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Brad Fitzpatrick

Six Shotgunning Tips for the Field and Range

Learning the basics of shotgun shooting and practicing often translates to more success in the field.
Learning the basics of shotgun shooting and practicing often translates to more success in the field.

Whether busting birds means heading afield with a brace of pointing dogs or traveling to the range to smash orange discs, here are six shotgunning tips to improve your overall score.

Shotgun basics begin before you’re on the range or in the field. First of all, you need to understand the basic tenets of successful shooting. Developing a proper shooting stance is the first step in successful shotgunning. To begin, your front leg (opposite your shooting hand) should be slightly forward, knees should be roughly shoulder width apart and bent slightly. Your feet should be firmly planted, but you should be comfortable, and your foot position shouldn’t impair your swing.

For lateral movements, you rotate at the hips; the upper body remains fixed, you should maintain a good cheek weld on the shotgun, and the shoulders and head should move with the gun as one solid unit. Elevation changes are accomplished by flexing the back. It’s important that the gun comes up to your eye and that you don’t plant the gun on your shoulder and lower your head to meet the gun. The butt of your shotgun should always land in the same point on the shoulder, and once you’ve got the gun mounted, maintain a steady lock between the upper body and the firearm.

Above all else, remain target focused. Unlike pistol and rifle shooting, which require you to align the sights on the target, shotgun shooters devote total concentration to the bird.

Sometimes we can’t correct our own mistakes, and it requires an instructor to help us sort out the issues. More often than not, missing comes down to some element of basic shooting—grip, stance, swing, focus or follow-though.
Sometimes we can’t correct our own mistakes, and it requires an instructor to help us sort out the issues. More often than not, missing comes down to some element of basic shooting—grip, stance, swing, focus or follow-though.

The Crosser

Crossing shots are common in the field when hunting doves or ducks, and the skeet range is the best place to develop your skills. New shooters are often fixated on lead, and they ask how far ahead of the target they should be at every station on the skeet field. If you learn sustained lead, you can do pretty well shooting the invariable list of shots you’ll see at the skeet range, but that isn’t very practical for the field—doves and ducks rarely give you the time to decipher whether you need to be three or five feet ahead of the target, and devotees of sustained lead often end up “riding” the target to find the perfect hold point.

Instead, learn to shoot swing-through. This requires you to keep your eyes on the target, swing the gun to catch up, and press the trigger as you catch and pass the bird. The faster the target is going (say, a dove rocketing by at 60 miles an hour), the faster you’ll be swinging. It takes practice, and you must keep the muzzle moving after the shot, but it will make you a better target and field shooter. Rotate from the hips, and remember to keep your upper body locked to the gun as you swing.

Incoming

You’ll see incoming targets on the skeet range, and it’s a common shot you’ll encounter on decoyed waterfowl. The incoming shot should be relatively easy, but it’s often missed because it happens quickly, and the shooter doesn’t understand the physics of the shot. Unlike crossers, you don’t get behind and swing through an incomer; rather, focus on raising the muzzle up to meet the flight path of the target, and when these two lines intersect, fire and keep swinging. Oftentimes the muzzle will cover the target, and you should fire as the gun is coming up and just a bit ahead of the target’s position so that the shot string intercepts the target. Incoming shots require practice to master, so be sure to spend plenty of time on the skeet range, and always remember to remain target-focused.

Outgoing

This is the classic trap shot and is often encountered when hunting game birds in the field, so it’s important to be proficient. The basic rules are the same for any other shot (good stance, eyes on target, good cheek weld, follow-through). Bring the gun up to the target, and don’t forget that any angling outgoing shot requires some lead, though it won’t be as dramatic as when shooting hard crossing targets. Your gun’s point of impact is particularly important when shooting an outgoing target; some guns shoot very flat, so you’ll have to position the gun higher for the shot. Others, particularly guns designed for trap, tend to have a higher point of impact, often 80/20 (80 percent of the shot will strike at a point above the rib) or even more.

