Browning Citori: A Top-Selling Over/Under Shotgun of 2019

The Browning Citori is the fifth generation of the company’s Superposed family of over-under shotguns. John Moses Browning designed the first, and the refinements that endeared the original to enthusiasts through so many years remain in the modern relatives.

They are not mass-produced. Forged-steel receivers ensure long-lasting performance and reliability, internal parts are hand-fitted, and these firearms are considered some of the finest sporting and hunting shotguns ever made.

The Citori line was introduced in 1971, and it immediately caught the attention of enthusiasts. The popularity remains to this day, as evidenced by the Citori 725 being the second-most popular over/under shotgun on GunBroker.com last year. It’s a slight dip in the rankings, though, since it took top honors from 2015 to 2018.

Unlike the regular Citori, the 725 has a low-profile receiver. It retains, however, the full-width hinge pin and tapered locking bolt design that made the original so popular. It also has an all new mechanical FireLite trigger and the company’s Inflex technology to ensure comfort during lengthy range sessions.

Twenty gauge was the most popular last year, although the Citori 725 is also available in 12 and 28 gauge, as well as .410 Bore. Finish on the hardwood stock is gloss oil—with 20 LPI checkering—and receivers are silver-nitride. Bluing on the barrels is polished to give the gun that distinct Browning look at the firing line.

The 20-gauge models are chambered for 3" shotshells and come with either 30" and 32" length barrels. Browning has discontinued the 28"-barreled version. Weights in the chambering vary, but running from 6 lbs., 4 ozs. to 7 lbs., 3 ozs. MSRP for a factory fresh 20-gauge is $3,139.99. The guns ship with full, improved modified, improved cylinder, modified and skeet chokes.