beginning question - taking apart a Browning Buckmark

[Grey_Mana]

Hi,
I've looked around on the internet, but haven't found enough to educate myself so I thought I'd ask:

Recently bought a new buckmark hunter (from ProBass Shops in Hanover MD), tried it out at the range, then tried to take it apart to clean it.

The last page of the manual had a plastic bag stapled to it, with a hexbolt inside. The hex doesn't fit (both ends too small), neither the rearmost screw of the rear sight nor the screw in front of the trigger guard.

I pulled out my cheapie hex set (#ed 2,3,4,5,6,7) and none of those fit.

I checked the manual and it doesn't say exactly what size hex to buy (Home Depot and Lowes are much closer to me than any gun store).

I assume I'm an idiot - it doesn't seem likely that Browning would provide the wrong size piece of equipment. It also doesn't seem likely there is something wrong with a new Buckmark.

What am I not understanding?

PS - Yes, I know I should have gotten the seller to show me. ProBass employees have always refused my requests, on the nominal grounds of 'safety' and 'inventory control.'

 

[Steve C]

The screw in the front of the trigger guard holds in the barrel and there's no reason to remove it unless you are changing the barrel.

The hex wrenches that came with the pistol should be used to remove the front and rear top screws that hold on the plate above the slide. Be careful to not loose the lock rings that's under this metal plate.

Once its been removed you can lift out the rod that has the retained recoil spring from the slide. There's a plastic buffer piece that it fits into against the back slide stop, don't loose it either.

Once the spring assembly is removed, lifting the slide up a bit helps with that, you can remove the slide and everything is exposed for cleaning. Leave the trigger assembly alone and don't remove the grips as there are small springs in there that can be lost. There's also a small wire ejector that sits in a hole in the frame that doesn't need to be removed but you can loose it if you get careless and push it out or damage it by bending it.

Get a tooth brush and some powder solvent, a little oil a rag, some patches and a cleaning rod and clean out all the powder residue. Scrub the chamber and bolt face. Lubricate LIGHTLY and sparingly. Reassemble in reverse order.

 

[usp9]

You need a 1/16" and a 3/32 " hex wrench. This from the Browning parts list on their website. The large one goes to the set screw in front of the trigger guard. This one needs about 4 1/2 complete turns. The small one loosens the rearmost screw on top of the frame. Remove this one.

 

[wally]

If you remove the right side grip, be sure its some place you won't lose the little spring and things than fall out.

--wally.

 

[Rager]

Here's a few pages from another forum:

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212717

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164502

I have an '89 model. All the screws are slotted.

And Wally, yeah, that little V spring for the decocker went twang for me. Hee heh.