rayo Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 Advice please can anyone tell me what’s the difference between the 325/425/525 sporters thanks in advance folks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 Mainly age, 325 came before 425 and then 525. If you can find a good 325 it will be a sweet gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPhantom Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 Chrome lined barrels on 425 onwards. Invector plus chokes on 525 (I think) onwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 11 minutes ago, MrPhantom said: Chrome lined barrels on 425 onwards. Invector plus chokes on 525 (I think) onwards. 425 are inv plus AFAIK the waterfowl and XSultra are Inv plus , and Some (the early ) Waterfowl 3.5 inch do not have chrome chambers. from roughly 2004 they did . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 I seem to remember that up to the 325, Browning / Mirokus used chopper lumps, whereas they moved to the monobloc system of jointing from 425 onwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 11 minutes ago, Gordon R said: I seem to remember that up to the 325, Browning / Mirokus used chopper lumps, whereas they moved to the monobloc system of jointing from 425 onwards. Thats right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 As Gordon R states the change from chopper lump also they started to use Chrome lining on the barrels. The newer 525's have better Ballance and handling and different stock shape. They new ones fit me the older ones don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 I liked the old 325s at the time - I had a couple - but the pistol grip seems odd compared to the 425 onwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jbob Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 Useful video and may answer some of the questions you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novice Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 Any idea why the waterfowl, presumably intended to be used in adverse conditions, didn't have chrome lined chambers? Was this rectified at all during the manufacturing run on this model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 14 minutes ago, Novice said: Any idea why the waterfowl, presumably intended to be used in adverse conditions, didn't have chrome lined chambers? Was this rectified at all during the manufacturing run on this model? No evidence whatsoever to support this theory but my take on this is that the waterfowl started life as a 3 inch gun, and Herstal decided to make a 3.5 inch and extended the chambers. but with later ones which have chrome chambers i think they got their act together. I will say this is just my thoughts on the subject i have read seen or heard nothing to support it but i have had three of them still have one now and apart from the durasnott i think they are a fantastic gun for fowling pigeons anything i would not want too but i think i could just about get away with the waterfowl for everything and not make any compromises worth serious consideration . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 7 hours ago, rayo said: Advice please can anyone tell me what’s the difference between the 325/425/525 sporters thanks in advance folks It took Browning 15 years to work out that clay shooters don't like muzzle heavy guns that handle like a pig on a shovel. The above guns, including early 525s, tended to have heavy barrels swaged toward the muzzles to accommodate screw in chokes and continued like that long after Beretta's light barrelled Gold E was outselling Brownings by about 10:1 - mainly because of it's agile handling. Later 525s have lighter barrels which have transformed the gun (and it's sales volume). All modern Browning now have lighter barrels as does every other competitive make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayo Posted March 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 Thanks folks for all the feed back much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 13, 2019 Report Share Posted March 13, 2019 The Gun Shop YouTube video is well worth a watch, as someone else mentioned. He faircrattles through the info’, but there’s always rewind if you miss something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardigun Posted March 14, 2019 Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 I was told that Browning had altered the trigger on the 725 range to give a "quicker" pull, as Brownings have always been known for a slow pull. Anyone able to comment on this ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted March 14, 2019 Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 To be blunt, Browning/Miroku triggers have always been pretty dire. I don't know about "slow pull" but they generally have lots of free play and creep and a somewhat variable pull weight. Plus which some older ones can have very heavy pull weight too. All of which doesn't bother lots of people who perhaps slap the trigger rather than pull it. They are very popular guns for good reasons, but I hate the triggers and that also goes for the several 725s that I've tried. 725 triggers are supposed to be better but they're well short of Guerinis which, despite having a very similar design for the trigger system, have excellent pulls which are much lighter and crisper than Brownings and the later ones have 3 separate adjustments plus a choice of 2 pull weight settings. Come on Miroku... You can do it if you try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted March 14, 2019 Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 Nowt wrong with the trigger on my 725 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshootist Posted March 14, 2019 Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 I love my 325 as it's taken a great volume of shells since 1992 and the only problem I've ever had was a gummed up hammer giving me some light strikes. A proper clean and it's perfect again. In the unlikely event that I manage to wear it out I fancy a 32" miroku, properly fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diver One Posted March 14, 2019 Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 Well I have either end of your 'range' A 125 from the 1980s that I am "looking after". And a 725 that is mine dating from about 2012 i shoot the 125 far better than the 725....It just seems to fit me better BUT all the measurement differences are minimal. Main difference being the 125 is 28". And the 725 30" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 On 14/03/2019 at 21:33, theshootist said: I love my 325 as it's taken a great volume of shells since 1992 and the only problem I've ever had was a gummed up hammer giving me some light strikes. A proper clean and it's perfect again. In the unlikely event that I manage to wear it out I fancy a 32" miroku, properly fitted. My second shotgun was a G3 325. Lovely gun which I shot very well with. Very good guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 On 13/03/2019 at 11:34, lancer425 said: 425 are inv plus AFAIK the waterfowl and XSultra are Inv plus , and Some (the early ) Waterfowl 3.5 inch do not have chrome chambers. from roughly 2004 they did . My 425 has invector chokes! 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 2 hours ago, panoma1 said: My 425 has invector chokes! 🤔 Invector + are for back-bored barrels. Invectors are for standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 42 minutes ago, lancer425 said: Invector + are for back-bored barrels. Invectors are for standard. Thanks Lancer425, seems odd! Some are inv + and some ain't! Were backbored (inv +) or standard (inv) bored barrels an option? And if so do you know why? Was it the older models that were standard bored and the later ones that were backbored? Or was it part of some upgrade?......just interested...... The 425 Waterfowl I had briefly, was inv +. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 1 hour ago, panoma1 said: Thanks Lancer425, seems odd! Some are inv + and some ain't! Were backbored (inv +) or standard (inv) bored barrels an option? And if so do you know why? Was it the older models that were standard bored and the later ones that were backbored? Or was it part of some upgrade?......just interested...... The 425 Waterfowl I had briefly, was inv +. I have a early 2000s XS ultra had a mid 2000s Gold Duck and had 3 waterfowls (3.5inch) all have been Invector Plus (.732 to .735) . It could be down to age but i got the idea not sure where from than Waterfowl and Competition models were invector plus and game models could be had in invector std (.729 to .730). What model is yours.? that could help show if my theory holds water or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 1 hour ago, lancer425 said: I have a early 2000s XS ultra had a mid 2000s Gold Duck and had 3 waterfowls (3.5inch) all have been Invector Plus (.732 to .735) . It could be down to age but i got the idea not sure where from than Waterfowl and Competition models were invector plus and game models could be had in invector std (.729 to .730). What model is yours.? that could help show if my theory holds water or not. Mine is a Grade 1, 30" 425, inv, year 2003 (MX) 18.5 (.729) does not have the obvious signs of being of mono bloc construction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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