[Speed]

I am toying with the idea of buying an O/U for clays.(Mainly Trap) Looking at a Browning 725 Citori and the Beretta Silver Pigeon I
There is a significant price difference between the two. I would like to stay around 2k-2.5K but do not want to break 3k
Is the Browning worth the extra money? I plan on stopping at Cabelas tomorrow and handling both. Just on the shear research I've done the last 2 nights I'm leaning towards the Browning.
What say you?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Stamps6]

I used to be a die hard Browning guy but after owning a few I’ve lost that lovin’ feeling. My Citori used to get stuck, just momentarily between the O&U under pressure of a flushing bird. I had a lever grade11 that had feed problems. I’ve never owned a Beretta but that’s what they rent at my favorite sporting clays course and they get thousands of rounds run through them and seem to be great. I’d give serious look to the Beretta.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I believe the Browning is made in Japan and the Beretta is made in Italy. Both are very well made shotguns. I'd lean (very slightly) toward the Beretta. IMHO, it would boil down to a personal decision, I suggest you handle both and choose the one that feels better to hold and operate.

 

[Square target]

Both are great guns but i like Browning better but i also have little experience with Beretta. I also like the older ones much better. If you're not opposed to buying a used gun look at some older superposed models.
If you really want to go crazy Beretta makes some serious guns.....

SO10 EELL

 

[Speed]

Thank you for the responses. They are inline with everything else I’ve read. Seems opinions are pretty much split right down the middle between these two guns. Doesn’t seem either is a bad choice. Hopefully Cabelas has both so I can handle them side by side.
I do feel a little bad cause I have no intentions of buying from them. I can beat their prices by a significant margin all day long.

 

[Joe Hohmann]

I have both. My Citori is 12 gauge, the Beretta 20 gauge. Both were bought 20 years ago. The Citori is grade 2 of 3. Both are very good, but if I could only keep one, it would be the 12 gauge. Buy the one that FITS you best.

 

[Fitasc Shooter]

You need to go to your trap club with a flat of GOOD ammo like Win AA or Rem STS and ask to borrow various guns, giving the owner a box of ammo as a thanks and the empties you shoot if he reloads. Just shouldering them in the store does not let you know if they fit. Brownings fit differently than Beretta for 99% of the folks, so if one fits better, than the other most likely won't. Get the one that FITS, regardless of the brand or price - using Browning and Beretta as the base line. DO NOT get the lighter (and typically cheaper) field version. This is for clay targets and you want a target version. Longer barrels - think 32", weight at least 8#. Once you start down the rabbit hole of clay target shooting, the gun is the least expense, so you might as well get the best one you can - it will last the longest, be the most reliable and have the best resale down the road.

 

[Speed]

Stopped at Cabela’s. They had the Citori 725 sporting they did not have a 686 Silver Pigeon. They did have a Beretta 690.
Just on feel alone I like the Citori better. Definitely open to other suggestions.

 

[Square target]

I use a Charles Daly and love it, it's an older one made it Italy. I think the new ones are made by Miroku. They aren't brownings but are decent guns. My buddy just bought a CZ and i shot it a couple of nights ago. Nice gun and not overly pricey, maybe $1,100 i think he said.. Like many shotguns now it's made in Turkey. I have a mossberg that i bought when i first got back into trap. Not a great gun but Ok to start out with. My biggest gripe is it's heavy and you get tired of swinging it after a couple of rounds. Any small shops around you that have used guns? Maybe even if to check some different models out on how they feel, weigh etc?

 

[Square target]

If used is an option older Ithacas were decent guns, i used to shoot with a lot of guys who used them with no problems. I always like Remington 3200's too. There was a model they made after the 3200 in the 80's or 90's but i forget the model but it's one to stay away from.

 

[Speed]

Thanks Square!
So my primadonnna Is going to come out a bit. I apologize. I don’t buy used guns. (And I don’t sell guns) I am admittedly not versed enough to know what to look out for as well as extremely skeptical of buying someone else’s headache or something that was bubba’d by the ole kitchen table gunsmith so I always err on the side of caution and purchase new.
I’m also extremely frugal (not cheap) I don’t mind spending the money I will just search high and low for the best deal and this comes with the sacrifice of not having any relationships with any of the LGS’s.
So I feel bad wasting their time looking at guns that I know I am not going to buy from them. As mentioned earlier I can almost always beat a LGS or brick and mortar’s price by a significant margin.

I was looking at Miroku last night. From what I’ve read this is who makes Browning in Japan. The Citori is apparently made by Miroku for Browning. I also peeked at a few Caesar Geurini’s. I also held a Benelli 828U today and didn’t like it. It felt too light.

I dont have my choke out on this and I’m in no rush. Fitasc’s advice of gun hopping at the club sounds good.
Again, a huge thanks to everyone that has offered some guidance so far. I’m always listening. Thanks

 

[Square target]

I have never even heard of Caesar Geurini’s before. Just did a quick search and they look like fancy guns! Just seen a few prices in the 6-9k range so I'm guessing you were just looking.
I didn't even know Benelli made O/U either but they are well known for making great semi's that hold up real well. I know several people that hunt with them and will never switch back to another. Did a quick search and seen two models one of which is at the top of your budget.
Krieghoff is another i see a lot of people use but they are pricey as well. Don't know if they make anything under 5k or not
SKB is one i forgot about and have a little insight on. My uncle who just went out of business last year was a SKB dealer. His daughter, her husband and their daughter along with some others at the club all shoot with them. Nice guns BUT they are finicky and prone to certain parts breaking. My cousins husband started his own shop and bought my uncles stock so he's selling them now and is getting into gunsmithing so fixing them as well. Even before that he learned how to tear down, fix and even make parts for the SKB and keeps a kit in his vehicle with common parts and tools when they go shooting so he can fix on the go. When i was getting back into it he wouldn't sell me one because he didn't want me to get discouraged and get back out of it if i had a problem gun. They've had to send a few back too. Last year their daughters gun had the rib coming lose so that went back. I'm not sure if it's just certain models or not but when they are working right they are nice guns. They also shoot a lot, maybe 2-3 times a week and around 400 rounds each a week for maybe 45 weeks of the year. Only time they don't is when the weather is real bad.