Good cheek weld means that your face and the gun are mated the same way every time, and that your head and the shotgun move as one unit.
Good cheek weld means that your face and the gun are mated the same way every time, and that your head and the shotgun move as one unit.

High Overhead

This is a common shot for duck and dove hunters and those who shoot driven birds, and it’s a shot that is becoming more common on sporting clays courses. High overhead shots seem tough, and they can be, but the rules of good shotgunning still apply. If the bird is coming at you, you’ll need to swing through and actually cover the target when you shoot. If the bird is going away, swing ahead and follow through as you press the trigger. The real key here is to keep the upper body fixed with a good cheek weld on the gun and bend your back. This requires practice, and one way you can accomplish this is to raise an unloaded gun to your shoulder and run the bead up and down the length of a vertical target (trees work well), maintaining your focus on the target while flexing and extending your back to track the bead up and down.

The Rabbit

Ah, the rabbit—bane of every sporting clays shooter. These deceptive targets bounce along the ground ahead of the shooter; leaping and lunging in a fashion that seems out-of-sorts with the steady, smooth travel of an aerial clay. But the basic principles remain the same, so be sure to rotate at the hips, keep your eyes on the target, and swing through after the shot. If the rabbit is rolling along the ground, it works in much the same way that a crossing target does, but if it takes a bounce, you’ll need to be tracking through the arch and keep the gun moving as you fire. You’ll need to shoot a bit ahead of the target (most rabbits are missed behind) and, above all else, keep that muzzle moving.

This article originally appeared in the Aug. 7, 2014 edition of Gun Digest the Magazine.

The Great 28-Gauge

The 28-gauge is often overlooked, but there are many sweet-shooting guns chambered in this gauge.
The 28-gauge is often overlooked, but there are many sweet-shooting guns chambered in this gauge.

The 28-gauge has proven its worth on the field and range, and number of manufacturers are turning out options in this nifty gauge.

There are a lot of reasons to love the little 28-gauge, and every year more and more shooters are trading in their hard-kicking heavy 12-bores for these lighter guns.

The 28-gauge still packs plenty of power for most upland situations, and there are now a number of manufacturers producing fine 28s for the field and range.

Fausti

The Fausti DEA SLX of Italy.
The Fausti DEA SLX of Italy.

If you prefer classic doubles, check out Fausti’s beautiful DEA side-by-side, a svelte, gorgeous little double that weighs right around 5 pounds and could only have come from Italy.

Franchi

The Franchi Aspire is available in 28- and .410 gauge.
The Franchi Aspire is available in 28- and .410 gauge.

If you prefer an over/under, Franchi now offers its round-body, which tips the scales under 6 pounds and features a case-hardened receiver and oil-finished walnut stock.

Weatherby

Weatherby's SA-08 Deluxe 28 is a dedicated 28 gauge autoloader.
Weatherby's SA-08 Deluxe 28 is a dedicated 28 gauge autoloader.

If you’re looking for a budget 28, Weatherby’s SA-08 28-gauge Deluxe offers superb balance and handling, and the gas system virtually eliminates felt recoil.

Piston Powered: Ruger SR-762 Review

Ruger SR-762

In this Ruger SR-762 review, see why Ruger's piston-driven .308 is a standout in the crowded AR-10 platform market.

The Piston Driven Part

The SR-762 is capable of excellent accuracy with iron sights. These groups were shot from a bench at 50 yards using only the irons. Author Photo
The SR-762 is capable of excellent accuracy with iron sights. These groups were shot from a bench at 50 yards using only the irons. Author Photo

The system runs cooler and cleaner than a gas one, and there are a number of serious AR fans who prefer piston systems to gas systems. Among them is Kyle Lange, a crack helicopter hog pilot from Texas (see page 64). Lange sees dozens of AR’s firing thousands of shots every week, and he believes that the piston system is the very best.

The SR-556 is a reliable, accurate rifle, and plenty of shooters understood why the gun cost a little more. On the heels of the success of the SR-556, Ruger has now introduced a bigger, beefier AR-10 version of the rifle, the SR-762. It’s chambered in 7.62×51 NATO (.308 Winchester), and it has the same type of high-performance piston-powered operating system you’ll find in its little brother, the SR-556.

