12 gauge browning gold sporting clays

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Firefighter88

New member
I recently purchased a used browning gold sporting clays 12 gauge shotgun. I bought it for my wife. The gun has functioned ok so far. After firing 100 rounds, or a typical sporting clays round, it starts to jam. It fails to feed mostly. I disassembled it, and there was a yellowish white material that was inside. It was like a waxy substance, but hard like a rock. I noticed it falling out while I cycled the bolt during the shoot but assumed it was dirt. Once dissasemed I am wondering what this is, or could possibly be. There seems to be some inside the action, in a small indention where the action meets the stock inside the action. I don't know what it is called, but there is a cupped out "socket" inside the action that the, also don't know specific name, metal arm or tail behind the bolt goes into. This small hole or indention is below that. Is there material in between the action and stock like a glue or something that could have came loose? Is there a material inside the stock that could have worked through a hole somehow? Are there holes for foreign material to even be able to travel from stock to action? Or is there just an unknown substance inside the action like possibly a grease that got too hot and hardened, or anything else that just have gotten inside somehow that shouldn't be there? Let me know what you think...thanks!
 
Sounds like your slide buffer is disintegrating. Apparently some of the plastic they have used doesn't like some solvents/oils. Get a new one. I think they are less than ten bucks. I find Numrich easier to deal with than Browning myself. I think the Gold is a good gun, although I don't like porting. A buddy has one. He and another guy with a Beretta went shooting with me and my 1100, and by station 7 both of their guns were acting up badly. There were just a few of us and it was a company event outing, so we stepped to the side and I pulled the guns apart. They both looked like they had been lubed with tar. I almost couldn't believe it. The guy with the Beretta said he had never dropped the trigger group, just sprayed and wiped the outside. With some WD-40 and a dirty rag borrowed from the groundskeepers I got them cleaned up a lot better than they were, and both guns were fine after that.
 
Is the slide buffer easy to install? May have to check YouTube. How will the gun be affected without it, or with only pieces of it in there. My wife has a company sporting clays shoot today and I sent her with the gun. I cleaned it, but didn't know it was important parts falling out. I hope it functions enough to get through the shoot. I ordered one through midwayusa, thanks for the input.
 
If its the slide buffer....its only a $ 5 part....and you just take the old one out / put the new one in.

http://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/CTGY/C-016-5

this might give you an idea....
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You need to fully strip the gun - and inspect it / replace any worn parts...

You never know what someone did to a used gun ...what solvents they used in it ( if they used something like brake cleaner - it could dissolve any number of neoprene parts or gaskets in there ).../ it might also just be some kind of crud built up because its never been taken apart - cleaned - and lubed properly.
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most solvents will tell you if they're safe on synthetic parts, etc....I use Shooter's Choice products on my shotguns and handguns...and some of them are specifically for synthetic....

http://www.shooters-choice.com/
 
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If in fact the pieces used to be the slide buffer, it's hard to tell exactly where it goes from the exploded view. What are the normal wear and tear parts I should check and/or replace?
 
If you had purchased the gun new....and kept it clean and properly lubed...

....I think the Gold series of semi-autos will give you at least a 250,000 shell life ( or 10,000 boxes )....before you would have to replace any part in the gun.

The problem is, when you buy used ( and I buy quite a few used guns )...its hard to know what someone else was doing with the gun ...( about all you can do is take it apart / and take a look). If you don't have a lot of experience with semi-autos...maybe get a buddy to help you out / help you take it apart and inspect it. Browning's gas guns ....have some unique parts / that makes them different from Remingtons, Beretta's, etc...but most any experienced "gas gun" guy can take a look at it and know what he's looking at.

In my view, learning how the gun operates / if it has any unique issues...is part of the fun ( and will help you make sure it has a long life - so your wife will have a good time shooting it).

Every gas gun needs a fair amount of maintenance...but it should run reliably thru a 250 shell day with no issues. Personally with my semi-autos, I clean and field strip them every time I shoot them ..../ but at least every other time I shoot them, I strip them down fully - taking the trigger group out, etc...and make sure its clean and well lubed. Then its ready for the next range trip.

Semi-autos are more work to maintain than an Over Under....but after you've fully stripped the gun 2 or 3 times, it'll be really easy to keep doing it.
 
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I have field stripped it, haven't taken the stock off yet and cleaned the recoil tube or spring, but feel comfortable doing so. I just don't know if I could visually tell if a part needed replaced. Thanks for the help! The gun didn't have a failure today after a 100 round sporting clay shoot. Still going to replace the slide buffer, as soon as I figure out exactly where it goes, and pay more attention to the maintenance of it. Thanks again.
 
You're welcome ....and good luck with it.....( its hard to diagnose this stuff over the internet )...its way easier when you look at it.

The fact that she didn't have a problem with it in a 100 bird shoot ...is a good sign.
 
Virginian made a good educated call on what might be wrong initially ....and like him, I hope the receiver is ok with her shooting it the other day.../ but its a good strong design...

Browning still makes them ....but only in 10ga for the last 4 or 5 yrs.../ they moved on to other designs with their 12ga semi-autos ( the silver series and the Maxus)....
 
Assuming she was only shooting target loads everything should be okay. The buffer usually only comes in to play occasionally when shooting heavy loads. But then you always have the gas port drillers brigade to consider.
 
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