Browning is VERY-slow on their repairs. You will get it back, someday!

 

Deleted. What I wrote was mean.

 

I feel for you. I see it too often. But, the lesson you are learning is that “the best shotgun out there” that is backed by poor service after the sale is actually a poor shotgun waiting to happen. With luck, you may be able to find a “one man” authorized repair center that will answer you calls and eventually help you. Best of luck … you are not alone.

 

The best place to send any Browning for any type repair, including a broken stock, is Art's Gun Shop in Hillsboro Mo. They were a factory repair center for Browning for 30 years and can drive to the factory to get parts if they need them.

I sent them two different stocks that fell off a cart and broke in pieces and they came back so well repaired I could not tell where the breaks were.

A bible in your hand can not justify hate in your heart.

 

Drive to which factory ? Belgium or Japan ?

 

That’s some bad luck. Hope they turn out ok.

 

I sent my Citori to Browning for service a few months ago. Got it back after only about a week. I personally liked the service I got. But ... the gun didn't need a part.

Real people at Browning answered the phone when I called. The person I talked with was very knowledgeable and professional. Have you tried asking them?

 

Browning was sending their wood work out to Donnie Geenes. Donnie is way behind. ( Spelling on the last name maybe wrong)

John Boyd
Quality ARms
Houston

 

I'm laughing so hard that my sides hurt. Browning - best shotgun out there - not even close. I'd be hard pressed to even put them in the top 10. And, as folks have already said, their service is some of the worst out there. If I ever needed service on a Browning, sending it to Browning would be the very last place I'd send it. You would be very wise to keep that in mind if you decide to keep your mediocre Browning. Mr John M Browning would be appalled to see what has happened to his products if he were alive today.

 

Kinda mirrors my take on Beretta’s

 

I’m a Browning guy and am looking at getting my 4th Browning over/under. That being said, their service sucks. I have a Browning 10 Gold semi and the camp dip got sticky. I sent it back and it was repaired/replaced. It’s brand new but it took 18 months to fix it! That’s just too long for what they said was a known issue.

 

Sent my Maxus in to get the camo dip replaced. Very happy with the repair took mine took about three months. I have plenty of other shotguns so it was no big concern. Had the CZ over unders and had issues with broken firing pins (20 gauge) and double discharges (12 gauge), doesn't matter what you have all have issues once in awhile. Traded both CZ's in after getting them fixed on a Browning CXS and a Browning Citori Hunter couldn't be happier with both of them.

 

As stated before Art's or Midwest Gun Works for repairs. For the stock work as Art's is behind on restoration so probably just get the name of a person from members here or on Trapshooters. Tron on this site as well as Trapshooters is a good gunsmith and may do stock repairs-I dont know. You can always get it sent back. Did Browning say they would cover it? I know a good friend that purchased a Perazzi and his stock broke the first week-he had to buy another one. It's terrible that the stock broke, but rest assured you have a good gun that can go 500,000 plus with rebuilds. Call Art's and talk to him. You will know that you have a good gun and did not buy a mediocre piece of crap. Plus barrel regulation is usually spot on with Browning. Many of the others can't say that. But I won't get into bashing a brand. Hope you get it resolved.

 

slightly off topic, but will toss it out there anyway... My suggestion with any new shotgun is to pull the buttstock, verify that it has been properly bedded/matched to the action, and then reinstall the stock and torque the bolt. I believe that most cracks that manifest early are due to either incorrect bedding, or a loose stock bolt.

 

where does one find the appropriate “torque” for the stock bolt? Is it gun model specific or…..

 

I cannot say enough bad things about Browning service. Art's is top notch and MWG works is also pretty good.

 

This is unfortunate, but it sounds very familiar to me personally. A year ago I was having problems with my browning 725 sporting, the ultra reliable as an anvil, will never break, pass it down to your grandkids shotgun that I paid really good money for that everybody sworn to me would never break. It was broken, although not as bad as yours.

While I was waiting for it to get fixed I bought a used Tristar o/u just so I can keep shooting. That gun, also referred to as Turkish junk by the b-gun crowd, kept shooting and shooting and shooting.

I have my Browning back now and it works great, but that TriStar works so well for me that I didn’t get rid of it. I now use it as a spare gun and recently put 28 gauge tubes in it. So I did put it to good use.

I guess what I’m saying is you need to buy a back up gun…. If you don’t have one

 

I'll never buy another Browning again. From the salted stock of my 1974 T-22 to the mis-marked 12 gauge chokes of my 725 Sporting to customer service lying about the 725 Feather Ultralight having a neutral stock. I've got no issue with their engineering, but everything else is downhill from there, some of it in the bottom of the gully.

