Browning Citori 725 Sporting 20 Gauge Over/Under-Action Shotgun, Gloss Oil – 0135316010

For over/unders, I also own a Beretta 690 III and a bettinsoli x8 extra. I like both of those guns and particularly like the aesthetics of the Beretta but despite hearing it over and over I never really understood the meaning and importance of 'fit' until I got this gun. It just finds the clays, best trigger anywhere near that price range and the precision with which the gun was made is fantastic. I do find that while the wood is nice, I have seen better in the grade 3/4 range (my Beretta for one) and I do enjoy some nice engraving on a receiver but this gun is all business and at the price, I really don't think it can be touched.

I bought this gun for sporting clays and the second time I took it out the stock cracked. I sent it back to Browning who had it for almost a year and they did not fixed it. After several complaints they finally sent me a new gun. Their customer service is terrible. I sold the gun they replaced it with as I have no confidence in Browing anymore. I would give them a zero star but it is not an option. Buyer beware.

This is a fantastic gun. The look and feel of this gun is fantastic and it fits me like a glove. The wood grain on mine is beautiful. The trigger is on browning standards with a soft clean break. Switching witch barrel to shoot first is simple but it does sound a little clunky but not really a problem. It looks like the barrels has been paired up correctly and shoots straight. The recoil is hardly felt and you will able to shoot all day.

