AB3 RIFLE OWNER’S MANUAL
Important operating instructions for: BROWNING® AB3 B O LT- A C T I O N R I F L E If you have any questions or comments regarding your new firearm, please contact us. Browning Consumer Information One Browning Place Morgan, UT 84050-9326 Phone: (801) 876-2711 browning.com Please use the space below to record information about your new firearm.
C O N T E N T S P A G E State Warning............................................................................................2 WARNING: You are Responsible for Firearms Safety............................2 General Description and Operation......................................................10 Nomenclature..........................................................................................10 Serial Number.........................................................................................
S TAT E WA R N I N G According to state law, California requires that firearm manufacturers, distributors and retailers include conspicuous, specific warnings with firearms sold in that state. Firearms must be handled responsibly and securely stored to prevent access by children and other unauthorized users. California has strict laws pertaining to firearms, and you may be fined or imprisoned if you fail to comply with them. Visit the Web site of the California Attorney General at https://oag.ca.
Please read and understand all of the cautions, warnings, notices, proper handling procedures and instructions outlined in this owner’s manual before using your new firearm. 1 ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE OF YOUR FIREARM POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE CERTAIN IT IS UNLOADED. Never point any firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot. Be extremely alert and aware of all persons and property within the range of your ammunition.
3 WHENEVER YOU HANDLE ANY FIREARM, OR HAND IT TO SOMEONE, ALWAYS OPEN THE ACTION IMMEDIATELY AND VISUALLY CHECK THE FIREARM’S CHAMBER TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE FIREARM IS COMPLETELY UNLOADED. Make certain the firearm does not inadvertently contain any ammunition. Remember, merely removing the magazine does not mean the chamber is unloaded. Always keep the chamber empty and the “safety” in the on safe position unless shooting is imminent. 4 ALWAYS WEAR EAR AND EYE PROTECTION WHEN SHOOTING.
HUNTING FROM ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS TREESTANDS IS DANGEROUS. Doing so may increase the risk of mishandling a firearm. The following rules should always be observed by you and those you hunt with: Always make certain that the stand being used is safe and stable. Always make certain that your firearm is unloaded when it is being taken up and down from the stand. Always make certain that your firearm is not dropped from the stand, or dropped while it is being taken up or down from the stand.
10 BE ALERT TO THE SIGNS OF AMMUNITION MALFUNCTION. IF YOU DETECT AN OFF SOUND OR LIGHT RECOIL WHEN A CARTRIDGE IS FIRED, DO NOT LOAD ANOTHER CARTRIDGE INTO THE CHAMBER. If your rifle fails to fire, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction for a minimum of 30 seconds. Rotate the ejection area of the firearm away from you, carefully open the action and remove the cartridge from the chamber. If the primer is indented, the defective cartridge should be disposed of in a way that cannot cause harm.
assume no liability for incidents which occur through the use of cartridges of nonstandard dimensions or which develop pressures in excess of commercially available ammunition which has been loaded in accordance with standards established by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI).
20 BE CERTAIN YOUR FIREARM IS UNLOADED BEFORE CLEANING. Because so many firearm accidents occur when a firearm is being cleaned, special and extreme care should be taken to be sure your firearm is unloaded before disassembly, cleaning and reassembly. Keep ammunition away from the cleaning location. Never test the mechanical function of any firearm with live ammunition. 21 TEACH AND SUPERVISE FIREARMS SAFETY TO ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY, ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN AND NON-SHOOTERS.
25 DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ALTER THE TRIGGER, “SAFETY” OR OTHER PARTS OF THE FIRING MECHANISM OF THIS OR ANY OTHER FIREARM EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE DESCRIBED IN THIS MANUAL. We reserve the right to refuse service on firearms that have been altered, added to or substantially changed. Removal of metal from the barrel, or modifications of the firing mechanism and/or operating parts may lead to a refusal of service on such firearms.
FIGURE 1 Cocking Indicator Bolt Unlock Button Bolt Receiver Barrel “Safety” Buttstock Recoil Pad Magazine Trigger Magazine Release Fore-end Muzzle Bolt Handle G E N E R A L D E S C R I P T I O N A N D O P E R AT I O N The Browning AB3 is a bolt-action rifle that operates by lifting the bolt handle, drawing the bolt rearward and then sliding the bolt forward and rotating the bolt downward until it stops. This process takes a cartridge from the magazine and loads it into the chamber for firing.
FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 “Safety” shown in the on safe position. “Safety” shown in the off safe position. SERIAL NUMBER The serial number of your firearm can be found on the right side of the receiver, in front of the bolt handle. O P E R AT I O N O F T H E “ S A F E T Y ” ALWAYS KEEP THE “SAFETY” IN THE ON SAFE POSITION UNLESS SHOOTING IS IMMINENT. ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 The location of the cocking indicator, shown in the cocked position. Press the bolt lock override button and lift the bolt handle. DO NOT DEPEND ON THE RED COLOR ALONE TO INDICATE YOUR FIREARM’S SAFETY STATUS. TIME, EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS, AND THE ABRASIVE ACTION OF CLEANING AGENTS CAN ERASE IT. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THIS WARNING COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. C O C K I N G I N D I C AT O R Below the bolt shroud and ahead of the “safety” is a serrated cocking indicator.
operated to unload a cartridge from the chamber with the “safety” in the on safe position. To unload the chamber with the “safety” in the on safe position, simply press the bolt lock override button down and rotate the bolt upward, then draw it completely rearward. INITIAL CLEANING PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BEFORE CLEANING YOUR FIREARM.
I N S E RT I N G A N D R E M O V I N G T H E B O LT ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. BEFORE INSERTING OR REMOVING THE BOLT, VISUALLY INSPECT THE CHAMBER TO BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THE FIREARM IS COMPLETELY UNLOADED. PLACE THE “SAFETY” IN THE ON SAFE POSITION. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THIS WARNING COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I N S E RT I N G T H E B O LT Before inserting the bolt into your rifle, make sure the firing pin is cocked.
position. The rifle is now completely assembled and may be operated normally. FIGURE 7 R E M O V I N G T H E B O LT 1 Place the “safety” in the on safe position. 2 Press the bolt lock override button and rotate the bolt handle upward. 3 The bolt stop is the horizontal bar on the left side of the receiver (Figure 7). Press the front of the bolt stop to insert or remove the bolt. Press inward on the front of the bolt stop and carefully draw the bolt to the rear and out of the receiver.
The barrel and action of this rifle have been made with substantial safety margins over the pressures developed by established American loads. However, we assume no responsibility for incidents which occur through the use of cartridges of nonstandard dimension or those developing pressures in excess of SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) established standards. MAGAZINE CAPACITY The Browning AB3 utilizes a detachable magazine.
FIGURE 8 FIGURE 9 Press the magazine release rearward. The magazine will fall into your hand. Press the cartridge straight down until it snaps into place under the feed lips. index finger. The magazine will drop into your hand (Figure 8). 2 Place a cartridge on top of the follower and press down on the cartridge until it snaps into position under the magazine feed lips (Figure 9). Load subsequent cartridges into the magazine in the same manner.
bolt lock override button and draw the bolt completely rearward, then push the bolt forward and rotate the bolt handle down. 5 Immediately verify that the “safety” is in the on safe position. THE RIFLE IS NOW READY TO FIRE BY SIMPLY MOVING THE “SAFETY” TO THE OFF SAFE POSITION AND PULLING THE TRIGGER. L O A D I N G T H E R I F L E T O F U L L C A PA C I T Y 1 Close the bolt and place the “safety” in the on safe position. 2 Load the magazine as explained previously.
1 Remove the magazine from the rifle as explained on pages 16-17. 2 Pull the bolt completely rearward and inspect the chamber to make sure it is empty. 3 Close the bolt and place the “safety” in the on safe position. 4 Load a single cartridge into the magazine. 5 Insert the magazine into the rifle. 6 When ready to shoot, cycle the bolt fully to load the single cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. 7 Immediately verify that the “safety” is in the on safe position.
THE RIFLE IS NOW READY TO FIRE BY SIMPLY MOVING THE “SAFETY” TO THE OFF SAFE POSITION AND PULLING THE TRIGGER. FIRING NEVER CHAMBER A CARTRIDGE OR MOVE THE “SAFETY” FROM THE ON SAFE POSITION UNLESS SHOOTING IS IMMINENT. ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. 1 Load a cartridge into the chamber (as explained previously) by loading a cartridge from the magazine or directly to the chamber.
