Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in – Superb 28 Gauge Over Under

Description

Ask a room full of clays shooters which gauge they would shoot if score did not matter and a surprising number say 28. The Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in is why, a gun that patterns well out of proportion to its payload, kicks almost not at all, and in this case carries the same weight and fitting hardware as its 12 gauge siblings.

The Gauge That Punches Above Its Payload

The 28 gauge has a reputation for patterning better than the shell size suggests, and the reason is geometry. A short, wide shot column deforms less pellets on the way out than a long narrow one, so more of the payload arrives in the pattern rather than scattered as fliers.

Vector Pro lengthened forcing cones extend that advantage. The gradual transition from chamber to bore reduces the sudden squeeze that deforms shot at the moment of firing, and it takes a measurable edge off felt recoil at the same time.

At 7 pounds 6 ounces this gun weighs close to what a 12 gauge sporting model does. That is deliberate, because keeping the mass consistent across gauges means a shooter moving between guns in a skeet event does not have to relearn the swing each time.

Competition Hardware From The Larger Gauge Models

The Triple Trigger System accepts three interchangeable trigger shoes, letting a shooter set the reach and face of the trigger to their own hand instead of adapting to whatever the factory installed. The Fire Lite 2 mechanical trigger behind it resets without needing recoil, which is worth having on a light kicking gun.

A HiViz Pro Comp sight with an ivory mid bead is the same sighting setup fitted to the 12 gauge sporting guns. The front bead is bright enough to register in peripheral vision without pulling the eye off the target, and the mid bead provides a mounting reference during practice.

Five extended choke tubes come with the gun, covering Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Improved Cylinder and Skeet, regulated to a 50 50 point of impact. On a sub gauge, choke selection has more effect on results than it does with a heavier payload, so the full set is genuinely useful rather than a box filler.

Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in Specifications

• Browning item number 018322012
• Gauge 28 with a 3 inch chamber
• Barrel length 30 inches, matte blued
• Overall length 48 inches
• Weight 7 pounds 6 ounces
• Forcing cones Vector Pro lengthened
• Rib low post floating, 5 sixteenths to 7 sixteenths inch taper
• Sights HiViz Pro Comp front with an ivory mid bead
• Trigger Fire Lite 2 mechanical, Triple Trigger System with three shoes
• Chokes five extended tubes, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Improved Cylinder and Skeet
• Point of impact regulated 50 50
• Stock Grade III and IV black walnut with a gloss oil finish
• Recoil pad Inflex II
• Grip close radius with a palm swell
• Length of pull 14 and three quarter inches
• Drop at comb 1 and 9 sixteenths inches
• Drop at heel 2 and 3 eighths inches
• Receiver silver nitride, low profile with a full width hinge pin
• Chambers chromed, rated for steel shot
• Action over under, break open

The 3 inch chamber is worth a note, because 28 gauge has historically been a 2 and three quarter inch proposition. Chambering for 3 inch opens the gun to the heavier hunting loads that have appeared in recent years, which makes this a credible upland gun as well as a clays gun. For target work the standard three quarter ounce loads are what the gun is regulated around, and there is no benefit to reaching for magnum shells on a skeet field. The chromed chambers and steel shot rating mean waterfowl loads are an option where regulations require non toxic shot.

Fit and finish on the Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in match the larger gauge sporting models exactly, with the same low profile receiver, the same trigger group and the same walnut grade rather than a scaled down parts set.

Why Buyers Choose The Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in

Skeet and sporting competitors choose the Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in because sub gauge events demand it and because the 28 is, by wide agreement, the most pleasant gauge to shoot. Nothing has been scaled down to reach the smaller shell.

Vector Pro forcing cones and the Inflex II recoil pad together make this exceptionally comfortable in volume. For a shooter working on mount and consistency across a long practice session, that comfort translates directly into better reps.

Citori lockup has decades of high round count service behind it, and the 825 receiver refines that with a low profile frame and a full width hinge pin. On a gun that will digest a lot of shells, that history counts for more than any single spec line.

Grade III and IV walnut on a silver nitride receiver puts this well above a working field gun visually, and a well kept walnut over under holds value in a way a synthetic stocked competition gun does not.

Upkeep on the Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in is routine, with a hinged action that strips without tools, choke tubes that back out with the supplied wrench, and a walnut stock that responds well to an occasional oil wipe.

Who Should Buy The Browning Citori 825 Sporting 28ga 30in

This shotgun suits the skeet or sporting clays competitor who shoots sub gauge events and wants handling that matches their 12 gauge, and it doubles as a capable upland gun thanks to the 3 inch chamber and steel shot rating. It is a strong choice for a recoil sensitive shooter who still wants a full weight gun, and for anyone who simply enjoys how a 28 shoots. It is not the cheapest gun to feed, since 28 gauge shells cost more per round than 12 gauge target loads, and a shooter chasing maximum pattern density on long crossers will still be better served by a 12.

Learn more about this over under shotgun from Springfield Armory, or browse our full firearms range.