Budget 12g Trap Gun which one?

Lots of people I know use churchill. They have a trap model that is half way decent. They're around $1500 new.

I got a New Browning Cynergy CX on sale. Tax included it was like $2100.

My suggestion is to find someone with the gun you thinking about getting and trying it. Money is secondary to the fit. You want a gun that fit you so it is easier to shoot well. More fun that way.
 
gdrew said:
What do you think of a Browning BPS trap gun?

I didn't really want a pump, was more into a O/U but I've been offered a nice plain one in great condition at a affordable price. Cleaning a pump gun is one reason I find them less appealing but for my casual use it might work...

Thoughts?
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A bps trap model will serve you fine for the needs you describe. One thing its in the right price category so you have lots of rooms for mods if you wanted like an adjustable comb or adjustable butt etc. At least that way you can get it to fit you if it doesn't already.
 
gdrew said:
What do you think of a Browning BPS trap gun?

I didn't really want a pump, was more into a O/U but I've been offered a nice plain one in great condition at a affordable price. Cleaning a pump gun is one reason I find them less appealing but for my casual use it might work...

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

The BPS is my principle trap gun. Routine cleaning isn't bad, complete teardown requires patience to reassemble, though it is rarely needed.
 
Here is something to consider when looking at a "budget gun" with all the same features as a proven brand that is much more $....you get what you pay for! This is from a trapshooting board I frequent.

First photo is a Tristar....

This was a Tristar caused by the tube threaded off-center with the skirt obstructing the bore.

The second and third photos are a brand called Pointer...


Our youth team kicked off last week and this one happened...

It appears the wad wedged itself between the barrel and choke and the barrel failed. I was the coach on this field, 10 to 15 feet behind the shooters the entire time. There was no dud or misfire, so there was nothing in the barrel. We were shooting new shells.

The gun is a Pointer.

My gut says it’s simply a manufacturing flaw, causing the failure. It’s his second Pointer. The first one closed and refused to open, locked up. I’m definitely not out promoting this brand, but parents are drawn to them due to price point.

The kid actually caught this failure. He turned to me and said - I think my barrel cracked. I was like - what!?!? Anyone ever see anything like this...
 
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Ya found a tube on the field this year that had been blown out of a barrel.

My personal feeling is that tubes get dropped to me they are pretty much garbage if they hit concrete. I also think that to much grease will hydraulic a barrel.

Good catch for that kid that’s an atta boy right there must have a good coach.
 
JIMMY 808 said:
Ya found a tube on the field this year that had been blown out of a barrel.

My personal feeling is that tubes get dropped to me they are pretty much garbage if they hit concrete. I also think that to much grease will hydraulic a barrel.

Good catch for that kid that’s an atta boy right there must have a good coach.
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Although I like screw chokes for a field gun I find they are of no advantage at all for dedicated trap & skeet guns and I quit using choke/gun grease on choke threads as I found the chokes were unscrewing as the barrel heated up. I went back to a light wipe with a rag with Rem Oil and give the choke a bit of a snugging with the wrench after putting it in and they no longer shoot loose. Could be just me too but as I'm changing stations I grab the choke and see if its still snug just in case. I don't trust screw chokes!
 
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the spank said:
Although I like screw chokes for a field gun I find they are of no advantage at all for dedicated trap & skeet guns and I quit using choke/gun grease on choke threads as I found the chokes were unscrewing as the barrel heated up. I went back to a light wipe with a rag with Rem Oil and give the choke a bit of a snugging with the wrench after putting it in and they no longer shoot loose. Could be just me too but as I'm changing stations I grab the choke and see if its still snug just in case. I don't trust screw chokes!
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I will likely order a new field gun in the next year or so funny you mention screw in chokes as I would go mod and mod on a over under 20ga no problem.

Unfortunately in lots of state land you have to use steel shot for upland.
 
JIMMY 808 said:
I will likely order a new field gun in the next year or so funny you mention screw in chokes as I would go mod and mod on a over under 20ga no problem.

Unfortunately in lots of state land you have to use steel shot for upland.
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I never change the chokes on either of my trap guns or my field gun. I leave the IM in the single bbl trap gun, an IC and IM in the doubles trap gun and the IC in the SX3 20 I use for all my bird hunting and skeet shooting.
 
Those are some pretty damming pictures and should stand as a lesson for everyone. The cheap guns being sold today are finished pretty nice for the most part but pretty wood and a nice blue job doesn't guarantee that the workman ship is any good. In the case of both those shotguns it appears that the choke tubes were not threaded perfectly centered in the barrels which is pretty crucial to having the tubes stay in the gun when they are fired. If the QC is that bad in the choke tube drilling department then it makes me wonder what other area's of the manufacturing process have lousy QC.
This reminds me of a Franchi trap gun that came out many years ago when choke tubes were new, I can't remember the model but there are trap ranges all over the place that have Franchi choke tubes laying out in front of the trap houses from when they blew out with the wad and shot!
 
Falconflyer said:
Those are some pretty damming pictures and should stand as a lesson for everyone. The cheap guns being sold today are finished pretty nice for the most part but pretty wood and a nice blue job doesn't guarantee that the workman ship is any good. In the case of both those shotguns it appears that the choke tubes were not threaded perfectly centered in the barrels which is pretty crucial to having the tubes stay in the gun when they are fired. If the QC is that bad in the choke tube drilling department then it makes me wonder what other area's of the manufacturing process have lousy QC.
This reminds me of a Franchi trap gun that came out many years ago when choke tubes were new, I can't remember the model but there are trap ranges all over the place that have Franchi choke tubes laying out in front of the trap houses from when they blew out with the wad and shot!
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The fellow who posted was the shooting team's coach. He said the Pointer brand was the kids second Pointer after his first one locked up and could not be opened. Scary to think what let go inside the action to cause that? Makes a person wonder how soft or brittle the mononbolc/locking mechanism/receiver combination must be? One thing is for certain I'll never pull the trigger on a budget made shotgun and I mean twice, physically or to buy one!
 
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