Browning BPS High Capacity 12 Guage

I've been looking to upgrade my hunting shotgun and ended up buying a tactical Browning BPS. This shotgun holds 6 shells, has a 20" barrel, and a composite stock. I found it on KSL the guy told me it was a hunting model. But when I arrived to his home, I found out it was a High Capacity Tactical mode. He agreed but wanted to sell it. So I made him an offer and ended up buying it for 275.00. I looked into having my gunsmith work it over. He said he would thread the barrel for hunting chokes and put a plug in the shell tube. The gunsmith said he has done this to several tactical models and as long as they have a 20" or longer barrel they have performed well in skeet and hunting situations. I threw the gun back on KSL thinking I'd make some money on it for 350.00. I feel it's a fair price given the cheapest retail price I could find was 430.00. So I guess what I'm fishing for Advice on is; should I keep it and have it worked over by my gunsmith and go with something that can be used for hunting and home defense.( I can also eventually buy a longer hunting barrel and install it, they just cost minimum of 250.00) Or should I sell it and upgrade to finer hunting model?

It is all personal preference really. Think of it like vehicles. Would you rather have an SUV that is pretty good at lots of things? Or would you rather have 2+ vehicles for more specialized purposes. For many people it depends on how much time you put into each activity.

I like to do 3-gun matches and wing shooting. I used to use my Remington 870 for both and just swich out the barrels depending on which sport I was engaging in. The I got to go shoot a Browning Citori. It was beautiful and made a big difference in how many birds I was dropping. I now use both a Saiga and a Mossberg 590 for my "tactical" shotguns.

Confusing enough answer for you?

I had a similar shotty. It was a Winchester 1300 Defender. I also looked into having it threaded, but never did it. In the end, it made a great home protection weapon & was my favorite rabbit gun. Personally, I'd keep it, unless you're not a bunny hunter, in which case, I'd pass it up if you can only get one.

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Originally Posted by ilanimaka

I had a similar shotty. It was a Winchester 1300 Defender. I also looked into having it threaded, but never did it. In the end, it made a great home protection weapon & was my favorite rabbit gun. Personally, I'd keep it, unless you're not a bunny hunter, in which case, I'd pass it up if you can only get one.

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My question with the cylinder type choke and 20" barrel all ready equipped on my BPS, what kind of performance can I expect with using it on birds and skeet? I notice that many manufacturers make hunting shotguns with short barrels such as 20". I am curious to find out if anyone has use a home defense shotgun, for hunting applications?

I always thread in my clylinder choke for shooting clays and while hunting pheasants with a pointer dog. This same set up works great for shooting ducks over decoys. If you are shooting wild pheasants in the midwest with a flushing dog or ducks or geese flying over dikes than you will not be happy with a open cylinder barrel. Another thought is that shorter barrel will allow you to swing faster with good follow through as well. When rabbit hunting with a shotgun, modified chokes work best for me with #8's or #6's.

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Originally Posted by MY T PIMP

My question with the cylinder type choke and 20" barrel all ready equipped on my BPS, what kind of performance can I expect with using it on birds and skeet? I notice that many manufacturers make hunting shotguns with short barrels such as 20". I am curious to find out if anyone has use a home defense shotgun, for hunting applications?

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While the barrel length does have some say in the performance of the pellets, it's not the same as it is with a rifle/pistol. The choke itself plays a much greater role in the effectiveness of the shot at different ranges. For $150, I was going to have a full spectrum of chokes for my shotty & from what my research turned up, it should have been only slightly less effective due to slower pellets. My only hesitation in using it on birds is if there are limitations on the number of shells you are allowed to have. I would have used mine for anything except the migratory birds.

BTW, I used mine for skeet regularly and it worked fine at the ranges the cylinder choke was meant for. Longer ranges, not so much. I just had to limit it to the two rounds. ;)