Field Tested: Browning Citori 825 Field Shotgun

Browning has a long history of producing quality over/under shotguns dating back to legendary gun designer John M. Browning’s final design, the Superposed shotgun. One of the first affordable—and commercially successful—over/unders, the Superposed was quite popular until rising manufacturing costs in Belgium made it too expensive, and U.S. distribution was eventually discontinued. (Custom Superposed shotguns are still available from Browning’s Custom Shop.) The Citori, introduced in 1973 and produced in Japan, drew heavily from the Superposed and proved to be a fantastic gun itself, ultimately replacing the Superposed within the company’s lineup.

With more than 2 million sold since its introduction, the Citori remains one of the most popular over/unders ever. Many variations have followed, each offering new styles and improvements. One of the more significant arrived in 2012 with the Citori 725, which saw the height of the receiver significantly reduced and a mechanical trigger added (prior models had inertia triggers). This yielded a slimmer, lighter and more responsive scattergun that would fire the second barrel whether the first barrel fired or not, unlike guns with inertia triggers, which rely on recoil to reset for the second barrel.

The new Citori 825 represents the next step for this timeless design. This past fall, I tested one of the new Citori 825 Field models while hunting quail at the stunning Redstone Ranch (redstoneranchtexas.com) in South Texas. Tracking erratic bobwhites as they pitched and swerved proved a worthy test of the gun’s handling characteristics and performance. As I found, the new Citori 825 retains much of what made the Citori 725 great, while improving upon a handful of key features.

PAST MEETS PRESENT

Like the Citori 725, previous Citori models and the Superposed itself, new Citori 825s feature a transverse-mounted, full-width tapered locking bolt and full-width hinge pin. The bolt engages a full-width tapered recess in the rear barrel lugs, which allows the bolt to seat deeper over time, self-adjusting for wear and keeping the action tight—the essence of Browning’s “wears in, not out” design. The full-width hinge pin, spanning the width of the receiver, enables more strength and reliability than that found on guns with side-mounted trunnions.

Also like its predecessor, the Citori 825 Field sports an engraved, low-profile steel receiver with a silver nitride finish for durability and corrosion resistance. The receiver’s design features sharper lines and a more blended, rounded metal-to-forend connection. Still, the benefits of the low-profile receiver remain. The shooter’s eye and front hand are closer to the bore line, improving hand-eye coordination, pointability and control, with less muzzle jump for accurate follow-up shots. It also creates a lighter, faster-swinging gun with a smoother follow through. Indeed, the Citori 825 Field points intuitively, and I was able to stay on the gun and quickly fire again after the first shot.

IMPACTFUL IMPROVEMENTS

Also contributing to the rapidness of my follow-up shots in Texas was the Citori 825’s mechanical trigger. Instead of its predecessor’s FireLite trigger, the 825 utilizes the new Fire Lite 2 trigger, which offers some noteworthy improvements and may be the most significant change from the earlier Citori 725. The new trigger provides a lighter pull with reduced take-up, a crisper break and less overtravel, as well as an improved second trigger pull. Its high pivot point disconnector optimizes reset for more reliability, even with light loads. (Field guns have the Fire Lite 2 trigger, but target models have the adjustable Fire Lite 2 “Triple Trigger System” with three interchangeable trigger shoes to fine-tune positioning).

The new 825s wear a redesigned top-mounted safety/barrel selector, too. While still tang-mounted and pyramid-shaped, like the Citori 725’s, the switch offers more surface area and a more approachable angle for the thumb. The top lever is slimmer and more ergonomic, and the forearm latch is enlarged to simplify forend removal during disassembly. Lacking experience with the Citori 725, it’s hard to make a comparison, but the safety/selector felt intuitive, and the top lever was easy to find and operate in the field.

A SOLID PERFORMER

Like the Citori 725, the Citori 825 Field features dual ejectors, which kicked shells out forcefully and flawlessly during my hunt. The ivory front bead and raised vent rib, paired with the gun’s low-profile receiver, allowed quick and easy eye alignment. The front bead was subdued rather than bright and distracting, which I liked.

As with most current Citori models, this gun wears Browning’s Inflex II Recoil Pad. Beyond its soft, recoil-absorbing material, internal directional ribbing within the pad actually pulls the comb down and away from your face during recoil for more comfort and faster follow-ups. A smooth keel prevents snagging when shouldering the gun, something I was able to confirm while hunting. With the Citori 825 Field’s Inflex II Recoil Pad and low-profile design, follow-up shots were incredibly fast during our time in Texas.

The stock is attractive Grade II/III walnut with a gloss oil finish. The grip has diamond checkering and a slight palm swell, which I found comfortable. The forend is slimmer and more rounded than the Citori 725’s and also sports checkering. Stock, grip and forend all worked well together and felt natural.

Field models feature 26- and 28-inch barrels (target models have 30- or 32-inch barrels), and chambers and barrels on all are chrome-lined for durability and corrosion resistance. Barrels are back-bored—the inside bore diameter is increased to its maximum allowable specification—which reduces friction between shot cup and barrel and increases pellet velocity. Meanwhile, Browning’s Vector Pro lengthened forcing cone reduces stress on the shot column as it passes into the bore, producing fewer deformed pellets and more uniform patterns. Regarding patterns, the Citori 825 Field has a roughly 50/50 point of impact/pattern distribution, with 50 percent of pellets above point of aim and the rest below. (Trap and target models may be skewed higher—70/30—or can be adjusted to user preferences).

All Citori 825s utilize Invector-DS “Double Seal” chokes, which have a brass alloy band at each tube’s base to prevent gas and grit from sneaking between barrel and tube and making removal difficult. The Citori 825 Field comes with three tubes (full, modified and improved cylinder), while sporting and trap models come with more and different choke tubes that befit their intended purposes.

Overall, I left my quail hunt in Texas quite impressed with the Citori 825 Field. Its fit and feel—how easily it swung and how balanced it felt in the hands—were exceptional. It’s quick to shoulder, points naturally, shoots well and provides an incredibly fast and accurate follow-up shot. It seamlessly blends tradition and technology, looks great and feels even better. It’s a gun that would serve any serious wingshooter or over/under fanatic well.

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• This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.

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