Browning B725 S1 vs S3(black edition)

[Missemall]

At lasssst!!! Had my interview yesterday morning after more than 3 months from the application and my certiificate got approved! However, as the officer informed me, it will take about a month for the official thing to reach me .

Anyway, i have been looking around for guns for quite some time now and i can say its the Brownings that have won my heart. Of these, the one i like the most is the B725 sporter. At this point i have to say that it is just the look of the gun that i am attracted to and nothing else, as i am inexperienced and can not tell the difference between models. I am not sure that i could tell the difference if i tried them at the same time at a shooting ground, let alone if i just mounted them in a store :lol: . I have been shooting the B325s at the shooting ground and i have also shot the B525, but I dont have any experience on the B725 sporter. My only knowledge on this gun is what i have read on the internet and various magazine articles. As i mentioned earlier, it is just the look that attracts me and if i want to be honest, since it is my hobby, when i do it i want to be holding something that i really like (i merely hate engraving). I have come to a dilemma in choosing between the B725 S1 and the B725 S3 (black edition). Would anyone have any advice on that? Would you know if there are any differences between them, apart from the colour?  Also should i go for an adjustable comb or not? Would you find it helpfull, or do you think it is not worth the extra money?

My budget at the moment is 2000, so it is going to be either a new S1 or a lightly used S3.

The gun will be used strictly for clay shooting.

 

[westley]

Whereabouts are you  ?  One of the guys that I shoot with has the 725 GD 1 Sporter and I have the GD 3 'Black', another has the 525 GD 1 Sporter, I am sure that you would be welcome to try them all.  At the risk of repeating myself, look for a decent secondhand model and spend the money saved on a lesson or two to establish some degree of gunfit.

 

[Missemall]

Thanks for your time and offer Westley. I live in Enfield Town but i am willing to come anywhere if a trial is possible (provided that i wont distract/disturb you in any way :smile: ). My problem is that, as inexperienced, i can not check the condition of a second hand gun, or any potential alterations/modifications made to it which possibly the seller will not be keen to share. My budget for lessons/training is seperate from the gun. I conceive the gun as a one-off expense and would rather buy something that i would keep for a longer period. Of course i am open to any advice. After all you guys are the experienced ones.

 

[Charliedog]

I have a 725 sporter with adjustable stock and my friend has the black edition, they are both pretty much the same gun although i believe the extra weight of the adjustable stock balances better for me personally. I dont think you will be disappointed with either if they fit you

 

[jasper]

I would go S1 with adjustable comb. Look at the second hand ones in any gun room and the S3 show wear on the black action easily. ....

Or if you are shooting a 525 at the ground why not have a look at the 525sporter 1 available with adjustable comb  for around £1600 new. Look on guntrader for examples. Absolute bargain which will outshoot many people for years.

Jasper.

 

[Westward]

I have no personal experience but a few months back there was a thread on PigeonWatch about rust problems on Brownings. IIRC people had the problem with both the 725 Black and (strangely) the 525 sporter. Also, as mentioned above, the black coating does seem prone to wear, although it happens on other makes with black actions too.

I also agree with the suggestion to buy used rather than new. It's 10:1 that whichever gun you start with will be replaced within a couple of years or probably less and a pre loved gun will hold it's value if you look after it. There are good dealers around who won't shaft you, Brierley Guns for example, and they're about 50 miles up the M1 from Enfield.

 

[westley]

Where to start  ?

First of all, I would be looking at a good used gun, as opposed to buying new.  If you were to buy this from a reputable gunshop, you would have some recourse should there be any problems with your purchase, within a reasonable time period. IF you can locate a shop at a shooting ground, you can at least 'try before you buy'. Although I am NOT a Beretta person, I would strongly advise you to try one against the Browning gun that you have in mind. You may just be pleasantly surprised. I would agree that the adjustable comb version of the Browning does seem to feel lighter and handle better that the non adjustable models, it must be something to do with all of the scrap iron inside the stock  !  Problem is, if you are a 'fiddler', then you will probably spend more time fiddling than shooting, which IS a recipe for disaster, NONE of the top shooters spend much time 'on the roof'  !  You do need to TAKE YOUR TIME  in seeking out the right gun, and again, as has been said, you will probably want to swap it for something better inside 10 years. (all the more reason to buy a used model).

It would appear that we are a good distance apart, BUT the offer still stands, you would in no way hinder us in our shooting, in fact I carry a large tub of Vaseline for use in just such situations  !  Good luck with your quest, it would pay you to wait until someone from nearer to you,  comes up with a reputable shooting ground/shop where you could try a few guns to narrow your search.

On the 'all Browning 725's rust' myth, well all I can say is that my gun is nearly 2 years old and is still in showroom condition. I carry it in a gunslip between stands, I always wear my Macwhatsits, regardless of the time of year or weather. By carrying it in a gunslip, this stops any wear on the bottom of the action, by wearing gloves, this stops any sweat from my grubby little digits from getting on the gun. By keeping a film of oil on all of the exposed metalwork and NOT storing it in the middle of my back garden, all of these things combined seem to have avoided any rust issues. I know of a lot of people using 725's and I have not heard of 1 rust problem, to date. Then again in the many years that I have been handling guns, I have only had 1 slight rust issue and that was in the breech area of a Miroku 3800 (they were renowned for the problem).

 

[Missemall]

Thanks a lot for all the info you guys dropped in. Most probably it is quite boring for you guys to repeat all the same again and again but it is priceless for us newcommers to the sport. I believe all of us get baffled when making our first steps with all this information we have to process.

Special thanks to Westley for taking the time to write all this analytic post.

 

[westley]

Thanks a lot for all the info you guys dropped in. Most probably it is quite boring for you guys to repeat all the same again and again but it is priceless for us newcommers to the sport. I believe all of us get baffled when making our first steps with all this information we have to process.

Special thanks to Westley for taking the time to write all this analytic post.

Anal  WHAT  !           That's bloody wallpaper isn't it  ?

 

[Missemall]

Hahahaha the bloody phone got stuck again and skipped 2 letters.