Browning BPS Model

kiwicrusaders · January 5, 2008, 10:49 PM

I may have to wait a while before getting my BPS as the 12g, 26 inch Stalker is on back order... than I got to thinking maybe I should change the model ... so which one would you pick in 12g 26 inch barrell and why: -

- Stalker (Blued, synthetic stock) - approx $ 429
- Hunter (Blued, wooden stock) - approx $ 469
- Mossy Oak (Cammo, synthetic stock) - approx $530

zoomie · January 5, 2008, 11:08 PM

I'd go with the Stalker. I prefer synthetic for a true working gun - which the BPS should be.

I have a Mossy Oak but wouldn't recommend that finish (great gun, not great finish). The finish on mine isn't holding up that great. It's flaking off at all the corners. The worst part is that I don't know if I can get it refinished. When it gets bad enough, or if the exposed parts show any corrosion, I think I'll get it Armor Tuff'd or something. At least with the Stalker, any finish wear wouldn't be hard to fix.

sourdough44 · January 6, 2008, 06:33 AM

I have 3 BPS's, one of each, camo,wood, & stalker. The Stalker would be fine with me considering $ savings. I agree the camo wears off eventually. You should be able to find a used BPS in good shape if you want to put up with the search & transfer. My all around barrel choice is 26", for what it's worth.

Tbag · January 6, 2008, 05:14 PM

While most won't agure the looks of wood and I do like that look. Most of my working guns are syn. stocked. Something about being in wet, damp type of nasty weather just isn't right for wood and I could care less with a syn stock. Plus if you want to increase the weight to help dampen the recoil the syn stocks can be packed with your favorite weights.

Omaha-BeenGlockin · January 7, 2008, 08:43 AM

Have a 28'' Stalker---got it for a song($329 NIB 2months ago)---and it keeps my pretty guns staying pretty.

BigJimP · January 7, 2008, 07:18 PM

I would go with a 28" barrel in whatever finish you like. Personally I like the hunter model - with the wood.

kiwicrusaders · January 7, 2008, 10:33 PM

Out of interest why 28 as opposed to 26, I felt the 28 and thought it fractionally front heavy ... thats why I decided on the 26

BigJimP · January 9, 2008, 05:05 PM

28" was the standard on field guns for many years as a compromise length. 26" barrels were generally viewed as "too quick" where the front hand had a tendancy to "yank" the barrel off the target line - and 30" barrels were a little too long and kind of clumsy ....

My personal preference is 28" or even 30" on a pump gun or semi-auto. The longer barrel gives you a longer sight plane - and the gun comes up a little smoother especially on longer shots. The extra length, and weight of a longer barrel of 28" or 30" vs the 26", especially on a light gun ( around 7 1/2 lbs ) helps you keep the swing smooth on follow thru with the lighter gun and less tendancy to "yank" the barrel off line. A shorter barrel, like 26" on a lighter gun, usually makes it 1/2 lb or so lighter, and it will often give the shooter more trouble if they yank the gun away from the follow thru on the shot. The heavier the gun in general - the less tendancy there is for the shooter to stop the follow thru vs letting the gun follow thru naturally. Remember the act of pulling the trigger on a shotgun, is the start of the shot, not the end of it - the end of the shot is the follow thru for typically 1 or even 2 seconds on a crossing shot especially.

All of this is general info - if the longer barrel really changes the point of balance too far forward - then the barrel is too long. To some extent it depends on the length of your arms as well - where a 30" barrel may feel fine to me / you may find it a little too long or clumsy - and the weight of the gun is part of it - if the guns weight gets down to 7 lbs I want a real long barrel to help compensate / at 7 1/2 lbs 28" or 30" feels the best to me.

In general - a pump or semi-auto gun with a 28" barrel is the same overall length ( from butt pad to the end of the barrel ) as an Over Under with a 30" barrel.

For Trap - where there is less gun movement left to right because the targets are moving away from you - I like an Over Under with a 32" barrel and a gun that is around 10 lbs. But I don't want to carry a 10 lb gun chasing pheasants all day either - so its not something I would prefer in the field.

For Skeet, Sporting Clays, and a lot of field gunning - l like an Over Under with a 30" barrel at about 8 1/2 lbs. If I feel like shooting a pump gun or a semi-auto I will go with a 28" or a 30" barrel - especially if they are around 7 1/2 lbs - then I will almost always go with a 30" barrel.

For real quick birds in the field - like quail, doves, etc - I might go back to a pump or semi-auto with a 28" barrel - but I have a tendancy with the 28" to yank it off line once in a while and it aggravates me.

