Gun Dog Forum

i am thinking I may be in the market for a new pump gun. I got started shooting a Mossberg 600 several years ago that my father gave me but to be honest I just dont like the gun, and i put an 18" bbl on it and it is in the corner of my room. Since then I have bought traded and sold an array of semi autos and O/Us. I decided the other day that I want another pump gun but am looking for something fairly specific.

I want a straight stocked wood pump gun with 24" or shorter BBL. more than likely it will be a 12ga but i know browning makes it in a 16 currently (which would be my choice).

I know that Browning makes a BPS that fits what I am looking for, but I am thinking that I have seen wingmasters with a short bbl and a straight stock.

Other than browning does anyone else make what I am looking for? Am I correct in thinking I have seen an 870 like this?

Jim

Remington did make an 870 Special Field, which had the straight stock.

I have an 870 special field 20 gauge with 21" barrel choked imp cyl. Straight english stock. Points quick. Shoots 2 3/4 and 3 inch. Killed a ton of pheasants and quail with it 25 years ago. Mostly sits in the safe now.

Thats pretty much what im after, Im gona spend some time looking for a remington, but I imagine if i dont find one pretty soon I may have to look at a new 16ga BPS upland special.....

Jim

There is one for sale on this board.

viewtopic.php?f=113&t=26201&p=309150&hi ... on#p309150

Just re-posted today.

Im looking for either a 16ga or a 12ga, and I can get a NEW BPS for not much more than he is asking.... But I appreciate the heads up.

Jim

Yup you are right you can get just about any pump for 550.00. However they will not have as much cult status as a the Remington 870 special field. For example, I found the same 20 gauge, that I am selling, going for 649.00 elsewhere and I can tell you mine has only seen four boxes of shells! It really boils down to what you want and I am sure the Browning should do nicely.

I had a 870 Special field when they first came out, didn't have "LW" on it. I was a 20ga with 21" barrel and came with a full choke. I had the choke opened to ImpCyl. One of the two best grouse guns I ever owned. Couldn't shoot it worth a darn in open field. My son has that gun now and I'm not sure how he got!

Browning makes the BPS "Upland" model with a straight English stock.

Below is a link to a Gunbroker auction for one in 16ga. going for $408 - reserve price not met yet. Plenty more on that auction site.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =264613639

Get the BPS Upland! I've had an 870 for about 50 years, bought the BPS about 15 years ago: the 870 has sat in the safe since then. I always hated that trigger guard safety. The Browning has a tang safety. Just my humble opinion. :roll:

Jim,
Would you explain please why you want such a short BBl pump gun, other than home protection there is very little legal use for
them in my home state of Pa. If you are bird hunting a 26" or 28" BBl would make more sense.
RGD/Dave

Ryman Gun Dog wrote:Jim,
Would you explain please why you want such a short BBl pump gun, other than home protection there is very little legal use for
them in my home state of Pa. If you are bird hunting a 26" or 28" BBl would make more sense.
RGD/Dave

I dont like a 26-28in pumpor automatic shotgun. My goto shotgun is a 26in O/U and like gpblitz said it is about the same length. Im not sure how far you have to walk in your home state of PA when you are chasing Ruffs but here in the corn belt its not entirely uncommon to put on several (10+) miles to see a couple covies of quail, and loosing 5-7in of bbl can save pounds.... Besides that, it is what I want, and I feel justified in spending my hard earned money as I please....

Jim

Did you get that short barelled shotgun? I have been considering the Browning with the 22" barell. I just haven't shot one that short before, my current shotgun is a 28"er. Any reason other than pointability for a shorter barell? I hunt gambels quail and chukar here in the Mojave desert. Some shots are close, but just as many are long. What's your opinion?

I havnt picked up the shotgun yet. More than likely it will be early fall, I just had to drop a grand in a clutch in my truck, and am ratholeing up the money to send my pup to a pro.

As far as the short BBL shot gun goes, I just dont like a long gun. The old theory that a shorter BBL will be better for longer shots doesnt really hold true any more. With advances in the modern powders and the new wad designs being used in modern shotshells you get about the same performance from any BBL over 18in. Especially when you consider a LOOONNNGG shot with a scatter gun is 40yds for most people.

