used Browning BPS

T

tristar viper

New member
I've been looking for a pump gun recently, and one of these was on my list.
This thing is at my local gun shop in Wooster Ohio. It is in pristine condition, and the guy is asking $325, a price that I think is a little bit negotiable.
I have the serial number of this gun, I wanted to know how old it is. Can someone help me out with this?
The number is: 01055NPT52. Does this indicate the year?
The gun is black synthetic with engraving on it. It's really nice in my opinion.
Also surprised to see this gun says "made in Japan" on the barrel. I have no problem with that, I just didn't know that's where this Browning comes from.
 
Also surprised to see this gun says "made in Japan" on the barrel. I have no problem with that, I just didn't know that's where this Browning comes from
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Have been for decades. Browning is a marketing company
 
I've owned several BPS's. The synthetic stock on this one puts it no older than 12-15 years. The gun comes with 3 choke tubes and a magazine plug.
If the extra tubes are missing, use this as a barganing chip.

Buy it for $325 anyway. BPS's are totally bug free.
 
I know Browning is just a marketing company, but what I meant is that I had no idea some of their stuff was made in Japan. I thought it mostly was made in Belgium.
Is this older BPS any better/worse than a new one? Would a new one have any advantages? Mt price range is anywhere from $350 to $550 like I said in another post at some point.
This guy has like 6 USED Remington 870's. All of them in the $350 price range, and a couple at like $275. I gotta wonder why he has so many of these get traded in?? I didn't ask him, but it makes me leary of the gun itself.
He had an Ithaca 37, which on this forum seems to come very highly recommended, for $325. It looks to have been very well used.....not abused, just well used.
 
Is this older BPS any better/worse than a new one? Would a new one have any advantages? Mt price range is anywhere from $350 to $550 like I said in another post at some point.
This guy has like 6 USED Remington 870's. All of them in the $350 price range, and a couple at like $275. I gotta wonder why he has so many of these get traded in?? I didn't ask him, but it makes me leary of the gun itself.
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i've seen the same thing at the gun pawnshop by my house. i'd say if the BPS is in pristine condition then $325 is a good price, but it sounds like it doesn't come with the choke tubes. if you're budgeting $350-550 you might be better off buying new knowing you'll get the choke tubes and some piece of mind with your purchase.
 
The serial number dates the gun to 1998 and its a Stalker model / BPS.

http://www.browning.com/products/ca...=012&type_id=212&content=bps-stalker-firearms

New, the gun sells for around $ 525 - $ 600 depending on whether it has a
3" chamber or a 3 1/2" chamber / list price is $ 579 for 3" and $ 708 for 3 1/2" on the website.

In 1998 / it may have the older Invector screw in chokes / vs the newer Invecotor Plus screw in chokes. The older versions are fine / the barrel will be marked and tell you what it is for "chokes", chamber size, etc.

There is nothing wrong with the gun in terms of durability. Miroku makes great guns. Personally I favor the "Hunter" model in the BPS ... and I still have a BPS in 12ga and 20ga that I've had for over 30 years ....and they have killed a lot of birds and a lot of targets ...and they're still solid guns.

I also have over a dozen Browning O/U's - all Mirouku guns - and there is no reason to doubt the quality of their manufacturing. They're very solid guns.

If you like the gun / $ 325 is a good price / not a great price. Why are you seeing some used BPS's around / who knows ....but its not because they aren't durable guns. I'm a Browning guy / because the guns fit me ...but I'll take a BPS any day over a Rem 870 or the Ithaca especially in terms of durability and reliability.
 
No, it not BPS's I see used all over, re-read my post; it's Remington 870's that I see everyplace I go, and it makes me ask the question "why?"
 
Sorry, I mis-read it ....

I travel thru used gun shops a lot ( can't help myself ..) and I see a lot more used 870's than most other pump guns combined ( followed closely by Mossberg probably).

The qty of 870's I see - speak less about the gun than the typical buyers in my opinion - and how fast they want to sell it and buy something else ( an O/U, a semi-auto, etc ). The lower end of the 870 lineup - the express - is priced right and it attracts a lot of people based on price alone / and there is a lot of turnover in shotguns, handguns, etc on the lower end priced stuff. Shooters that decided they didn't like shotgunning, etc - and went into it at the low end - to find out about it.

On the high end of the 870 lineup is the Wingmaster - and I think the 870 Wingmaster and the Browning BPS are very equivalent models / and I see very few used Wingmater's around used. But again I think the traditional Wingmaster or BPS buyers / are more likely guys that will hang onto those guns for a long time ( even if they go to other guns down the road ) - because both are pump guns that will last 3 or 4 generations.

On the low end the 870's are decent guns as well / although their quality is often debated here ....I think its been reasonably well established that the problems may be over-blown and that basically, while fit and finish is not equivalent to the Wingmaster version - that they are very serviceable guns.

