Citori

B

barry1974w

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Location
Central B.C.
A fellow is trying to trade me an older citori. 12 gauge fixed chokes. I don’t know much about shotguns, it seems like a reasonable deal but I’m curious if you guys that know shotguns could let me know what to look for or any problems that these guns are know for? I imagine I’ll just try to trade it off again if I get it, but I need to learn a bit more about them first.

Have a great night
 
Browning Citoris are excellent shotguns and very nearly bulletproof. I have seeen broken extractors and the odd broken spring but only after tens of thousands of rounds. On the older guns some parts may need to be handfitted but that usually isn't that much of an issue. You won't have any problems with it.
 
Browning and Beretta are quality shotguns.
Citoris are made in Japan- great quality, like most Japanese made products.
The two makes feel different when handled side by side,and the actions have some differences.
Most folks find one “B” gun feels better then the other.
There is a guy on Youtube from England that does a very good review of Browning’s
The Browning’s extractor/ reset design is more complex.
They are built to last....
 
Citori's are quality guns and IMHO has the best lock up of any of the commercial producers. Having said that, check for play in the lock up and the release lever. Also the auto safe/selector is a point of weekness depending on the age of the gun. Fixed chokes is usually an up land gun but not always and comand $200 to $400 less than a Citori with basic Invector chokes.

To give you an idea about price, I sold my Citori with Invector in good condition at the begining of the year for $1000 and my Citori fixed choke upland in good condition for $650. But honestly, if you don't have an O/U in your collection and you are thinking that eventually you might get one, just keep the one you have. A Citori is far better than a Stoeger or Biakal or Maverick or any of those Turkish made guns.
 
Browning Citori is one of the most reliable shotguns ever made. 28 inch barrels or longer are much more popular than 26 inch barrels. Check that the lockup is tight, even with forend removed, and lever is right of centre.
Condition counts a lot - bluing wear and dents to the stock finish heavily discount the value. A well used Citori might be showing firing pin pitting or pitting of the breech face, which also discounts value. Firing pin replacements are not expensive, but the labour cost cuts into the value of a gun.
A 12 gauge Citori 28 inch field with F/M fixed chokes, looking like a perfectly new gun was priced at $950 at an Edmonton gun show in the Spring, and sold at that price. There is a lifetime of shooting in a gun like that.
Generally, people are Browning fans or Beretta fans due to their different fit characteristics, but both are superb shotgun brands.
 
As noted above, those are well made durable guns.

1. With the gun assembled, remove the forend wood and while holding just the butt stock wiggle the gun side to side.
There should not be any looseness or play between the barrel and receiver.
2. The lever should be well to the right of center. This indicates that the locking block is not worn.
3. Get a bore-gauge and check the bore and chokes ... some older fixed choke guns have had the chokes altered.
4. Fire a box of shells through the gun to make sure everything is functioning properly. Fire both barrels without reloading (doubles) do that a few times and alternate which barrel fires first.
5. 30" barrels are more desirable, 32" are uncommon, but great for trap. 28" is ok and 26" are not very desirable.

These guns are somewhat prone to failing to fire the bottom barrel, especially with Federal shells (domed primer).

If it passes all of the above, (in SW Ontario) it is worth $800 to $1,000.
 
Thank you all very much. I’m glad I asked on here, it seems the values are a bit less than I thought, but I’m going to go check it out in person anyway. I’ll check for play and the opening lever. I don’t have a bore gauge but I think the owner bought it new, so he should know if it’s been altered.
Thanks again.
 
I just bought a Citori 725 field 20 gauge in 28" barrels. Went hunting for upland birds and ducks with it as it has a 3" chamber. It's probably a newer version of the Citori you are looking at most likely, but I love the browning line of guns and they also fit me better than Beretta's. Although the gun I bought has interchangeable chokes I wouldn't hesitate buying fixed chokes. As long as it fits you well and is in good condition you can't go wrong.
 
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