Copied and pasted from Shotgunworld:
Read 'em and weep. This isn't a recent "phenomenon".
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post subject: Citori Opening when firing top barrel Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 5:44 pm
Crown Grade
Joined: Tue May 18, 2004 11:49 am
Posts: 5195
Location: Southwest Georgia, USA
My Citori is opening when I fire the top barrel first. It will remain closed when firing the bottom barrel first, but the gun feels funny sometimes and I think it's because it is opening slightly and reclosing. I believe on examination and comparing it to another Citrori that the bolt lock is worn. I can get if from Brownells at
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/schema ... Citori+#50 but can I install it myself? How much fitting is required? Is the disassembly of the insides that difficult? I have replaced firing pins and hammer springs and am reasonalby good with tools. TIA
Seamus O'Caiside
Post subject: re: Citori Opening when firing top barrel Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:42 pm
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 5:46 pm
Posts: 9166
Location: Richmond, VA
I've never owned a Browning O/U, but I have a lot of friends who do. Several of them have had similar problems, and it turned out to be a weak top lever spring. That seems to be something that is fairly common in Brownings. Replacing the spring is pretty simple, although I can't tell you how it is done.
_________________
My book on Beretta 391 Disassembly is no longer available.
My pen name is Irish, pronounced SHAY-mus oh-KOSH-eh-deh.
GunDr
Post subject: re: Citori Opening when firing top barrel Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:42 pm
Gunsmith
Gunsmith
User avatar
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 2:46 pm
Posts: 1141
Location: Backus, MN
Before going to too much expense of getting a new locking bolt fitted or rebuilt, try a new top lever spring.
The Citori top lever spring gets quite a workout and it weakens._________________
Doug Braker
SuperXOne
Post subject: re: Citori Opening when firing top barrel Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:30 am
*Proud to be a*
*Proud to be a*
User avatar
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:42 pm
Posts: 26998
Location: Missouri
The Browning over and under, whether Citori or Superposed, wears out that little top lever spring and causes exactly the problem you are describing. Bet it's just the top lever spring. My Superposed did that and a top lever spring fixed it. Cost me 40 bucks installed at a Sporting Clays shoot.
While you are replacing the top lever spring, you need to clean the firing pins and the holes they travel in. The bottom firing pin, especially, is prone to get gunked up and cause light firing pin strikes.
Post subject: re: Citori Opening when firing top barrel Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:15 am
*Proud to be a*
*Proud to be a*
User avatar
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:42 pm
Posts: 26998
Location: Missouri
I was in the middle of the first day of a two day sporting clays tournament when my Superposed started popping open when I fired the top barrel. I cleaned it with Break Free between stations, and it made it much worse. So, I wiped all the oil off and took a section of aluminum foil off a cigarette pack and made a shim to put on the front hinge. It seemed to work, but the foil wouldn't last. A Browning fanatic came up (anybody who owns at least six Diana grade Superposed is, in my book, a Browning fanatic) and I asked him what did he think was wrong. He told me it was just that top spring and there was a gunsmith on the grounds that could fix it, probably overnight.
I shot the rest of the stations with it popping open. It only popped open on the top barrel, after you shot it. I don't think I missed any birds because of it, but sometimes it would pop open and, I swear, close again, and I could see this as I shot.
Overnight the gunsmith with a trailer on the grounds fixed it for forty bucks. He said they were notorious to do that, and so was a Citori, same design. Ever since it's been just fine.
I've been meaning to get a spare top lever screw, but never have.
SRH
