I have a Beretta AL390 that is malfunctioning. It sometimes will not eject the shell after firing. I use mag loads and use the gun hard. I clean it regularly. Can the bolt be taken out of the reciever and cleaned? Do you think I may need a new spring?
help with Beretta AL390
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If you don't even know how to take the bolt out, then you have never really cleaned it - you just give it a wipedown and forget it.heavyshot said:
The bolt, trigger group, and the inside of the receiver are all bound to be full of crud from lack of cleaning. I'll bet that the gas ports are clogged up, and that is what is causing the failure to eject. I had that problem with a 391 and I had been cleaning it regularly - just not reaming out the gas ports quite well enough.
I have a 391, not a 390, so someone else will advise you on the details of disassembling the gun. For cleaning the gas ports of a 391, I use a 1/8" drill bit (held in my fingers) but I don't know what size you would use for a 390.
The recoil spring needs to be replaced periodically, but one sign that it needs replacing is the hulls are being thrown too far, and you don't have that problem (but you might after you clean the ports).
Good advise from Seamus (aka Mr Ben). A neglected recoil spring in the stock will also cause the gun to jam. I would break the gun down all the way and clean it. That woukld include the barrel, receiver, gas system, magazine tube, recoil tube, and the trigger group. Then lightly lube with a good oil like CLP, FP-10, or Miltec.
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The owner's manual tells you how to do it. You can get a pdf manual here http://www.berettaservices.com/index.aspx?m=53&did=225
I'll give you a thumbnail outline of how to do it based on my familiarity with the 391 - as far as I know, the 390 works the same way.
Make sure the gun is cocked, and the safety on.
Remove the forearm nut, pull the forearm off, then pull the barrel off.
Remove the cocking handle from the bolt - just pull straight out.
Press the bolt release button while holding the sleeve around the magazine tube to keep the bolt from slamming shut (slamming shut is OK when the barrel and forearm are on, not when they are off).
Pull the sleeve around the magazine tube forward and off, and the bolt will come out with it. The bolt has 2 parts which will separate when out. Be careful not to lose the pin that holds the connecting rod on - it is loose enough to fall out.
Drive out the pin that holds the trigger group in the receiver. That is the pin that goes through the receiver just above the front of the trigger guard. If you don't have a proper punch, make one by filing the point off a nail, etc.
Hit the back of the trigger guard with the heel of your hand to start it moving forward a little bit. While holding the bolt release button down, pull the trigger guard (and the whole trigger group with it) forward and down, and it will all come out. Removing the trigger group is hard the first few times, but then it gets easier. The first time, it may help if you lay the gun on a padded table and get someone else to press the bolt release button and hold the gun in place while you pull the trigger group out.
Keep the hammer cocked while you spray clean the trigger group. That's why I said put the safety on before starting any of this. If you let the hammer go forward, a little pin in the side of the group will become loose and may fall out and get lost.
Someone more familiar with the 390 will have to tell you how to get access to the gas ports for cleaning - my 391 is different. Make sure you ream out the gas ports thoroughly - I use a 1/8" drill pit (held in my fingers, so I won't actually cut any metal) for my 391, but I don't know if the 390 has the same size ports.
I won't bother with additional instructions for removing the magazine spring or replacing the recoil spring - that needs to be done once in a while, but not real often.
I hope this helps.
I'll give you a thumbnail outline of how to do it based on my familiarity with the 391 - as far as I know, the 390 works the same way.
Make sure the gun is cocked, and the safety on.
Remove the forearm nut, pull the forearm off, then pull the barrel off.
Remove the cocking handle from the bolt - just pull straight out.
Press the bolt release button while holding the sleeve around the magazine tube to keep the bolt from slamming shut (slamming shut is OK when the barrel and forearm are on, not when they are off).
Pull the sleeve around the magazine tube forward and off, and the bolt will come out with it. The bolt has 2 parts which will separate when out. Be careful not to lose the pin that holds the connecting rod on - it is loose enough to fall out.
Drive out the pin that holds the trigger group in the receiver. That is the pin that goes through the receiver just above the front of the trigger guard. If you don't have a proper punch, make one by filing the point off a nail, etc.
Hit the back of the trigger guard with the heel of your hand to start it moving forward a little bit. While holding the bolt release button down, pull the trigger guard (and the whole trigger group with it) forward and down, and it will all come out. Removing the trigger group is hard the first few times, but then it gets easier. The first time, it may help if you lay the gun on a padded table and get someone else to press the bolt release button and hold the gun in place while you pull the trigger group out.
Keep the hammer cocked while you spray clean the trigger group. That's why I said put the safety on before starting any of this. If you let the hammer go forward, a little pin in the side of the group will become loose and may fall out and get lost.
Someone more familiar with the 390 will have to tell you how to get access to the gas ports for cleaning - my 391 is different. Make sure you ream out the gas ports thoroughly - I use a 1/8" drill pit (held in my fingers, so I won't actually cut any metal) for my 391, but I don't know if the 390 has the same size ports.
I won't bother with additional instructions for removing the magazine spring or replacing the recoil spring - that needs to be done once in a while, but not real often.
I hope this helps.
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to clean the gas port's on the barrel all i use is pipe cleaner's.....just stick them in and out of each hole a couple of times.......the 390 should disassemble the same way as the 391...but....the manuel say's to lay the gun on it's side to pull the bolt out....with the reciever facing up......reasemble the same way...with the gun on it's side.....also, after the bolt goes in...hold the gun straight up and down and line up the bar that goes into the stock spring......
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I agree that's a good method in many cases. I had a case in which that kind of cleaning wasn't enough. I don't know whether is was the kind of shells I was shooting, or the fact I let it go too long before I cleaned it, or what. Whatever it was, the ports formed a hard crust on the inside that narrowed the ports down, and it was so hard took a drill bit to dig it all out.ignantmike said:
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Read this thread, and note in the first post that Seamus has an excellent manual on the Beretta.heavyshot said:
viewtopic.php?f=57&t=101242
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