The future looks bright for the semi-auto shotgun, a favourite among waterfowlers and pigeon and crow hunters. Gas-operated and recoil-operated versions both have their devotees. Browning has two of the most competitive models on the market in the gas-operated Maxus and the inertia-operated A5. Here is a quick look at how these two systems work, and their strengths and weaknesses.
About the Author
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Straight, swan neck, Monte-Carlo, pistol: what’s it all about?
Gunsmiths often say that “the bullet comes from the gun; the kill comes from the stock”. The stock is in direct contact with the shooter and has to nestle perfectly in the pit of the shoulder to guarantee a certain level of performance. Everyone has heard of straight stocks, swan-necks, the Monte-Carlo, pistol grips, and others, but what do these names actually mean? Here’s a quick overview of some of these terms.
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BAR & Maral Reflex: a step ahead of the rest
Visitors to the IWA 2019 were unanimous in their opinion: Browning has made a great impact with the launch of the BAR and Maral Reflex ranges. This ingenious system has provided a new shooting experience for all lovers of battue style hunting, putting you a step ahead of the rest. Let’s explain.
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The good, the bad and the mouflon
Ever since I was very young, I’ve been fascinated by the mountains. I’ve always preferred silent hiking trails to beaches packed with ruddy bathers basted in lotion. I enjoy the physical challenge of the steep hillsides. I’m not the sporty type particularly, but what a great feeling when the blood starts racing through your temples, you’re trying to catch your breath and your legs are burning. For me, mountain stalking is the purest form of hunting there is. It’s the only time your quarry has a head start up a cliff side. The only hunt where I feel I’m on an extraordinary quest, beyond time. My great friend Dominique from Marseille, with the lilting accent to match, recently gave me a chance to hunt mouflon on Mont Caroux, near Béziers. This is the story of the intense, almost primitive, joy of that hunt.
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Shot Show 2019: Browning, more than just guns
Ask an American which monuments symbolise his country and he’ll tell you about the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, or the Hollywood sign on the hills above Los Angeles. Talk to him about brands that symbolise the American Dream, and there’s a good chance that Browning will be one of the first names mentioned.
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My first chamois: cast away on a sea of cloud
I was recently lucky enough to fly to Slovenia to organise a Browning event. Slovenia, for anyone who doesn’t know, is a small country, formerly part of the Republic of Yugoslavia, on the borders of Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. It is a one-of-a-kind model for Europe. Hunters and naturalists live peacefully side by side, the mountains are unspoiled by mass tourism, and it has an extremely diverse and rich wildlife. It was in this idyllic setting that I had the chance to bag my first chamois, with the help of my great friend Peter Matjasic, owner of YouTube channel WaffenlandTV. Read about my adventures below.
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Browning Maxus: repeating excellence
It’s a nice title, isn’t it? I could just as easily have written “Browning Maxus, the best gas-operated semi-auto shotgun on the market”. But that just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
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5 reasons to buy a Browning safe
With lawmakers casting a foreboding shadow over the gun and hunting sectors, a gun safe is an increasingly recommended item of equipment. Some countries in Europe require all gun owners to have one, and others may soon follow suit.
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5 reasons to buy a Maral
Hunters like to shop as much as the fashion victims you see strutting around city centres. What could be nicer than casually browsing around a gun store you’ve never been to before while your other half is buying a pair of shoes in the shop next door (using her own credit card, phew!)? What greater thrill than shouldering a gun you’ve had your eye on for years? Nothing much, probably, except the actual hunt.
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United States: prairie dog hunting in Utah
A bison-sized 4×4 cuts its way across Far West scenery. A vast, desert expanse spreads beyond view. The temperature is touching 40°C; not enough to deter a dozen or so antelopes from nibbling at the tufts of burnt grass. The turns in the road reveal the occasional village peering out of the dust like lunar colonies.
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Auto-5, BAR, B25, Hi-Power, 1900: focus on 5 Browning guns that have each sold over 1 million
John Moses Browning, the man who gave his name to our brand, is often called “the father of modern guns”. This man who held 128 patents is also behind four of the five Browning guns that have each sold over one million.
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B525 Liberty Light: large or small, all are equal and just as effective
All hunters and shooters have the right to the “best there is”. Yet even if the very best over and under shotguns are called B25, B15, Heritage, B725, B525 or Cynergy, it does sometimes happen that a shooter cannot find a stock that fits his shoulder. The grip may be too wide, the stock may be too long, the fore-end may be ill-adapted, the trigger may be too far away etc. For some shooters who are smaller than average hunters, such as women or younger people, micro stocks are not always enough. The only solution is to take the shotgun to the gunsmith.
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What makes Browning over-and-under shotguns so durable?
I often get the chance to work at hunting fairs in Europe, but whether in France, Germany, Sweden or England, one question comes up time after time. “Hello, I shoot with a B25 purchased in the 1960s and I wanted to know why Browning shotguns stand out from the rest with their extraordinary longevity”? Well, here are some of the answers.
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The wild boar, a tank on legs
It’s happened to all of us at least once. In the middle of a hunt, an enormous wild boar weighing about a hundred kilos takes off in front of you. Having checked he is in your angle of fire, you shoulder your weapon and pull the trigger. The shot fires, but the animal carries on! You are starting to doubt your marksmanship, even though it is well-established along the line of guns. So you fire a second bullet. The black beast continues his flight. “Missed again!” you curse to yourself, thoroughly disheartened.
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Top 10 excuses for poor marksmanship
In Belgium, we’re used to making fun of our French neighbours, and especially their ability to find excuses whenever their national football team loses a match. “It was too windy,” “the pitch was as bad as the ref,” “the ball was flat,” etc. Fair game, I hear you say, since our French friends are past masters in the art of making fun of Belgians.
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The top 10 excuses for going hunting
During each period between hunting seasons, the same thing happens. You dismantle, clean and reassemble your weapons up to six times a day. You stockpile so much ammunition that you have to close off certain parts of your home. At night, you alternate between hunting and erotic dreams. Your Sundays punctuated with family meals and naps in front of Inspector Derrick are as joyful as a congress of forensic pathologists.
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How to choose your shooting scope
Nine French hunters out of ten use a telescopic sight when hunting big game. A scope can be an indispensable help when seeking to ensure a maximum of precision. Red dots, scopes for driven hunts or scopes for stalking: with so much choice, it is sometimes difficult to know what to choose! This should help with your decision.
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The hunt: a boost to the economy!
Opponents of hunting are often hermetically sealed against any arguments that hunters might advance. Regulation? They either do not believe in it or do not want to believe. The support it provides to farmers and breeders? An unacceptable rural conspiracy, and so on…
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A weapon for lefties, for skillful shooting
Lefties make up about 10 to 15% of the population. When it comes to guns it is only natural that they have specific needs. Browning wants to address this issue by launching a range that will certainly be expanded.
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How to react to a charging boar?
Bang! Bang! Bang! You’ve just emptied your magazine at a particularly imposing boar. Unfortunately, you missed the big pig because of the wind, the sun in your eyes, or any number of other reasons (beyond your control, of course: we wouldn’t cast doubt on your shooting skills). The thing is… the dark beast doesn’t look happy at being shot at!