Browning A-Bolt Safety Problems
Question:
>A friend of mine just got > his Browning A-Bolt back from the gunsmith. The >safety had stopped working. What had happened is that the little clip >holding a pin had broken. The gun would fire in the safe position!
That was the entire basis of the RECALL. The first thing they said was to cease firing it. Then they took my address, and sent me the recall kit. All FREE. Apparently, it was a metallurgical fault in that pin… If your friend paid for it to be fixed… well, he shoulda called Browning… >Not only is a better safety, it is easier for you hunting partner to see if >it is disengaged.
You guys don’t trust each other? Don’t you follow hunting etiquette when you hunt? >The strange thing is that both Winchester and Browning are owned by the same >company. I don’t know why they choose to put such a junk safety on the >A-Bolt when they had the M70 they could use.
Not a junk safety, just a poorly tempered pin. And it was recalled, at Browning’s expense and time. DJ MacIntyre Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
A friend of mine just got his Browning A-Bolt back from the gunsmith. The safety had stopped working. What had happened is that the little clip holding a pin had broken. The gun would fire in the safe position! We are heading to Alaska Saturday so this happened at a very inconvenient time. He wanted to take the gun like that! He said he would just carry it without anything in the chamber. I put my foot down to this and said no way. The other Browning I ran into would actually fire when you rammed the bolt home hard. I wasn’t positive this gun wouldn’t do the same. There was no way I was going to be around a rifle with a broken safety. Anyhow that is the second Browning A-Bolt I have run across in so many months that has had a dysfunctional safety. I would never buy one of these guns and to be honest with you I am not certain that I like being around them in the field. I am not in the gun business and really don’t come across that many A-Bolts. Yet I have ran into two with malfunctioning safeties in the last couple of months. Maybe it is just a weird coincidence. Somehow I doubt it though. Craig Boddington once wrote that he would not hunt with anyone that had a round chambered with a sear block safety. Boddington is a left hander so until recently (Winchester just introduced a left handed M70) was pretty much stuck with sear block safety guns if he wanted a left handed rifle. However he converted the safety to a Winchester type on some of his Remington Model 700’s, one of which is pictured in one of his books, "Safari Rifles". I will admit that I used to think that was a little paranoid. The fact is I never used to like the Winchester safety having had one of the post 64, pre Classic Model 70’s that had the safety that would disengage itself with the least little jar. (Winchester made some real junk rifles for a few years, I had one of them). However I am now convinced that the M70 three place, striker block safety is the only way to go on a rifle. Not only is a better safety, it is easier for you hunting partner to see if it is disengaged. Not to mention it locks down the bolt when in the full rearward position, yet is still engaged in the middle position allowing the gun to be safely unloaded. The strange thing is that both Winchester and Browning are owned by the same company. I don’t know why they choose to put such a junk safety on the A-Bolt when they had the M70 they could use. Personally I would stay away from the Browning A-Bolt. If anyone out there wants one in .300 Win Mag., my friend is going to sell his and get a M70 when we return. There is one nice thing about the Browning A-Bolt. The synthetic stock. Winchester should use the same synthetic stock supplier as Browning does. Other than the stock, I can’t think of a good reason to buy one unless you like living on the edge. Or making your hunting partners live on the edge. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
Please, Jim, how can you make such remarks about the fine Browning A-Bolt rifle? Do you own one? Ever even borrow one and experience it yourself? Probably not. You just run off at the mouth about the supposed quirks that offend you. Junk safety? I have never had any problem whatsoever with my A-Bolt Medallion/BOSS, the most accurate rifle/muzzle-brake system in existence on an over-the-counter rifle today. All of the guys in my vast hunting group of friends and aquaitances flock and gawk at the beauty, fit, finish, and function of my Browning. They are embarrassed to set their silly Model 70’s anywhere near such a fine firearm. In fact, the only problem with owning this beautifully crafted firearm is that other hunters are constantly drooling on it! Why anyone would choose anything but the most accurate rifle available to them when shot placement is so critical a factor in clean and humane kills is too ludicrous to imagine. THE BROWNING A-BOLT II MEDALLION IS QUITE POSSIBLY THE FINEST, MOST ACCURATE, MOST ATTRACTIVE, AND MOST SAFE FIREARM IN THE FIELD TODAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BALLISTIC OPTIMIZING SHOOTING SYSTEM (BOSS) RIDING PROUDLY ON THE MUZZLE. (In my never-to-be-humble opinion.) Get a grip, Jim, if you are struggling with the monetary consideration of owning a superior firearm, then admit it. Don’t malign the name of the rifle that you secretly long to own. Maybe your friend would be doing all of us a favor if he DID go hunting with you and the temporarily inoperable safety!>A friend of mine just got his Browning A-Bolt back from the gunsmith. The – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->safety had stopped working. What had happened is that the little clip >holding a pin had broken. The gun would fire in the safe position! >We are heading to Alaska Saturday so this happened at a very inconvenient >time. He wanted to take the gun like that! He said he would just carry it >without anything in the chamber. I put my foot down to this and said no way. > The other Browning I ran into would actually fire when you rammed the bolt >home hard. I wasn’t positive this gun wouldn’t do the same. There was no >way I was going to be around a rifle with a broken safety. >Anyhow that is the second Browning A-Bolt I have run across in so many months >that has had a dysfunctional safety. I would never buy one of these guns and >to be honest with you I am not certain that I like being around them in the >field. I am not in the gun business and really don’t come across that many >A-Bolts. Yet I have ran into two with malfunctioning safeties in the last >couple of months. Maybe it is just a weird coincidence. Somehow I doubt it >though. >Craig Boddington once wrote that he would not hunt with anyone that had a >round chambered with a sear block safety. Boddington is a left hander so >until recently (Winchester just introduced a left handed M70) was pretty much >stuck with sear block safety guns if he wanted a left handed rifle. However >he converted the safety to a Winchester type on some of his Remington Model >700’s, one of which is pictured in one of his books, "Safari Rifles". >I will admit that I used to think that was a little paranoid. The fact is I >never used to like the Winchester safety having had one of the post 64, pre >Classic Model 70’s that had the safety that would disengage itself with the >least little jar. (Winchester made some real junk rifles for a few years, I >had one of them). However I am now convinced that the M70 three place, >striker block safety is the only way to go on a rifle. >Not only is a better safety, it is easier for you hunting partner to see if >it is disengaged. Not to mention it locks down the bolt when in the full >rearward position, yet is still engaged in the middle position allowing the >gun to be safely unloaded. >The strange thing is that both Winchester and Browning are owned by the same >company. I don’t know why they choose to put such a junk safety on the >A-Bolt when they had the M70 they could use. >Personally I would stay away from the Browning A-Bolt. If anyone out there >wants one in .300 Win Mag., my friend is going to sell his and get a M70 when >we return. >There is one nice thing about the Browning A-Bolt. The synthetic stock. > Winchester should use the same synthetic stock supplier as Browning does. > Other than the stock, I can’t think of a good reason to buy one unless you >like living on the edge. Or making your hunting partners live on the edge. >Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ >To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