 

I feel your pain however, a lot of us, myself included, have discovered the "cracking" nature of Browning's shotguns. Personally I know 3 people ( 2 725's and my Citori CX) that have had cracks or large pieces of wood (think long chips along grain lines) particularly in the upper hand guard. Part of it is the grain of the wood and how think it becomes in places it meets the shotgun. Browning has always taken the shotguns back for repair, however, you must send the entire gun (in the case of a forestock) because they do need to be properly fitted. Having worked with wood, stain and varnish for years (I am an old Catboat driver) part of the blame is that beautiful high sheen top coating they apply. It is meant to be hard however, it leads to cracks like mine. You can't let the handguard hit anything when it is off of the shotgun. That heavy top coat on top of questionable grains in the wood they use is not very tolerable to a hit of any kind. Also, for example, I can't shoot with my wedding ring on anymore. I must have over 150 tiny dents and nicks in that top coat for every shell I fired when I first bought her. My wedding ring tapping the forearm. The shotgun is great, never a problem, however, I think they need to look at a more durable finish and better wood. Did I mail mine in for repair. NO. It was over a three month wait for the work to be done and shipping is getting to be a real issue. I used superglue....put my old varnishing skills back on line and YES the gun now has character?

 

I didn't think that today there was someone on the planet that didn't know Browning's customer service was the worst of any maker, they plain suck!

And most people I know that bought a 725 in past years couldn't wait to get rid of it. Lots of Browning O/U lovers look for a 325 / 424 / 525 / or a 625 and are much better guns. Everybody loves Caeser Guerini until you own it for a while then find cracks in the stocks or other issues.

Get the gun back, repair the crack with Tightbond III, sell the Browning, and then buy a Beretta from Coles Gunsmithing either in Maine or Florida, live happily ever after. I have owned just about everything that shoots buckshot.
I own older Winchesters, older Berettas, and a 2002 Rizzini combo of which non have ever been in for repairs. It's rewarding to outlive your guns.
Just thinking out loud. Singed, your friend = Mike

 

I was in a similar situation, my 725 sporting was extremely difficult to open when it was hot. Also has several misfires whereas the second shot never engaged. Gun sat at browning for 4 months then they claimed they found nothing wrong. Well needless to say I sold it immediately. Beretta is no better. Probably one of the best manufacturers as far as warranty and service are concerned is Cesar Guerini and Kreighoff.

 

I could have flown to Japan, cut sown the tree, whittled the stock with my trusty Buck Knife and been done by May!!
Anyone else having repair issues??

Please post pictures of your trip.

 

More people cry, whine, and complain about Beretta and Browning O/U shotguns, by far, than all other brands. More people buy Browning and Beretta O/U shotguns than all other brands.

This isn't a tough one to figure out.

 

I’m surprised they’re not charging you to repair it. Browning doesn’t have any real customer service.

 

I've been through nine Brownings, and currently own Five, all o/u's and 2 BT's. Haven't had a bit of trouble with any of them. IMO the best value of any o/u shotgun on the market.

 

Stock repairs on Brownings take time. Arts has had a Superposed I sent in for a cracked fore-end and getting the fore-end iron welded up and has had it since early March. He told me to expect it in August. Said his work on this type of repair is done in batches and that a Browning finish takes a month to cure properly and sometimes they require three coats--so three months cure time. If my previous experience with Art's is any guide it will come back perfect. You can have it fast or right....but not both. Back in the "good ole days" it was nothing to send in a gun to Remington or Browning or Winchester or Smith and Wesson and wait 6 months for even the most simple repair....

 

A month to cure properly ? I’d be interested to know what that finish is.

 

Well, Browning service sucks, as you are finding out. I have 2 725's and hope they never need service, but if they do, Arts or Midwest is where they will go.
As for being the best, no, they are not. They offer a "Good" gun at a reasonable price, a lot of gun for the money.
When tightening the stock bolt, there is no perfect "torque" value. I go with snug then a little more. I also use Vibra tite vc3 on the bolt so it doesn't loosen up with use.

 

Had the exact problem with the exact same gun....sent it in and waited and waited, got the same " backorder" response every time I checked.... was on Facebook one nite and joined a Browning owners site and told my tale of woe and asked if anyone could help...dang if the next morning a guy answered that he worked for Browning and would have my gun back in a couple of days....less than a week later it came to my door....when I inquired he said that Browning is more interested in selling new guns than sending out stocks for repairs and thereby explains the long wait

 

The simple fact is that Browning makes more money selling a gun than it does doing a warranty repair. However a really good manager knows that Goodwill can be a huge factor in loyalty, so slow service for warranty service will inevitably lead to a decline in overall Sales. The blame here doesn't fall on Browning as a brand, it falls on poor top level management at Browning placing more importance on current sales numbers and not enough on future sales numbers.

 

IMO almost all gunsmith shops are having some problems with turnaround time.
I sent a pigeon grade Superposed to Art's for an action rebuild and to tighten up a loose forearm.
Turnaround time was around two weeks, so that was nice, but after 5 shots forearm was loose again, I called Art and he said "well I didn't think you would want to spend the money to fix it right" HUH ? he charged me to fix it. If it wasn't going to be fixed right I should have been notified and given the option.
If you watch his video on getting a Superposed action rebuilt, he shows it will be "tight" like it was new, mine was not, flops open just like it did before I sent it. I know people swear by him, but my experience was less than satisfactory.
Sadly I really don't know anywhere to send a gun for a quality repair with a decent turnaround time.