switching barrels

[Caisterboy]

Hope this isn't a dumb**s question for my first post, but here we go anyway. I have 2 Brownings one is a 30" Grand Prix sporter @ 6years old and a 32" XTR Trap Gun @ 2yrs old. If i wanted to swap barrels for reasons that are only known to me is this safe?? I have messed around in the garden with the barrels and forends swapped after having the wicked idea as as best i can make out they are both based on a 525 action,and have identical lumps etc etc and they seem to mate up perfectly on their faces. having said all that i haven't had the balls to put some cartridges through them when swapped. I've asked a few mates and am getting a few dubious looks as well as the oh no "he's having one of his turns again" Would appreciate the advice on whether this is ok to do or not or if i'm just menopausal

[Gordon R]

I seem to remember that the XT series are 425, not 525.

 

It would be easier to just swap the woodwork.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Gordon R

[Emmsy]

yep change the wood over, swapping barrels does have a habit of making it wear out quicker if everything isnt prefectly fitted

[the last engineer]

there is no issue other than excessive wear on the ejector sears, Browning make very close tolerance guns, hence the words production and tolerance, they will interchange well with little or no problems, i have 2 x 325 XS 1 x 425 gold sporting and 1 525, all barrels interchange and shoot, all set the triggers, as long as you keep the forend stock with the barrels.

my only advise is to monitor the wear rates on your sears as i said, i blew out two sets over a season, it took quite a few thousand rounds but it happened, i dont know what your m,aintenance schedule is for your guns is, mine i replace starting each season, TAKE NOTE if you do that, dont do it yourself unless you know how to time them, this is a critical procedure, take it to a smith you trust.

 

i have posted previously on this subject but i cant find it now, was a while back, there are pictures of the sears and what you will find in their wear, take a look if you can find it, let me know if this helps.

 

regards,

Martin.

[Caisterboy]

Guys

 

really appeciate you taking the time to reply to my musings.

 

Martin (the last engineer) i believe the post you referred to is here?

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/56252-sparereplacement-barrels/page__p__494052__hl__%2Bsears+%2Bwear__fromsearch__1#entry494052

 

I have to admit that i hadn't considered wear the sears wear due to small misalignment and is a very good point - thanks Martin. It made sense to me to also about swapping the forends over with the barrels as the ejectors may misalign so thanks Gordon & Emmsy too.

 

My main reason for asking, which i never explained, is that i've been toying with the idea to "upgrade" to an XS sporter with 32" barrels because the trap gun seems to control my swing better and i would guess its probably to do with the extra weight up front. So guess what, it was a way of seeing if i could get a feel for how a sporter goes with 32" barrels rather than the usual 10 or 15 mins at a shop (even if i could find one within a 150 miles of me with shoot out the back facilities!) over a month or so and get a feel for differing targets. It may well put me off too !

 

Thanks again for the advice i'll let you know how i get on if i give it a bash.

[the last engineer]

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/23397-under-ejector/page__p__227165__hl__%2Bworn+%2Bejector+%2Bsears__fromsearch__1#entry227165

 

found it, take a look at the wear on the sear, you will see what i mean by a missalignment causing excessive wear.

 

i have used my 30's and 32" with IC's in the 30's and IM's in the 32's, i found it easier and quicker to change barrels than chokes, i still do.

now i use a K80 Pro Sporter with IM's and leave it at that, too many things to mess with your head.

 

upgrading to a XS sporter i would say is a good thing, again i am very Pro Browning where sporting guns run, they make superb shooting platforms.

i like the larger bored barrels for felt recoil over hundreds of rounds a day shooting, and i havent found one yet that does not shoot where it points.

 

now thats not to put any other gun maker down, its a preference thing, my K80 took nearly a year to marry into, i kept going back to the XS when i had a bad day.

 

 

Martin.