Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Franchi 48 AL Won't Reload

farmplinker
Anybody know about Franchi recoil-operated autoloader shotguns? I bought what I thought was a great deal on a used but new-looking Franchi 48AL shotgun last spring at a gun show. I haven't had a chance to use it until yesterday, when I went shooting clay pigeons with a buddy.

I pulled up, shot the first bird and got ready for the second. I pulled up, pulled the trigger and nothing happened. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the empty first round had not been extracted and was still in the chamber. I had to manually pull back the bolt to expel the empty shell casing, and then had to push the little operating button to load the second round. I shot a whole box of shells that way; it never did auto-load, and I had to push the button to load the next shell coming up from the feeder tube.

I was using light, target-style shells (1 oz. shot, 3 1/4 dram powder), so I'm thinking that maybe the loads were too light. I'm going to go buy a box of higher-powered ammo to try, but I really want to be able to shoot light target loads in the gun. I could hear the action moving when I shot, but I'm guessing that the bolt wasn't moving far enough back.

Is there any adjustment for the gun? Could it be a matter of lubrication? I have to admit I didn't field strip the gun and lube anything, as the barrel and receiver looked just fine as is.

Anybody have any advice?
0

Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • p3skyking
    Being spring guns, the Franchis need a hefty recoil to operate. Try some different (more robust) shells before getting too worried.

    It would be wise to strip and lube too.

    Using dummy shells, push down on the barrel (weapon vertical) and attempt to caused weapon to cycle. If weapon cycles normally, try live firing again.

    Good luck

    non illegitimus carborundum
    0
  • MIKE WISKEY
    THIS IS THE SAME ACTION TYPE AS THE BROWNING A-5, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SET THE RECOIL SPRING/ADJ. RINGS UP FOR DIFFERENT LOADS (LIGHT/HEAVEY). TAKE THE FOREND OFF THE SHOTGUN, THERE SHOULD BE A DIAGRAM ON HOW TO SET THEM UP.
    0
  • oldgunner
    Mike Wiskey has it. I bought one a few years ago and ran into the same thing, just had to reposition the rings for the lighter loads I was using.

    There are no bad guns, only bad people.
    0
  • THINMAN
    YOU MAY WANT TO GIVE IT A GOOD CLEANING AS YOU MENTION. HEAVY LUBES CAN GET A LITTLE GUMMING AND CAUSE PROBLEMS . CLEAN MAG TUBE AND INSISDE OF RINGS, ALSO CLEAN THE SPRING WERE IT MAKES CONTACT WITH MAG. TUBE . USE OIL RATHER THAN GREASE , WORKED FOR ME .

    THINMAN
    0
  • farmplinker
    Thanks for your suggestions, guys. Here's an update:

    First, I cleaned the recoil tube real good and installed the friction ring with the tapered end down (toward the receiver). The gun still wouldn't regularly cycle light loads. I got it to cycle one time holding on my shoulder and one time holding it against my thigh so I could watch the bolt, but otherwise it wouldn't cycle shooting about 10 shots.

    The next day, I polished the recoil tube, brass friction ring and the inside of the recoil spring with fine steel wool, and then applied silicone spray to all of them, thinking that it might make it work easier. I used silicone because there is a tag inside of the forestock saying not to apply any oil. I took it back out and it failed to cycle any light loads. I really expected some improvement, but I didn't get any improvement at all.

    I tried some heavy loads and it cycled. But it kicked like a mule! It hurt my shoulder to shoot it with heavy loads. It doesn't have a recoil pad.

    I guess my next attempt is to actually apply oil to the recoil tube, even though it says not to. Does that sound like it might work? If the idea is to reduce friction, I guess oil would help.

    Or is the problem the spring tension? I have a Franchi dealer about 45 minutes away. I may make a trip there to see if there is perhaps a replacement spring that works with light loads, or if they have any other advice. Or just sell it to them and be rid of it.
    0
  • oldgunner
    I guess I can't help plinker. I just took mine apart to see what I had done to it before and found the tension ring is completely missing..Don't remember doing that, but I must have. It works that way, I've used it a few times for clays, but I can't reccommend it since I don't know what effect that would have on strong loads!

    The 48AL's are famous for kicking like daddy's mule. I suppose because they are so light. I have bruises every time I shoot mine, but it's so PRETTY!!!

    There are no bad guns, only bad people.
    0
  • farmplinker
    A further update: I did two things, and now it seems to work OK with light target loads. [:D]

    But I don't know which thing I did made it work.

    1. After looking on the Browning web site (after everyone said how similar the action is to a Browning A5), I moved the steel friction ring from it's location between the spring and the bronze friction fitting to down between the receiver and the recoil spring. I basically followed the directions on the Browning web site for setting up the A5.

    http://www.browning.com/faq/detail.asp?ID=105 (figure # 2 about one-third way down)

    Are these two guns similar enough that moving the steel friction ring (one side of which is flat and one side of which is tapered) to between the receiver and the recoil spring not cause any damage to the gun?

    2. I wiped an oily rag over the recoil tube and inside the bronze friction fitting.

    So now, I don't know whether moving the steel friction ring or applying oil makes the gun work. I guess it will take further experimentation to figure that out. But at least it works.

    One final question: Would installing a recoil pad make the gun less likely to cycle? I tried a simple test by doubling over my padded gun case on my shoulder and it still cycled. I'm not sure I'm going to bother, although I like how the Franchi handles and it would be a lot more comfortable to shoot 50 or 100 rounds if it had a recoil pad.
    0
  • oldgunner
    Adding a recoil pad shouldn't affect the cycling. Moving the tension ring to the bottom effectively took it out of operation, and that's the reason your gun cycles now.

    There are no bad guns, only bad people.
    0
  • D.A.
    farmplinker, just going by memory, i haven't fired a franchi 48 in a while but, if your're still having the problem with cycling light loads, the franchi 48 has an bushing attached to the recoil spring that can be inverted to allow you to switch between firing 2 3/4" and 3" shells. I suspect the bushing was set on the 3" magnum setting. Try inverting the bushing and see if that helps ... [?]
    0
  • rufe-snow
    quote:Originally posted by D.A.
    farmplinker, just going by memory, i haven't fired a franchi 48 in a while but, if your're still having the problem with cycling light loads, the franchi 48 has an bushing attached to the recoil spring that can be inverted to allow you to switch between firing 2 3/4" and 3" shells. I suspect the bushing was set on the 3" magnum setting. Try inverting the bushing and see if that helps ... [?]



    Your responding to a 7+ year old post, = exercise in futility.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity

Didn’t find what you’re looking for?