Broken Beretta 686 Pin

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Zygote991

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Well today I had the first mishap with my 686 o/u. After firing a hot factory load in the bottom barrel the action would not break fully. So my friend and I tried a few times and it finally opened. However, the bad news was the pin above the lugs on the left side that regulates the action lever is bent upwards now. If my memory serves me correctly the pin was straight before this.

The action closes with a snap, but the lever will not return to the dead centre line with the barrels. Looking at the breach there does not seem to be anything wrong, the locking lugs look fine and the only indication of a problem is a line on the barrel block (Chamber area) where the pin has rubbed. I do not want to rip it apart without knowing what I am getting into. The pin looks like it is easily replaced, getting a part is another story.

Added Pictures:

Pin in when you give it a final push with your finger nail, otherwise the lever will not fully close.

DSC00359x.jpg


Pin out showing the new bend. I think it was just worn and the extra friction etc. when we were breaking the action bent it.

DSC00363x.jpg


I do not see an issue with checking it out myself and replacing it, the o/u was purchased used so the warranty is most likely up. I will check however before doing anything. I am an engineer with lots of machining and tooling experience and have redone a Mauser our two so I should have no big issues if I have to tackle this myself.

Does anybody have any ideas? I am in Guelph, Ontario so if anybody knows a gunsmith close by that would be a bonus.

Thank you all for your help.
 
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Is that o/u not covered by warranty? An image of the trouble area may provide a better idea as to what may be wrong - were you referring to the pin that protrudes from the breech face (top left corner)?

IMO, it would be best to let Stoeger Canada or a gunsmith address whatever the issue may be.
 
The opening lever of an O/U that is in good condition should reside to the right of the bore center line with the action closed: as that is how yours is described, I would think it to be normal ..... unless it was on center before the heavy round. ( as the breech locking mechanism wears into the barrel monoblock with use, the top lever slowly moves to center = normal wear).

The pin you refer to as bent sounds like the trip pin that releases the top lever and two protruding lugs from the breech face - the latter being the lock up into the two wells in the barrel face of a Beretta. When the action is closed, the monoblock face pushes in this pin to release the top lever/locking lug assembly. With the action open, that pin protrudes at most ~2.5mm .... so is next to impossible to bend.
Take the barrels off and push the top lever to the right until the pin pops out, and the lever locks open. Then, lightly push the pin inwards while holding the lever to the right - release the lever, and it should go to center and the locking lugs will emerge.


If all that happens correctly, and the barrels lock up with the lever to the right, everything sounds OK.


EDIT: how's that for timing? - you add pics 2 min after I posted ;) Now that I can see the pin, that angle is absolutely normal for a 680 series beretta! If the pin pushes in easily, and snaps back under spring pressure while the top lever is held wide open, it is healthy and ready to go. Were it bent, it would bind in its bore, and resist its return action coil spring.
 
Zygote991 said:
... the action would not break fully ...
Click to expand...

I have seen this before. The 68X series uses coil springs to power the firing pins. Those springs are around guide rods. There is a small threaded metal sleeve called the guide rod nut at the rear end of each of the rods.

The guide rods protrude back into holes in the stock head when the gun is cocked. If a guide rod nut backs off, there is no place for it to go but into the hole in the stock that the rod is supposed to protrude into. Since the holes are drilled for minimal clearance, if this happens there is no room for the rod to push all the way back, preventing the gun from opening fully. The harder you try to open the gun, the more the guide rod tries to push the rogue guide rod nut into the wood of the stock - not good.

Remove the stock and examine the guide rods. I'll bet that one of the guide rod nuts has backed off. They are supposed to be crimped into place, but the "crimping" seems to be very light on some guns. Replacement guide rod nuts are cheap and easy to obtain, as are the guide rods themselves if one has become bent.


