Common problem w/ Browning Gold?

[keano44]

I just found out, from a friend, about a possible inherrant problem with Browning Gold shotguns. He was at our favorite gunshop looking at semi-auto shotguns to purchase one. A couple of used Browning Gold 3-1/2" shotguns that he looked at had wear on the reciever at the bottom of the ejection port window where the brass hits as the case is being ejected. One, which must have been shot more, actually had a notch worn in the reciever. The gun shop owner said all Browning Golds had this wear; the more they are shot, the more they wear. Since he knew I owned a new Browning Gold 3-1/2" Hunter, which I had won back in January '06 as a safety award at my work, he asked me to go look at my gun, for wear in this area. I thought to myself, there's no way my gun could possibly show any wear since all I've shot through it is about 5 boxes of light, 2-3/4" loads, at clay pigeons. Sure enough, a tiny spot of the black finish on the receiver, on the inside, bottom, rear, of the ejection port window, was chipped off. And, their were visible dings and scratches that could be easily be felt with my fingertip.
Is this common for these guns?
Is their a way to prevent this wear, other than not shooting the gun?
How can a company like Browning put out a product like this, a high-end autoloading shotgun, which should be designed to last at least one lifetime (probably more than one lifetime); yet is constantly wearing a hole in the receiver with each shot fired?

 

[ArmedBear]

That's why I have an 1100 Magnum. It's 35 years old and shows no signs of wear except to the exterior finish. Well, and I picked it up cheap.

But you got the gun for free! So who cares?

People I know LOVE the Gold and the way it handles. I would just shoot the thing. A little nick won't hurt anything. Cracks in the receiver do, but notches don't.

 

[keano44]

Yeah, I figure I'll never shoot it enough to worry about it. I just don't shoot shotguns as much as I do handguns or rifles. Plus, I have an 870 Wingmaster if I ever want to TRY and wear it out!
I was mostly just wondering if anyone had a solution to the problem, such as some tweaking a gunsmith might do, to prevent the spent cases from hitting this spot, or something else I haven't thought of. That is what I love about THR, there's so much knowledge and experience here.

 

[frank c]

The winchester model Super X2 is the same model(which I own)as the browning Gold,I also own a browning gold deer hunter.I looked at both shotguns tonight and have not noticed any wear.These are older made models,The SX2 is about 8 years old and the browning about 4 years old.Did gunshop owner say these were with recent models or older ones also?Thanks for any info.

 

[HSMITH]

Some do it more than others, it has everything to do with ejection angle. If the cases come out low or flat they will hit the reciever, if they come out a little higher there won't be any nicks at all.

Even if it wears a notch clear through the reciever to the outside it won't hurt a thing. At the very worst this is a cosmetic problem.

 

[Bullet Bob]

This is a question, is the Browning Gold receiver aluminum? That could explain the wear over a steel-receivered Remington, for example.

 

[RNB65]

Must be fairly common. A buddy of mine has a Gold and it has a spot on the ejector port where the brass has worn the finish off.

 

[Hoser]

5-6K rounds through mine and no wear. Must be the angle of the ejection...?

 

[keano44]

The receiver is an aluminum alloy. From the responses so far, it seems the angle of ejection comes into play, and the problem is not common to all of these guns. Interesting! I'm hoping to see a greater sampling of replies on this.