My first break-action

[high_revs]

A Browning Citori 725. Most the most part, I'm pretty happy though the fit is better on my Beretta AL391 Tekyns and I felt it from the get-go. It wasn't just the length of pull (the 725 is longer) but rather cheek weld and sight alignment. But I"m sure I can adjust.

Some stuff I wasn't too happy and felt QA could do better...
* Not enough lube! I was pitiful actually on the areas that would need some grease. I think they used oil because the barrel under the handguard was pretty oily, which I was suprised why it would be. So unsure how much the wood was affected if it dripped to the lower barrel like that.

* The threading on the barrel for the choke tubes, or it could've been the choke tubes, was a little inconsistent. It was easy to start but man it was pretty darn tight the deeper it went. It was a little challenge to remove actually. I actually had to use the tool to tighten the top one So much for finger-tight choke tubes. My Beretta or even my 870 didn't have such threading issues. There was barely any grease on the threads hence I knew since I put a little lube to prevent for easier removal later.

It was night time, just 1.5 hours earlier, that I looked at it since it just came home today. I'll look inspect again in the morning.

It kinda bothered me the lever wasn't centered right over the serial #. I was wondering if something was amiss that it wasn't completely centered lock. Of course, I didn't look at it that closely right out of the box but I thought it covered the serials numbers. I'm just worried it might not be fully locked even if it looks like so upon firing.

Will have to try and shoot it tomorrow.

[ceh383]

Most new guns are not "lubed" they have shipping gunk on them to prevent rust during shipping over seas. So clean it thoroughly, then lube it.
The lever should be to the right of center, when it gets to the center or left of center, it's time to have it rebuilt.

[ysr_racer]

Yep when the lever is in the middle you've got problems. And make sure to clean the chokes and the threads, you don't want to strip anything.

[Revoman]

The above answers are spot on.

You should clean you shotgun thoroughly and store it without lube. Lubricate with a heavy grease such as STO or similar just before a range trip. It's a good idea to have lube with you when going to the range anyway.

Read you manual to find which points should be lubricated such as the lugs, pivot points, ejector slides and that little goodie that holds the forearm on.

For the rest of the gun I have been using straight carnuba wax, no cleaners, pure wax on the outside of the barrel and stock. Unless it has a matte finish as the wax will turn white and your gun will look really bad, but protected. This stops any oil wicking into the wood because you're not using oil in the first place.

[high_revs]

ok fair enough. i thought this was a cost savings for browning to lube as little as possible.

thanks for clarifying the lever portion. i read/heard some problems about opening the action hence i asked if it should be center (covering serial #) or not. the tightness of the choke threads as they thread in more, well, i'll have to bring my choke wrench for now just in case. they can't be finger tightened (not the top one anyway) all the way.

chocks cleaned and lube last night. i was wondering why there was slight grease (a very light layer) on the choke body. i remember reading prior that it was mainly the thread. did i misread and you're suppose to lube the body also (outside, not inside).

it's the way i've treated my beretta chokes for the last 3.2k rounds or so.

hoping to take it for a spin today!

[ceh383]

Opening a new O/U is going to be a bit stiff. It usually takes about 800 ~1000 rounds to get it broken in. It has nothing to do with the position of the lever.
As far as the chokes being tight when installing/removing, make sure the threads are clean, use a bore brush with some solvent on it. Put a little grease on the threads, and maybe even on the brass ring at the bottom of the choke. They should go in with your fingeres, if they don't, that could be a problem...

[hattles]

Note that the 725 has the new Invector DS(double seal) choke tubes and there is a brass alloy band at the base of the tube that seals out gas and grit that sneaks between the barrel and tube, making the Invector-DS tubes easy to remove even after extensive shooting.

http://www.browning.com/library/tech-terms/detail.asp?id=203

[Capybara]

Congrats on your new shotgun. Assuming that model was built by Miroku, it could have been built in Japan quite a while before it made it's way into your hands, hence the dryness. I have been running Frog lube on my trap guns with good results but you can't go wrong with traditional Hoppes and grease either. I like Frog Lube only because I can clean my guns in the living room without my wife having kittens over the smell.

[Seaweed02]

Nice

Nice buy. I just put one of these on layaway. I can't wait to pay it off and pick it up. The one I bought is the Citori 725 Field model with 26 inch barrels. Can you update us on how it shoots?

[hattles]

Nice buy. I just put one of these on layaway. I can't wait to pay it off and pick it up. The one I bought is the Citori 725 Field model with 26 inch barrels. Can you update us on how it shoots?

They do shoot very well. I bought a 26" field 725 on Gunbroker.com when they first hit the market. Brace yourself for this part...it was a "no reserve" with a $300 opening bid...after 7 days and some strategy, I manage to win it for $1501. I sold it for a slight profit about a year later, not because I didn't like the 725, but because I really wanted a 20gauge O/U anyway. That's one mistake I still regret today.

[mjsweims]

Chokes should be lubed on the threads and on the smooth contact surfaces. Otherwise they can rust themselves together if left for extended periods. Remember to periodically remove and lube the chokes.
If you use the gun enough (several 100k rounds) to where the lever is center or slightly left of center you can always have it rebuilt properly for a 2-300 dollars. I recently had my Citori GTi rebuilt and it is as tight or tighter than new. One of the advantages of quality guns.
Your best bet is to use it a lot and break it in.

[ysr_racer]

Jack, who rebuilt it for you?

[anti]

Always use a good quality grease and wipe and reapply after cleaning. Old grease will accumulate gunk that will gall the metal if not replaced.

[bsg]

congrats.