I purchased this gun new from Cabela’s approximately 7 months ago. I selected this gun based on the advertised features and my past experience with my Browning Auto Five being a very good gun. This is a longer review but I am hoping my experience can help others with their purchasing decision. On the positive side, the action of the gun is tight. Initially the gun was very stiff to break open and has slowly started to loosen up with use. I consider this an indication of a good job at machining to tight tolerances and would certainly sooner have a gun that is a bit stiff rather than loose. Aesthetically, I really like this gun and chose it in part due to the appearance of the wood, fit, and finish. For me this was a lifetime of wanting an over and under and finally breaking down and making the purchase. Overall, I like the way the gun handles, shoots, choke design, and the fact that the choke has tight fitting threads. Unfortunately, I have also had some surprises. The first time I shot skeet with the gun I sliced my thumb open on one of the extractor edges and bled like a stuck pig. It appears that machined components are not de-burred during manufacturing or before the gun is shipped. I was able to fix this by taking some 1000 grit emery to all of the sharp edges on the extractors. I consider this a fairly minor inconvenience but it would have been nice if Browning would take the time to de-burr or at least send some band aids with the gun. After shooting approximately 100 rounds of skeet using Winchester #8 target load ammo, I was cleaning the gun and noticed heavy lead streaks/deposits in the lower barrel directly aligned with the port holes. I found that the deposits were so severe that I had to remove the choke tube and use my cordless drill with a Hoppe’s Phosphor Bronze Brush and patches soaked with bore cleaning solvent. Using this method, I was able to fully remove the lead deposits. It appears that somehow lead pellets can get ahead of the shotshell wad and get wedged between the wad and barrel as it exits. Given the fact that I had two identical pairs of streaks directly in line with the porting holes would indicate that this was not an anomaly of only occurring once. I also found that after meticulously cleaning each of the port holes with solvent and a nylon brush and then running a patch down the barrel afterwards, I continued to have portions of the cleaning patch get shredded off and stuck to the ports. It would appear that these ports are machined rather than EDM’d in the barrel and the machining of these ports leaves very sharp edges. I believe these sharp edges have burrs on them and are the cause of the lead deposits. Whether the sharp port edges are causing the plastic wad to get hung up a bit allowing pellets to get ahead of the wad cup or if a few pellets are getting ahead of the wad, I can only speculate. The fact of the matter is that lead pellets get hung up in these ports as the shot charge is leaving the barrel. It does not take a mental giant to come to the conclusion that this is probably not going to improve the quality of your shot pattern. I also unfortunately ever so slightly bumped my stock on the metal control box as I turned to leave the skeet field. It was the smallest of marks but it made me ill for the rest of the day since this gun was special to me. I was extremely upset with myself since I had always been very careful with the gun and it had never been laid down on anything other than a soft cleaning pad or the padded gun case. Now in inspecting the stock in greater detail I noticed that the very bottom of the stock had numerous very small imperfections in the wood. To be fair, most people would not notice them and even I did not when I purchased the gun. You really need to have the gun in the right light and look at it from the bottom to see them. The marks are underneath the finish and there are no signs of surface scratches which would indicate they have always been there. For anyone familiar with wood working it is similar to what would occur if you did not properly progress through the different grits of sandpaper to remove imperfections at each level. The best I can describe it is it appears that the person sanding the stock did so by concentrating most of his efforts on the top of the stock while resting the bottom of the stock on a rough bench surface. I called Browning to find out what type of finish they are using since I was considering refinishing the stock for my scuff and would also fix this at the same time. The individual I spoke with was very helpful and without committing anything that he could not, encouraged me to send in the gun so they could look at it. While certainly not committing, the impression I got was that Browning would do what they could to make it right. At the time I was just looking for Browning to meet me half way on the purchase of a replacement stock since the one blemish was clearly my doing, while the bottom portion was poorly done by Browning. After further discussion, I agreed to send the gun in and was provided a pre-paid shipping label. I enclosed a letter outlining the same things I have said here along with multiple borescope images to show the lead deposits and the fact that I could never get shredded pieces of cleaning patch material out of the barrel. I asked for someone to call me so I could have a technical discussion with them on the issues. Browning did actually call me and before I said anything, I asked him to share his opinion. He stated that my gun is perfectly normal and there is nothing wrong with it. When I asked him how a gun that is specifically designed for Skeet and Sporting clays would ever be designed with barrel porting that causes pellets to hang and deform, his response was that they produce what the public wants, not what works the best. He commented that he personally would not use a ported barrel. A bit stunned by this revelation, I asked if Browning would exchange my barrel for a non-ported one and his response was no. In addition, he went on the say that the imperfections in the stock were the result of me banging the gun into things or setting it in a rack and other people causing the damage. The gun has never been out of my sight at the range and has never been laid down on any surface without a cloth pad. Thinking that perhaps the individual did not have any wood working experience, I asked if he would at least show the gun to someone with this level of experience. His response was that their head gunsmith had looked at my gun and it was his opinion that I caused this damage. Sad to say but Browning has lost a customer that previously had nothing but good things to say about the brand. Had I known that ported barrels would allow shot to get between the wad and the side of the barrel I would never have purchased a gun with a ported barrel. I cannot fathom how a manufacturer would tout the claims of “back boring the barrel”,” lengthened forcing cone”, and “Invector DS choke system”, all in the name of improving your shot pattern and then drill holes in the barrel that are not de-burred or the leading edge chamfered in any manner, knowing that some of the lead pellets will get crushed as they leave the barrel. I was looking at a Browning X-Bolt but this experience definitely answered that question. My advice is do your own research and buy wisely. I have attached a few images to help illustrate the issues that I have encountered.

I would recommend researching this gun before considering purchasing it. There is a tendency for the stocks to crack. The warranty policy on Browning shotguns is vague and essentially at their discretion as to what they cover. I do not yet know if this will be covered under warranty, but I have been told by browning that with woodwork to expect at least 4 month in service. I have seen other owners report up to a year.

I pruchased a 725 for my retirement. After a couple hundred shots in trap league, I found that the stock had cracked in two spots above the trigger guard, from the recoil. I called Browning and shipped the gun to Mo.. It took 3 weeks or so but they replaced the stock and gave it a double upgrade for free. It looks fantastic. Hats off to Browning for excellent customer service.