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The SR-762 is a hefty gun, but it’s not heavy by typical AR-10 standards; at 8.6 pounds, it’s still actually light enough and portable enough to be carried in the field. Furniture wise, the SR-762 has a telescoping M4 stock with 3.25 inches of adjustment and Ruger’s lightweight aluminum handguard that is comfortable and easy to grip and is drilled and tapped to accept additional accessory rails at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions.

The flattop receiver has a Picatinny rail that extends to the front of the handguard, so you’ve got more than enough space for mounting optics and other accessories. The flip-up combat sights are easy to adjust and are surprisingly accurate; at 50 yards from a fixed bench, the sights were dead-on and produced tight groups.

Ruger SR-762 review.

Ruger SR-762 Sights

The front sight is adjustable for elevation and has a square blade profile, and the rear aperture is windage adjustable. In addition, the rear sight has two different aperture sizes, a large one for close shooting, and a smaller peep for shooting at longer ranges.

Rotating the rear aperture allows the shooter to switch between aperture sizes, and both the front and rear sights fold down and lock securely in place if you opt for a different sighting system.

When you need the irons, simply pressing a button raises them and you’re ready to fire. The sights are biased toward battle, and the flat-topped front sight isn’t designed for precision shooting.

No matter, you’ve got about a mile of Picatinny rail to mount whatever sighting system you’d like, and the sights will serve as backup for close-range work. From a fixed rest, the iron sights were plenty accurate. During the course of the test, the piston system didn’t need adjustment, and it fired Winchester Razorback XT ammo without a hitch.

The real beauty of the piston system is the ability to adjust the piston to match your desired load. If you’re shooting suppressed and you choose to shut the system off that’s easy to do as well.

Ruger SR-762 Maintenance

The piston system is also extremely easy to maintain, and cleaning the rifle primarily consists of wiping down the internal parts without the need for hard scrubbing or heavy solvents. The bolt and bolt carrier are chromed, so the SR-762 is an easy gun to keep in working order.

The rifle sports a 16.12-inch fluted barrel that is cold hammer forged and chrome lined, topped with a flash suppressor with 5/8-inch 24 threads. If you’ve got a suppressor and you want to tone down the SR-762’s impressive bark, you can simply remove the flash suppressor, install your suppressor and turn off the piston system.

Each SR-762 rifle comes with a zippered carrying case that unfolds into a fine shooting mat and has three pouches that house 20-round magazines and a trio of rail covers. Overall, I was impressed by the SR-762. I think Ruger made a rather unexpected move by utilizing a piston system and pricing their guns higher than most of the competition.

Shooting the SR-762

The Ruger SR-762’s piston system is easily adjustable and can be customized to match different loads. Author Photo
The Ruger SR-762’s piston system is easily adjustable and can be customized to match different loads. Author Photo

But there’s a reason that the gun costs a bit more because of that piston system, which the more I shot, the more I really liked. Accuracy was pretty good with the iron sights, and I spent quite a bit of time firing the rifle at different ranges and from a variety of shooting positions.

No matter how I positioned myself, I never felt uncomfortable shooting the rifle. I am a big fan of the soft Hogue Monogrip, which is comfortable and offers a secure grip on the rifle, which also helped in maintaining the rifle’s comfortable impression.

Admittedly, the trigger wasn’t exactly the best, breaking at roughly six pounds, a bit stout for my preference. That was about the only negative I could find, because otherwise this is an extremely nice shooting and carrying rifle.

Despite the uninspiring trigger, the SR-762 is a solid choice for a tactical rifle. I think that the handguard, stock and pistol grip are all well thought out (and if you disagree you can swap them out; this is, after all, an AR rifle).

The sights are pretty good, and the rifle has a lot of nice features like the removable flash hider and the chrome-lined bolt.

