Browning 525 or Silver Pigeon

[Crowstalker]

I am possibly in the market for a brand new over and under.

I was pretty set on the Browning 525 game gun as it seems to just look that little bit better than the silver pigeon.

I have never owned a browning so i started doing a bit of research and have come across issiues with the browning rusting and firing pin issues. I am a little off put by this. Then i started looking at the silver pigeon and they seem to have their own share of problems ejecting etc.

I would value any one who owns or has owned either to share your thoughts and views, good or bad.

Thanks

 

[Malxwal]

It's an individual thing. Best is to try and get to a shop with a ground that can let you shoot both. And try Miroku too.

 

[Dazb1967]

It's an individual thing. Best is to try and get to a shop with a ground that can let you shoot both. And try Miroku too.

Exactly this, I shot a silver pigeon for years and shot really badly, changed it for a Browning 525 and it totally changed my shooting for the better, moved onto a 725 now and love the gun

 

[guns 6br]

Had both sold the silver pigeon and kept the browning but I don't think you be disappointed with either

 

[Tikkat1x]

only 1 gun i hate, and thats the silver pigeon, shot crap and felt crap, but thats just my personal opinion, im a miroku man so id suggest a miroku of the MK flavour, iv also had a couple of the old browning 325's that have been good, iv probably owned every make of shot gun in my time and never had any bother with things going wrong so i wouldnt read to much into the bad report here and there, may also be because i favour the older types like the browning 325 and the older miroku 3800's of which i own, but my main gun is a 1986 miroku 7000 high rib trap gun, buts shoot sporting with, i like the thicker comb and trap forends of said guns, they were made better back then, like most things nowadays, there just thrown together, but as alway, gun fit is key, it can look nice, shoot nice, but if it dont fit it aint worth a w^%k

 

[Shaun Goss]

Have both and they are fantastic, ignore the things you read online, if looked after they will both give a lifetime of shooting.

Go to a gun shop and pick them up, the one you like will scream at you as they have very different feels in the shoulder in my opinion.

 

[Heym SR20]

Browning or Berreta, Berreta or Browning. Six of one and two threes.

There is a huge variation with the range of guns produced by each, from machine made mass produced guns to hand built perfection, from lightweight small bores to heavy weight trap guns and everything in between.

Find a gun you like that you can shoot with well.

Both brands are very reliable and go on for ever. Different in style.

 

[Will the chippy]

Save a few quid for fitting. Or at least go to a good gun shop with a clay ground and try as many as you can to get the one that fits best, pay for the on-site instructors time, they will be able to see if it actually fits and not you with rose tinted glasses thinking you’ll grow into it.
When I went to buy my 525 I was dead set on a new 725. They had about 5 725s and 8 525s, the 725s just didn’t fit and all but 1 525 had slightly different stock dimensions. I picked the one that gave me the best and most natural sight down the barrel.

 

[dlz90]

I remember when a young man starting out having a bakial single barrel I probably shot more with that wee gun than most I've had since.

Since those far off days I've owned a lot of different shotguns from semi autos to side by sides, I still have one auto a benelli m1 super 90 but my go to is a silver pigeon.

For me the silver pigeon is fantastic from build to fit and overall effectiveness I love it, now if I owned a 525 I'd probably say the same but for me it's the Beretta and I've aboslutely no complaints.

D

 

[Crowstalker]

Brilliant guys, I do agree the right fit makes or breaks it. It's just disheartening when you think you might have found a nice gun and then read online of some bad reviews eg the browning rusting then your mind goes back to square one to start the process again of finding the "right" one!

 

[HallyButt]

Grew up in the 90’s shooting ss so when the time came for ou the SP range where the obvious choice, bought a 725 when launched, awful quality so it went back three times before getting money back, tried 525 in 12b and felt like a punt gun, ok for clays or wildfowling but not game for me, tried a friends 20b in 525 Hunter and it wasn’t as clunky but still felt dead/sterile.

Still use 20b silver pigeon for general game and a 695 in 12b for clays and West/North especially with the enforced move to HP steel

 

[Bo Diddley]

I'd advise shooting both if you can, say a slab of shells through each gun, that should give you an idea other than looking at a spec sheet and swinging one about in the shop.
I've had Brownings/Miroku and Berretas, they are like chalk & cheese, as much as I liked the Berreta handling they just didn't suit me despite getting them fitted to me, I've stuck with Brownings for the last 35 years.

 

[tackb]

as has been said , you will know the gun when you pick it up it will just feel right

people tend to be either browning or beretta , personally i've always found the brownings to suit me but there is nothing wrong with beretta

 

[Eddie P]

I prefer berettas smaller action, but 525s fit me better. I've now got a 525 ultralight which is perfect for me.
Clays and game.

All you can do is see which suits you.

 

[chriswjx]

I did 70% of my lessons prior to getting my SGC with a Beretta SP. The final 30% of the lessons, I was at a different ground, which had a variety of miroku and brownings as well as the berettas and was encouraged to take a browning out to get a feel for the difference.

Personally I found the Brownings a bit heavier to the hand, and suited my shooting better. I consequentially went out and got myself a 525.

As others have said, try and find a shop/ground that has a range of choice and will let you shoot them - if it's just a ground (no shop) ask what teaching guns they have available for lending.

 

[andyk]

I’ve got a 28b Silver Pigeon and 20b 525.

I think the SP feels more refined, and seems lighter for the small action. I’d say the finish on the 525 is better, the wood is better (in grade and finish) and the bluing a little deeper. While not as refined (by which I mean smooth and quiet) it has a very reassuring mechanical feel to it.

When I finally get myself a decent 12b over and under, it’ll be a Browning.

 

[olliehopes]

Fit is more paramount with a shotgun than the "problems" people online have. Go to a shop with a good selection of all manufactures and handle every gun in your price range and see which you like best. Even better if the person in the shop can do you a rudimentary fit whilst you're having a feel of them!

 

[Island]

Broadly speaking I always found Brownings to be slightly thicker at the wrist and with a more pronounced palm-swell, whereas the Berreta's were generally slimmer all round.

Between the two I tended to favour Beretta, purely based on "feel", despite having started with shotguns with Browning

In 2014 I had a pair of Rizzini RB's made for me and for years could not see myself changing. When I decided to change from 12b to 20b however I chopped them in for a Beretta, again based on how it felt in the hand.

In the fullness of time I may once again go down the route of Rizzini or Guerini, but until then Beretta comes out on top for me.

Of the thirteen guns we use for coaching all but one are Beretta's...

 

[BenBhoy]

I don't shoot shotgun much, but if you handle (ideally bust clays) with both, then one will definitely appeal more to you than other as different feeling guns.

 

[JH83]

I think you are either a Beretta person, or a Browning person…but….look at what top sporting and clay shots tend to gravitate towards out of the two and you’ll see why I personally tend towards Miroku (who make a lot of the more budget friendly Brownings-including the 525). I think the MK38 grade 5 teagued sporter is the best value for money out there.