Browning Citori O/U

[Rapier]

The idea that there is something wrong with a Browning or a Beretta O/U gun because the gun does not fit you, is total nonsense. Any well versed shotgun shooter knows that the two guns have differently designed stocks and if a Beretta will not fit you, 99% of the time a Browning will and vice versa.

This is one of the very first things that a Clays shooter is taught. It is a basic part of clays instruction, not a myth, a fact. Unless you want to spend thousands of dollars to make a Beretta into a Browning by having a custom stock made, you just buy the Browning to start with, or the opposite, just buy the Beretta if it fits you.

There is nothing really wrong with either gun, it is very much the same old discussion about Fords and Chevy.

My experience with the Beretta is such that I have owned six and now own two 391 Gold Sporting guns but not a single Beretta O/U gun. I also do not own any modern Browning auto guns and own eight Citori guns. The Citori fits me and I carry them all over the world to places where high volume wing shooting is the purpose. In 12 years as a Clays shooter and many, many trips to far and away places, my Citori guns have never failed to function, perfectly.

I simply can not say the same for my Benelli guns or the Beretta O/U guns, neither make or any model do I own, any longer.
Ed

[fabsroman]

Originally Posted by Rapier

The idea that there is something wrong with a Browning or a Beretta O/U gun because the gun does not fit you, is total nonsense. Any well versed shotgun shooter knows that the two guns have differently designed stocks and if a Beretta will not fit you, 99% of the time a Browning will and vice versa.

This is one of the very first things that a Clays shooter is taught. It is a basic part of clays instruction, not a myth, a fact. Unless you want to spend thousands of dollars to make a Beretta into a Browning by having a custom stock made, you just buy the Browning to start with, or the opposite, just buy the Beretta if it fits you.

There is nothing really wrong with either gun, it is very much the same old discussion about Fords and Chevy.

My experience with the Beretta is such that I have owned six and now own two 391 Gold Sporting guns but not a single Beretta O/U gun. I also do not own any modern Browning auto guns and own eight Citori guns. The Citori fits me and I carry them all over the world to places where high volume wing shooting is the purpose. In 12 years as a Clays shooter and many, many trips to far and away places, my Citori guns have never failed to function, perfectly.

I simply can not say the same for my Benelli guns or the Beretta O/U guns, neither make or any model do I own, any longer.
Ed

Who said anything about fit being the problem with Browning or Beretta? I've been following this thread and fit did not seem to be the issue.

For me, it was an issue of the interior of the barrels rusting up pretty good because they were not chrome lined like the comparable Beretta and of the receiver/forearm getting gouged. I also didn't like the way the retailer or Browning handled the matter (i.e., it was my fault). This happened the first year I had the gun. Had the same issue with a brand new Beretta 682 Gold E where the hard "nickel" plating was flaking off the receiver. Beretta replaced the entire gun. Had the finish on my 391 Teknys start coming off in the first year and Beretta replaced the stock with a very nice piece of wood. As far as I am concerned, I can buy a better Berertta for the same money as a Browning and I can get much better service from Beretta since the factory is right down the road from me.

With that said, the Citori purchase was back in 1990 or so, so I have no idea if I can still buy a better Beretta than a Browning for the same money. Thing is, I just do not look at Browning guns anymore.

I also have a Benelli SBE and have been hunting with it for 13 years. It has taken tons of abuse and continues to shoot. My 391 Teknys has fired a bunch of shells through it, and the only problem I have had with it was this past October shooting a flurry. It was ejecting the empty but not chambering the unfired shell. I haven't cleaned the gun for 2+ years, so it is probably my fault. If I left the Citori uncleaned for 2 years, there would be so much rust in the barrel it would be pathetic.

We are all going to have different opinions about different guns. I will not buy another Browning, plain and simple.

Right now, I am looking at buying the Benelli Super Sport performance gun with all the nice looking red parts on it and the recoil reducer on the magazine cap.

[tim416]

I have an older Browning Skeet and a newer 525 Field. The skeet gun has had literally thousands of rounds put through it without a malfunction. I have had no problems with the 525 and actually would have gone with a Baretta but the Browning stocks seem to fit me well.

[Rapier]

"For me, it was an issue of the interior of the barrels rusting up pretty good because they were not chrome lined like the comparable Beretta and of the receiver/forearm getting gouged. I also didn't like the way the retailer or Browning handled the matter (i.e., it was my fault)."

Ah, really? You mean to tell me that someone told you that rust on your gun was your fault? I see..... a person allows their guns to rust due to neglect, and now it is not their fault. But, they have worked out a scheme in their head so that Browning is to blame. Then not only blame Browning but that person also bad mouths them for the person's protection or failure to protect their own property. That makes perfect sense to me, I have met folks like that all over the world, nothing is ever their fault, as long as they can "blame shift" their neglect to someone else.

Your rusty gun is in fact your responsibility, and is the result of your neglect, period.

