686 Onyx

Lee192233

Active member
Sooo... I'm kinda embarrassed about this.

I have a 12 ga 686 Onyx that I got for my 18th birthday in 98. I've probably put 15k rounds through. I also pheasant hunt with it so it's gotten rained and snowed on.

My question is, should I take it apart enough to spray out the action? Or should I take it to a gunsmith and have it cleaned and checked out. I assume there are things that break after a certain amount of rounds.

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks and have a great day!

Lee
 
The old "don't fix it if it ain't broke" theory may come into play here but 15K rounds is impressive. I would just do a random cleaning with a good solvent and bore brush. Pull the furniture off and check for rust. 4-ought steel wool and a touch of oil should take care of that. If she locks up tight just keep shooting. Probably a lifetime warranty on the Beretta so no worries. You could always call Beretta; heck, they might tune it up for you. Never hurts to ask.
 
JMc,

Thanks for the advice! For about ten years I shot 4 trap leagues a year. Between that, getting it wet and dirty in the field and being 20 years old I figure it should get more than a normal field strip cleaning. By furniture, I assume you mean the fore end and butt stock. I've never pulled the stock on a Beretta. I assume there is a bolt under the recoil pad. Are there any pitfalls to worry about in taking the stock off?

Thanks again,
Lee
 
No problem removing the stock but you’ll need a long extension and probably an 11 socket. Steel wool then oil then wipe it down and put it back together.
 
I agree with all the above. One word of advice is to make sure you get all of the oil wiped off in the action before you put the stock back on, or when you get in really cold temps it can "gel up" and possibly slow it down. I have always put a dab of grease on the hinge pins on my field guns and trap guns as well.
 
Thanks for the insight. I will take pictures when I take it apart. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm going to wait till after the season and then take her apart. I'm curious about how dirty it will be. I know they are "sealed" actions but some crud has to make it past the firing pins and locking pins.

Thanks again,
Lee
 
I agree with all of the above. I would look at your empty shells also to see how the "dents" in the primers look. If they are shallow, it could be a sign firing pins and/or springs are wearing out. I just had a misfire with mine, seams some gunk built up around the lower firing pin (cleaned up and back in action).
 
And YouTube is your friend for gun disassembly/reassembly.
 
The only thing I would be cautious about is debris from the steel wool. Springs and various parts tend to hook on to steel wool and catch on them like hair. Might cause more issues then it would solve. Just a good cleaning with a soft tooth brush and a good gun specific solvent like Hoppe's. Then wipe off excess. I'm not a fan of anything like Gun Scubber or non firearms spray cleaners like break cleaner. Can cause real issues with plastic type parts or the finish..both metal and the wood. A can of compressed air to blow it out after brushing with the tooth brush wouldn't hurt anything. Be sure to be careful when retighting the stock bolt. You can over torque and crack the stock. Beratta has more of a issue then most with that. My 686 Onyx Pro 3,5" has been flawless through the years. I shot several years of league trap with it. I still don't like the auto safety on the Beretta...has more then ones switched barrels on me when I had to keep taking the safety back off between each shot at trap. The dreaded click can mess up your clean run.
 
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