16ga.com ~ View topic - Browning Superlight Feather- weight?

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3178 Location: NCWa

While I had my Superlight apart for the stock project I weighed the components with these results: Barrels w/chokes 2 lb 14 oz; Action w/long tang trigger guard 1 lb 13 oz; buttstock wood 1 lb 0 oz; buttstock hardware 4 oz; forend wood 6 oz; forend hardware 6 oz; total 6 lb 11 oz.
Unless there is more aluminum exchanged in the feather, the only reduction would be to the 1 13 of the action. Aluminum is about 1/3 the density of steel, but parts of the action would need to be steel or an alloy denser than aluminum, so I would guess the feather action to weigh about 10 oz less than the steel version, putting the total gun at about 6 lb 1 oz.

So how far off am I from the total weight of the feathers?

Member Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 321 Location: So Cal

Hard to say what these "Feathers" actually weigh. I have a Citori Feather XS in 28ga, 30" barrels, that the "nominal weight" is supposed to be around 6lbs 2oz. Mine actually weighs 6lbs 11oz. Browning catalogs indicate that that is what the nominal weight is for a steel receiver'd model in 28ga w/30" barrels is expected to be around. And yes, I did confirm that my action is not steel, but the aluminum alloyed one.
But since the gun balances and shoots so well I don't care about the actual weight. Most of my 16ga's weigh plus or minus a few ounces from 7lbs and that weight works best for me. While lighter guns are easier to carry I find that I don't shoot them very well in the field or at gun down skeet and trap. That's why I gave my son my 20ga Beretta Silver Pigeon II, which did weigh in at 6lbs 1oz. He likes it and shoots it well, plus he has 3 sons that are also looking forward to shooting with it.

Member Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 989 Location: Las Vegas

My 26' barreled Feather weighs in at 5lb. 15 1/2oz.

Matt

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3178 Location: NCWa

The barrels of the Superlight are 28" and while I don't have a 26" Citori for comparison, on some M21s the difference in weight between 26 & 28" barrels is 2 oz; which means my estimate for the feather is off by 1/2 oz. With about 10 oz removed from the action and the majority of weight in the barrels, it seems the result would be to shift the balance point farther forward. Is that the case?

Joined: 18 Mar 2011 Posts: 20 Location: Duluth, MN

Hello AmericanMeet,

Not sure you can figure it this way, here is my example, even within one gun model, from the same manufacturer, same wood grade, same vintage etc. I have found a fair bit of variation between individual gun weights, often that don't really correspond to the published or "nominal" weight, gusess that's why the dicrepancy/use of the term "nominal".

Wood is just to variable, even if from the same tree.

I carefully weighed a few guns last night and just happen to own two identical Feather Citoris in 20ga. (sorry all, I am looking for a 16 in this model) the only difference being one has 26" and one 28" barrels. Not only are they substantially different weight wise, the results are counterintuitive with the longer (28") barreled gun being the lighter of the two.

Specifically, the 26" weighs in at 6.0 lbs. and the 28" at 5.5 lbs. That's a significant difference in two identical grade 1 std/straight grain wood guns. Imagine what a difference grade 6 or 7 wood might add to the eqaution.

To chime in on the balance point issue--the 26" balances right where forearm wood meets the metal, my finger touches both surfaces eqaully. The lighter 28's balance point is almost an inch further forward with my finger well into the forearm wood, nowhere near the metal.

For whatever its worth!

John

I have a 16ga lightning feather 28" bbls

exactly 6lbs.

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

Unfortunately, in this day and age, specifications for a gun's overall weight are only an "average". Unless you have the luxury of handling several guns of the same model and weighing them on your own scale before purchase, you might get a stock that is denser, hence,heavier. Likewise, a less dense stock would weigh less. That being said, I would generally estimate a weight of +or - 6 oz from specifications on a particular model. My 1926 LC Smith field model weighs 6#9 oz where most weigh 5 to 6 oz heavier for the same model and bbl. length. On the other hand, my Stevens Riverside weighs 8 oz heavier than the catalog weight range for a 16 bore in the 1933 catalog.

Go figure.

You can alter the weight (and the balance as well) by removing wood from the buttstock and to a lesser extent, the forend. A couple of oz. isn't going to matter, but 6 or 7 might, if you have to carry it all day!

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

I forgot to say that I once owned a Browning Citori Superlight Upland Feather with 24" bbls. You would probably guess it's weight at less than 6#s, right?

Wrong. Sad

It weighed,unloaded 6#1oz. Laughing