Gunner Quinn
Many consider the Browning Superposed, one of the last firearms designs touched by the hand of John M. Browning, to be the first commercially successful over-under shotgun. While other stacked-barrel scatterguns preceded it, the Superposed placed the over-under design within the grasp of the masses, a fact which may have contributed to this form of shotgun’s eventual dominance of hunting and sporting fields. Browning followed up in the 1970s with the Citori, an update of the Superposed design intended to hold the company’s place in the over-under market. Despite the Citori’s success, Browning continues to update the design with the new-for-2024 825 Citori line.
The 825 Citori has several significant updates. Starting at its foundation, Browning has restyled the steel receiver to give it a lower profile for reduced recoil and better handling and finished it in a silver nitride, while retaining the full-width hinge pin and self-adjusting locking blocks that are “built to wear in, not out.” The new Firelite 2 trigger system is a mechanically re-setting trigger that doesn’t rely on recoil. Using a high pivot-point disconnector, the trigger has “a light pull, reduced take-up, a crisp break, and less overtravel.” The tang-mounted combination safety/barrel selector switch has been redesigned for easier operation, as has the redesigned forearm lever. Features like precision barrels, chrome chambers and the Invector-DS interchangeable choke system are carried over from previous Citori models.
The Field is the hunting model of the new 825 Citori line-up.
The 825 Citori is offered in eight models within three basic families: Field, Sporting and Trap. With its gloss, oil-finished walnut stock and hunting scene engraved on the receiver, the 825 Field is the company’s hunting model. Its polished blued barrels have a ventilated top rib and solid side rib with an ivory bead sight and are available in either 26” or 28” lengths. Chambered in 12 ga. with 3” chambers, the 825 Field has an MSRP of $3,150.
The 825 Sporting is a shotgun optimized for sporting clays and skeet.
The 825 Pro Sporting adds the Pro Fit adjustable stock and Pro Balance system.
The 825 Sporting has a gloss, oil-finished walnut stock with a close radius and palm swell grip and Browning’s Triple Trigger System with three trigger shoes and is chambered in 12 gauge with 3” chambers. Available with 30” or 32” barrels that have a ventilated side rib and low-post floating ventilated top rib and a HiViz Pro Comp sight and ivory mid-bead. The 825 Sporting has an MSRP of $3,680 or $4,080 with an adjustable comb buttstock. The Pro Sporting model has an engraved receiver, Pro Fit adjustable comb stock and Pro Balance system of adjustable weights in the stock to fine-tune balance for an MSRP of $4,650.
The 825 Trap is tailored to the needs of the trap shooter.
The 825 Pro Trap adds the Pro Fit adjustable stock and Pro Balance system.
The gloss, oil-finished stock on the 825 Trap has a Monte Carlo comb and vertical pistol grip with a semi-beavertail forearm with finger grooves. Chambered in 12 gauge with 2 3/4” chambers, its barrels have a high-post floating ventilated top rib and ventilated side rib and come in 30” or 32” lengths. The 825 Trap has an MSRP of $3,950, or $4,360 for the version with an adjustable comb stock. The 825 Pro Trap has the enhancements of an engraved receiver, Pro Fit adjustable comb stock and Pro Balance system, with an MSRP of $4,900.
The 825 Citori Trap Max has the full-range of adjustabilty required for a top-end competition shotgun.
The Trap Max is the pinnacle of the 825 line-up with its Graco adjustable Monte Carlo comb stock with the adjustable GraCoil recoil reduction system, adjustable length-of-pull and Graco butt pad plate that adjusts for angle and position. Chambered in 12 gauge with 2 3/4” chambers, its barrels have a high-post top rib that is adjustable for point-of-impact and is available in 30” or 32” lengths. The Browning 825 Trap Max has an MSRP of $7,500.
With the 825 Citori, Browning has further enhanced its classic line of over-under shotguns.
For more information on Browning’s new 825 Citori line-up, visit the company’s website.
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