Franchi 500 problems

tanner · Post by **tanner** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:20 pm

i have a franchi model 500 autoloader, and am having many problems with it, its not a new gun by any means, probably at least 20 years old, but it has trouble cycling shells, not just light dove loads, any shell, after the first shot, it will try to kick out 2 shells at once so im stuck trying to get two shells out of the gun, and if it just kicks out one like it is supposed to, the action will slide back fast, but will close very slowly, but i do keep it clean and keep all the moving parts lubed, does anyone else have these problems or know what is wrong with it.

USNBritt · Post by **USNBritt** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:08 pm

I have a Franchi 500 and have at times had problems with it cycling. That said the solution was replacing the O ring when it showed signs of wear. After ordering a few inexpensive O rings from Numrich she works like a champ. I can't say this is the problem with yours but it's something to look into.

gar-dog · Post by **gar-dog** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:12 pm

Yes, sounds like you are losing "ooomph" from gas escaping. Replace the o-rings..... That is a cheap experiment and will likely work.
G

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 2:05 pm

Most people don't understand that a gas gun (gas operated semi-automatic) needs to be completely disassembled and cleaned every couple of years. The butt stock needs to be removed, the action taken apart, and a complete cleaning of the return spring and the tube it runs in needs to be done. Also, all traces of scorching or carbon on the outside of the magazine tube need to be removed, and the inside of the "piston," which is a ring that runs on the outside of the magazine tube has to be scrubbed with solvent and a very stiff brush until all the carbon is off. The brush I use is stainless steel. Last but not least, a special tool needs to be run through the very small gas ports in the barrel to make sure they are not plugged or narrowed. That reduces the amount of gas that comes out of the barrel for the purpose of operating the piston and action.

In addition, you should take a can of gun scrubber and thoroughly spray out the trigger group, then re-oil it. I once had a 500 slam fire, that is, fire as soon as the action was closed, because (according to the gunsmith who examined it), weed seeds caught in the trigger and jammed the trigger in the fire position.

I would do this first. But it does sound like you have a piece bent or broken in the action. You should not get two shells out of the magazine tube at one time regardless of how dirty the gun is. Sometimes even a tiny amount of bending or deformity can misshape the small parts that stop any shell after the first one, from coming out, and also the small parts that stop or cycle the bolt. Those are probably things that you should have a gunsmith look at.

Lastly, those 500's are not meant for heavy shells. You should not fire anything heavier than a 1 1/4 ounce shell in the gun. I found that out the hard way. I used to use mine for circle shoots, where you would go through as many as 500 rounds in an afternoon. I liked to used the 1 3/8 oz. baby magnums, and eventually blew the barrel band off. That is the band that is permanently soldered to the barrel in which the piston runs. I had to have the band silver soldered back on, which is a costly operation. So stick to 1 1/8 and 1 1/4 oz shells.