Browning BPS

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throdgrain

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Good morning all.

I know it might seem bizarre to you all over in the U.S, but here in England the BPS is a pretty rare gun. Theres plenty of 870s and Mossbergs about ,but if I look on the two main gun sales websites today there are two for sale in the whole country, one is in camoflauge, I don't want that, and one is a 10 gauge and in Orkney (that's a long way from anywhere !)
Anyway, my hunt continues , are there any issues with the gun I should be aware of, when I finally find one?

Many thanks for any help.
 
They aren't nearly as common here either. I've had a couple over the years and can find no serious fault with one. They are a bit heavier than the 870 or Mossberg, but are well built. I like the safety design much better than the Mossberg.
 
Thanks for your replies. So they are not quite as common over there as the 870/ Mossbergs? They sell by the way for around £800 new, but as I say there are only two for sale, neither of which I want. I've been ringing around today, it seems they are not even imported into the country any more, which is annoying, so I'll have to continue searching for a used one. I have a Wingmaster and a SuperNova, just wanted to add a BPS to the collection. I also like the bottom ejection idea, and also the top safety. So they are harder to clear jams? That's useful too many thanks.
 
Thanks for your replies. So they are not quite as common over there as the 870/ Mossbergs? They sell by the way for around £800 new, but as I say there are only two for sale, neither of which I want. I've been ringing around today, it seems they are not even imported into the country any more, which is annoying, so I'll have to continue searching for a used one. I have a Wingmaster and a SuperNova, just wanted to add a BPS to the collection. I also like the bottom ejection idea, and also the top safety. So they are harder to clear jams? That's useful too many thanks.
id say the bps is 100 to 1, meaning i see 100 mossberg and rems to 1 bps. the mag release is nice on the bps. jams seem fine to clear tho were rare for the ones i have shot. the bps will feed the mini shells to. i just watch a video of all the nice sxs guns you guys have cheap. wish my mimi was still live, she lived in wales, i would check those nice sxs out. the bps is a tank to good for a long life. hope you find one.
 
id say the bps is 100 to 1, meaning i see 100 mossberg and rems to 1 bps. the mag release is nice on the bps. jams seem fine to clear tho were rare for the ones i have shot. the bps will feed the mini shells to. i just watch a video of all the nice sxs guns you guys have cheap. wish my mimi was still live, she lived in wales, i would check those nice sxs out. the bps is a tank to good for a long life. hope you find one.
Cheers mate I'm convinced I will eventually :) Funnily enough I can't abide sxs, far too light and short for me! And they are basically the font of all old fashioned gun snobbery over here!
 
Cheers mate I'm convinced I will eventually :) Funnily enough I can't abide sxs, far too light and short for me! And they are basically the font of all old fashioned gun snobbery over here!
Well you guys made them well!

A lot of guys knock the BPS and the Ithaca 37 for the bottom ejection. Takes a little getting used to.

Well suited for a lefty. One issue I can think of is I've heard they're a bit tricky to breakdown. I'm a fan of the tang safety. I hope you find your BPS. Or even an Ithaca 37 :D.
 
My main shotgun is a 20ga BPS. I am a lefty as well but I had the gun long before I switched hands.

For me it is the best pump shotgun out there. It’s a tad heavier than the 870 and 500 but to me the added weight feels right in the hands.

Compared to your typical Mossberg or Remington Express, the BPS just reeks of quality. Mine is shiny blue with the oft hated Browning laquered stocks but the checkering is crisp and sharp compared to 870s and 500s. However, compared to an 870 Wingmaster, most of those differences are equal. Not so for any 500. (500s flat out work though).

My 20 BPS started life as a youth model so it has the very handy 22” vent rib barrel. I’ve never found a need for any other length barrel in this gun including for clays games.

I recently bought a factory rifles slug barrel for it and it seems to be of exceptional quality as well. It came with a tapered front ring that mates with a tapered plastic washer that was also included as well as a wave washer to ensure the barrel fits extremely rigidly to the receiver and mag tube. Props to Browning for this design feature. I have not shot it yet but hope it proves as accurate as my fixed barrel Ithaca 37 Deerslayer.