To me, however, the functional and effective piston system is what sets this rifle apart. It runs clean, and it can put up with some serious punishment.

Is it worth the money? That is hard to say. It is, however, a functional and effective piston-powered AR-10 platform rifle that is worthy of the Ruger name.

This article is an excerpt from the July 17, 2014 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


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Gun Review: Ruger’s Red Label Over-Under Shotgun

The wait for Ruger's reintroduction of its Red Label over-under shotgun has been worth it with the company producing a more user-friendly smoothbore.
The wait for Ruger's reintroduction of its Red Label over-under shotgun has been worth it with the company producing a more user-friendly smoothbore.

After almost three years off the market, Ruger has reintroduced its Red Label shotgun. And the retooled over-under shotgun's improvements has made the wait worth it.

During my first year as a member of my college’s trap and skeet team I dumped what little savings I had into the purchase of a Ruger Red Label Sporting 12 gauge over/under shotgun.

After I finally earned enough cash to get the gun out of layaway, it became my competition gun for the next three years. I learned the finer points of shooting behind that gun, fed it my very first reloads (which it thankfully fired without a hitch) and broke my first 25 and 50 straight targets with that shotgun.

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I even brought home a bit of hardware with that Red Label, and it accompanied me to my first national competition at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio. Because of all of this, I was a little heartbroken when Ruger decided to drop the Red Label from their lineup in 2011, and I was equally as excited to field test the new version of the gun that broke cover in late 2013.

The original Red Label design dates back 35 years, and during that time there have been many advancements in machining technology. The Red Label hadn’t really disappeared in 2011 as many of us feared, but rather the gun was headed back to the design room for some updates that make today’s Ruger stackbarrel a better gun.

The primary difference between the new Red Label and its predecessor is the design of the receiver. Originally, the Red Label’s receiver was built in two pieces that were then welded together by hand, and even the very best welders couldn’t eliminate small variations in the welded receiver’s overall dimensions. In essence, each Red Label had to be hand-fitted, which was a time-consuming process.

The new version has a one-piece cast receiver that is more uniform, resulting in a more consistent gun that has better wood-to-metal fit. This alone was a significant improvement, but according to Ruger’s Craig Cushman, this was only one of the improvements incorporated in the new design.

“Every component inside the receiver was scrutinized, and many of the new pieces are built using modern CNC machining,” Cushman says. The incorporation of CNC machining makes this new version of the Red Label more uniform and allows internal parts to be standardized and interchangeable, making the new gun more robust and cheaper to produce than the outgoing model.

“Incorporating CNC machining equates to better performance down the road,” Cushman says. “We examined every piece of the design to see where it could be improved.”

One of the most noticeable improvements on the new Red Labels is the single-piece receiver. Previously, the over-under shotgun's receiver was produced in two separate pieces, then welded together.
One of the most noticeable improvements on the new Red Labels is the single-piece receiver. Previously, the over-under shotgun's receiver was produced in two separate pieces, then welded together.

Looks as Good, Performs Better
Externally, the new gun looks much like the old version.

The top lever is now stainless steel and matches the polished receiver. The safety/barrel selector functions in the same way that the older Red Labels worked; when the safety is in the rearward (Safe) position, the lever can be toggled to select the top or bottom barrel. The safety slides forward to the fire position, making it easy and safe to manipulate the controls without looking down at them, even with gloved hands.

The safety on the Red Label is automatic, so every time the action is opened the lever automatically slides back to the Safe position. The new gun has a single mechanical trigger that, at least in my test gun, feels crisper and smoother than the old one.

The pre-2011 Red Labels had a reputation for excessive recoil, and having shot several thousand rounds with one of those guns at the range, I can attest to the fact that the old Red Label was a thumper. The team at Ruger knew this, and one of the goals of the current redesign was to make a gun that produced less felt recoil.

Ruger achieved this by adding lengthened 2-inch forcing cones and installing a soft Pachmayr recoil pad that sucks up much of the kick. I have a bit more mass of my own to help dampen recoil than I did in college, but the reduction in recoil is significant. It’s much easier to stay on target with the new gun, and even after shooting in excess of 100 rounds my shoulder felt good. I can’t say the same for the old gun.