Browning BPS 12 ga / 20ga 28" barrels and I have an extra 30" barrel for the 12ga. I shot the 28" barrels for a long time - in the field and in trap and skeet.

Browning XS Skeet over under - kind of my primary over under in 12, 20, 28 and .410 I stay with a 30" barrel and a gun that weighs about 8 1/2 lbs.

Semi-auto I like the Benelli super sport, 12ga with comfort tech stock, and a 30" barrel - the crio barrel has a good tight pattern / and it swings better at 30" than the 28" option. The Benelli is my "travel" gun - give it to the airlines - go everywhere and do everything - from sporting clays to doves in Mexico or Quail in the Southeast - change the chokes, changes the shells, and it really does it all ( but don't tell my wife, she'll start thinking the other 15 or so shotguns in the safe are surplus ....)

The Browning BPS is still one of my all time favorite shotguns - I hope you're very happy with your choice / no matter what decision you make on barrel length or finish - but that's my 2 cents on why I opt for 28", 30" or even 32" barrels .......

Leif · January 9, 2008, 05:07 PM

I have the 28" Hunter and would recommend it without hesitation. I don't like synthetics, but it would be nice if you will be waterfowling.

YukonKid · January 9, 2008, 08:22 PM

i like wood on my hunting guns...plastic is "tacticool"

kiwicrusaders · January 11, 2008, 03:07 PM

I have to wait mid April to get the shotty. Have decided on the 26inch Stalker model.... and Able Ammo are only getting them in then (No other shops have it for the same price) ... how the hell am I going to wait patiently !

Buzzcook · January 11, 2008, 04:30 PM

Hunter.
People worry too much about wood being harmed by out door conditions.
There are hunting guns with wood stocks that have been used many years without the wood rotting out or splitting or what have you.

Wood feels better and imho balances better.

View Poll Results: Browning BPS - Which model
Stalker (blued, sythetic)	12	37.50%
Hunter (Blued, wooden)	13	40.63%
Mossy Oak (Camm, synthetic)	7	21.88%
Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll

January 5, 2008, 10:49 PM	#1
kiwicrusaders Member Join Date: December 24, 2007 Posts: 64	Browning BPS Model I may have to wait a while before getting my BPS as the 12g, 26 inch Stalker is on back order... than I got to thinking maybe I should change the model ... so which one would you pick in 12g 26 inch barrell and why: - - Stalker (Blued, synthetic stock) - approx $ 429 - Hunter (Blued, wooden stock) - approx $ 469 - Mossy Oak (Cammo, synthetic stock) - approx $530

January 7, 2008, 08:43 AM	#5
Omaha-BeenGlockin Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2001 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 1,183	Have a 28'' Stalker---got it for a song($329 NIB 2months ago)---and it keeps my pretty guns staying pretty. __________________ I take the leech that's bleeding me Can't stop to save my soul I take the leash that's leading me -------Metallica

January 9, 2008, 08:22 PM	#10
YukonKid Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: NW Posts: 744	i like wood on my hunting guns...plastic is "tacticool" __________________ This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill Fifteen percent concentrated power of will Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

January 5, 2008, 11:08 PM	#2
zoomie Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2006 Location: GA Posts: 1,864	I'd go with the Stalker. I prefer synthetic for a true working gun - which the BPS should be. I have a Mossy Oak but wouldn't recommend that finish (great gun, not great finish). The finish on mine isn't holding up that great. It's flaking off at all the corners. The worst part is that I don't know if I can get it refinished. When it gets bad enough, or if the exposed parts show any corrosion, I think I'll get it Armor Tuff'd or something. At least with the Stalker, any finish wear wouldn't be hard to fix.

January 6, 2008, 06:33 AM	#3
sourdough44 Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: WI Posts: 621	I have 3 BPS's, one of each, camo,wood, & stalker. The Stalker would be fine with me considering $ savings. I agree the camo wears off eventually. You should be able to find a used BPS in good shape if you want to put up with the search & transfer. My all around barrel choice is 26", for what it's worth.

January 6, 2008, 05:14 PM	#4
Tbag Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2007 Location: FL Posts: 238	While most won't agure the looks of wood and I do like that look. Most of my working guns are syn. stocked. Something about being in wet, damp type of nasty weather just isn't right for wood and I could care less with a syn stock. Plus if you want to increase the weight to help dampen the recoil the syn stocks can be packed with your favorite weights.