I have settled on the browning as the gun I will be getting, and am currently pondereing either the 22" 12ga or the 23" 16ga.

Jim

I would agree that barrel lenght wouldn't affect ballistics much, but that's more of a rifle concern than shotgun.

Where barrel length comes into play in shotguns--and something to really pay attention to--is in balance and swing. Very important for shotgunners. A short barrel takes more effort to control swing, and in some guns--can make the gun unbalances, i.e. butt heavy.

I like short barrels for close range woods hunting, but find I shoot better with average length barrels most of the time.

I have a 23" 12 gauge Rem. Special Field. Bought it a handful of years before they quite making them. Nice gun back when remington's quality was better. I had looked at earlier 21" versions and they did not balance well. The 23" one I have is OK, but not a terribly light gun, even given it's short barrel, so I tend not to use it as much anymore.

Straight stocks if you aren't used to them can take a bit of time to get comfortable with. On mine the LOP feels long--though it isn't any different than some other guns which seem to fit me better.

I like the BPS in 20 with a short barrel, but not the straight stock version--the regular stock version feels much better balanced in my hands. I think it is called the micro hunter. I don't know if they make them in 12--my suspicion is they might be a tad heavy if they do.

jimbo&rooster wrote:I havnt picked up the shotgun yet. More than likely it will be early fall, I just had to drop a grand in a clutch in my truck, and am ratholeing up the money to send my pup to a pro.

As far as the short BBL shot gun goes, I just dont like a long gun. The old theory that a shorter BBL will be better for longer shots doesnt really hold true any more. With advances in the modern powders and the new wad designs being used in modern shotshells you get about the same performance from any BBL over 18in. Especially when you consider a LOOONNNGG shot with a scatter gun is 40yds for most people.

I have settled on the browning as the gun I will be getting, and am currently pondereing either the 22" 12ga or the 23" 16ga.

Jim

Thanks Jim, I can certainly understand having to wait and save a little dough before getting your gun. I too am saving my pennies right now and it sounds like we might have the same time frame. I am interested in what you end up getting. Give me a holler and let me know. Thanks.

I own the Browning BPS upland special in 16GA. This is the short barreled english stock version. I love it, and think it is one of the best pump guns on the market. The saftey is on the tang where it should be. The bottom feed and eject is ambidextrous, so I can had it down to my wrong handed son someday. The magazine release makes for easy unloading when you get back to the truck. The steel is blued, not parkerized, and the wood is decent with a nice satin finish. I think it is made on a 20GA frame because it only weighs a few more onces. I will probably keep this gun forever. As far as I know it is the only straight stock pump still manufactured. Winchester used to make an upland special model with the english stock, but I dont think they do anymore. There is nothing wrong with the Winchester either its a great pump gun. I will tell you this though. The 12GA BPS Upland Special comes with a 22" barrel invector plus choke tubes and is backbored. The 16GA comes with a 24" barrel and standard invector choke tubes (the short ones) and is not back bored.

Deets wrote:I own the Browning BPS upland special in 16GA. This is the short barreled english stock version. I love it, and think it is one of the best pump guns on the market. The saftey is on the tang where it should be. The bottom feed and eject is ambidextrous, so I can had it down to my wrong handed son someday. The magazine release makes for easy unloading when you get back to the truck. The steel is blued, not parkerized, and the wood is decent with a nice satin finish. I think it is made on a 20GA frame because it only weighs a few more onces. I will probably keep this gun forever. As far as I know it is the only straight stock pump still manufactured. Winchester used to make an upland special model with the english stock, but I dont think they do anymore. There is nothing wrong with the Winchester either its a great pump gun. I will tell you this though. The 12GA BPS Upland Special comes with a 22" barrel invector plus choke tubes and is backbored. The 16GA comes with a 24" barrel and standard invector choke tubes (the short ones) and is not back bored.

Thanks for the info Deets,my job of picking a gun is getting harder. I guess I will just have to buy one of each.