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Work order — Browning BPS

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: high.

Shop difficulty: Tier 3 of 3

About 63 keyed parts (82 rows) on a bottom-eject pump that owners widely describe as miserable to put back: the loose spring-strip shell stops block the trigger group and fall into the receiver unless held aside with shim strips, bolt, carrier and ejector arms must be juggled into position to go in through the bottom, and the carrier wings must land in the slide-arm rabbets. Browning itself says not to strip it. 63 parts (Browning BPS parts list (28/20/12 ga Hunting and 12 ga Game Gun), 63 key numbers with variant rows; the Game Gun/Buck Special list (p. 14) left out). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~60 min, rebuild ~95 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Thin metal shim strips (e.g., cut aluminium can) — Holding the shell stops aside while the trigger group is rotated in
• Punch set — Trigger group pins

Watch for:

• The spring-strip shell stops are not staked, so when the trigger group is rotated in they block it and fall into the receiver; the workaround is to hold them aligned and slide thin metal strips alongside the trigger group as a jig. (reassembly; Accurate Reloading Gunsmithing Forum)
• Bolt, carrier and ejector arms have to be fiddled into one position before they will drop out of, or go back up into, the bottom of the receiver. (both; City-Data Forum (Guns and Hunting))
• On reassembly the carrier 'wings' must sit in the rabbets on the slide arms, and the trigger group refuses to go in with the trigger in the energised position; owners describe the job as a big pain. (reassembly; City-Data Forum (Guns and Hunting))

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Push the tang safety to the safe position.
3. Press the action release and pull the forend rearward to open the action.
4. Cycle the action repeatedly, catching each shell as it drops from the bottom port.
5. With the action open, look up through the bottom port with a light to inspect the chamber and magazine tube.
   Warning: There is no side port. Use a light.
6. Physically confirm the chamber is empty and clear all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure: open the action, visually inspect the chamber, and put the safety in the ON SAFE position.
2. Place the slide in its forward position.
3. Unscrew the magazine cap and remove it.
4. On BPS Deer models, first remove the barrel stabilising lock washer and split ring from the magazine tube.
5. Holding the receiver in one hand and the barrel in the other, ease the barrel forward off the magazine tube and out of the receiver.
6. Stop here. Browning states no further disassembly is recommended — the forend, action slide, bolt, and trigger group all stay in the gun.
   Warning: Browning's standing notice: never take the firearm apart further than the owner's manual explains. It is a finely fitted mechanism and you may permanently damage it by disassembling the inner mechanism assemblies. If more is needed, it goes to a qualified gunsmith or Browning's service facility.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

The manufacturer's full parts list (82 parts) is on the reference page.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Follow this sequence exactly. Browning flags steps one and two as the ones that must be done in order.
   Tip: The carrier has to be lowered before the barrel extension will enter the receiver, and only this sequence lowers it.
2. With the magazine cap off, depress the slide release button and pull the forearm completely rearward.
3. Hold the stock and receiver horizontal with the ejection port facing DOWN, then push the forearm forward until the rear of the forearm is even with the front of the receiver.
   Warning: Do not squeeze hard on the open rear end of a wood forearm. Too much pressure can split the wood.
   Tip: Ejection port down is what lets the bolt hold the carrier low enough for the barrel to go in.
4. Glance through the bore and confirm it is clear of obstructions before the barrel goes on.
5. Insert the barrel extension into the receiver and move the barrel rearward, guiding the barrel guide ring over the magazine tube. Check that the barrel tab — which projects from the rearmost rib post on top of the barrel — aligns with and enters the recess in the front upper surface of the receiver.
6. On Deer models, slide the barrel stabilising split ring back onto the magazine tube with the bevelled surfaces of the split ring and the guide ring matched, then place the lock washer on top of the split ring.
7. Replace the magazine cap, then cycle the action several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Notes: The manufacturer's documents give no torque value. They say: "Tighten the screws snugly, but do not overtighten." (Browning BPS Shotgun Owner's Manual) "Turn the screws clockwise to tighten. Do not overtighten the screws." (Browning BPS Shotgun Owner's Manual)

Fit or check on rebuild

• Shell stops seated and working — They are not staked; misplaced stops cause double feeds that lock the gun up.
• Carrier wings in the slide-arm rabbets — If they are not, the action will not cycle correctly.
• Function check: safety, trigger/sear release, disconnector and feeding with dummy rounds — Standard after any detail strip; a mis-assembled sear or disconnector can double or fail to fire.

6. Function check

• Verify the shotgun is unloaded — chamber and magazine tube — before each step.
• Cycle the action fully. It should run smoothly without binding and lock closed.
• With the action closed and the hammer cocked, engage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer must not fall.
• Disengage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
• With the hammer down, confirm the action will not open until the action release is pressed.
• Load two dummy shells into the magazine and confirm they feed and eject cleanly, one per cycle.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. Browning BPS Shotgun Owner's Manual — Browning primary
   https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/bps-shotgun.html
2. Owner's Manual, Browning BPS Pump Action Shotgun, 12, 20 & 28 Ga. Models and Game Gun Models — Browning primary
   https://archive.org/download/gunmanual_Browning_BPS/Browning%20BPS.pdf
3. BPS Pump-Action Shotgun — Overview — Browning primary
   https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/shotguns/bps/overview.html
4. Browning BPS take down (now re-assemble) — Accurate Reloading Gunsmithing Forum anecdotal
   https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/445104952
5. BPS Disassembly — City-Data Forum (Guns and Hunting) anecdotal
   https://city-data.com/forum/guns-hunting/957806-bps-disassembly.html

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.