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Posted: 11/2/2025 10:43:34 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Foxtrot08][Edited]
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Sorta wanted to write something up, as there’s not a lot of information out there on the new Browning 825. For those that don’t know, the 825 is the latest iteration of the Citori X25 series. The previous generation being the 725, and so forth. The 825 has a more refined mechanical trigger than the 725, supposedly. Given, I don’t have a 725 to compare it to. But it is noticeably better than my Gran lightning, which is an inertia trigger design. After getting the Gran Lightning, I fell in love with over and unders again. Given, my Gran Lightning is in 28ga, I wanted something a little more… 12ga. I’ve always been an auto loader shooter. I have about every A400 made - Unico Xplor 12ga, Xcel Multi target 12ga, Xcel black edition 12ga, Xplor 20ga, Uplands 28ga. All with kick off stocks besides the 28ga. So, I went shopping. I have a good semi local store that is shotguns only. From K / P / C guns, to SKB, Beretta from SO5 to Silver Pigeons and of course.. Brownings. I compared several online before hand. I shopped a Beretta Silver Pigeon 1 and 3, a 687, 688 and even looked at a 694. From Browning: CXS with adjustable comb. 825 Adjustable comb. And finally… the Browning 825 Golden Clays. Which has all the features of the 825 Pro Series. All guns set up for Sporting. So, 50/50ish POI. I was originally trying to find a 825 Pro Sporting. The Golden Clays has everything the 825 Pro Sporting has… but fancy. Like… really fancy.  Some features: 3 position adjustable trigger. Option / tunable weight in the stock. Optional spacers for stock length. Adjustable comb of course. 3 “triggers” - so you can customize it to you liking. Just different widths of pads. Mind you, I like fancy however.  I picked it up Friday. I took it out today, put about a flat of Browning Golden Clays #8, 1 1/8oz 1300fps through it.   I’m fortunate enough to have a pseudo sporting clays course of my own. 4 automatic throwers, including commercial grade ones like the Promatic. So not exactly a “gimme” hand thrower or constant thrower. 3 have wobble kits. The good: What a beautiful gun. The mechanical trigger is amazing. I need to put a scale on it. But I’m guessing it’s around ~4.5lbs. Maybe a little less. It’s a very light trigger for a shotgun. Once I added the weight in the stock, with the 30in barrel. It just swung and pointed beautifully. And looked awesome doing it. It recoiled less than I thought it would. My other experience is a Citori Feather XS - my father’s gun that’s sort of handed down to me, as he doesn’t shoot it anymore. And my old Beretta White Wing. Which, was berettas budget O/U in the 90s. It weighs enough to absorb the recoil, swing nicely, and doesn’t beat you up. Even with stouter rounds and a decent bit of them. It cools down surprisingly fast. Cons: Well, I don’t know enough to think of any. But I would say price. Comparing it to the normal 825, the wood isn’t that much better. The weight is better. But not the finish. The differences in the engraving in the receiver from the pro model to the golden clays… is there but not “a lot” for how they command the price differences. Over all, super happy with my purchase. If you’re looking for a new O/U. The 825 really shocked me from its feel to finish. For me, it felt better than the 687/688 from Beretta. The 694 was up there, but for the price - even the golden clays - was less expensive and over all, looked better in my opinion. OTD was ~$5300 for the golden clays. The Pro series should be ~$1000 less give or take. A normal 825 with adjustable comb about ~$2000 below the golden clays. In closing. Would certainly recommend an 825. |
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| Re: bread outlay, I found an 825 sporting clays 30" last spring when they had the rebate going on, $2750 incl. rebate, tax, transfer fee (bought via ffl). I had been using Browning rentals at range near me, 725s, 525s, field and sporting. Range folks said they don't count rounds through them but were certain they had 5-10k rds minimum depending which rental was used. They looked well-used but functioned perfectly, so Browning was on my short list. I like the look of the engraving on their various models but wanted to maximize cost and function. I like the bluing on previous versions over the 825's matte finish, but again, aesthetics were not particularly important. I called Browning to try to determine if their existing spacers (to increase length of pull) for 725 would work, said they didn't know, it was too new, so they sent me one no charge (thanks!). There are 'nubs' that seem like need a counter-sink on the butt to attach properly so I haven't installed, need to get back to them to determine if they need a counter sink or is intentional design. Also need longer screws. I prefer the 825's non-ported barrels to ported. I like the 3-position trigger - I installed at forward-most position to fit my long fingers/ hands best. The palm swell is less than I hoped for, I prefer larger grips on my firearms. I'm not versed well enough to rate the advertised trigger mechanism's improvements (previous versions had some history of complaints of fail to fire on ultra-light loads - I'm not sure I've fired any of those). Also not versed well enough to claim much opinion on the vector ds chokes. I like the idea of the stated intent of their design, but don't have enough experience across models to make a qualified comparison. I have 800 rds through it, first few hundred were Win AA, most of rest have been 'Challenger' - that's what the range sells, at best prices around. Zero issues w/ extraction (ejection), firing. I've read a statement or three about the 825's robust ejectors...and it has taken some focus to develop my process so I'm not sending spent shells all over. I like the green fiber optic front sight, am still deciding how much I like the mid-bead. I probably should have chosen the 32" barrels for my height, but decided on 30" to reduce length for field use. Overall I really like it, glad I made the choices I did. It balanced cost, value for my purposes, and reputation for reliability. I feel like if I'd chosen a lower-cost option, I'd wonder if the firearm was limiting my development as a clay shooter, and if went with higher-cost options, I'd risk re-thinking whether I should have gone full-custom, or would have overpaid for features that had no positive impact on my shooting development. I've wanted to get into clays for decades, and at last have the time and range to do it often enough that it makes sense to me to put this amount of $ into what I view as a comparatively limited-purpose firearm. Seems worth mentioning, I enjoy the idea of using relatively inexpensive guns (plenty of folks at the range hit far higher %ages of clays than I do and boast 'I have a closet full of hunnerd-dollar shotguns, I like seeing what I can do with cheap guns'), but I don't have the room, and I tinker with enough other firearm projects. Prior to last summer, I'd shot maybe 50 rounds at clays - thrower on a wheel or a handheld thrower on private property. Within 3 or 4 range visits, 50-100 rounds at wobble, I was able to hit 22-23 of 25 clays at wobble, and have moved on to sporting clays course. Not yet at the level folks always talk about 'oh my uncles shoot all day, they get upset if they miss 1 of 100' - and I believe those stories for the most part. I mostly want to move and shoot moving targets outside, and second to that, understand how I'm missing when I do, and develop into a consistent mid-90's percentage shooter. I'm confident the Browning Citori 825 Sporting will be a very satisfactory long-term companion on that journey. |
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