My Citori factory box says:
Citori
Over & Under shotgun
Model: C FTHR LTNG 2010 GR1. 16-2. 75. 28 INV
Serial No 23163ZM131
Questions:
1) What does all the above mean in "english"?
2) Is this model a "425" ? or what?
What say you? Thanks...
Browning Citori O/U (Japanese mfg)
Model: Featherweight Lightning, Grade 1("lightweight" field gun. Straight stock?)
16 gauge 2.75" chambers, 28" barrels with Invector interchangeable chokes
Made 2010
GaryO,
It is a 2010 16 gauge Lightening model Grade 1 with 2 3/4 inch chambers, invector chokes and 28 inch barrels. The Lightening Model has a pistol grip stock and featherweight is a lighter gun because the action is alloy. The 16 gauge Citori is not a Browning cataloged item. The 16 gauge is a special run by Browning that is done every few years and distributed through only a few Browning dealers. The Browning Superposed was never made in 16 gauge. Enjoy your gun. The 16 gauge is a very efficient gauge.
Riprap
Dang, Gary, the label tells you everything, unless you just know absolutely nothing about shotguns, which I know you do. Fwiw, why would you even think it might be a 425?
The "fthr" stands for "feather", which Browning started using on these alloy-receivered Citoris instead of "featherweight".
I'll say this: that's a fairly rare gun with 28" bbls. and a straight grip, probably 6 lbs. at the most. It will make a great field gun, but be careful with your loads unless you aren't bothered by recoil. 1 oz. loads should be your heaviest, though it will certainly handle 1 1/8 oz. fine.
JR
Yes, yours is a model 131
and is as listed above.
For some reason, Browning made all the new citoris to be model 131S??????????????????/
Mine is a 723
GaryO,
In the Browning Citori nomenclature feather refers to the lighter alloy action and superlight refers to wood with a straight stock and a Schnabel or duck billed type forearm. Your gun should have a pistol grip stock.
Take Care,
Riprap
It was remodeled to have a straight English grip. It is a wand...
GaryO,Your gun should have a pistol grip stock.
Take Care,
Riprap
Really? When the label says "straight English stock"?
JR
It was remodeled to have a straight English grip. It is a wand...
But the label says....
Never mind.
JR
skeetx,
Per the Blue Book the 131 in GaryO's serial number and the 723 in your serial number are what Browning calls model configuration codes which represent the model and its configuration. The NW in your serial number identifies yours as a 1994 gun. Its interesting that since the 16 gauge is not a cataloged item or regular production item the Blue Book does not list its model configuration codes.
Riprap
It was remodeled to have a straight English grip. It is a wand...
Who had it re-modeled, you or someone else? It says on the label it came with a straight English stock, so it should not have needed re-modeling. Something is screwy with this.
JR
I think somewhere we got lost in the back and forth of the discussion. I don't see a photo of the box in which Gary's gun came, only his description of what the label said. And nothing in that description about a straight stock. The box photo is from skeetx's gun. And I don't see anything on that label either about a straight stock.
Larry, in GaryO's initial post about what his label read, it included "straight English stock". That has since been edited out.
JR
Aha. I must have missed the initial version. All I saw was the 2nd post, with a ? after "straight stock". Far as I know, all the Citori Lightnings are round knob guns. Superlights are straight, as is the Upland Special (which hasn't been made in some time).
John and Larry,
Thanks for clearing this up. I never saw the post with straight stock in it. I felt we were all well informed and certainly well intended and I couldn't understand our different statements. I am a Superposed Superlight person, but of course its not available in 16 gauge. I spent a lot of time researching and understanding the Citori nomenclature so that I could get the one I wanted, a superlight feather Citori in 16 gauge (light in weight and straight stock). Its not like you can go to your local gunshop and see all the various models to understand what they are.
Thanks again for your diligence in straightening this out.
Riprap
John Boyd (Quality Arms) currently has several different Citori models in 16ga listed on his website. It can be confusing, and because the 16 was only a Browning standard production gun for a pretty brief period of time, it can be hard to keep track.
Also, there was a gun dealer in NC who offered some special runs of 16 ga. Citoris, maybe 10-15 years ago, one of which was a straight grip 28" "superlight-style" version. I remember their ads in DGJ and SSM. Could be one of those.
JR
I think there have been several dealers, either working together or separately, that have had 16ga Citori "specials" made up. As I recall, Scheel's was involved in having a run of White Lightnings made in 16ga.