One of the most noticeable improvements to the new gun is the addition of a ¼-inch dovetailed free-floating rib that is silver-brazed to the monoblock. It’s a more robust design than the outgoing rib, and the single brass bead is effective. Ruger opted not to add a large, plastic bead to the gun (thankfully).

With the 14 ½-inch length of pull, 1 ½-inch drop at the comb and 2 ½-inch drop at the heel, the gun produced a roughly 60/40 pattern for my testing, which is ideal for most applications. The robust locking systems remains similar to the original, and lockup was solid. The gun comes standard with automatic ejectors, and throughout the test they worked as advertised, elevating unused shells and kicking out spent hulls without a hitch.

As previously stated, the latest Red Label looks remarkably similar to the outgoing model. The walnut stock is excellent, and the wood-to-metal finish is better than the earlier iteration. The hammer-forged barrels are blued, and all three models currently offered (12 gauge with 26-, 28- or 30-inch barrels) have a gap between the top and bottom barrel.

The gun comes with a well-designed semi-soft-sided carry case and five Briley choke tubes (Skeet, Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified and Full), as well as a choke tube wrench. MSRP for each of the three models is $1,399, and all Red Labels are made in America.

The safety on the Red Label is automatic, every time the action is opened the lever automatically slides back to the safe position.
The safety on the Red Label is automatic, every time the action is opened the lever automatically slides back to the safe position.

On the range I found that this gun is, in fact, better than the model it replaces. Lockup is as tight and secure as ever, but the new gun has a balance point that has been moved rearward to offer a smoother swing and better feel. The new rib is an improvement over the old one, too, and the efforts to reduce recoil have helped this become a more compliant and comfortable gun for target shooting.

I was thrilled to see that the Red label was coming back, and I was even happier to see that the engineers at Ruger decided to take a good gun and make it better. Whether you’re a serious clay breaker or an upland hunter looking for a quality stackbarrel, the all-American Ruger will fit the bill perfectly.


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Gun Review: The Browning Citori 725

The Browning 725 with a pair of hen pheasants taken at Arrowhead Preserve, in Ohio. The Citori line of shotguns are popular among wingshooters, and the 725’s narrowed receiver is a step forward for these shotguns.
The Browning 725 with a pair of hen pheasants taken at Arrowhead Preserve, in Ohio. The Citori line of shotguns are popular among wingshooters, and the 725’s narrowed receiver is a step forward for these shotguns.

In this Browning Citori 725 review, Brad Fitzpatrick shows how America's favorite over/under shotgun gets a much-welcomed overhaul.

It’s not easy to improve on a classic, and any change to an iconic product is bound to bring with it some level of criticism.

There certainly have been changes in Browning’s line of over/unders during the past 82 years, but the overall appearance and function of the guns has remained largely unchanged.

Browning’s new FireLite mechanical triggers are among the best found on any shotgun. Breaking at just under four pounds, FireLite triggers make it easy to shoot the 725 well.
Browning’s new FireLite mechanical triggers are among the best found on any shotgun. Breaking at just under four pounds, FireLite triggers make it easy to shoot the 725 well.

Sure, they’ve gone through a series of aesthetic and nomenclature changes—the Model 325 gave way to the 425, the 425 begat the 525, then the 625, and so forth. There were upgrades and tweaks along the way, both cosmetic and mechanical, but the formula remained much the same.

Then came the 725.

The 725 doesn’t represent a radical revolution in either form or function, and many shooters would have a hard time telling the current 725 apart from its varied predecessors.

Browning realized long ago that the Superposed/Citori line appealed to the purist, and it is unlikely we’ll see any dramatic changes or avant garde styling details on any new version of the company’s storied stack-barrel in the near future. But there are changes to this latest model, some of which are minor—and some of which are significant.

The most striking change can’t be seen while examining the smooth lines of the new 725. The most telling difference between it and all the Browning over/unders that came before lies within, specifically within the trigger assembly.

