front will allow the barrel to sit further and further forward, but something -- probably a crack -- at the rear of your forearm is positioning it, and the barrel too far back. It should be easy to tell if the barrel is properly positioned. The 16's and 20's barrel extensions protrude from the receiver, and the portion that does is blued. You should see all of the blued portion and none of the silver. Examine your forearm. Besides the ubiquitous crack, wear around the edge where it meets the receiver could be the culprit.
That IS correct Rudolph...the forum rules are in place for a reason...to maintain order. Thank you for letting Kenny know...
You're welcome, Shooter. I just wish there was some way to block the posts of new members until they've made their introductions. That way I won't waste time answering doomed threads.
There is a crack at the receiver side of the forearm. The extension is sitting about an 1/8 of an inch into the ejection port of the receiver. So it very well could be the forearm. Does anyone have the measurement of a new forearm so I can check it?
OK, back to work. I looked at my own 20 gauge. There is 3/16" of blued extension protruding from the receiver. Any further and the silver would show. None of the extension is visible through the ejection port. You need to fix your forearm or buy a new one.
I will definitely replace it. Thank you for your help! It had me stumped, I was looking at all the wrong things that could be wrong. Live and learn!
Rudolph I have one more thing to ask before spending money on a forearm. Could you measure from the muzzle end of the forearm to the end of the magazine tube and tell me what the measurement is, assuming you have a regular 20 gauge?
You were right that the Link wasn't disengaging the Safety Sear. That shows that you understand the inner workings. But the role the forearm plays in positioning the barrel isn't obvious. It's a weakness of the design. Cracks develop at the rear, and the constant pounding the of the barrel ring into the wood at the front lets the barrel ride further and further forward. This can damage the receiver as the Operating Handle begins to smash into the front of the ejection port. The best defense is to use as much friction as the gun will operate with. That and periodically hand tightening the mag cap. I will. But if you are going to fix your forearm, it's where it positions the barrel that matters. My forearm could easily be 1/8" different than yours. Hopefully, just repairing the crack will will put you back in business. But if you shoot that gun a lot, I'd recommend buying a new forearm now while they're still in stock. You'll notice forearms for most of the other gauges are not. When my Light Twelve's forearm split I was glad I had a spare.
The crack that is in this forearm is on the rear side of the forearm. I think my problem is most likely the small lip that mates with the receiver. My forearm mates all the way flat against the receiver. I am thinking that there should be a small gap in between the forearm and receiver, with a new forearm installed. Can't be sure but I have to try something to get this gun operational again. Dove season is right around the corner. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It measures just a hair over 5/8" from the end of the forearm to the end of the magazine tube, cap off. Here's how it looks at the other end. And here's a shot of the aft end of an undamaged forearm (a 12 in this case).
Rudolph I put a new forearm on and it works like a charm! Thanks for the pointers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
