Browning Jam-o-matic

Flybuster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
371
Location
Eastern Oregon
I have had this Browning Gold 3.5" for 3 years. I usually hunt waterfowl with it using Faststeel loads in 3.5 BB's. The first year it didn't jam much and worked pretty great. The second year things started to suck. I would get off two rounds and by the third round it would jam.

I cleaned it thorough including the gas ports in the barrel. Ive heard on automatics you don't want alot of oil. So I tried that, keeping it real clean. It would shoot 6-8 rounds great. Then Jam. Then my experienced duck hunter friend said no, you need to use Rem Oil and lots of it, because thats what he does. Same results. Only when its real cold the bolt is slow to cycle.


So I have this 900 dollar gun stripped apart in my closet completly cleaned. I have heard these particular guns are notorious for jamming. I would like to know if there is something else I could try that I didn't think of. I bought a new Ruger O&U stainless duck model. I just wouldn't feel right selling this gun to someone, in this condition.
 
PM me for my address and I'll relieve you of the headache. I'll even pick up the shipping costs ;)
 
break free

I tried some Break Free CLP on the Browning yesterday afternoon. I fired 3/4 of a box of 2 3/4" and a handfull of 3" goose loads and didn't jam once. Looks good, I think I will take the Browning hunting next time I go. Thanks for the suggestion.

I found an article on 6mmbr.com comparing the different top lubricants on steel with a salt water exposure test. Corrosion Protection Products for Rifles, Shooting, Benchrest Competition, Varminting and Firearms Storage and was glad to see break free was also one of the top preformers. All the more reason to stay away from rem oil, I have been using in the past.
 
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Ive heard this alot I must have got a good one its been to Alberta twice duck blides here at home a few sporting clays coarses never once jamed I keep it cleaned up with Rem oil
 
I have used Break Free CLP to finish up my season, and I'm glad I tried it. I can only remember one feeding problem since, and that was due to a case being too long to clear my action port.

I would reccomend Break Free if you have an auto that jams. Thanks again for the suggestion.:)
 
I have a Browning Gold 10 that is a couple of years old, I always take it duck hunting with me! It makes a great boat anchor! You are better off with a crack barrel shotgun seeing how I get the same amount of shots off.... I knew I should not have sold my Xtrema, but I now have the Xtrema2 with Kick Off and wouldn't trade it for 10 brownings!
 
Yeah, I figured I was better off with a over and under, I picked up a red label. I have used the browning more just because I seem to shoot better with it. I have to really keep it clean and lubed lightly with breakfree.
 
Brownells has an excellent tech article on the gold hunter. It involves cleaning the recoil spring and tube in the butstock along with the other normal areas. This solved my problems. Gun is failure free now. Don't know why Browning fails to tell owners about the problem with the spring/tube getting FILTHY and slowing cycle speed and causing jams.
 
I couldn't locate the article on the brownell's website or google, but I did try tearing the gun completely down including the spring in the buttstock. I've cleaned that gun inside and out and use pipecleaners in the gas ports. It's still is pretty high maintenance, the pretty ones usually are.
 
I have always liked the Browning rifles and shotguns because of there quality and
workmanship, But in My experience the autos are normally shell sensitive.(They have to be
set up for a particular load/pressure) and will not shoot different loads the same.

With that said most other autos have the same problem when switching from one shell
to another because if they are gas operated the port pressure will change and may not be
high enough to operate the action correctly, or it could be to high and make it hard on the
action.

Gas guns like the M14, FN Fal and others have to be adjusted if you reload or use foreign
ammo in them and with shotguns it is normally a spring that has to be changed to
accommodate certain loads and this cannot be done it the field very easy. So testing at the
range is a must befor going to the field.

I bought an Extrema for Two reasons, It is purpose built and not a modified 3" also with the
gas system design it will shoot anything from 1OZ trap loads to 2 1/4 OZ turkey loads with
no operating problems or changes.

There may not be anything wrong with your shotgun except the shells that you use. so try
different brands and the problem may go away.

Just my 2 cents

J E CUSTOM
 
When I first bought the browning, for the first year I didn't have any problems. The owners manual touted that it could cycle anything from the lightest 2-3/4" target loads to the heavy 3-1/2" turkey loads. It did for the first year. One of the places I hunt in is really sandy, that could be part of the reason, but I do keep the gun clean. It did fall over in the gooseblind once and filled the action with sand.

I shoot a variety of loads for waterfowl: remington, kent faststeel, heavyshot and heavysteel. Target loads I pick up whatever is cheap or available. One problem I had with heavyshot 3-1/2" load was it was too long for the ejection port. But the gun is pretty much an equal opportunity rejector of ammo. It could be super finicky and maybe perhaps there is one ammo it won't reject, but I haven't found it yet.
 
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