Question on older Browning BPS

[dak0ta]

Anybody know much about the BPS Hunter models from the 1980's? Any idea when the barrels got threaded for chokes from the factory? Are the fixed 30" barrels safe for steel shot?

Also, what was the build quality like back then compared to now and are modern BPS barrels interchangeable?

Was the BPS always a 3" capable model since its debut in 1977?

 

[troy fairweather]

they were good guns for the money, other then that i have not shot one in some time.

 

[jmr40]

Good guns all around. A little on the heavy side is the only negative. I wouldn't shoot steel shot through a full choke. It doesn't matter if it is an interchangeable tube of fixed choke barrel. Traditionally, before choke tubes, 26" was IC, 30" was always Full choke. But while 28" barrels were usually modified some gun companies made 28" barrels in both modified and full. Not sure about Browning, but I'd look closely and take a micrometer to measure barrel ID to be sure about the choke if it is not stamped on the barrel.

The rest I'm not sure about.

 

[George P]

The barrel will say what the choke is if it is a fixed choke guns. It will also say whether or not it is steel shot safe. You can always have choke tubes installed in a fixed choke gun

 

[Kookla]

I had a bps years ago and it was an older, well worn one. Mine was old enough that it was a 12g built on a 10g receiver, so I didn't have any luck finding any additional barrels with it.

 

[Wis-Harpo]

I think I bought my BPS in about 1983. I was going to replace my 10 year old Rem 870 Wingmaster. My son was about 15 then, and I gave him my 870, and I intended to shoot the 28" Mod barrel BPS on pheasants. I had such a hard time adapting to the tang safety, that after a few pheasant hunts my son got the new BPS. My son had just graduated from a single shot H&R 20 gauge, so the tang safety was easy for him to use. Nice shotgun, just could not get used to the safety.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Dad got a nice one in the 1980s in a Trade!. It has a fixed choke!

 

[George P]

Dad got a nice one in the 1980s in a Trade!. It has a fixed choke!

Nothing wrong with a fixed choke; that said, it can easily be altered to accept choke tubes for about $60 (plus the chokes) or simply opened up if it is too tight for the intended usage.

 

[rule303]

The BPS has been good quality from the beginning to today. The barrels will interchange with new ones. The older ones had a single shot switch that disconnected the lifter arms for single loading, very handy for trap. I believe the Invector tubes started around 1990 on the BPS . Later barrels will be Invector Plus.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Dad's is made in Japan and is smooth as silk and the weight makes shooting those Peter's true blue 3 inch magnum #4 .