Super Lightweight Twelve

Discussion in 'Browning Auto A-5' started by Rudolph31, Oct 11, 2022.

  1. win7stw

    win7stw .30-06

    I believe mine is a 1973
  2. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    Lots to tell. I shot the gun a little on Wednesday, then it jammed so badly that I couldn’t take the time to fix it. After firing, the barrel and bolt remained retracted and even two guys couldn’t pull them apart. Later I found that the spent shell was stuck in the chamber, essentially locking the barrel and bolt together via the extractors. I found that if I retracted the barrel the last 1/4 inch, pushing the carrier release would allow both the bolt and barrel to move into battery. A few minutes tugging on the operating handle ejected the round.

    Yesterday I honed the chamber with a bronze brush wrapped in 0000 steel wool and lubricated with Kroil, spun by a drill. And I was so sure of my work that I picked the offending shell out of the trash and re-chambered it.

    That was a mistake, because this time I couldn’t get it out. I tried to remove the barrel, but that was a no go. So I stood the gun up on the padded floor, put a long dowel down the muzzle, and, while pushing the operating handle with my foot, I hit the dowel with a hammer. That worked, the bolt was open and the shell was still held by the extractors. I tried to flick it out with my finger. Note: Next time take the dowel out first. The shell didn’t move, but the bolt did, smashing my finger and jamming the right extractor deep into my finger tip. You guys may have heard me yell.
  3. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    So today a friend and I visited Art’s Gunshop. Brad reduced his offer to $650 on close examination. The stock has some serious cracks. After they work their magic on it, look for it on Guns International for $2750.

    I thought about restoring it, but it would cost close to $1000, and I’m just not that crazy about the Super Lightweights. But I’ll remember it, at least until my finger heals.
  4. Ranger6

    Ranger6 Administrator Staff Member Administrator Global Moderator Forum Moderator

    Hope your finger is ok. Guess you will only do that once. So did it fix the issue with a normal shell?
    Rudolph31 likes this.
  5. Ranger6

    Ranger6 Administrator Staff Member Administrator Global Moderator Forum Moderator

    Wait, you sold it????? Damn!
    win7stw likes this.
  6. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    I didn’t shoot it again after that. I was kinda pissed at it. Still, I thought hard about a restoration, until Brad gave me the estimate.

    Probably it would shoot AA’s reliably. They still have brass case heads. The stuck shell was a black Remington. I’ve never had any trouble with those before.
  7. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    Yeah, once is enough. Kind of like M1 thumb, which so far I’ve managed to avoid. Those extractors though make it a lot worse.
  8. win7stw

    win7stw .30-06

    Glad you didn’t offer here because I would have bought it
  9. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    You should have told me! I said several days ago that I was thinking of selling it. Art had already glued up several of the cracks and was working on a dent in the barrel (that I didn’t know about) when we left.
  10. win7stw

    win7stw .30-06

    I don’t need anymore!!!!
    Rudolph31 likes this.
  11. win7stw

    win7stw .30-06

    I need a Funken and then I’m done
  12. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    Good luck with that!
  13. Biz

    Biz 20g

    Following your experience, was it a faulty shell or the Ultra Light are just wall hanger.
  14. win7stw

    win7stw .30-06

    When I bought my 20 the guy I bought it from said that Federal shells would jam in the gun I bought. I’ve ran a flat of Federals through mine after I deep cleaned it without issue
  15. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    I’m starting to suspect the shell, though it looks normal. I’m not going to chamber it in any of my other guns to find out.

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