Browning BPS 20ga....or keep searching for an old Wingmaster 20ga?

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys, after reading so much about the BPS....I stopped by my local shop and handled a couple of BPS 12s, an "Upland" with the 21" barrel, and the regular "Hunter" with the 28" barrel. First off...WOW these guns are beautiful, smooth..nothing NOT to like really. Size-wise, everything about them is just a little bigger than an 870..probably the only strike against them. (to me) I did take a very quick look at a Hunter in 20ga. and it was more to my liking which is good~I'm after a 20.

Guess what I'm interested in is this~the upland has a 21" barrel, the micro has a 22" barrel, and there is a hunter 26" and 28". I was drawn to the 21" barrel length for some reason, but shouldered it a few times and something about that (English?) stock felt unnatural to me. The micro is out of the question, as I'm almost 6' 2"...so the next-best option seems to be the 26". If they had a Hunter with a 22" barrel, that gun might be sitting in my safe right now but I guess I'm wondering what you might all consider to be the best choice. Application-wise, I'm planning on getting it for grouse...but would like to shoot trap once in a while with it. Like I said, I'm drawn to the shorter barrels, but hitting what I shoot at trumps that consideration if the 21" will be tougher to get on target.

The Wingmaster search has only turned-up 20 year old guns, and expensive ones at that.
 
If the BPS strikes your fancy, buy it !! I don't own a BPS, but have shot them and do like them and they seem to be well built guns. Should you buy it and use it for awhile and decide that you in fact don't like the gun,I'm sure you could turn araound and sell for almost what you paid for it. Cheers Bac4
 
.22LRGUY said:
Hey guys, after reading so much about the BPS....I stopped by my local shop and handled a couple of BPS 12s, an "Upland" with the 21" barrel, and the regular "Hunter" with the 28" barrel. First off...WOW these guns are beautiful, smooth..nothing NOT to like really. Size-wise, everything about them is just a little bigger than an 870..probably the only strike against them. (to me) I did take a very quick look at a Hunter in 20ga. and it was more to my liking which is good~I'm after a 20.
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I was in a similar boat to you. I had fancied the 22" barrel on the Upland, but was more comfortable with a pistol grip stock. I ended up finding an old stock BPS Stalker, which had a full size synthetic stock and 22" Invector-choked barrel. This is a discontinued model, but I'm very happy with its feel. I wanted the 22" barrel because I primarily use the shotgun for deer hunting, with the occasional grouse/rabbit --- in this role, the shorter length is ideal.

You may want to consider buying the Micro and replacing the stock --- replacement BPS stocks are a lot easier to come by than extra barrels, especially the shorter ones.
 
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I don't currently own a BPS but I've had 2 of them in the past. I bought both of them new, a 12 and a 20, and both were great guns. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one in the future.
 
blasted_saber said:
20 year old Wingmaster are great guns. I dont see why thats a problem?
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Guess that didn't sound right. I have no issues with a 20 yr. old gun...the 12 gauge I shoot is probably over 40 years old! Perhaps it's a result of supply/demand, but some of the asking prices I've seen on used wingmasters just seems a bit over-inflated. Then again, I haven't been watching closely for THAT long. I know a $325 Express will kill a grouse just as well, I'm just trying to justify paying double+ for a much nicer pump. Damn I hate working with a tight budget!
 
.22LRGUY said:
Guess that didn't sound right. I have no issues with a 20 yr. old gun...the 12 gauge I shoot is probably over 40 years old! Perhaps it's a result of supply/demand, but some of the asking prices I've seen on used wingmasters just seems a bit over-inflated. Then again, I haven't been watching closely for THAT long. I know a $325 Express will kill a grouse just as well, I'm just trying to justify paying double+ for a much nicer pump. Damn I hate working with a tight budget!
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I got my 1st brand new wingmaster 16ga in the mid 60's and I can assure you those vintage guns are not over inflated when you are talking the smaller gauges like 20, 28 and 410.
You have to remember 12g and 16g were the popular models and very few back then bought a 20 which is why today they are much harder to locate and when you do yes they demand and get good dollars.
But worth every penny. I know all about being on the tight budget being on pension and seeing 1/3 of my rrsp's disappear in the past 10 years however I will wait until I can afford a quality gun before buying one that just goes bang also. Plus when you if ever decide to sell your wingmaster if you take care of it you will get your investment back plus in most cases.Just one man's opinion who has quite a few wingmasters.
 
Where might one find a replacement (full size) stock for a youth model Wingmaster in 20ga.? The gun in the EE right now is nice, but the search/purchase of a stock + the asking price of that gun...just not sure.
 
.22LRGUY said:
Where might one find a replacement (full size) stock for a youth model Wingmaster in 20ga.? The gun in the EE right now is nice, but the search/purchase of a stock + the asking price of that gun...just not sure.
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Full size for a LW receiver would be well over 100 used and you are talking state side unless you have a lot of time. Do you have to have choke tubes in the 20ga or will a fixed choke work for you
 
I think I either need a good deal on an older Wingmaster, or will hold-off and save longer for the BPS. Going to check to see if my local shop has the hunter with the 26" barrel.

Thanks for the input guys!
 
.22LRGUY said:
Application-wise, I'm planning on getting it for grouse...but would like to shoot trap once in a while with it. Like I said, I'm drawn to the shorter barrels, but hitting what I shoot at trumps that consideration if the 21" will be tougher to get on target.
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I presume that you have already determined gun fit as far as the BPS and/or 870 may be concerned.

The 20ga BPS will be a little heavier compared to its Wingmaster peer.....a good thing though when it comes to shooting clay. The BPS also offer a couple of good features i.e. tang safety plus user ability to extract live rounds directly from the mag tube....a good thing, particularly in hunting scenarios.

Going with a 26in bbl (in either make) will be a good compromise in terms of the applications in mind - both field/range use.

One would need to be a bit more diligent when completely stripping down the Browning...the Remington is simpler in such comparison.
 
If you need a full size stock try calling Western Gun Parts in Edmonton. 1 780 489 5711. Good chance they will have what you need. It cost is still an issue I would think a youth stock that fits the small frame Remongton pumps, and more than likely the small frame Remington auto loaders, should be easy to sell on the EE
 
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