This handsome, well-balanced and forgiving shotgun brings on a bout of nostalgia when Vic Harker puts it to the test; but it’s by no means out of date!
I’ve been reviewing, and not by any means for the first time, perhaps the most truly satisfying volume production shotgun of all time.
Satisfying because John Browning’s take on the over-and-under owes very little to any other gun of its type, and while there were over-and-under shotguns long before the Browning, its design avoids eccentricity to produce a gun both handsome and entirely logical. As every schoolboy knows, John Browning, unable to broker a deal with American manufacturers that would satisfy his financial demands, took his design to Fabrique Nationale in Belgium and the rest, as they say, is history… but not quite.
In the 1960s, with production costs escalating in Europe, the Browning company in the USA gave Miroku in Japan an opportunity to produce their over and under while maintaining their relationship with FN. This month’s gun test features the Ultra XS Pro, a Trap gun made by the Japanese manufacturer at their factory in Kochi. The XS Pro’s action body follows the dimensions of all the other Brownings and features a polished grey finish with a gold border line with just the right amount of light engraving on its sides and bottom plate. A return to elegance and refinement after some of Browning’s recent gaudily badged red lettering.
The action
Browning was determined, as with his designs for other categories of firearms, that the “superposed” (as its designer dubbed it) would be strong and durable, and so he took the conventional decision to place the locking mechanism below the bottom barrel. As with most side-by-side shotguns, the Browning superposed would feature a forward lump also acting as a barrel hook that, locating through the floor of the action, would pivot on a substantial cross-bolt when the gun was closed. A rear lump integral to the barrels would also pass through the action body, and on closure of the gun a full width locking bolt would move forward to locate under the breech face with a generous bite or slot, machined in the rear lump, to secure the barrels on closure with the action. For the firing mechanism, side-by-side hammers would be cocked with the opening of the gun by way of two rods running through the action body. After firing, the mechanism would be re-cocked by spring loaded kickers in the forend.
The stock
Inevitably the most tactile component of any gun, the stock’s configuration and dimensions can make the difference between the shooter’s success or failure, not to mention enjoyment. Fortunately, in the case of the XS Pro, the stock features the best possible aid to accurate shooting for an off-the-rack gun in the form of an adjustable comb for both height and cast. Length of pull can also be altered easily and in the Browning’s case, with a length of pull of 15” including the recoil pad, most shooters’ requirements can be catered for. An afternoon at the pattern plate with this stock and I would suggest 90% of shooters will obtain a more than satisfactory fit. That the XS Pros stock is made from an exceptionally well figured piece of walnut will make no difference to how accurately the proud owner will shoot, but with the correct stock dimensions easily achieved together with an excellent stock configuration that the gun incorporates, I would expect a competent shooter to achieve good results.
Barrels
With a barrel length of a full 32” (81cm) the tubes are over-bored to .738” (18.7cm). The XS Pros barrels come fitted with eight 3½” hand-detachable Invector Plus chokes ranging in constriction from cylinder to extra full. The Browning’s rib design still remains one of the very best, providing good visual pointability without representing a distraction. In the case of the Pro Trap it tapers from 13mm–10mm at the muzzle ends, which enhances this excellent design still further. I would add only that both interior boring and the external striking off is to the Japanese manufacturer’s usual impeccable standards. The XS Pro Trap’s excellent balance and handling characteristics can be attributed in no small way to the barrels’ relatively light weight of 3lbs 6oz (1.541KG). With an all-up weight of 8lbs 1oz (3.65KG), by modern standards this Browning as a Trap gun is a relative lightweight and yet it does not feel overly so.
Shooting impressions
Most of my generation cut their shooting teeth on Browning guns and, even if some have moved on to other makers, I notice there is still a residual affection for this maker. Certainly the XS Pro engendered these feelings in me and, like so many others, it’s by way of the Browning balance and handling qualities – user friendly is how these characteristics are best described. Either by luck or design, I rather think the latter, the Browning’s weight is naturally distributed more evenly between the hands than some other guns. When the Italians first began to make an impact in the British market, a combination of light barrels, heavier actions and even stocks presented the British shooter with faster handling characteristics to that which he was used to. For the Italians familiar with coming to terms with Olympic targets, this was seen as a benefit, with the gun’s point of balance being further away from the gun’s muzzle ends but, for the British, at least for a while it could be a problem. Shooting the XS Pro, I once again experienced that forgiving feeling when the barrels, though not particularly heavy, ensure an unchecked swing through the target with usually satisfying results. The XS Pro may have provided me with a moment of nostalgia, but it’s by no means out of date and may well provide some shooters with a whole new experience – a good one.
Technical Specifications:
Maker: Browning
Model: XS Pro Trap
Bore size: 12 18.7mm
Action: Coil spring boxlock
Barrels length: 32” 81cm
Chamber: 2¾” 70mm
Chokes: 8 hand-detachable extended
Rib: Rib: Tapered 13mm – 10mm
Stock: Full pistol grip
Weight: 8lbs 1oz (3.65KG)
List Price: £3,645 inc VAT
Distributor: www.browning-int.com
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