Browning has always relied on inertia triggers for its Citoris, which means the recoil energy generated by the first shot cocks the firing pin for the second barrel.

On the 725, the traditional inertia trigger has been replaced by a mechanical trigger, which does not rely on the first barrel firing to fire the second.

Family ties. The gun in front is a 1930s Superposed with double triggers. The 725 bears many similar features. The main aesthetic differences are the depth of the action, the shape of the toplever, and the finish. Browning has produced quality over/unders for 80 years, so there’s no need to make dramatic changes.
Family ties. The gun in front is a 1930s Superposed with double triggers. The 725 bears many similar features. The main aesthetic differences are the depth of the action, the shape of the toplever, and the finish. Browning has produced quality over/unders for 80 years, so there’s no need to make dramatic changes.

In addition, Browning incorporated its new FireLite trigger into the design of the 725. This is truly an evolutionary step forward for the Citori line. The quality of triggers in centerfire rifles has improved vastly over the last decade, but very few companies boast that they offer light, crisp, clean triggers in their shotguns.

The new FireLite system breaks at under four pounds, for both trigger pulls, without any creep, and the new Browning trigger is as good or better than anything short of high-end competition shotguns. It may go unnoticed by the casual shooter, but experienced shotgunners will appreciate the new trigger.

The other major alteration to the 725 has to do with the depth of the action. Since John Browning’s original Superposed version, Browning guns have had deep actions, due in part to large, full-length hinge pins.

The fore-end of the 725 might be called a semi-schnabel style. It’s comfortable and allows the shooter to point the gun well. This pointing ability is aided by gun’s excellent balance.
The fore-end of the 725 might be called a semi-schnabel style. It’s comfortable and allows the shooter to point the gun well. This pointing ability is aided by gun’s excellent balance.

The design was robust and durable, but many shooters preferred the sleeker, thinner, Italian guns like those of Beretta and Fausti, with their low-profile boxlock actions.

The 725 was Browning’s first attempt to narrow the storied action, and even though the company shaved less than 3/16-inch from the vertical depth of the 725 by reducing the size of the hinge pin, it looks much sleeker.

The pistol grip contour has changed slightly, too, and is now canted rearward. The result is a gun that feels livelier and more connected to the shooter. The overall look of the gun is less paunchy than with previous models.

Other styling changes are far more subtle, but, to the Citori purist, these changes will immediately stand out. First, the action release lever on the top of the gun is radically different that the model that has been standard on Browning Citori guns since production began.

Citoris have traditionally had a more rounded knob on their top levers than other shotguns, but the new 725 has a longer knob that stretches farther along the tang and is vertically shorter than traditional lever knobs. It’s a minor detail, yes, but the Browning fans I shot with recognized it immediately.

Browning has never tried to make its Citori guns look gaudy or radical. You won’t find any faux-gold game birds on the action, and scrolling has been kept to an austere but classy minimum.

The new 725 Field bears traditional game scene engravings on each side of the receiver; a duck adorns the right side and a pheasant can be seen on the left. The engraving is very good quality. Likewise, the oil-finished grade II/III walnut stock is nicely figured, and the dark wood stands in sharp contrast to the silver nitride receiver.

The 725’s steel receiver has a silver nitride finish and high-relief engraving. A duck adorns the right side of the field model, and a pheasant appears on the left. The receiver is narrower than older models, thanks to a smaller diameter full-length hinge pin.
The 725’s steel receiver has a silver nitride finish and high-relief engraving. A duck adorns the right side of the field model, and a pheasant appears on the left. The receiver is narrower than older models, thanks to a smaller diameter full-length hinge pin.

As it is with its predecessors, the 725’s receiver is steel and not aluminum. The overall weight of my test gun with 28-inch barrels was 71/3 pounds.

The fore-end appears to be a hybridization of the style found on the company’s classic Lightning, and the schnabel style preferred by the sport shooting crowd. Regardless, the hands falls naturally in place and the grip is secure.

