Browning Citori Problem...

[wethepeople2nd]

Not sure if posting here or sending my little pretty to Arnold will fix my problem. I have a Browning Citori Lightning 3" 12 ga. I have had the gun at least 25 yrs. I have also shot it an insane amount. Trap, skeet, SC, and lots and lots of quackers all over. I have used it to break ice(when needed), and once used it to paddle my layout boat across a windy lake when my paddle floated off.
Recently while shooting SC in a fund-raiser, after the first barrel, the action opened. Hmmm... Weird. Every shot after that was the same result. I am not a professional gun smith, but I have taken almost every gun I own apart(and successfully put back together!) I broke the gun down and didnt find anything amiss. I respect the knowledge base of the site and wonder if anyone has had a similar experience?
Thanks in advance
Tomorrow for the first time in 25 yrs I will use a different gun on opening day of dove season.

 

[rbernie]

I've seen this on other break-open actions with similar locking lug designs, and this is usually a sign that it's time for a little R&R to the action.

In some cases, over-lubing the locking bolt and locking lug can exacerbate the condition. In other cases, replacing the (sacked out) locking spring also helped. But in a heavily-used gun like this, it's probably best to just let a professional skilled in the Browning action make sure that the locking lugs and bolt are correctly squared and such....

 

[wethepeople2nd]

Ty for your answer, upon further thought, you are EXACTLY right. This gun has treated me so well for so long with the abuse I have exacted, it is time for some TLC(price be damned).

 

[Capstick1]

You said that you've had your shotgun for twenty five years and it's been shot alot. There are two things that eventually wear out on an over/under, the trunyon block and the rear locking lug. I don't know what kind of shape your gun is in but one way of telling if it needs overhauled is to check your opening lever. On a tight, brand new Citori this lever will be sitting slightly to the right. Under normal wear and tear this lever will eventually start moving towards the middle. If your lever is sitting somewhere in the middle or to the right when your action is closed the tolerances are within spec. If the wear on your rear locking lug/trunyon is so bad the lever is to sitting to the left when the action is closed then it's safe to say that it needs an overhaul. If the wear and tear is that bad I'd give Browning a call and ship it directly to them for a rebuild. This kind of work isn't cheap but once it's done you'll probably get another 70 or 80 thousand rounds out of it before you have to do it again.