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< 16ga. Guns ~ Browning BPS Upland Special Barrel length and handling |
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Posted:
Sat Jul 08, 2017 9:22 am
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Joined: 21 Dec 2016
Posts: 10
Location: New York
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I am ready to purchase a Browning BPS 16 gauge. I have chosen the Upland Special series over the Hunter series to add some variation to my collection of BPS shotguns (10, 12, & 20 gauges). I also got to shoot a Winchester 1300 12 gauge and a Remington 11-87 20 gauge both with english stocks and liked the handling.
The only question I have of those of you who own the BPS Upland Special 16 gauge is a common and probably over-asked question. I am new to the forum and apologize if this has been covered frequently.
Which barrel length, 24-inch or 26-inch, gives the best handling and balance of the two? Is there a noticeable difference in felt recoil between the 26- and the 24-inch barrels? Thank you in advance for your help and advice. |
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Posted:
Sat Jul 08, 2017 9:34 am
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Member
![Member Member](images/theavatar.jpg)
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1395
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia
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Personally, I'd go with the 24" barrel. Handling is better, imho. With the rib weight and less weight in the stock due to straight grip, a little less weight out front helps in my opinion.
In theory, recoil should be less with the 26". In reality, I don't think anyone could tell the difference. Sight length is better with 26", but I don't look at the barrel when shooting.
I don't understand why browning doesn't just offer a 22" barrel length in the upland 16ga bps? It standard in the 20 and 12ga, with no other choices offered.. |
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Posted:
Sat Jul 08, 2017 10:48 am
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Member
![Member Member](images/theavatar.jpg)
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Posts: 381
Location: NW Arkansas
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HH,
I'd say a lot of your decision depends on your preferences and what you intend to shoot with it. If you're after quail/some sporting clays, then perhaps the 24". If after pheasants in open country or trap-type targets, then perhaps the 26".
I shoot mainly quail, so I have a 24" gun. I've not shouldered a 26" gun, but I suspect the balance is better in the 24" version.
Keep in mind that the 16 BPS comes on a 20 gauge BPS receiver, and that the receiver itself adds to the sighting plane (even through the BPS has an "elevated" rib). So, the extra length of a 28" may not help that much, as it often does on a SxS or OU. A discussion of barrel length on the new A5 Sweet 16 was made some time ago, and may add to information to help you make your decision. See the following link:
http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19673&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
Agree, recoil difference won't be detectable under normal circumstances.
As an owner of other BPS's you should know the pluses and minuses of the model by now! |
_________________ 16 gauges:
1954 Win M12 IC
1952 Ithaca M37 Mod
1955 Browning Auto-5 Mod
1940 Ithaca NID M/F
1959 Beretta Silver Hawk
Ranger 103-II M/F
Browning A-5 Sweet 16
Browning Citori Invector
Rem 870 Remchoke |
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Posted:
Sat Jul 08, 2017 11:07 am
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Member
![Member Member](images/theavatar.jpg)
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9464
Location: Amarillo, Texas
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Hello HudsonHowitzer775
WELCOME on your first posting
For upland (grouse, woodcock, and quail) I would pick the 24"
For waterfowl and pheasants I would opt for the longer barrel.
Pleased to have you on the site
Please let us know what you decide to get.
Mike |
Last edited by skeettx on Sat Oct 21, 2017 6:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Posted:
Sat Jul 08, 2017 11:31 am
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Joined: 21 Dec 2016
Posts: 10
Location: New York
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As an owner of other BPS's you should know the pluses and minuses of the model by now![/quote]
4setters, you would think, but the BPS 10 and the BPS 12 with 3.5" chamber is significantly different. The balance is completly different even with my 12 having a 28" barrel and the 10 having a 26". I have a pretty good idea from my 20 gauge, but the stock will be completely different since I have the BPS 20 Hunter instead of the upland. I'm a little OCD about getting all of the info I can when I'm about to buy a new gun so I don't waste my money. Especially since I have to special order the 16 gauge.
Thus will be a multi-purpose gun that I will take mostly to the trap, skeet, and sporting clays ranges for recreational shooting as well as to have for duck, pheasant, or quail. I know a gun that is used for everything won't be grest for everything, but it'll do the job.
Thank you all for your recommendations. I will probably go with the 24-inch barrel since I will be purchasing extended choke tubes that add about an inch to the barrel.
Thanks for the welcome. |
_________________ If it isn't broken, give it to a firefighter and it soon will be. |
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Posted:
Sun Jul 09, 2017 10:57 am
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Joined: 07 Sep 2014
Posts: 419
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I have an AS NEW in the box 26" 16 Gauge Upland Special BPS for sale. Less than 150 rounds through it and not a mark on it and it has two extra chokes with it, skeet and cyclinder.
E-mail or Text for Pictures.
Bob
rkittine@aol.com
631 374 9652 |
_________________ Robert Kittine
Sag Harbor and Manhattan, New York
WA2YDV
16 Gauge O/U Browning 525 Sporting
16 Gauge SxS Rizzini Islide
16 Gauge Pump Browning BPS Upland
16 Gauge Semi-Auto Remington 1100 Sporting |
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Posted:
Sun Jul 09, 2017 2:12 pm
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Member
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Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 6535
Location: massachusetts
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In theory, the 24" model is supposed to be a bit quicker to mount and swing and is supposed to be a few ounces lighter in weight. However, I own and shoot a 26" upland BPS and have shot the 24" Upland model as well. Frankly, I can't tell any difference in weight or handling between the two. I'd not pass up a good deal on either if I were you. Just my opinion based on experience. |
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Posted:
Mon Jul 10, 2017 6:14 am
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Joined: 07 Sep 2014
Posts: 419
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HH, Where are you located on the Hudson? Where do you shoot clays? Maybe we can get a squad together in the near future.