The toplever shape, like the action, has a lower profile. The safety is still located on the tang and it still incorporates a barrel selector.
The toplever shape, like the action, has a lower profile. The safety is still located on the tang and it still incorporates a barrel selector.

The Inflex recoil pad is the same version found on other Browning guns like the Maxus and does a fine job minimizing recoil.

When the 725 Citori that I was to test for this article arrived, I pieced it together and was immediately impressed by its sleek lines and obvious build quality.

The changes aren’t radical, but I will say that I believe that those in action contour were indeed needed and well executed on the new gun.

Even a 3/16-inch reduction in action depth brings the shooter’s hands noticeably closer to the center of the gun, and the overall feel and handling of the 725 is better than with previous models. It isn’t enough of a change to send purists into fits of rage, but it is effective and noticeable.

Browning guns are favorites in competitive skeet and sporting clays circles, and I believe the new 725 won’t miss a step in the competition world; though the version I tested was a field gun, the DNA is there for a quality competition gun.

The balance point is just ahead of the receiver, meaning the weight is evenly distributed between the hands.

The field gun wears white front and mid-beads and includes the company’s new Invector DS thin-walled choke tubes, which are designed to seal out gases and residue that gum up other tubes and make them difficult to remove after excessive shooting.

The 725 seemed to pattern consistently, which helps the shooter break more clays and drop more birds.

The combination of a lower-profile receiver, superb trigger, and better recoil pad complement the already robust and reliable design of the 725. It isn’t cheap, but it is a well-built American shotgun that will last for many, many years.
The combination of a lower-profile receiver, superb trigger, and better recoil pad complement the already robust and reliable design of the
725. It isn’t cheap, but it is a well-built American shotgun that will last for many, many years.

Shooting the Browning Citori 725

I took the Model 725 afield and spent a day hunting ringnecks in Ohio, and it performed as expected. I’d shot several rounds of trap with the gun not long before and found the gun to be responsive, easy to shoulder, swing, and shoot.

There was no difference when I hunted pheasants and, when a bird rose up in front of me, I shouldered the 725, swung the large white bead ahead of the rooster’s beak, and pressed the trigger as I passed the bird.

The trigger broke cleanly, and the pheasant cupped its wings, falling just ahead of the English setter hot in pursuit. Over the course of the day, I had a couple of more chances at birds, and the 725 worked its magic each time.

It’s always dangerous to mess with a successful recipe, but Browning made the wise decision to address the issues that hunters and shooters carped about, with regards to their world-beating over/under. The result is an even better Citori, which is saying a lot, because the previous version wasn’t too shabby.

Specifications
Browning 725 Citori Over/Under Shotgun
Caliber/Gauge: 12-gauge
Barrel length: 28 inches
Weight: 7.3 pounds
Overall length: 45¾ inches
Finish: Silver nitride receiver; blued barrels
Stock: Grade II/III oil-finish walnut
Triggers: Mechanical, 3.8 pounds
MSRP: $2,469.99
Contact: Browning www.browning.com

This article is an excerpt from the Gun Digest 2014 annual book.

Handgun Exclusive: FNX-45

The new FNX-45 pistol.

FNH USA introduces a new, improved .45-caliber handgun for the civilian market. Gun Digest got the scoop on the new FNX-45.

If you were in the market for a new semi-auto pistol, what features would be the most important to you? Would reliability top your list? How about a high magazine capacity? Perhaps you like guns that are easy to maintain; or maybe accuracy is the most important factor when purchasing a new gun.

The FNX-45 pistol. A Gun Digest exclusive story. FNH-USA’s line of semi-auto handguns meet all of the criteria listed above, and if you don’t believe me, just ask one of the hundred-plus militaries and police agencies around the world currently carrying FNH-USA guns. FNH-USA’s products have earned a reputation among those who stake their life and liberty on the guns they carry, which is as solid a recommendation as there is as far as I’m concerned. The FN semi-auto consumer line consists of both striker-fired models (which wear the FNS label) and traditional double-actions (those with an FNX designation). The striker-fired semis are available in 9mm and .40 S&W, while the double-action FNX line is available in 9 and .40, and now the .45 auto.

