Browning 1886 45/70 Issue

[lotsagas4u]

Hey Guys, recently found a Browning 86 rifle that was unfired, I cleaned the bore and used a q-tip to remove the old grease from inside the action. My problem is that it is hard to get a shell into the chamber. I have to work the lever back twice to get the round to go in the chamber. I have used the lever revolution shells as well as the 405 grain flat lead bullets, and have the same problem. The magazine loads fine, when you drop the lever, the shell comes right out onto the lifter, I then have to drop the lever back a bit and it will go into the chamber. Is it just a new gun issue that will get better? Any ideas? Thanks

[Malamute]

Is it the last bit going in, or not nearly closed?

The Brownings have fairly short throats. Check your bullets after taking the loaded rounds out and see if they have been bitten by the rifling.

[lotsagas4u]

I load the mag tube, drop the lever all the way down firmly. The shell comes out onto the lifter, when I start to close the lever, it is as if the action is jammed, I drop the lever slightly down again, and the shell goes into the chamber. I oiled the inside action lightly with breakfree on a q-tip.

[Malamute]

Is the bullet hanging up on the top of the chamber (not the edge, the top inside)? On longer rounds, it may be hanging up as it starts going in. It shouldn't, mine will feed a 45-90 round or a 500 gr Govt length load (same length as a 45-90) just fine, but that's the only thing that comes to mind from your description.

[KirkD]

When you drop your lever you can see two screws on the outside of the left locking lug. Is the smaller screw tight? ... Or is it sticking out a bit?

[lotsagas4u]

Both screws are tight, smaller screw is slightly countersunk in the lug.

[Malamute]

Does it act up only when it has cartridges in it?

Have you put a bit of oil on the top corner of the hammer where the bolt rides over it, and perhaps on the underside of the bolt where it rides on the hammer?

I find it hard to believe that that would cause the problem you're describing, but am not seeing anything else that would cause it.

Does the gun have a receiver sight?

Something else just occured to me. The rims on your cartridges may be tight in the lifter/carrier. I've had cartridges with fat rims and little bevel. They don't cause any trouble in my guns, but they were noticable. I your carrier was tight where the rim goes into it, it may cause it to hang up.

[lotsagas4u]

OK, been playing with it a little, bolt bottom is lightly lubed. Bolt/lever work smoothly with NO cartridges in rifle. It has no receiver sight. Black Hills 405 grain brass cartridges are rough on the rims when ejected, like they are nicked up. Looking down in the the action with bolt full open, you can see a brass track in the back right edge of the carrier. It appears that it is rough machined, as you can see mill marks in the steel. Your thought's?

PROBLEM APPEARS SOLVED
I took some fine Emory cloth and polished the edges of several of the Black Hills Cartridges, wiped them down good and loaded a full magazine, all of these rounds cycles perfectly with no hangups. You really have to work the lever down firmly for it to work, hope it will get better with use. Anyone else have problems with Black Hills shells? The Hornady Lever evolution rounds are tight also, it appears that my rifle is at fault.

[Pete44ru]

I would respectfully try to cycle/chamber some factory-loaded Winchester or Remington ammo before I pronounced the rifle at fault.

Jes' sayin'......................

.

[Buck Elliott]

The '86 is designed to be cranked like you Mean It... Hard and fast seems to work the best..
That said, the late Browning guns all seem to be candidates for a little "slicking up," as you find the parts that need it.. As has been suggested, where the bottom of the bolt rides over the hammer nose is often a good place to start, those surfaces should be polished smooth, taking care to keep proper geometry.. Be careful too, Not to remove any more metal than necessary to slick them up. Remove too much, and the hammer sear notch may not engage the trigger correctly, causing all kinds of unpleasant difficulties.

[lotsagas4u]

Well, ran some Remington 405 soft points through the rifle this morning, they also hang up in the action. I can emory cloth the rims slightly and they work fine. I may get a flex dremel tool and polish the rear of the carrier, as it appears that this is the tight/rough problem area.