Browning, a well-known over/under shotgun builder, has come far since the introduction of the break-action Superposed, which was designed by John M. Browning and later finished by Val Browning.

Brought to market in 1931, two years after the Great Depression, the Superposed proved popular with American shooters and hunters seeking aspirational firearms. Today, collectors and shotgun enthusiasts around the globe still seek these groundbreaking guns.

The design of the Superposed paved the way for the Browning Citori, which was introduced in 1971. During its tenure at the top, Citori models have come in various styles for hunting and clay target use. Over the next 40 years, the Citori was continually enhanced and new models added to the line. 

In 2012, the most radical change to the change to the Citori line was the addition of the Citori 725. This wasn’t an evolution, it was a new gun that featured a low profile receiver and mechanical trigger design. Most recently, the Citori 725 line was replaced by the Citori 825. With summer in full swing, we thought it good to go over a few popular Citori 825 Sporting models and what makes them so popular with those who bust flying orange discs.

For this, I went to Browning’s Tim Frampton. Tim is the Shotgun Product Manager and knows more than most about the new Citori 825 over/under line. Honestly, I’ve never spoken to a more knowledgeable, straightforward, and passionate product manager.

Browning currently offers four Citori sporting models: The Sporting, Sporting with Adjustable Comb, Pro Sporting, and Golden Clays Sporting.

JB: I noticed the Sporting models feature a flat rib with a mid-rib; why? 

TF: Honestly, it’s more of a style choice. Ten to 15 years ago, tall ribs were more popular with skeet and sporting clay shotguns, but now the trend is a low and long sight plane.

All our shotguns have a floating rib. The Pro and Golden Clay models have a wider rib at the rear and narrower at the front. The design boosts focus — fat in the rear and thin up front to focus peripheral vision where your muzzle is.

Posts are soldered to the barrel with a dovetail that slides onto corresponding posts soldered to the barrel to allow the rib to flex but remain rigid. On a hot day, when you burn through shotshells, you won’t get any deformation, and you can stay focused and on target shot after shot. 

The mid-rib between the barrels allows for increased airflow. Sure, it makes the shotguns a little lighter, which is good, but it also helps cool the barrels during high-volume activity like skeet or sporting clays.

JB: What kind of sights did you add to the Sporting models?

TF: We have worked with HIVIZ for a very long time. Our front sight is a HIVIZ fiber-optic that comes with seven or eight lite pipes in different colors and thicknesses. We want to give shooters options for customization.

We also have a mid-bead that works in concert with the front sight. This is more for when you mount your gun. When you first learn to shoot, mounting your gun properly is critical. If you mount your gun and your front sight and mid-bead align, you’re doing a good job of mounting your shotgun consistently.

JB: What about the barrels and chokes? 

TF: Total Barrel Dynamics is a combination of a lengthened forcing cone in front of the chamber that is tapered and allows the shot to enter the bore of the barrel gradually. Our twelve-gauge models are back-bored to .742 thousandths SAAMI. At one time, this back-boring number was an aftermarket deal. We offer it stock to ensure better patterns and lighter recoil.

The Invector-DS choke tubes are awesome. They have a double-seal system: A threaded seal on one end and a brass seal on the other to ensure a precise fit and reduce debris between the choke tube and the bore. You also get a wider range of choke constrictions when you purchase a Sporting model.

The extended choke tubes look great, but they also have a longer parallel section of the choke tube that sticks into the bore. It starts wide open but then constricts down. Longer parallel sections produce better patterns.

JB: What about the finish on Citori 825 Sporting models? 

TF: Our most expensive sporting clay shotgun is the Citori 825 Golden Clays Sporting at $6,599.99. You won’t find a better-looking over/under with all the goods to put you on the podium for under $10K.  

I’m incredibly proud of the exceptional finish on all our Citori 825 Sporting shotguns. The receiver is slimmer with better lines, and on the Sporting, I love the matte look more than the polished gloss. The low-profile receiver wears rugged silver nitride-plated metal that has proved to be a durable surface that improves longevity over blued steel. It doesn’t rust or gall easily, and all the receiver components have a nice finish.

The forearm also saw some improvements. The forearm on our sporting clays shotguns has a more standard center profile that matches a field gun style. We avoided the big, thick forearms that are more common on trap guns.

On our Citori 725 models, we had what we called a tulip forearm. On the 825, we rounded the edge so there was no rubbing raw of the fingers. The forearm latch was also redesigned. We increased the lever surface, made it bigger, and rounded the edges to look more like a whale’s tail. It makes the shotgun super easy to take down.

JB: Tell me about the new Fire Lite 2 Trigger.

TF: The trigger on our sporting models is impressive. Plus, each gun will come with three different trigger shoes. The trigger shoe is held in place with a set screw, which makes swapping easy. You can go with a narrow trigger, a canted model, or a wide and smooth trigger. Adjustable up to three positions, you can easily customize trigger fit and feel. Each trigger adjustment alters the shotguns LOP. If you move the trigger back toward the trigger guard, you shorten the LOP; if you move it forward, you lengthen the LOP. 

This is the best trigger on an over/under shotgun for under $10K. It’s an upgraded version of our original Fire Lite trigger. It breaks crisp, clean, and has a low pull weight. How a trigger works and breaks will tell you a lot about a gun. The FireLite 2 has a crisper, more reliable reset. The second barrel can be fired as soon as the trigger is pulled after the first trigger pull. The delay mechanism has a higher pivot point, so it connects in a cleaner, quicker way for an improved second trigger pull. The trigger is mechanical, so it doesn’t use recoil to help it fire the second shot like recoil-actuated triggers do. Because the trigger doesn’t rely on inertia from the first shot, it resets mechanically and can handle extra light loads. 

We offer a Citori 825 Sporting model for every shooter at every level, and we are incredibly proud of our line of dedicated sporting clay/skeet shotguns.