935 vs. BPS

AMT8951 · February 24, 2009, 10:44 AM

Okay, bear with me. I need a new shotgun for water fowl, turkey, and what ever. I've narrowed it down to the Mossberg 935, and the Browning BPS. What do you guys think. I really like the BPS, but I've heard great things about the 935. Any input?

hogdogs · February 24, 2009, 11:33 AM

Mossberg just because it is American made and performs as advertised... Less money than most others...
Brent

mwal · February 24, 2009, 11:42 AM

I used to have a BPS and currently have a 935 and a 835. I like my Mossbergs. The only thing you must remeber is that the 935 semiauto is designed for 3 inch and 3 1/2 shells only. Light loads do not function reliably in it at all. The 835 pump disgests anything. I prefer the 935 and keep the 835 as a backup. If I go to a game farm I use a 20ga Benelli. The Mossbergs are for waterfowling and late season Pheasant.

Mwal

AMT8951 · February 24, 2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

The only thing you must remeber is that the 935 semiauto is designed for 3 inch and 3 1/2 shells only. Light loads do not function reliably in it at all.

Thats too bad, one of the reasons I was looking at the 935 was that I heard it would shoot anything you fed it 2 3/4, 3in, whatever. I have a 835 as we'll. It's a great gun, but I don't hunt Turkey enough to justify having a dedicated Turkey gun. I do much more Duck and goose hunting anyhow, so I was thinking about getting the 935 with the Mossy Oak Duck Blind Camo.
I have a old Rem 1100 (2 3/4 in only), that I use for upland birds and small game.

12GaugeShuggoth · February 24, 2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Thats too bad, one of the reasons I was looking at the 935 was that I heard it would shoot anything you fed it 2 3/4, 3in, whatever

Well, technically it does shoot all 3 shell lengths, it's just that it won't always properly cycle the action with the 2 3/4 loads. Regardless I'd get the Mossberg over the Browning any day.

dgludwig · February 24, 2009, 05:28 PM

My choice is very much in the BPS corner. I used an 835 for years (I won it at a Pheasants Forever banquet!) before finally selling it. Though there was nothing wrong with it, per se, it didn't fit me as well as my BPS does; wasn't as smooth operating as my BPS is and kicked harder than my BPS does-probably because the alloy receiver of the Mossberg is so much lighter than the Browning's steel one (a double-edge sword, of course, the heavier weight of the Browning might make it recoil less but is not a plus when lugging my gun to the blind or carrying it all day when following my setter on pheasant hunts).

Non-issues for me are the safety positions (both being on the tang where they ought to be) and the direction of ejection-down or to the side doesn't matter to me (though one could argue that the solidly enclosed receiver of the bottom-ejecting BPS helps keep debris out of the receiver). The BPS and the 835 both field strip easily enough but the BPS is a lot more difficult to detail strip- ask me how I know.

BigJimP · February 26, 2009, 02:20 PM

For what its worth, my vote is for the BPS. My personal choice is the 28" barrel Hunter model.

I think the BPS is a good strong gun - I like the safety location / its a good versatile gun. Its cast neutral on the comb / has a good finish - and a good long term gun. I still have 12 and 20ga BPS's I bought in the 70's.

Contrary to another responder, I think the BPS is very easy to strip down and clean.

Shaun_300 · February 26, 2009, 09:07 PM

BPS for sure! I have one in 28ga and it is great. It did take me a bit to get used to the safety location since I was so used to my 870. Had a couple times a grouse flew up and I double clutched because I was reaching for the safety on the trigger guard!

Leif · February 27, 2009, 07:33 AM

Can't speak for the Mossberg, but I have the same BPS as BigJimP, along with a 24" smoothbore slug barrel, and it easily is the most reliable gun I own. I really like the safety location, and the weight certainly helps absorb recoil.

February 24, 2009, 10:44 AM	#1
AMT8951 Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2005 Location: Central NY Posts: 492	935 vs. BPS Okay, bear with me. I need a new shotgun for water fowl, turkey, and what ever. I've narrowed it down to the Mossberg 935, and the Browning BPS. What do you guys think. I really like the BPS, but I've heard great things about the 935. Any input? __________________ .40 cal Sig 2340 Kahr E9 S&W M65-5 RIA Midsize .45acp Glock 21 Olympic Arms M4 Win M70 .375 H&H FN PBR .308 Win M69A .22 Mini-14 Ithica M37 Deerslayer 12ga Remington 721 30/06

February 24, 2009, 05:28 PM	#6
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	My choice is very much in the BPS corner. I used an 835 for years (I won it at a Pheasants Forever banquet!) before finally selling it. Though there was nothing wrong with it, per se, it didn't fit me as well as my BPS does; wasn't as smooth operating as my BPS is and kicked harder than my BPS does-probably because the alloy receiver of the Mossberg is so much lighter than the Browning's steel one (a double-edge sword, of course, the heavier weight of the Browning might make it recoil less but is not a plus when lugging my gun to the blind or carrying it all day when following my setter on pheasant hunts). Non-issues for me are the safety positions (both being on the tang where they ought to be) and the direction of ejection-down or to the side doesn't matter to me (though one could argue that the solidly enclosed receiver of the bottom-ejecting BPS helps keep debris out of the receiver). The BPS and the 835 both field strip easily enough but the BPS is a lot more difficult to detail strip- ask me how I know. __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

February 24, 2009, 11:33 AM	#2
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Mossberg just because it is American made and performs as advertised... Less money than most others... Brent

February 24, 2009, 11:42 AM	#3
mwal Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Posts: 91	I used to have a BPS and currently have a 935 and a 835. I like my Mossbergs. The only thing you must remeber is that the 935 semiauto is designed for 3 inch and 3 1/2 shells only. Light loads do not function reliably in it at all. The 835 pump disgests anything. I prefer the 935 and keep the 835 as a backup. If I go to a game farm I use a 20ga Benelli. The Mossbergs are for waterfowling and late season Pheasant. Mwal

February 26, 2009, 02:20 PM	#7
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	For what its worth, my vote is for the BPS. My personal choice is the 28" barrel Hunter model. I think the BPS is a good strong gun - I like the safety location / its a good versatile gun. Its cast neutral on the comb / has a good finish - and a good long term gun. I still have 12 and 20ga BPS's I bought in the 70's. Contrary to another responder, I think the BPS is very easy to strip down and clean.

February 26, 2009, 09:07 PM	#8
Shaun_300 Member Join Date: February 16, 2009 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 67	BPS for sure! I have one in 28ga and it is great. It did take me a bit to get used to the safety location since I was so used to my 870. Had a couple times a grouse flew up and I double clutched because I was reaching for the safety on the trigger guard!

February 27, 2009, 07:33 AM	#9
Leif Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2005 Posts: 1,237	Can't speak for the Mossberg, but I have the same BPS as BigJimP, along with a 24" smoothbore slug barrel, and it easily is the most reliable gun I own. I really like the safety location, and the weight certainly helps absorb recoil.