Identifying a Browning Citori

S

sumerpaul

Inactive
Hello all,

I have just come into possession of a Citori with a serial number that (the Browning website) says is a Type 3, 12 Ga 3 1/2'' Gr 1 Hunting. It has a straight tang, English stock and has fixed chokes * and **, so Full and Mod on a 28'' barrel. Manufacture date (according to the date code) is 1985.

Firstly, although this is meant to be a 3 1/2'' chamber, the info on the barrel says it is 2 3/4''. Is it normal for the actual barrels to be different than what is expected according to the serial number?

Secondly, can I use steel shot in this gun? The gun itself has been barely used despite being 30 yrs old, and when I look into the tubes, they appear to be chromed...at least, they are very shiny!

Any info about this gun would be most appreciated by this novice gun :)
 
I think your advice about trusting what is on the barrels makes a lot of sense, thanks. As to steel shot, I gather this would never really be a good idea on full choke, but I guess the mod will be OK?
 
Yes, Modified is the tightest choke that is safe for steel.

I doubt anyone would replace the barrels.....a new set of barrels would have cost more than the gun, when it was new - and they would have to be "fit" by a competent gunsmith ...they are not just a drop on part / and changing them from a 3 1/2" to a 2 3/4" gives you nothing because you could always shoot 2 3/4" and 3" shells in a 3 1/2" chamber...

Now I suppose its possible the original barrels were damaged ...and the owner found another set of barrels that he thought were close enough to a good fit ..and put them on...in a 2 3/4".../ but who knows.

You better double check the serial number and the code again...most all of the "Field grade O/U's in the early 1980's especially with fixed chokes were made with 3"chambers.... 3 1/2" chambers were not common until the late 1990's or maybe after 2000....and I don't know how many Citori models were made in 3 1/2" even at that time. Today Browning makes none of the Citori's in 3 1/2" chambers ....and only a few in 3" ( like the Lightning models).

The standard Citori Lightning is really the current model - that is virtually identical to the Citori field grade models made in the 1980's.../ there are some differences like in chokes...but in 1988, I bought a new Citori field grade and it has 3" chambers and changeable chokes - but the original Invector chokes were still pretty new in Citori field guns at that time...

Of all the Citori models listed from 1976 - 1997 in Brownings website...only one model shows it was made with 3 1/2" chambers in a 12ga....and it wasn't a grade 3, it was a grade 1.....so I'm a little confused on what you might have here. Do the serial numbers match on the barrel and the receiver ? Plus the English stock is curious...not common either...or is it just one of the older stocks without the prominent bulb on it...

a photo might help us all out...if you can.../ but go by what is marked on the barrels..! ( and remember in shotgun shells - if its a 3" shell...the 3" refers to the length after its fired - not before). You need room in the chamber for that shell to open up as its fired...
 
Last edited:
Thanks Big Jim, your info is VERY much appreciated.

The Serial number is: 2275PV103 and the Browning website identifies this gun (according to the 103 at the end of the serial number) as:

103=12 ga. 3 1/2" Gr.1 Hunting

However, as said before, the barrels states:

Special Steel 12 GA - 2 3/4'' - 28''

I presume that that means it is a 2 3/4'' chamber....very curious. I take it that the info on the barrel is more likely to be accurate than the website.

I tried some pics but apparently they are too big! :mad:
 
Last edited:
ANYTHING is possible, including replacement barrels, second set of barrels, mismarked model number, etc.
A gunsmith can tell you exactly what size your chambers are. You're not going to want to fire any steel - no matter the shell length - through those fixed full chokes.
 
Sure anything is possible....

But as an example in 1988...I bought a new field grade Citori - grade 1, 28" barrels, Invector screw in chokes ...for $ 750...../ and if I had wanted a 2nd set of barrels...it would have cost more than the original gun.

There were models of the Citori that did come with more than one set of barrels ...but they were more expensive models.

These field grade, grade 1 models, didn't come from the factory with 2 sets of barrels --- and special orders would have been nearly impossible with Miroku making the guns in my view )....so even if it had been purchased from a big time dealer ...like Joel Etchen back in the day...and his gunsmith ordered and fit a 2nd set of 28" barrels choked Mod and Full ...for say upland bird hunting with lead shot...( let's say the original barrels were IC and Mod...)....that 2nd set of barrels would have been easily over $ 750....

and while big dealers like Etchen did that kind of work....it was work that was more typically done for someone that had a "pigeon grade" gun...that had spent $10,000 - $ 25,000 ....and they wanted a 2nd set of barrels...but not for a field gun, grade 1 gun.

Guys that wanted something different for a fixed choke field gun in the mid 80's ( just bought a 2nd Citori )....had one choked Mod - Full ( for pheasant maybe ).....one choked Skeet - Skeet ( for Quail maybe )....maybe one choked IC - Mod for Grouse....or whatever...and for $ 750 had exactly what they wanted...
 
Ok, its good that the serial numbers match....

Not to insult your intelligence.....but get a bright flashlight...take the barrels off of the receiver and look again at the info on the barrel...and make sure it doesn't say something like 2 3/4" - 3" - 3 1/2"..../ sometimes they are hard to read...??

Assuming it still says only 2 3/4".....I'd find a good local gunsmith that has a good bore gague...that can measure the chamber accurately.

Like Fitasc said...its possible it was mismarked.../ Miroku may have had a few hundred sets of barrels in process ..and with only that one model being made in 3 1/2" chambers...just screwed something up.../ and figured by marking the barrel correctly it was ok...who knows...

Good luck with it regardless....( its been interesting ..! )
 
Gents,

Thanks for your feedback. It does seem most likely that Miroku simply added different barrels than those that were 'supposed' to be fitted, doesn't it? I will take your advice and get it looked at some time soon to check the actual measurements, rather than rely on what it should be, or what it says it is.

Rest assured, I won't be putting any steel through the full choke..in fact, I am just going to wait until I can use lead again here in Norway...in the next few months we hope :-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top