Info on older citori

[tyler_durden]

I'm looking at buying a browning citori made in 1985. It's a 12 ga, 28" barrel with chokes. Appears to be in good shape with normal wear. Owner says its a "hunting" model grade 1. The gun is online so I'm going off pictures and descriptions.

I will be using it pretty much only for sporting clays and was looking for something to handle the volume of rounds. Does anyone have any experience with these older citoris? I'd like one that's a little heavy since it will be a target gun.

Thanks for the help.

 

[KJQ6945]

They are great guns, and even the field grade ones are beautiful. They get a little heavy carrying in the field all day, but are fine for the range. Good luck.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I'm looking at buying a browning citori made in 1985. It's a 12 ga, 28" barrel with chokes. Appears to be in good shape with normal wear. Owner says its a "hunting" model grade 1. The gun is online so I'm going off pictures and descriptions.

I will be using it pretty much only for sporting clays and was looking for something to handle the volume of rounds. Does anyone have any experience with these older citoris? I'd like one that's a little heavy since it will be a target gun.

Thanks for the help.

This is my pheasant hunting gun. It does get a little heavy carrying it all day. If you are getting this for sporting clays, you might look for something a little quicker/lighter. With that said, I have shot quite a few rounds of clays with this gun and enjoyed it. Overall the Citori's are fine guns, well made, and tend to hold their value pretty well.

 

[tyler_durden]

Thanks for the help.

I've shot a few lighter guns and feel like I tend to over swing past the target so I like that extra weight.

I've also noticed some newer Brownings that have a very fake feeling wood. Almost like its plastic. I would think the ones from the 80s have actual wood.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I assume this gun has the Invector chokes? Pay attention if you are buying any new choke tubes as there are Invector and Invector Plus and I don't believe they are interchangeable.

 

[tyler_durden]

I assume this gun has the Invector chokes? Pay attention if you are buying any new choke tubes as there are Invector and Invector Plus and I don't believe they are interchangeable.

Yes it is invector thanks

Any advantage to the extended tubes vs flush mount other than being able to finger tighten them?

 

[brdhntr37]

Great gun. I had nothing but good experiences with mine. They hold up well, but I had to get something lighter when I started shooting a couple hundred targets at a time because it is too heavy too shoot that much with

 

[Leo]

No problems with them. They are just manufactured in japan instead of belguim so they have a lower retail. Not a quality issue, just how people roll. The early ones had some chemical on the wood that would make rust on the lower barrel under the handguard. They were also raw (not chromed) chambers and if someone did not keep it clean and oiled, there would get rust in the chambers. As long as you do not have pitting in those places and the chokes are not seized into the barrel, I would say you are in good shape. There is quite a number of them that have seen thousands and thousands of rounds with no problems. Good Luck

 

[Leo]

Yes it is invector thanks

Any advantage to the extended tubes vs flush mount other than being able to finger tighten them?

If you are handling your gun a lot at trap and skeet fields and putting them on racks with other people, extended chokes have a protective advantage. Say you drop it on the muzzle or someones dog knocks over your gun from the rack. If you have a flush choke, you may bend the barrel around the choke, sometimes needing a gunsmith to correct. You could be out a couple hundred plus for repair, refinish and a new choke tube.

If you have extended chokes, even if the choke is hurt bad, likely the barrel will be protected. Drop the old choke in the trash and thread in a new one. Now you are only out $45.00, and you get to keep shooting.

 

[bgcatty]

The older Citori shotguns are built like tanks. I have owned one of the very earliest Citori shotguns for almost 40 years and it still locks up like a bank vault and still shoots unreal patterns with fixed chokes. You can't possibly go wrong with the shotgun you are talking about. The interchangeable chokes add great versatility. What is not to like?