Guy waits for 65 years to buy his dream gun, finally gets there. Had to order the gun, it was not in stock. Finally it came in, the box was all beat up and looked like it had been taped and re-taped numerous times. I didn't notice it until I got home but the rib was bent. That would explain WHY the box was in bad shape, ( I wonder how many times it had been returned?) At that point I had to ship it back to the factory and wait for them to fix it and send it back to me. Don't worry I'm just another little customer you can exploit. John Hallaran

Have used this 725 Sporting for 4 years. Best chokes I have ever used. Never experienced as many smoked clays.

Bought it 4 weeks ago, it is already back to Browning, second barrel doesn't fire. It dry fires with no problem, but randomly decides not to fire second barrel. Tried everything, switching barrels, switching ammo, finally called Browning and "they have never heard of it" … funny since there are YouTube videos of the same problem. Now I have to wait for 4 months for 3K gun that I barely put 200 shells through it. Would I buy it again … yes, would I tell anyone to buy it … no.

Great shotgun - used for sporting clays and upland birds. My only issue is that the wood is so nice that I no longer take it in the woods for grouse or steep hills for chukar. I don't want to scratch that wood! It's a flat land and rolling hills shotgun for me.

Definitely not disappointed with this shotgun. This gun exceeded the expectations I had when I ordered it online.

I was really looking forward to my purchase of this 725 .410. I ordered it online and it arrived at my local store very quickly. When I went to pick it up, the gentleman in the firearms dept. couldn't assemble it. The forearm would not come off the barrel. I tried it myself with no success. The salesman told me it was the second Browning they received with the same problem. Cabela's didn't have another one at any other location so I left empty handed. I did purchase another model Citori at a gun shop but I would have preferred the 725. Cabela's was very cooperative and I received a refund in a couple of days.

I bought the 725 12ga/32" about 2 months ago because I got roped into a league shoot and didn't want to bang the guy to my right with the shell from my benelli SBE3. I have put about 2500 rounds through it over the past 2 months, and I have had zero issues. It is "almost" broken in to where it drops the barrel without a bit of help. Note- skeet chokes seem to be sold out everywhere and now IC, too. I love the choke system on the 725, but browning needs to get off their duff and make some dang chokes. Shot a 24 and a 21 on trap yesterday with it and an 82 on my last sporting clays round. It's not the gun that missed, it was me. Shooting 20+ skeet. 20+ 5stand at local places.

I love the gun. It is nicely made and great for most ages. I use it for trap and sporting clays and occasionally hunting.

Well made gun with flexibility to shoot skeet, trap, and spotting. The barrel break is quite snug being a new gun. Expecting years of fun.

Best shotgun I have owned in my 60 years of shooting. Adjusted the stock to fit me perfectly and plan to use this for all the clay games. Shot a 25 in trap on my second round. The only negative is that the weapon is so tight, opening and closing was very difficult; fortunately a club member fixed it for me by lightly stoning a small part where the forearm attaches to the barrel. Other members stated their 725's had the exact same issue, with one explaining he sent the gun back as he thought it was defective. Seems like Browning could make this adjustment at the factory, as that part would take a long time to loosen up.

Beautiful shotgun, great feel and balance, swings well. I got the 20 gauge version so my wife and I could do sporting clays together, she loves the lighter recoil. The shotgun is lighter than the 12 gauge version and just a joy to shoot. As always, shipping was prompt and the transaction went very smooth. Buy with confidence!

Gun came in damaged with multiple dings in stock. Called customer service was informed to contact browning for warranty repair. The gun did not leave the factory in that condition. I will never buy from this website again. I purchased a 3 thousand dollar shotgun that was supposed to be new and it was obviously dropped and mistreated at the dealers...Read More Read more about review stating Gun came in damaged with

I purchased 2 guns that were out of stock every were in the country except guns.com best eazeyest experience ever

This is my second 725 enjoy them both I have been shooting Beretta’s for over 40 years and I can’t say anything negatively about them , the 725’s have turned my head Browning has always been quality firearms and these are truly an enjoyable guns to shoot