Working On Ugartechea Shotgun For CAS

[dart368]

I just picked up a double barrel Ugartechea 12 gauge shotgun.  I read it has a great reputation and I got it for a great price.  After inspecting it, I found it has an automatic safety which engages after each time the action is opened/closed.  Also, it is tight to open all the way and it has to be forced so that the shells will completely clear the breach where the firing pins are. 

I have heard that hammerless shotguns are a little harder to open due to the cocking of the internal hammers upon opening the action.  Is anyone familiar with this brand or have worked on them?  Is it similar to a Stoeger internally?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[Major 2]

 I've not heard of its wide use in CAS so I don't know if there is any tutorials, but its quite a nice Shotgun from Spain.

[ruddy]

Howdy,

I have one in 20 gauge that I have just begun to use for CAS. It has 27 1/2" barrels and is a light sweet handling shotgun. I can't bring myself to shorten the barrels since it is a superb grouse gun as is. I'd hate to destroy the balance. I'm going to assume that your gun is a boxlock (no sideplates) similar to mine.

Disabling the automatic safety "feature" is easy. I routinely do this on all of my double guns. I like to have the safety under my control. There's always the danger of becoming dependent on it. Besides, you won't find them on repeaters.

If you remove the buttstock, you'll see the rod attached to the opening lever that pushes the safety button to the rear. Just shorten it enough so it can't reach the button. This does not disable the safety itself, just the automatic application of it. Caution: You need special extremely narrow screwdrivers for these guns. Brownell's sells a set that work well for me.

Here are some instructions for removing the buttstock:

• Make sure the hammers are cocked before doing so. First, remove the rear wood screw/screws on the trigger guard then unscrew the guard; be careful not to scratch the gun.
• Then the screw that is under the guard that runs thru to the top tang; then the floor plate screw in front of the trigger guard. It may not come loose easily; let a drop of WD40 lay on it overnight. MAKE SURE YOU USE GUNSMITH BITS and the best fitting bit for each screw and use plenty of down pressure.
• Then move the lever over and remove the large screw. Now pull and wiggle on the triggers to remove the trigger plate. Sometimes I have re-installed the large upper screw a couple of turns and tapped with a brass punch if the trigger plate was stubborn. Now, pull and wiggle the stock off.

Your gun should not be that difficult to open. Once the internal hammers are cocked, the barrels should drop down with little effort. It probably just needs a thorough cleaning and some lubrication. If you're going to pull the buttstock to shorten the safety rod, you can do a complete clean and lube job while you have access to the internals.

Ugartechea guns are underappreciated in the U.S. They have a fine reputation throughout Europe and build some top quality guns.

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