I own guns that I have owned since I was 9 years of age, near 60 years now, not one has a speck of rust. I own guns that my grandfather owned and with which I learned to shoot when I was 5 years of age and not a speck of rust and they are nearing 100 years in age. I own two dozen shotguns, alone, no rust on any gun.

I judge men by their shoes, their car's interior and when in the field or at the range by their guns. If I see dirty neglected shoes, a cluttered and dirty vehicle interior, or rust on their guns, I do not do business with them, because those men neglect the details in their life, it is a life's lesson I learned before I opened my first business, 44 years ago.
Ed

[fabsroman]

Originally Posted by Rapier

"For me, it was an issue of the interior of the barrels rusting up pretty good because they were not chrome lined like the comparable Beretta and of the receiver/forearm getting gouged. I also didn't like the way the retailer or Browning handled the matter (i.e., it was my fault)."

Ah, really? You mean to tell me that someone told you that rust on your gun was your fault? I see..... a person allows their guns to rust due to neglect, and now it is not their fault. But, they have worked out a scheme in their head so that Browning is to blame. Then not only blame Browning but that person also bad mouths them for the person's protection or failure to protect their own property. That makes perfect sense to me, I have met folks like that all over the world, nothing is ever their fault, as long as they can "blame shift" their neglect to someone else.

Your rusty gun is in fact your responsibility, and is the result of your neglect, period.

I own guns that I have owned since I was 9 years of age, near 60 years now, not one has a speck of rust. I own guns that my grandfather owned and with which I learned to shoot when I was 5 years of age and not a speck of rust and they are nearing 100 years in age. I own two dozen shotguns, alone, no rust on any gun.

I judge men by their shoes, their car's interior and when in the field or at the range by their guns. If I see dirty neglected shoes, a cluttered and dirty vehicle interior, or rust on their guns, I do not do business with them, because those men neglect the details in their life, it is a life's lesson I learned before I opened my first business, 44 years ago.
Ed

Ed,

I have a 19 year old Ruger 77MKII without a spec of rust on it, a Browning BPS from the first year they came out, which I think is around 1977, without a speck of rust on it, I have my father's Belgian auto-5 and Winchester 101without a spec of rust on them, I have a Beretta 682 Gold that is about 18 years old without a spec of rust on it, and I have a plethora of other guns without a spec of rust on them (e.g., Beretta 391 Teknys Gold in 12 gauge, Beretta 391 Teknys Gold in 20 gauge, Beretta 3901, Beretta 682 Gold E sport, Ruger 77MKII TGT in .220 Swift, Remington 700 in .270 Win, Ruger Mini-30, Ruger 10/22, and I am sure the list goes on). I take pretty good care of essentially everything I own. I have a bicycle from 1985 that works great. 1989 Mustang GT without a spot on the interior that runs fine and doesn't have a spec of rust on it. The only gun other than the Citori that I have with any rust on it is my Benelli SBE, but I have used that thing so much over the past 13 years that the blueing is essentially gone and a couple of spots have nicks on it that rust right up. Two weeks ago, I was hunting with my brother who bought an SBE the year after me, and when we held the guns next to each other his looked brand new (i.e., he hunts 1 time to my 50). My SBE was rusting in the goose blind while I was hunting a couple of weeks ago in the pouring rain, but I am sure a man of your stature, intellect, cleanliness, and whatever other superiority you believe you have would have been hunting under an umbrella for the gun's sake.

Me, I judge a man by his heart and not whether he keeps a messy car, gun, or what have you. I judge him by his actions and try to understand why he might have a messy car, house, office, etc. Life was really simple and really clean before I had 2 kids and my own legal practice. Went to work, came home, played with the guns, the cars, and the bikes. Now, I work ALL the time, the backseat of my truck is a disaster because as fast as I can clean it my kids mess it up. Same goes for my Taurus. The Focus, we keep extremely clean because the kids don't ride in it, nor does the dog. However, my guns are still all clean and rust free, even the SBE because I wipe it down and oil it after hunting in the rain. The exception is the Citori. The Citori will sit in the safe until it rusts to pieces, and the next time I want a POS that rusts up from firing a single shot through it, I will purchase another Browning. I'd rather be smart about it and buy a gun for the same amount of money that doesn't require as much care. Same goes for a car. I prefer a car that requires less maintenance and fewer repairs. Call me crazy, but I have more important things to do than continually polish my guns, cars, bikes, etc.

Me, I judge a man by how intelligent he is, and whether he makes the same mistake over and over. As far as I am concerned, I could have bought more gun by taking the money I spent on the Citori and buying a Beretta for the exact same cost. Did you miss the point I made about the Citori not having chrome lined barrels, versus the equally priced Beretta 686 having chrome lined barrels? Also, how do you explain the gouging between the receiver and the forearm on the Citori? According to the shop, that was also my fault because some speck of dirt got in between and caused the gouging. Me, I think it was because the freaking gun was too tight. As far as I am concerned, that Citori was an inferior product compared to the 686 that I bought after it.

By the way, I'm at the point right now in my career that I wouldn't do business with a person like you either. Sometimes, it is good to be busy, but then the guns pay the price if they happen to be a Citori.