January 7, 2008, 07:18 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I would go with a 28" barrel in whatever finish you like. Personally I like the hunter model - with the wood.

January 7, 2008, 10:33 PM	#7
kiwicrusaders Member Join Date: December 24, 2007 Posts: 64	Out of interest why 28 as opposed to 26, I felt the 28 and thought it fractionally front heavy ... thats why I decided on the 26

January 9, 2008, 05:05 PM	#8
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	28" was the standard on field guns for many years as a compromise length. 26" barrels were generally viewed as "too quick" where the front hand had a tendancy to "yank" the barrel off the target line - and 30" barrels were a little too long and kind of clumsy .... My personal preference is 28" or even 30" on a pump gun or semi-auto. The longer barrel gives you a longer sight plane - and the gun comes up a little smoother especially on longer shots. The extra length, and weight of a longer barrel of 28" or 30" vs the 26", especially on a light gun ( around 7 1/2 lbs ) helps you keep the swing smooth on follow thru with the lighter gun and less tendancy to "yank" the barrel off line. A shorter barrel, like 26" on a lighter gun, usually makes it 1/2 lb or so lighter, and it will often give the shooter more trouble if they yank the gun away from the follow thru on the shot. The heavier the gun in general - the less tendancy there is for the shooter to stop the follow thru vs letting the gun follow thru naturally. Remember the act of pulling the trigger on a shotgun, is the start of the shot, not the end of it - the end of the shot is the follow thru for typically 1 or even 2 seconds on a crossing shot especially. All of this is general info - if the longer barrel really changes the point of balance too far forward - then the barrel is too long. To some extent it depends on the length of your arms as well - where a 30" barrel may feel fine to me / you may find it a little too long or clumsy - and the weight of the gun is part of it - if the guns weight gets down to 7 lbs I want a real long barrel to help compensate / at 7 1/2 lbs 28" or 30" feels the best to me. In general - a pump or semi-auto gun with a 28" barrel is the same overall length ( from butt pad to the end of the barrel ) as an Over Under with a 30" barrel. For Trap - where there is less gun movement left to right because the targets are moving away from you - I like an Over Under with a 32" barrel and a gun that is around 10 lbs. But I don't want to carry a 10 lb gun chasing pheasants all day either - so its not something I would prefer in the field. For Skeet, Sporting Clays, and a lot of field gunning - l like an Over Under with a 30" barrel at about 8 1/2 lbs. If I feel like shooting a pump gun or a semi-auto I will go with a 28" or a 30" barrel - especially if they are around 7 1/2 lbs - then I will almost always go with a 30" barrel. For real quick birds in the field - like quail, doves, etc - I might go back to a pump or semi-auto with a 28" barrel - but I have a tendancy with the 28" to yank it off line once in a while and it aggravates me. Browning BPS 12 ga / 20ga 28" barrels and I have an extra 30" barrel for the 12ga. I shot the 28" barrels for a long time - in the field and in trap and skeet. Browning XS Skeet over under - kind of my primary over under in 12, 20, 28 and .410 I stay with a 30" barrel and a gun that weighs about 8 1/2 lbs. Semi-auto I like the Benelli super sport, 12ga with comfort tech stock, and a 30" barrel - the crio barrel has a good tight pattern / and it swings better at 30" than the 28" option. The Benelli is my "travel" gun - give it to the airlines - go everywhere and do everything - from sporting clays to doves in Mexico or Quail in the Southeast - change the chokes, changes the shells, and it really does it all ( but don't tell my wife, she'll start thinking the other 15 or so shotguns in the safe are surplus ....) The Browning BPS is still one of my all time favorite shotguns - I hope you're very happy with your choice / no matter what decision you make on barrel length or finish - but that's my 2 cents on why I opt for 28", 30" or even 32" barrels .......

January 9, 2008, 05:07 PM	#9
Leif Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2005 Posts: 1,237	I have the 28" Hunter and would recommend it without hesitation. I don't like synthetics, but it would be nice if you will be waterfowling.

January 11, 2008, 03:07 PM	#11
kiwicrusaders Member Join Date: December 24, 2007 Posts: 64	I have to wait mid April to get the shotty. Have decided on the 26inch Stalker model.... and Able Ammo are only getting them in then (No other shops have it for the same price) ... how the hell am I going to wait patiently !

January 11, 2008, 04:30 PM	#12
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	Hunter. People worry too much about wood being harmed by out door conditions. There are hunting guns with wood stocks that have been used many years without the wood rotting out or splitting or what have you. Wood feels better and imho balances better.