# Gold Hunter Question



## papabear (Sep 18, 2006)

I own a 3 1/2 inch Browning Gold Hunter. It has functoned well through Turkey season and deer season. However, I went dove hunting with it this weekend and it continually malfunctioned, even after a couple of doses of WD-40 in the field. It would not completely eject the 2 3/4 inch low brass dove loads, or would not chamber the followiing shell.

I was thinking that it was just not built to handle the smaller loads used in dove hunting - or do I have a bigger problem? Thanks for the expertise.


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

WD-40 is your 1st, and likely biggest problem. For your next cleaning use a nitro-solvent like Hoppes, shooters choice, etc and get all the black stuff off the magazine tube, operating piston (that gold tone thing that goes over the mag tube and has holes at the top), pull the trigger group out via removal of the two action pins and clean out your action really well too with the nitro solvent. Gun scrubber works OK, but doesn't get rid of carbon build up very well, nitro solvents will just melt it away. Once everything is clean re-assemble and put a LIGHT coat of a teflon lube on everything. Some examples would be Birchwood Casey synthetic gun lube, Rem Oil, Ezz Ox, or Tetra Gun. You might also need to remove the buttstock and clean out the spring inside of it called the recoil return spring. Regardless of brand, that spring seems to collect a lot of crap over a hunting season, and it's the heart of your action. If that spring doesn't load up and unload freely your shotgun won't work.


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## swany25 (Sep 3, 2005)

Horsager...

Where can you find Ezz Ox? I've heard that it is great stuff but I can never find it.


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

The last place I found it was a gun shop in Sioux Falls. I'd think you could order it online, or if you're willing to buy a few cans your local sporting goods store would probably get you some. Tetra gun is just as good and seems like more widely available. I use these interchangeably, no preference between the two.


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## brianb (Dec 27, 2005)

My buddy owns two of those things. He obviously likes them. He also has to be very careful about cleaning when shooting light loads. They do cycle the light loads but it needs to be very clean and very lightly lubricated.

It is mostly the gun.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

Horsager said:


> WD-40 is your 1st, and likely biggest problem. .


Exactly, WD-40 is a solvent not a lubricant..

I have the same problem with my GH, not cycling 2 3/4" shells...My case, The problem is in the light loads in combination with a dirty gun.. When I do a complete cleaning of the gun it cycles them just fine.. Give it try and see if that works..


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## greenheadfallon (Oct 19, 2005)

> You might also need to remove the buttstock and clean out the spring inside of it called the recoil return spring. Regardless of brand, that spring seems to collect a lot of crap over a hunting season, and it's the heart of your action. If that spring doesn't load up and unload freely your shotgun won't work.


Hey horsager i have a SX2 and i was wondering how you would get to that spring??


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

To pull the buttstock off you need to unscrew the recoil pad, put a little grease over the holes for your recoil pad screws before you unscrew them, this will prevent the recoil pad from getting torn up. Under that is either a large philips head screw or a metric nut, remove that and the stock shoud slide off. I haven't had one apart in nearly 7 years, I honestly don't recall how to get the spring out of it's cylindar. You may be able to get buy leaving the spring inside it's housing and spraying inside with a can of pressurized nitro solvent, use nitro solvent, not gunscrubber. Gun scrubber is good for getting "big stuff" out of/off of your shotgun, but it doesn't removed powder fouling very well. Nitro solvent will just melt that black powder residue. The recoil return springs are usually held inside their housing by a pin/roll-pin or a nut threaded into the end of the housing. Take care when removing whatever holds that spring in place, or you will be searching for all the parts to put it back together, the spring, retainer, pin or bolt will fly across the room quite quickly.

Pulling the buttstock off is easy. If you're not comfortable removing the spring from it's housing do your best to clean it from the outside.


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## greenheadfallon (Oct 19, 2005)

Hey thanks Horsager ill try that next time i clean my gun :thumb:


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## NDbirdHunter (Sep 21, 2006)

I have a problem with my GH as well, but my won't properly eject 3.5" shells. I don't have problems with the lighter loads though. I can't figure out why?

I haven't shot the gun for a while though because my buddy ran it over with his truck, :withstupid: , and I am just getting around to having it fixed, so maybe it will be better when I get it back.


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

As Madison already said, WD40 is a solovent not a lubricant, good cleaner degreaser but you really need to lube with Rem-Oil or KROIL.


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## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

This hurts just saying it, but the Browning Golds in the 12 gauge don't have a good reliability rating. I am a pro Browning guy (even have the buckmark tattooed on my arm), but the Golds have major problems in the 12 gauge.

I haven't heard much about the 20's or 10's, but anyone I have known who owns a 12 Gold is not a happy person.

I shoot at the club with a gunsmith and he laughs anyone asks about a Browning Gold 12 gauge.

:eyeroll: I can't believe I just knocked Browning.


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## Waterspaniel (Oct 10, 2005)

I have the Super X2 which is basically a clone of the gold. I have the same problem with mine. It works great on heavy loads. It just isnt reliable on target loads at the clays range. My X2 is religated to turkey and waterfowl work. The rest is done with one of my Beretta over/unders. It doesnt matter HOW clean the X2 is, it just isnt that good on light loads. The rest of the time, I wouldnt trade it for the world!


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