I wouldn't be afraid of a used 870 ...but like anything else / you need to know how to evaluate it. Honest wear is one thing / but I see a lot of used guns that are fairly heavily abused and not kept very clean / even an occasional BPS. Some guys take care of their stuff, regardless of what it cost new ....and some guys don't take care of anything ....

I hope you find a good gun you like / and that you have fun with the search. I enjoy the "hunt" of finding a good deal ...
 
Hey BigJim, that's good information, thank you very much.
The gun is very nice, as if to say it's pretty much like new. I'm gonna go back down and look at it again. It's been on my mind and if I mess around it'll be gone.
The BPS's are the nicest fitting/feeling pump guns I've found for myself. I also get a good feeling from the Benelli Nova, although like I said earlier the one I have already shot had a sloppy rattly action that drove me nuts.
I looked at the Mossberg 500 and 535. Wouldn't buy either one of those.
I like the Remington 870, but I hear and read bad things. Don't know what to believe.....
Father in law says get a side-by-side if all I'm gonna do is shoot clay pigeons. He's huge into old (pre-1900) Remington shotguns and he loves his double barrells....I actually shot a Charles Daly side by side last year, and I did my best to try to buy it from the guy I liked it so much. He wouldn't bite.....
 
Like I said good luck with the search ...

With all due respect to your father in law ...( and I have 4 adult kids / 10 grandkids ) and sometimes I try and explain or lead the kids to the way I look at things too ....but most SXS's are not the best options for a first gun / or an all around gun in my opinion. The SXS's tend to be shorter, lighter guns - and the pistol grip areas tend to be very small ....and the SXS sight plane is very different going right to left and left to right ...and personally I find them difficult to shoot ( and they don't fit me). If a BPS fits you / I'd have a hard time believing most any SXS would ever fit you without a lot of stock modifications.

SXS's are great looking guns / and guys on here like OneOunce really like theirs - but there are a lot more guys like me, that just can't shoot them very well without a lot of stock modifications.

The BPS tends to be made "cast neutral" - and well balanced. The safety on top of the tang is much easier to reach than the 870 or most of the other pump guns. I like the bottom ejection / to me its a very natural move to roll the gun over and load it and drop a shell into receiver - ready to go into the chamber. I also like the hulls being at my feet as opposed to all over the field... Internally - the action bars, bolt, bolt traveler, etc are all well made and durable ( and I've been less impressed with some of the other pump guns I've taken apart ).

But its not about which gun I like / or what Fits me .....its what gun you like ..and more importantly what gun "Fits" you the best.
 
Typically, the guns that come out of the Miroku works are very handsome in their wood and metal. I'm a Remington owner, but I think I'd select a nice used BPS over a new 870 Express. An exception would be one of the special Wingmasters like the Anniversary Trap model. Of course, as BigJim mentioned, fit is important -- if it doesn't fit, have it modified or pass on that gun.
 
Its still 12 yrs old .... call a good local shop and see what they sell the new Stalker model of the BPS for.

I suspect you'll find it for sale at around $ 475 - $500 for the BPS Stalker model / the BPS Hunter (which is a walnut stock ) sells for around $ 525 new.

Personally, I would buy the new one ...
 
The BPS is pristine condition. !2 years certainly has not hurt it. A new one for $525 would depreciate to $325 immediatly after leaving the shop.

You saw more 870's because millions have been made since 1950.
 
A new BPS will depreciate some ...when you buy it new ...but not anything close to $200 as you leave the shop ....

A BPS ...a couple of years old, fired, but kept in excellent shape ...will re-sell easily for around $ $425 in my area....with new ones selling for around $ 525.

In terms of re-sale value / the BPS Hunter model, with the walnut stock - has a better re-sale value in my area than the synthetic stocked Stalker models ... / but in any case - the OP should buy what he wants.
 
You need to be aware that some of the Browning pump shotguns have a magazine cut off.I have seen them brought in to the gunsmith because they would not feed from the magazine,and all that was wrong was that someone who didn't know it was there,accidentially engaged the magazine cut off.
 
Charles is right - some of the BPS's models have the magazine cutoff switch - but to my knowledge the only BPS models I've seen it on were the "Trap models" ....like the BPS Trap, the BPS Micro Trap ...etc ...

but the switch was on a number of the semi-auto models too ...

It is possible that this 12 yr old Stalker has a magazine cutoff switch on it / I don't know ....

Browning's web site says:
Magazine Cut-Off

The Maxus and all Gold 3 1/2", Gold Fusion, Gold Evolve and Gold Full Line Dealer shotguns utilize Browning’s exclusive magazine cut-off, allowing the shooter to retain shells in the magazine and eject a shell from the chamber without cycling a shell from the magazine.
 
I see in Cabela's ad this morning ....

BPS Hunter model 28", 12ga 3" chamber is on sale for $ 500....

BPS Stalker model, 28', 12ga 3 1/2" chamber is on sale for $ 600
 
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