Browning Special Sporting Clays Gun Arrives Unusually Tight

Customer had to take new gun to gunsmith to get it properly assembled after purchase.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 12:07pm

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A customer who purchased a new Browning Special Sporting Clays shotgun from GU found that the gun would not properly lock up when he tried to assemble it. After multiple failed attempts, he took the gun to a local gunsmith who had to use a plastic mallet and extensive greasing to get the tight action to finally lock up. The gunsmith said he had never seen a Browning Citori that tight from the factory before.

Why it matters

This incident highlights potential quality control issues at the Browning factory, as a brand new firearm should not require extensive gunsmithing work just to get it to function properly. It also serves as a warning to other customers to thoroughly inspect and test new firearms before leaving the store, to avoid similar hassles and additional costs.

The details

The customer, who had purchased the Browning Special Sporting Clays shotgun from GU, was excited to receive the new gun. However, when he tried to assemble it, the barrels would not lock up properly. He and his friends tried multiple times, but the action remained stuck. The customer then took the gun to a local gunsmith, who also could not get the action to lock up at first. After significant effort, including using a plastic mallet and extensive greasing, the gunsmith was finally able to get the action to lock up properly.

  • The customer ordered the gun from GU and it arrived quickly.
  • The customer received the gun on January 30, 2026.

The players

Corey

The GU employee who sold the customer the Browning Special Sporting Clays shotgun.

Dean

The gunsmith at Skeets who was able to get the tight action on the new Browning gun to finally lock up.

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What they’re saying

“He tried it and nope, no go. He took the metal sliding locking lug out three times and put it back together. Nope, not gonna work. Finally took a plastic headed mallet and started tapping over, under, around, loosening it up. Lifted the cocking lever and started greasing everything that moved and metal to metal contact. Tried it again with a noticeable thump, and it locked up.”

— Dean, Gunsmith (trapshooters.com)

What’s next

The customer plans to take the gun to the range and put several thousand rounds through it to ensure it continues to function properly after the extensive gunsmithing work required to get it assembled.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of thoroughly inspecting and testing new firearms before leaving the store, to avoid the hassle and additional costs of having to take them to a gunsmith just to get them to function as expected. It also raises questions about Browning's quality control processes for their firearms.