Browning Shotguns
I am considering buying a Citori made in Japan for regular shooting and not for collectible purposes. What is your opinion of the Citori made in Japan as opposed to an older Superposed or A5's made in Belgium?
Do the collectors generally tend to snub the models made in Japan as opposed to those made in Belgium? Would it be better to buy a Browning made in Japan for regular shooting as opposed to one made in the 50's or 60's in Belgium that may increase in value?
My dilemma is if I buy a "collectible", and shoot it on a regular basis, am I destroying the value? So, is it better to buy a Japan made one to regularly shoot and then look for a older colectible for the safe? What are your thoughts here?
It seems to me collectibles should remain in their present state and not be fired, and shooters just be shot on a regular basis. Am I off base here?
Do the collectors generally tend to snub the models made in Japan as opposed to those made in Belgium? Would it be better to buy a Browning made in Japan for regular shooting as opposed to one made in the 50's or 60's in Belgium that may increase in value?
My dilemma is if I buy a "collectible", and shoot it on a regular basis, am I destroying the value? So, is it better to buy a Japan made one to regularly shoot and then look for a older colectible for the safe? What are your thoughts here?
It seems to me collectibles should remain in their present state and not be fired, and shooters just be shot on a regular basis. Am I off base here?
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I have 2 browning shotguns I am trying to find info. on.
One is a Browning Sweet Sixteen A5, Belgium made, Rib vent barrel , gold trigger 2 3/4" ... SN# on the bottom of the gun, in front of the trigger guard looks like 6S above then 60853 below it. I cannot place the serial # from browning's web site.
The other is a Browning Full 12 A5, Belgium Made , says something like Browning Arms Company, Ogden , Utah ,.... down the barrell. SN # on the bottom of the gun in front of the trigger guard is 136262. The Browning site says it was made between 1903 and 1939, if I have dated it correctly.
I am trying to find out any info I can to get a good idea of their age and value for possible sale.
Is there anything else I need to look at, or for, to determine age and value?
Thanks,
Michael0 -
Citori is a great gun. Some Japanese Brownings are gaining collector status, ie the a-5 and the auto -22. Who knows, if you buy a Citori to shoot, 10 years from now it might gain collector status. 0 -
The Citoris provide reliability and high quality for the price. I doubt that we'll see much collector value for a Citori that has been shot a lot though. Shotgun prices seem depressed now and Belgian Browning Superposed guns are available at prices lower than the past several years. If you have an interest in them now is a good time to buy one. You can shoot them too without significantly reducing the value. As to the A5s, the round knob Belgian guns from the '60s with vent ribs and open chokes (in 20 or 16 gauge) are very collectible and prices seem to continue to rise for them. I shoot Superposed and Citori (and A5s) but tend to go with the Citori for heavy doses of sporting clays and to the Belgian guns for field use. 0 -
Like I mentioned before. If you are interested in a 12 gauge, find a Belgium Superposed. They are the same price or even less than a Citori and a far superior shotgun. As long as you are not planning to shoot steel shot, firing the Superposed will be fine and if you don't scratch it up, drop it, and allow it to rust, etc. it will continue to hold or increase it's value. For the life of me, I can't understand how low the Superposed 12 gauge prices are! The Belgium A-5 12 gauges fall into this also! It is the prime time to buy them! A 20 gauge Superposed will cost 2-4 times as much as a 12 ga. and a 28 or 410 even more!
I shoot a 28 gauge and 410 Superposed at Pheasants. They are field guns and shooting them does not hurt a thing if you take care of them.
Yes, many Browning collectors will not even look at a Citori or any other Japanese Browning.
However, like Cartod mentioned there are some Japanese Brownings like Citori's, auto 22's and A-5's being collected. In my observations however, I've mostly seen the higher grade Japanese Brownings and multiple barrel sets collected.
That all being said, a Citori is a fine shotgun that one expect many many years of trouble free use from. I just feel the best value today for a 12 gauge O/U is a Superposed. The smaller gauge Superposed shotguns can certainly get cost prohibitive.
Good shooting,
Ed0 -
pretty likely that any superposed you buy will already be a shooter so it won't increase in value much, The Citori will not increase in value for sure unless you stumble on a rare or engraved model. Buy what you think feels best & enjoy 0 -
Its not what they are , it how they feel in your hands. No good if you cannot hit a dan thing with it [;)] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cartod
Citori is a great gun. Some Japanese Brownings are gaining collector status, ie the a-5 and the auto -22. Who knows, if you buy a Citori to shoot, 10 years from now it might gain collector status.
Ditto what Cartod says. I love my Citori and use it a lot for just about everything in the field. Got it at a gun auction years ago for $600 including the hard Browning case with the papers still hanging on both from the gunshop that went out of business. Can't go wrong with one....great quality for the price. Collector value? Since so many made, very doubtful unless it is engraved at the factory or something done to make it stand out. But it is what it is, one of the best O/U shotguns every made IMO. As to your "collectable" questions...it just all depends. If you collect Colt collectibles and shoot them you ruin the value. If, however, I shoot my pre-1970 Colt 1911 bb (and I do...a lot) the value will never decrease as only 1100 were made. Same with my Polish Radom 1937 Eagle (don't shoot it so much, however). With Brownings it seems the Belgium Brownings always bring more than the Japanese. So, it depends on the "collectible." Good shooting[:)]0 -
Thanks to all here. I have made arrangements to buy a Japan 12 ga Citori for $850.00 It has a few scratches but I don't care b/c it going to be my main skeet shooter. I am also looking at a Belgium Evolve for $775 delivered to me. Anyone here like the Evolve? 0
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