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Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 25 Location: Billings MT

Stepped out behind the ranch house to shoot some euro trash doves and my second barrel failed to go off.

Tried it again, same results. I know this subject has come up before here, what was the solution?

Funny that my 80's vintage 12 and 20 gauge has never missed a beat. Just my newer 16.

https://www.jnpgunsprings.com/BROWNING-SHOTGUN-PARTS-c20975296

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1115

If it is a 16 ga Citori one of my hunting buddies has a 16 ga 425 that eats firing pins and after going back to Browning three times has been retired to the back of his gun safe. He refuses to put it up for auction and pass along a problem gun which I find admirable. He does say he's not the only one experiencing firing pin failures on those guns. His handle on SGW is cdb1097 if you need more info and may be on here with the same handle.

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 450 Location: WI

By second barrel, do you mean the over or under barrel?

I had this issue mostly with a 525 Field and only with the under barrel, which was remedied by replacing the under barrel firing pin with a 20 gauge pin. The part numbers are different between the 20 and 16 gauge pins, but dimensionally they are the same within what I expect are reasonable manufacturing tolerances.

The problem more than likely is either a dirty firing pin and firing pin socket, or factory ammo where the primer is set a little too deep. Disassembly and deep cleaning may resolve the problem, as well as trying a different brand of ammunition.

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 450 Location: WI

http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22650

What nj gsp said. I have only experienced this on the lower barrel.

Most, if not all, of my ftf have been on my practice loads which are usually way past due and the bottom of the brass is ever so slightly concave after many reloads. I also had a slightly less than desirable primer seating setting where the drop tube would not push the hull down enough to reform the brass after seating the primer. Needed to get the top spring on the MEC to compress at least half way. I have just reloaded my match hulls which were new this past season for a shoot tomorrow so I will see if the adjustment does its job. These are Cheddite primers/ hulls.

I also clean the firing pins and recess before hunting or a match. Muzzloader pipe cleaners doubled over & twisted help a lot, as does an ultrasonic cleaner for the pins. Hoppes #9 removes the carbon gunk from the recess best of all the stuff I have, though I may try some Seafoam.

I have the J&P kit as well, but have not swapped out yet as I need to make a tool to remove the main springs without sending them to the next dimension…I hate springs, the little ones disappear in an instant and the big ones crush things indiscriminately like hands.

So I believe the problem is 3-fold. I have experienced this on my WL & Gr 6, not on the Feather yet, but I haven’t shot it much.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1316 Location: Western WA

Was having the same chronic lower barrel FTF with the Citori. The Ancient Ones at the club said they all do that, no problem, just replace the firing pin spring every year. Per Skeettx note, the JNP springs fixed it, problem gone. The JNP springs are stiff, I used a little leather strip to help compress them to install.

B.

I saw a video where a guy ground some pump pliers into a tool to replace the springs, worked very smooth & easy. I’m going to try that once I find my cheapo pump pliers.

Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 25 Location: Billings MT

Thanks for all of these responses. I ordered pins and springs and will have a local smith install them.

Interesting to note that of all my shotguns, some dating back to the teens (20th Century), I've never had these failures. I bought my first Citori in 1980. I knew I couldn't afford more than one gun so I had to get an upland piece that also work in the goose blind. That gun was a Citori Sporter, straight stock, 26 inch barrels, 3 inch, IC/M choked.

In the off season I'd even shoot in a skeet league (gun down) to keep my eyes sharp, till the kids activities interfered. Thousands of rounds went tru that O/U, not light rounds, heavy ones. Repairs to it was a reblueing and a new butt stock. I'm still on the original springs.

Browning should issue a recall. My defective gun is a Citori White Lightning, 16 gauge, of course.

Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 25 Location: Billings MT

Thanks for all of these responses. I ordered pins and springs and will have a local smith install them.

Interesting to note that of all my shotguns, some dating back to the teens (20th Century), I've never had these failures. I bought my first Citori in 1980. I knew I couldn't afford more than one gun so I had to get an upland piece that also work in the goose blind. That gun was a Citori Sporter, straight stock, 26 inch barrels, 3 inch, IC/M choked.

In the off season I'd even shoot in a skeet league (gun down) to keep my eyes sharp, till the kids activities interfered. Thousands of rounds went tru that O/U, not light rounds, heavy ones. Repairs to it was a reblueing and a new butt stock. I'm still on the original springs.

Browning should issue a recall. My defective gun is a Citori White Lightning, 16 gauge, of course.

Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 25 Location: Billings MT

Thanks for all of these responses. I ordered pins and springs and will have a local smith install them.

Interesting to note that of all my shotguns, some dating back to the teens (20th Century), I've never had these failures. I bought my first Citori in 1980. I knew I couldn't afford more than one gun so I had to get an upland piece that also work in the goose blind. That gun was a Citori Sporter, straight stock, 26 inch barrels, 3 inch, IC/M choked.

In the off season I'd even shoot in a skeet league (gun down) to keep my eyes sharp, till the kids activities interfered. Thousands of rounds went tru that O/U, not light rounds, heavy ones. Repairs to it was a reblueing and a new butt stock. I'm still on the original springs.

Browning should issue a recall. My defective gun is a Citori White Lightning, 16 gauge, of course.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1316 Location: Western WA

Big Horn, I totally understand your disappointment. In my view, the Citori FTF might just be “one of those things.” I liken the task of replacing pins and springs to changing the oil in your car. The Brits like to take their shotguns in to the gunsmith every year for an annual tuneup. We don’t observe that tradition here but many of us like to tinker with our guns, and the Citori falls into that category.

But you are quite correct, it shouldn’t have to be that way, virtually all American made guns don’t need such care. But nothing is likely to change, the Citori is incredibly popular, sturdy and high quality, with more than a million of them out there. Hopefully you find it simple and easy to replace the springs. Maybe there’s a Youtube video showing how to do it.

B.

Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 965 Location: Minnesota

I bought a used grade III citori in 16 ga. It had a serious ftf in the bottom barrel.
I took it to Ahlmans in Mn and they fixed it, no charge, and it worked just fine after they fixed it. I ended up selling it and guying another with 28” barrels, the first one was 26”.