Bob |
_________________ Robert Kittine
Sag Harbor and Manhattan, New York
WA2YDV
16 Gauge O/U Browning 525 Sporting
16 Gauge SxS Rizzini Islide
16 Gauge Pump Browning BPS Upland
16 Gauge Semi-Auto Remington 1100 Sporting |
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Posted:
Thu Jul 13, 2017 8:19 am
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Joined: 21 Dec 2016
Posts: 10
Location: New York
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rkittine wrote: |
HH, Where are you located on the Hudson? Where do you shoot clays? Maybe we can get a squad together in the near future.
Bob
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Yeah, Bob, that'd be great. I emailed you my location. I do.my shooting at Blue Mountain Sportsman's Center, the county run range. They have a couple of skeet and trap fields and good knowledgeable range officers that keep it fun.
16gaugeguy, thank you for your experience. I usually don't fuss over weight and handling so much since my duck and goose gun is a BPS 10 gauge that weighs 10.5 lbs and swings like a pressure treated 4x4. I want my wife to be able to handle this gun too since I think the 16 gauge combines the beat of the 20 gauge and 12 gauge.
I ordered my gun yesterday and ended up going with the 24-inch barrel since after I add my Trulock Precision Hunter chokes it will be closer to 25 inches. Good compromise in the end. I'll post pics when it arrives.
Thanks again for the help, folks. |
_________________ If it isn't broken, give it to a firefighter and it soon will be. |
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Posted:
Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:57 pm
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Member
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Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 6535
Location: massachusetts
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HudsonHowitzer775 wrote: |
...16gaugeguy, thank you for your experience. I usually don't fuss over weight and handling so much since my duck and goose gun is a BPS 10 gauge that weighs 10.5 lbs and swings like a pressure treated 4x4. I want my wife to be able to handle this gun too since I think the 16 gauge combines the beat of the 20 gauge and 12 gauge.
I ordered my gun yesterday and ended up going with the 24-inch barrel since after I add my Trulock Precision Hunter chokes it will be closer to 25 inches. Good compromise in the end. I'll post pics when it arrives.
Thanks again for the help, folks.
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I've owned and shot several 24" barreled repeaters in 12, 16, and 20 gauge. The overall length is close to a 28" O/U or SxS double, because repeater receivers are usually between 6" to 8" long. All of my "shorties" handled very well and were a joy to bird hunt with.
I think you will find the BPS 24" model to be very responsive with a very good between the hands balance and feel. On top of this, the BPS is a very well built gun which tends to last for many years with a minimum of care.
The BPS is a nightmare to disassemble in my experience having tried to do so w/ a 12 gauge model I owned in the early 1980s. I got it apart and back together w/o severing any of me fingies, but once was more than enough to teach me the error of my ways. Momma raised no fools (I hope).
It's a good thing all I've ever had to do is blow out the weed seeds and leaves with some compressed air followed by a conservative shot or two of aerosol gun lube through the plastic tube supplied w/ the can and a wipe down of the exterior w/ the same. Any of the better polar compound aerosol lubes tend to distribute themselves over the parts throughout the receiver on their own.
I suspect occasionally dunking the entire assembled receiver sans the wood in some type of petroleum based solvent might be a good idea if the guns are repeatedly carried where the weeds are thick and the dust is heavy (or if the gun takes a dunking in water), but I've never needed to do it to mine.
I hope your wife and you get to enjoy shooting your new BPS for a long time. Good luck w/ it. 16GG |
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Posted:
Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:53 pm
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Joined: 21 Dec 2016
Posts: 10
Location: New York
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Just received my new Browning BPS Upland Special 16 gauge. The 24-inch barrel was definately the way to go. The gun is perfectly balanced and doesn't feel front heavy like my 20 gauge BPS Hunter with 26-inch barrel does. The receiver is noticeably shorter on the 16 gauge model, probably due to the chambering being 2.75" for the 16 and 3" for the 20.
Fit and finish are excellent. The wood stock is a bit "proud" on the receiver, but I prefer a little more thickness since it is an English stock. Otherwise, fit and finish are what I have come to expect from Browning - Excellent! This being my 4th BPS, The action is tight, but runs well. It feels like my BPS 12 Stalker did at first, but that one is like butter now. I think my 16 will be too after a few hundred rounds (yes, I have a reloader). I hope the english stock won't throw my shooting off too much. Haven't patterned it or shot any clays with it yet, but that'll be next week's activity.
This rounds out my BPS collection to 4 different gauges; 10, 12, 16, and 20. I think my favorite one is going to be the 16 gauge if it shoots anywhere near as well as the Mossberg 190 16 gauge I borrowed from the in-laws. So far, it handles better than the 20. I'll let you all know if it hits like the 12.
Thanks again to all of you who helped in the research and decision process.[/img] |
_________________ If it isn't broken, give it to a firefighter and it soon will be. |
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Posted:
Sat Jul 22, 2017 9:15 am
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Member
![Member Member](images/theavatar.jpg)
Joined: 06 Nov 2005
Posts: 328
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A BPS in .410 is made also! |
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Posted:
Sat Jul 22, 2017 10:02 am
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Member
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9464
Location: Amarillo, Texas
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Posted:
Sat Oct 21, 2017 5:35 pm
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Joined: 11 Jul 2011
Posts: 38
Location: Missouri
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Maybe 2 of them is in order a 24" for turkey hunting great for shooting out of blind. And 26" for clays & dove hunting don't have carry as much. Problem solved. |
_________________ T.S. Elliott |
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