16ga.com ~ View topic - Shot some trap with my 16 Gauge White Lightning this weekend

Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 98 Location: Illinois

Gun points much quicker than I thought it would. Reminded me of my 20 gauge Superposed at first. Swung past a few of the first birds than settled into a groove. Finished with a 21, 24, 23 and 23. Not bad for a 16 Gauge. Very Happy

I was shooting Fiocchi 1oz target/game loads at 1145fps I think. Kicked harder than I thought it would, but still a lot of fun to shoot.

Was using the standard Browning Mod and Full chokes and just destroying the birds. Much more enjoyable and accurate for me than my old Stevens 311.

All in all, VERY happy with my purchase and this will be a gun that stays in the family until I'm pushing up daisies. Wink

Keep it clean, and lubed, and it will outlast your great grand kids and probably theirs too. They are hell for stout. My 1988 model smoothed up a bit over the first 5 years. Now its as tight as a tick and has not worn a bit since. It still feels like a new gun. I've put my share of some god awful 1-1/4 ounce long range stompers through ti too over the years. It just eats them like candy and asks for more.

The newer ones are machined even closer. The stiffness will ease with use. Just lube them correctly and they will wear in--not out.

Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 98 Location: Illinois

I agree. Some people complain about the "stifness" of Brownings. To me, its reassuring.

I've got quite a few Citoris now and haven't come close to loosening them up. My XT Trap has quite a few rounds through it and its still stiff as a board.

I have heard of some of the newer BT-99s shooting themselves "loose" but have not personally experienced it with my older model.

I'm suprised Browning doesn't make more of the 16 gauge Citori. With the balance and feel, I think they would have a hard time keeping them on the shelves. Confused

The BT-99 problem is in the forend iron, not the locking bolt. Its the first place to look. The older models had a long threaded rod that entered the forend from the front. tightening this rod also snugs up the gun. trap shooters can adjust how easy or tight their BT-99 opens for them this way. Most experienced shooters want a gun that almost drops open of its own weight for convenience of loading on the line. the BT-100 has the same feature. Some folks carry this adjustment too far and the guns feel like they are not locking up right--which is probably true in some cases. Any adjustment can be misused.

The newest ones do not. In fact, some of the very first of the new series BT-99 guns were cracking their forend wood, because of problems with the new system. However, Browning will replace the forend wood free of charge for those owners with that problem.

The BT-99 is noted for its unbelieveable toughness. They are designed to take literally a million rounds or more without the frame and barrel failing. They are about the closest thing to the indestructable gun made next to the Perazzi TM1/TMX series trap guns. Minor parts like firing pins and such might wear out, but once serviced, the gun will go for many more thousands of rounds. More BT-99 guns die from accident or neglect than anything else. It a word, they are bomb proof.