Sharptail
 
Sharptail,
Is there anything special to removing the stock? There are two 2-3mm holes in the but pad where you would expect to see screw heads. It is the factory cushion pad and not the hard plastic one. I expect that the screw heads are recessed inside the hole and I would need to put a drop of oil on a screwdriver and then insert it into the hole. After that there should be a rod and nut correct. I want to make sure everything is fine before I shoot it again.

One thing I did notice is that the locking lugs, tapered pins, do not fully extend when the action is closed. Lever to the right slightly with barrels. However, when I depress the pin on its own the lever comes back to dead center. MY thinking is that a taper to taper fit would only happen when the pins are fully extended. Right now with the lever slightly to the right it is not fully seating in the barrel taper holes. I understand breaking in, but when you look into the barrel cones there is a distinct line where there is wear, but you can also see the reamed surface past the line. It makes me think that the lugs have never been going fully forward.

The fact that the in is angled and I never remember it that way had me guessing. I just want to make sure. The load was factory 2 3/4 steel in a 3 1/2" chamber so it should have been fine. The only thing that still does not make sense is the amount of unburned powder in the barrel and in the breach afterwards. The run had a crescent shaped scrap on the lower half of the primer face from trying to get the action open. It almost makes me think the round was faulty. The primer looked fine though.
 
Zygote991 said:
Sharptail,
Is there anything special to removing the stock? There are two 2-3mm holes in the but pad where you would expect to see screw heads. It is the factory cushion pad and not the hard plastic one. I expect that the screw heads are recessed inside the hole and I would need to put a drop of oil on a screwdriver and then insert it into the hole. After that there should be a rod and nut correct. I want to make sure everything is fine before I shoot it again.

One thing I did notice is that the locking lugs, tapered pins, do not fully extend when the action is closed. Lever to the right slightly with barrels. However, when I depress the pin on its own the lever comes back to dead center. MY thinking is that a taper to taper fit would only happen when the pins are fully extended. Right now with the lever slightly to the right it is not fully seating in the barrel taper holes. I understand breaking in, but when you look into the barrel cones there is a distinct line where there is wear, but you can also see the reamed surface past the line. It makes me think that the lugs have never been going fully forward.

The fact that the in is angled and I never remember it that way had me guessing. I just want to make sure. The load was factory 2 3/4 steel in a 3 1/2" chamber so it should have been fine. The only thing that still does not make sense is the amount of unburned powder in the barrel and in the breach afterwards. The run had a crescent shaped scrap on the lower half of the primer face from trying to get the action open. It almost makes me think the round was faulty. The primer looked fine though.
Click to expand...

If your gun arrived with a ~10" long 5mm allan key, there will be a slit in the middle of the pad to slide the key into the stock bolt without pad removal: if not, soapy water/WD-40/etc will lube the pad holes to accept a phillips head screwdriver. The stock bolt will likely have a 13mm head ( and be slotted for a large blade screwdriver). Regardless, loosen the bolt several turns, but not out all the way. Then, holding the stock, smack the screwdriver or socket extension to loosen the receiver ..... then remove the bolt & receiver.

I suspect that Sharptail is very correct as to the primary cause - especially as you infer that the round head has some marking: if the hammer guide rod came adrift, the hammer may not rebound to release the firing pin from the shell head - and jams the action closed. A stuck firing pin will do the same, but is less likely in a new gun.

Re the tapered locking pins, the correct version is that the pins are only intended to partially penetrate the tapered holes in the monoblock, ergo - lever resides right of center when closed. Once it wears to bottom the pins and lever sits in center, the 'U'-bolt locking piece ( protruding pins) is worn out and to be replaced with a factory oversized part: this will make the action tight as new, but generally, needed only after many thousands of rounds.
 
Zygote991, sorry, I was out hunting all day. GS535i's information is correct. There is nothing "tricky" about removing or replacing the stock. Once removed, the springs, guide rods and (hopefully) the guide rod nuts will be easy to see.

Your top lever release button and locking pins look normal to me, and it is normal for the top lever to be right of centre when the gun is closed.

Keep us posted as to what you find.


Sharptail
 
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