The tang safety feels much better than on the Mossberg. After you have broken it down two times it will be much easier for you. In the end it is a tad more complicated than the Mossberg. Don’t know about the 870 as I have never detail stripped one past removing the trigger group.
 
I own both the BPS and the Ithaca 37. Love them both. The BPS I own has the best finish of all my pumps guns. Tear down isn't that bad on either once you do it a time or two. In general you don't have to tear them down a lot anyway. The bolt is closed of course when firing and not much gets in the rear end anyway. At least that is my experience.
 
This is a model 79 being advertised atm

https://www.gunstar.co.uk/savage-stevens-model-79-3-inch-12-bore-gauge-pump-action/Shotguns/884316

Assuming you can get on that site, you will see there are two BPS for sale, one is the cammo finish thing I don't like, the other is a section 1 gun that I can't have :( I won't bore you with our rubbish gun laws, suffice to say, I can't have it without getting a different licence, which I can't be bothered to do as it's such a performance.
seams a little high on the 79 250# thts like $325 us. there like 100 to 200 us here but your different over there. i live in new york state, the country not the city. over the last 6 or 7 years we have got hit with some bad gun loads you guys over there were even feeling bad. at lest we can have kitchen knives lol. the camo bps looks like a different gun lol.
 
seams a little high on the 79 250# thts like $325 us. there like 100 to 200 us here but your different over there. i live in new york state, the country not the city. over the last 6 or 7 years we have got hit with some bad gun loads you guys over there were even feeling bad. at lest we can have kitchen knives lol. the camo bps looks like a different gun lol.

Thing is there aren't so many customers, so prices for guns tend to be higher. Normally I would think the price in England in £ is the same as the price in the US in $. The same applies for Harleys funnily enough, don't know about Triumphs vice versa though.
 
I have a like new 20ga BPS with the beautiful walnut finish...it's choke is improved cylinder and has less than 25 rounds through it....I won the gun back in the early 80's.... it looks like new and not even broke in.....I just have so many guns I use, that some remain like new condition.
 
They are nicely finished "crowbars". A 3.5" in 12ga with back-bored barrel (invector plus choked) one would make good wildfowler or Turkey gun with short barrel, but that is about it. We are lucky in USA because we can find great field gun for reasonable cost in form of old fixed barrel Ithaca 37. The real good light ones were made into late 60s.
PS. I almost forgot some years back Gander Mountain offered a run of HD BPS with long magazine tube. These had excellent coating material making them as smooth operating as new Ithaca 37 Waterfowler.
 
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I bought two BPS shotguns in the past two years; a 28 ga and a 16 ga., both with vent ribs/ removable chokes. Both are real beauties, and I like them as much as my beloved 870s.

Hopefully you can find one over there, I think you’ll like it a lot as well.

Stay safe.
 
In America, the BPS is uncommon and expensive (for a pump) shotgun. I'm not aware of any particular issues with the BPS other than it's somewhat heavy and potentially bulky for a pump. I seem to recall that some of the 12 gauge 3 1/2" models were actually assembled on 10 gauge frames. A friend of mine had a camo model, and the finish was rubbery and pixelated.

I have an Ithaca 37. It's a super smooth and delightful shotgun. Bottom ejection is super cool. In fact, it's twice as cool if you ever shoot or hunt with your friends since you won't bean them with shells unless you mean to, and three times as cool if you reload since shell recovery is as easy as a shoebox at your feet. It has a crossbolt safety (which I personally love), and the slide release is the same as an 870 except configured for a right handed user. Older Ithacas will slamfire, meaning that if you hold down the trigger while pumping, it will fire as soon as it locks into battery. Takedown is awful and interchangeable barrels are potentially an issue though.
 
Do you ever see the Ithaca 37 for sale? I understand from reading that both Gough Martin and Jack Hargreaves used 37s.
Great shotgun, as already noted and lighter than the BPS by a few ounces....depending on the model;
i have wanted a BPS in 28 gauge...not available in the old Ithacas.
 
I had one in 20 ga, it was a nice gun but clearing a jam was a mess.

A friend had one jam one time in the goose blind and later said he thought he was going to need a cutting torch to clear it. LOL

We both still have ours, I have mine set up for turkey. Good heavy built guns and work great for turkey, I never liked wing shooting with one, just don't swing or fit me right.
 
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