If you're not dead set on a O/U and will only be shooting trap with no doubles there is the Browning BT-99 too.

Miroku makes nice stuff from what i hear but lots of people like the older stuff not made in Japan or Turkey. I guess you might call them Belgium or Italian snobs?

Another thing to think about. Like someone else said get one that fits good but even when you do that you may think about adding an adjustable comb and butt pad to the stock so you can fine tune. I have the comb on mine, you can move it up and down plus left and right. The pads you can move in and out plus up and down and i want to add one to mine at some point. It's not a cheap add on but it's not break the bank pricing either.


Oh and i get that not buying used guns. I know lots of people like that too.

 

[Speed]

Leaning pretty hard towards the Browning. My question now is adjustable comb or no adjustable comb?
I have read a few things online that Browning’s adjustable stocks are less than stellar. I don’t know that I need an adjustable comb but I’m a “rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it” type of person.
Way I see it...if I don’t need it. I simply leave the comb alone fully down and centered but I will always have the option of adjusting. With a non adjustable stock I have no options. The stock is what it is.

Now if the Browning adjustable stocks are just junk then that’s another story.
I’m also hesitant to take a $2500 gun to someone and have them add an adjustable comb. Would just rather buy the stock that way.
Ugh....I give myself analysis paralysis sometimes.

 

[Square target]

I have no idea if the combs that come on Browning's are any good or not, never heard either way. I do know that many of the guys i have shot with send their stocks out to have this done. I will be traveling there next weekend and can ask about the Browning's and where they send the stocks to. I bet it could be nerve racking spending a bunch on a gun only to send the stock to someone who is going to cut it up with a bandsaw, drill a bunch of holes, add some parts and hopefully get it back together right. Hopefully that didn't make you even more nervous, lol

Both of my guns fit me ok but i noticed when i move the comb to the right it fits just a little better and my face just falls right into position.

 

[Fitasc Shooter]

I have never even heard of Caesar Geurini’s before. Just did a quick search and they look like fancy guns! Just seen a few prices in the 6-9k range so I'm guessing you were just looking.
I didn't even know Benelli made O/U either but they are well known for making great semi's that hold up real well. I know several people that hunt with them and will never switch back to another. Did a quick search and seen two models one of which is at the top of your budget.
Krieghoff is another i see a lot of people use but they are pricey as well. Don't know if they make anything under 5k or not
SKB is one i forgot about and have a little insight on. My uncle who just went out of business last year was a SKB dealer. His daughter, her husband and their daughter along with some others at the club all shoot with them. Nice guns BUT they are finicky and prone to certain parts breaking. My cousins husband started his own shop and bought my uncles stock so he's selling them now and is getting into gunsmithing so fixing them as well. Even before that he learned how to tear down, fix and even make parts for the SKB and keeps a kit in his vehicle with common parts and tools when they go shooting so he can fix on the go. When i was getting back into it he wouldn't sell me one because he didn't want me to get discouraged and get back out of it if i had a problem gun. They've had to send a few back too. Last year their daughters gun had the rib coming lose so that went back. I'm not sure if it's just certain models or not but when they are working right they are nice guns. They also shoot a lot, maybe 2-3 times a week and around 400 rounds each a week for maybe 45 weeks of the year. Only time they don't is when the weather is real bad.

If you're not dead set on a O/U and will only be shooting trap with no doubles there is the Browning BT-99 too.

Miroku makes nice stuff from what i hear but lots of people like the older stuff not made in Japan or Turkey. I guess you might call them Belgium or Italian snobs?

Another thing to think about. Like someone else said get one that fits good but even when you do that you may think about adding an adjustable comb and butt pad to the stock so you can fine tune. I have the comb on mine, you can move it up and down plus left and right. The pads you can move in and out plus up and down and i want to add one to mine at some point. It's not a cheap add on but it's not break the bank pricing either.


Oh and i get that not buying used guns. I know lots of people like that too.

CGs are rated the same as Beretta 68X and Browning series - decent guns, but at their price point, there are better guns

 

[Fitasc Shooter]

I was looking at Miroku last night. From what I’ve read this is who makes Browning in Japan. The Citori is apparently made by Miroku for Browning.

Correct, and Mirokus in Europe are a lot less expensive than their Browning cousins

 

[Speed]

Picked up a Brand new (2019 serial number) Browning Citori 725 12ga 32" with adj. comb on Gun broker for $2499 from a "top 25" seller.
The wood is beautiful. I verified with seller that the gun pictured is the actual gun that will ship.
Cheapest I could find a 32" for elsewhere was around $2900 and 30" for $2700 so I dont think I did too bad.
Thank you for the help and guidance!

 

[Square target]

Most excellent! Post pics when you get it.

 

[Fitasc Shooter]

Krieghoff is another i see a lot of people use but they are pricey as well. Don't know if they make anything under 5k or not

I'm not sure you could get a set of barrels for under 5K, let alone a complete gun.....:thumbsup:

 

[Speed]

Most excellent! Post pics when you get it.

I am extremely impressed with this shotgun. The wood is beautiful and the fit and finish is flawless.