EVEN WITH THE BOLT OPEN AFTER SHOOTING, DO NOT ASSUME THE RIFLE IS UNLOADED. ALWAYS INSPECT THE CHAMBER, BARREL, FEED MECHANISM AND MAGAZINE TO BE CERTAIN THE RIFLE IS COMPLETELY UNLOADED. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. UNLOADING WHEN UNLOADING YOUR RIFLE ALWAYS PLACE THE “SAFETY” IN THE ON SAFE POSITION. KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION AND YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE TRIGGER. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
2 Strip all the cartridges from the magazine by pushing forward on the rim of the top cartridge and slide each cartridge out of the magazine, one at a time. 3 Unload any extra magazines. MOUNTING A SCOPE BEFORE MOUNTING A SCOPE, SIGHT OR OTHER ACCESSORIES TO YOUR RIFLE, PLACE THE “SAFETY” IN THE ON SAFE POSITION. OPEN THE ACTION AND MAKE CERTAIN YOUR RIFLE IS COMPLETELY UNLOADED. KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
7 Insert the screws through the bases and screw them into the receiver top using the correct tool. You must use screws of the appropriate length to ensure proper thread engagement. Once the bases are installed, check inside the receiver to verify that the base mounting screws are not too long and interfering with the operation of the bolt. Many gunsmiths find it helpful to use a drop of serviceable thread locking compound to assure the screws stay tight.
FIREARM AND CONTACT YOUR EYES, EARS AND FACE, OR THOSE OF ANYONE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FIREARM. THE INCREASE IN BACK PRESSURE MAY ALSO RESULT IN THE DEPOSIT OF ADDITIONAL DEBRIS IN YOUR FIREARM; ACCORDINGLY, AN ACCELERATED CLEANING SCHEDULE FOR YOUR FIREARM MAY BE NECESSARY. ENSURE THAT ANY MUZZLE BRAKE OR SUPPRESSOR THAT YOU INTEND TO USE ON YOUR FIREARM IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH YOUR FIREARM’S CALIBER. NEVER USE A MUZZLE BRAKE OR SUPPRESSOR THAT IS DESIGNED FOR RIMFIRE USE ONLY ON A CENTERFIRE FIREARM.
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE SUGGESTIONS PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BEFORE CLEANING YOUR FIREARM. C L E A N I N G PA RT S W I T H S P E C I A L F I N I S H E S Be especially careful when cleaning guns with camouflage, Dura-Touch® Armor Coating and other special finishes. Always prevent these surfaces from coming in contact with cleaning solvents, barrel scrubbers and other strong chemicals.
KEEP ALL AMMUNITION AWAY FROM THE CLEANING AREA. NEVER TEST THE MECHANICAL FUNCTION OF YOUR RIFLE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. CLEANING PROCEDURES Your AB3 rifle will function better and more reliably over a longer period of time if it is properly maintained and kept clean. Clean your firearm after every day of shooting, and more often if it becomes excessively dirty. A minimum cleaning includes wiping down the firearm and oiling key parts.
Browning offers a complete line of products to make cleaning your firearm fast and easy. Be sure to follow all instructions when using any product to clean your firearm. To maintain the utmost accuracy of your rifle it is recommended you clean the bore with a copper solvent. Modern bullet jackets are made mainly of copper. Residues from copper bullet jackets stick to the barrel and require more frequent cleaning. Magnum calibers will require more frequent inspection and cleaning.
CLEANING THE MAGAZINE Frequently inspect magazines to determine the need for cleaning as lubricant and dirt will gradually collect in the mechanism. Normally, the magazine should be cleaned after firing 500 to 1,000 cartridges. DO NOT DISASSEMBLE THE MAGAZINE. 1 Clean the magazine by spraying it with a metal and polymer-safe gun cleaning solvent. Spray the magazine with this solvent, both inside and out, to loosen debris.
MAINTENANCE OF OIL FINISH STOCKS Keeping the oil-finished wood surfaces on your firearm looking their best requires only a small amount of maintenance. When the surfaces become spotted or dull, the affected area(s) can be treated using rubbing alcohol on a soft, lint free cloth and allowed to dry.
SERVICE OR REPAIR If your firearm should require service or repairs, we suggest you first contact a local recommended Browning Firearms Service Center. To locate a service center visit browning.com, contact our Customer Service Department or your Browning firearms dealer for the address of the Service Center nearest you. Otherwise, you may send your firearm directly to our Service Department in Arnold, Missouri.
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BROWNING.