Military-Grade Performance for Civilians

The company’s latest offering, officially debuting at the 2013 SHOT Show, is the FNX-45, a .45-caliber FNX offering modeled after the FNP-45 service pistol, which was introduced in 2007 under the U.S. Joint Combat Pistol Program (JCP). Like the FNP, the FNX-45 is a double-action/single-action hammer-driven semi-auto with a manual safety and decocker.

Both the safety and the decocker as well as the magazine release are ambidextrous on the FNX and FNP, meaning southpaw shooters will have no problem handling the pistol.

Other key features include a stainless steel slide and barrel, checkered polymer frame, multiple interchangeable backstraps with lanyard eyelets and a MIL-STD 1913 mounting rail on the underside that accepts tactical lights and lasers. Atop the FNX-45 are low profile fixed combat sights. In fact, with regard to function and styling, the FNP-45 and the FNX-45 are identical; the only difference is that the FNP models were built to NATO specifications and the new FNX model has slightly different interior dimensions to reliably feed a wider variety of commercial ammunition.

The FNX-45 will come in two color finishes--matte black and silver or flat dark earth and matte black.
The FNX-45 will come in two color finishes–matte black and silver or flat dark earth and matte black.

Built for Reliability

While the FNX-45 wasn’t yet available for testing at the time of this writing, I have enjoyed range time with the FNP-45, the FNX’s predecessor. The FNP-45 I tested was factory stock with no special modifications, and shooting it, I got a glimpse at how the FNX will be received. First, the manual safety and decocker are easy to use and well positioned. You can carry the gun cocked and on safe, then release the safety by pressing the lever down one notch and decock with another, farther push. The whole process is simple and straightforward. I also liked the availability of the interchangeable backstraps, which allow the shooter to choose between a deeper grip and a thinner one.

FNH-USA’s impressive client list, which includes our own Department of Defense, is a clear indication that the company builds guns that keep on shooting no matter what. The FNP-45 I tested ate every type of ammo and continued to cycle smoothly throughout the test. With the FNX designed to be even more accommodating, reliability should be superb.

Throughout the duration of the test, the pistol was fired without cleaning and cycled without a single jam. Of special note was how well the semi-auto handled.

In a tense situation how well a gun handles means more than accuracy, fit and finish or, for that matter, cost. The handgun handled particularly great when fully loaded, balanced nicely in the hand and came to point naturally. It doesn’t take long for one of these guns to become an extension of your arm, which is probably part of the reason other FNH USA models are, and no doubt soon this one will be, popular among the three-gun crowd.

The FNX-45 is also designed to be quick and easy to disassemble and reassemble, which I believe is one of the most important qualities in a semi-auto. Pull the slide back, lock it, rotate the release button in a clockwise direction and slowly release the slide. It slips forward and falls apart in the hand, simple as that.

For the shooter concerned about shot capacity, the FNX-45 is a good gun to have along since it has a double stack magazine capable of holding up to 15 .45 cartridges. The engineers at FNH-USA certainly took into account the weight of the loaded magazine when designing this gun because when unloaded, the FNP I tested seemed a bit front-heavy, but with a loaded magazine in place it really shined.

The FNX-45 promises to be a workhorse made to keep shooting, again and again, over and over. They’ll be on store shelves soon, but it’s a good bet, with the interest sure to follow from avid shooters, they won’t stay there long.

FNH-USA FNX-45
Caliber: .45 ACP
Operation: Double-Action/Single-Action (DA/SA)
Frame Color: Flat Dark Earth (FDE) or Black
Slide Finish: Matte Black or Matte Silver
Sights: Fixed 3-Dot
Magazines: 10 or 15 rounds
Weight: 33.2 oz.
O/A Length: 7.9”
Barrel Length: 4.5”
MSRP: $809
Contact: fnhusa.com

This article appeared in the January 28, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine

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