The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Browning sa-22 part fell out of receiver

dmazur · October 9, 2012, 08:34 PM

My Japanese Browning had the spring/follower sticking out of the magazine tube since it was new...

I believe that is required to turn the "angle" between the stock and the bolt. If the follower was crimped at the end of the magazine assembly ("tube"), the last couple of rounds would never reach the bolt or be chambered if the muzzle was elevated. (And we know John M. Browning would never design something with a defect like that.)

So, the picture linked is the correct shape. Follower and spring stick out of the magazine assembly. Some of the Browning drawings are wrong, and don't show the extended spring.

My concern about suggesting that the follower just be stuck back in the spring is that something had to fail for it to come off in the first place. If the spring is damaged, then a new spring is needed. And since it is only available as an assembly rather than individual parts, that's the suggested repair...

ETA: Closer examination of the magazine assembly makes me believe there is a second loose-coil spring and a stop inside the tube itself, with the tightly-coiled spring attached to the steel follower serving as a flexible follower. This is a very clever design. The .22LR is short enough to follow the curved path around the top of the bolt, provided there are several of them and additional cartridges are pushing from the rear. However, when you get down to the last 4 or 5, the magazine follower has to provide the push. The problem is, the magazine tube has to be straight. So you need something that will straighten itself to fit inside the magazine tube initially, then bend to go around the corner to feed the last few. And I think the steel plug at the end is just something that would stop at the last cartridge and allow the bolt to miss it. A coiled spring might snag on the bolt and wear...

I am guessing, of course, as to the design. But that's what it looks like.

October 9, 2012, 08:34 PM	#8
dmazur Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 1,310	My Japanese Browning had the spring/follower sticking out of the magazine tube since it was new... I believe that is required to turn the "angle" between the stock and the bolt. If the follower was crimped at the end of the magazine assembly ("tube"), the last couple of rounds would never reach the bolt or be chambered if the muzzle was elevated. (And we know John M. Browning would never design something with a defect like that.) So, the picture linked is the correct shape. Follower and spring stick out of the magazine assembly. Some of the Browning drawings are wrong, and don't show the extended spring. My concern about suggesting that the follower just be stuck back in the spring is that something had to fail for it to come off in the first place. If the spring is damaged, then a new spring is needed. And since it is only available as an assembly rather than individual parts, that's the suggested repair... ETA: Closer examination of the magazine assembly makes me believe there is a second loose-coil spring and a stop inside the tube itself, with the tightly-coiled spring attached to the steel follower serving as a flexible follower. This is a very clever design. The .22LR is short enough to follow the curved path around the top of the bolt, provided there are several of them and additional cartridges are pushing from the rear. However, when you get down to the last 4 or 5, the magazine follower has to provide the push. The problem is, the magazine tube has to be straight. So you need something that will straighten itself to fit inside the magazine tube initially, then bend to go around the corner to feed the last few. And I think the steel plug at the end is just something that would stop at the last cartridge and allow the bolt to miss it. A coiled spring might snag on the bolt and wear... I am guessing, of course, as to the design. But that's what it looks like. __________________ .30-06 Springfield: 100 yrs + and still going strong Last edited by dmazur; October 9, 2012 at 08:51 PM.