Browning Barrel Weights - Use loctite on fixing screws or else

[stevewall968]

Had a real problem with my 525 XS Pro this weekend when I couldn’t get the forend off to clean the gun. The reason being that the two screws that hold the tungsten barrel weights had unscrewed themselves due to recoil following a round of clays. The weights had dropped and the screws had then wedged the forend wood hard. The gun wouldn’t lock shut nor break open. It took me and a good engineer friend four hours to get the thing apart and able to remove the forend completely. Believe me it was a right royal PITA. The whole problem could have been avoided if the Browning weights had been supplied with spring washers or with an advisory to use loctite threadlocker on the screws before using the gun. You have been warned😱😱

Steve

[BlaserF3]

I used red Loctite on mine and I also filed the screws to make them slightly shorter, so the screw did not go past the weight as they are very close to the wood if you leave them the standard length.

[stevewall968]

They are really poorly designed and after today’s experience are now residing in the bin. The joke of it is that Browning will charge you the thick end of £60 for this product which IMHO is definitely not fit for purpose. If in future I need any extra weight I’ll use golfers stick on lead tape. 

[Seth141]

On 13/09/2021 at 18:58, stevewall968 said:

Had a real problem with my 525 XS Pro this weekend when I couldn’t get the forend off to clean the gun. The reason being that the two screws that hold the tungsten barrel weights had unscrewed themselves due to recoil following a round of clays. The weights had dropped and the screws had then wedged the forend wood hard. The gun wouldn’t lock shut nor break open. It took me and a good engineer friend four hours to get the thing apart and able to remove the forend completely. Believe me it was a right royal PITA. The whole problem could have been avoided if the Browning weights had been supplied with spring washers or with an advisory to use loctite threadlocker on the screws before using the gun. You have been warned😱😱

Steve

Hi mate. got same problem, how can it be fixed?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

[stevewall968]

Unfortunately the only way we fixed this involved brute force, lots of wriggling and using thin blades. Thankfully we didn’t snap any of the wood but the whole thing was a right PITA. Good luck.👍

[Westley]

Of course you could do as I did, and fit them outside the forend. If anyone is throwing their weights away, I would be interested in buying a set. One of mine has snapped and I'm struggling to repair it.

[Seth141]

21 minutes ago, stevewall968 said:

Unfortunately the only way we fixed this involved brute force, lots of wriggling and using thin blades. Thankfully we didn’t snap any of the wood but the whole thing was a right PITA. Good luck.👍

Thin blades to try and rotate the screw back in?

[Seth141]

1 hour ago, Seth141 said:

Thin blades to try and rotate the screw back in?

Fixed. For anyone in the future who find same issue. We wedged credit card between barrels and forend, then with a strong magnet on a Stanley blade, kept rotating the screw until it could be opened.

[Westley]

Regardless of all the adverse comments about the Browning barrel weights, nobody seems to want to part with any. In fact a certain Instructor claimed, and I quote, "I've got a shed full of them", unquote,  but again was reluctant to part with them. I can only assume I am being saved from the stress and strain of owning what seems to be "The work of the Devil"  !   😊

Edited July 26, 2024 by Westley