Browning Gold Hunter 12ga Semi-Auto Problems

[montanagriz]

Hey guys,

My buddy is having internet problems today, so he asked me to post this before we headed up north hunting this weekend.

He has a Browning Gold Hunter 12ga Semi-Auto, and after firing the first round, the bolt is not putting the second shell all the way into the chamber. This is not a problem with just small shot either, when shooting duck and goose loads he has the same problem. After thoroughly cleaning the gun the problem still exists. Any suggestions on how to fix this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!

[xedge2002]

Is it happening with all brands of ammo? Try switching to another brand of shell and it may fix the problem.

[SledNeck]

He might be over oiling the bolt.

I have a browing gold hunter 3.5 that works flawless.

[Heartman]

Remove the buttstock and clean and lube the action spring and tube. It's the long stright piece that sticks out the back end of the receiver, and it's what you bolt the buttstock onto. Will need to remove recoil pad first, then get a 7/16" or 1/2" socket(might be a metric in that range), an extension for your ratchet, and back off the nut holding the stock.

Pretty basic - not too complicated. That frickin' action tube and spring causes most of the problems the gas guns have - although I've taken quite a few benelli's apart and had to work on their action springs as well. Sure-Cycle makes stainless steel action springs and tubes as replacements for any auto shotgun. They work too, but still must be cleaned once in a while.

Get that action spring and bar cleaned and it's back to a three-shot gun - hooray!!

[96trigger]

I'd try all the other solutions listed first but if they don't work. My Dad had this problem with his gold hunter. I can't remember what the problem is, but he couldn't shoot 3 in slugs through it, 2 3/4 worked fine. A gunsmith told him it was common problem with the Browning Golds. Try shorter shells and see if it still happens. My dad traded his off because he thought he HAD to have 3 in shells.

[Farmboy1]

I got rid of one last year for the same problem. If I did a complete disasemble of it, including taking the stock off and cleaning the spring assembly for the recoil (mounted inside the stock) it would work good until it got some debris in there. Weed seeds, dirt, cattail fuzz, everything got in there. I did not have the time to spend on cleaning the gun for at least an hour everytime I took it pheasant hunting.

I did a bunch of online research when I had the problem, and it seems like a common problem. Browning did have a "upgrade" the gun shop did for me that was supposed to fix the problem, but I did not put it through another hunting season to see if it did any good.

I now have a SBEII. Great gun if you want to shell out the bucks for it.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

winchester superx2's are basically the same as a browning gold, and my sx2 had the same issue after snow goose hunting this spring. it took my sx2 4 years to develop any issues though. bought mine new the day they hit the shelves.

[lawdog]

Of the several guys I know who got Browning Gold's, NONE of them still have them due to various problems with them including many of them jamming like this...sorry.

[CodyDawg]

Pretty easy, albeit expensive fix. Buy a Beretta!

[skee0025]

I've had my Browning Gold Hunter for 7 years and have yet to have an issue with it. It's been one of the most reliable guns I've ever owned. I had a Mossberg before that and (Contact Us Please) near threw that piece of junk in the lake for all the shots I couldn't take due to jamming and other things happening.

[insomniYAK]

Just got mine back from the gusmith. Out pheasant hunting and the received froze. Could not budge with shell in chamber. Field stripped it to remove all shells. Gunsmith had to put in a new spring. The symptom prior to failure was that it would not completely chamber the first round and when it would, the next round would not be retained in the tube - it kept sliding back about 1/2 inch. Repair was about $70.00...

[Down2Earth]

I had a Berreta once, it's now my back-up boat ore. Go to Cabela's HSOforum. They have a detailed descrition how to properly clean these guns. I've owned my Gold 3 1/2 since the year they first came out. I had my first jam in Canada this year after 4 days of hunting and about 6 boxes of shells. Shot it with a little rem oil and it was good the rest of the trip.

[BoxMN]

Another great oil is "Break Free" very light oil and very lubricating without freezing up. Don't need much at all, just a "hint" of it.

The big thing is the spring in the stock. Clean it, stretch it, or if you have a few extra $$ get a stronger one. But the oil in the two little slides, and only in the two little slides, works wonders as well.