Browning ultra xs Pro

[Adam17]

Sooooo. About to 'pull the trigger' on a Browning ultra xs Pro... What should I know?
Quirks/faults/benefits, of the gun & company.

Look forward to hearing from those who own, or have owned them. 

Ps, I did do a search, but nout came up, alot about the 725 though... My understanding is that it's a 525 action. 

 

[ColinD]

Quick search

 

[Westward]

IMHO it's the best Miroku built sporter. Good balance and weight distribution, light-ish barrels and fairly decent trigger pulls. It is indeed based on the pre-725 action, as are all the Miroku branded guns.

The only slightly weak point with all the Citori and Miroku models (including the 725), is firing pin erosion, especially the bottom one, it's not a big deal but it pays to inspect them regularly.

Chris Childerhouse has been using Ultra XS and XS Pro for years and he seems to do okay.

 

[Lloyd]

Doesn’t Sam Green also use one?

 

[Westward]

Doesn’t Sam Green also use one?

Yep. He won the World Fitasc title with it.

 

[Adam17]

2 hours ago, ColinD said:

Quick search

Its a good video I watched that earlier. 

Thanks chaps. 

Lots and lots of good feedback on Facebook. 

Only 1 and a half negative comments. .

 

[Nick Selby]

Doesn’t Sam Green also use one?

Think there is a difference between the Ultra XS and the Ultra XS pro...... The Pro is based on the 525 but is a relatively new gun. The Ultra XS has been around for much longer. Think both Chris and Sam use Ultra XS guns, not the Pro one.

 

[Westward]

The original Ultra XS from about 20 years ago was a cumbersome beast with terrible balance and poor dynamics thanks to the very heavy barrels which even the adjustable stock couldn't compensate for. They did look good though but unfortunately for Browning, Beretta came along with the 682 Gold E which set a new benchmark for sporting guns.

The modern XS Pro and it's predecessor the XS Titanium are very different from the original in terms of balance, weight distribution and handling. The original was based on the 425 so the Pro probably is based on the 525. Every gun is generic though and the 525 itself has gone through several changes. What has remained constant for about 30 years is the action design.

 

[timps]

Back in the day I had an Ultra XS for quite a few years as my main gun. I will give you a run down on the faults with it and what they have changed for the pro version.

As Westward says the XS were very nose heavy like a pig on a shovel, one main reason was the standard Midas chokes were made of the heaviest substance known to man. I swapped them out for lighter Briley ones and put some weight in the stock to make the gun handle as I liked. The pro version comes with weights and light Briley chokes included.

The adjustable stock was only locked by one bolt for all directions of movement, this would unwind and self-adjust the stock mid shoot at random times of the year, nothing I did could stop it. The pro version now comes with multiple locking bolts for the different directions.

The Bakelite butt pad was some kind of torture weapon from the middle ages on all high or driven birds. The pro version has different butt pads.

Basically, what I changed or wished I could have changed on my Ultra XS to make it a very good gun has been done on the pro.

I shot about 300 clays a week with the XS for a number of years and it never once broke.

 

[westley]

Back in the day I had an Ultra XS for quite a few years as my main gun. I will give you a run down on the faults with it and what they have changed for the pro version.

As Westward says the XS were very nose heavy like a pig on a shovel, one main reason was the standard Midas chokes were made of the heaviest substance known to man. I swapped them out for lighter Briley ones and put some weight in the stock to make the gun handle as I liked. The pro version comes with weights and light Briley chokes included.

The adjustable stock was only locked by one bolt for all directions of movement, this would unwind and self-adjust the stock mid shoot at random times of the year, nothing I did could stop it. The pro version now comes with multiple locking bolts for the different directions.

The Bakelite butt pad was some kind of torture weapon from the middle ages on all high or driven birds. The pro version has different butt pads.

Basically, what I changed or wished I could have changed on my Ultra XS to make it a very good gun has been done on the pro.

I shot about 300 clays a week with the XS for a number of years and it never once broke.

WHAT  !    Not even the dodgy firing pins   ?      I have owned Browning Miroku guns since the 1960's and I have NEVER had to replace or even repair any of their firing pins,  or mainsprings for that matter. I currently have a 725 black, oh, and a Winchester Pigeon Grade that has never had new firing pins in the last 40 years. However the 725 S3 has given me some problems with misfires. Upon stripping out the pins I found that the bottom pin was sticking, this was due entirely to carbon build up, the top pin was fine and never gave any trouble in the first place. A few  minutes with some GT 85 and a piece of ultra fine wet and dry and then some gun oil and the pin was moving as it should. I think that due to being gummed up, the pin was not fully retracting and therefore the hammer was not giving a full strike. I carried out this clean up last year and some 1000 cartridges later it is still performing as it should. The firing pins, inspected under a magnifying glass were  perfect.  I did take the precaution of ordering new firing pins and a spring kit from America though. I somehow feel that they will not be required for some time. 

 

[Adam17]

Back in the day I had an Ultra XS for quite a few years as my main gun. I will give you a run down on the faults with it and what they have changed for the pro version.

As Westward says the XS were very nose heavy like a pig on a shovel, one main reason was the standard Midas chokes were made of the heaviest substance known to man. I swapped them out for lighter Briley ones and put some weight in the stock to make the gun handle as I liked. The pro version comes with weights and light Briley chokes included.

The adjustable stock was only locked by one bolt for all directions of movement, this would unwind and self-adjust the stock mid shoot at random times of the year, nothing I did could stop it. The pro version now comes with multiple locking bolts for the different directions.

The Bakelite butt pad was some kind of torture weapon from the middle ages on all high or driven birds. The pro version has different butt pads.

Basically, what I changed or wished I could have changed on my Ultra XS to make it a very good gun has been done on the pro.

I shot about 300 clays a week with the XS for a number of years and it never once broke.

Thanks for the review. 

I'm hoping to get out today to shoot, and I have packed 300 cartridges... I usually only do 100, but figure I may want to do more today

 

[Adam17]

Just phoned the ground and they're shut.... Not happy, but is what it is... 

 

[ColinD]

Same here, just got a week off work, first since October,weather lovely and nowhere to go.

But as you say it is what it is. Least you've got something nice to look at and polish while inside, I don't think you will be disappointed when you finally get to shoot it

 

[Adam17]

So, I been advised to take 12 weeks off work due to some meds I take lowering my immune system.. 

3 weeks after buying the gun, I decide to get it out and have another look, get some new pics etc... 

I'm gutted to see just how dirty it was (I have cleaned it now.)

I did question the gunsmith about the dirt in the barrels, and he advised it was from Browning doing the proofing. 

I'd handled this gun 10months earlier before I got my cirtificate. So I guess all this dirt n dust is from the gunsmiths shop... 

Not very impressed mind you.. 3.3k for a gun n it's this dirty... 





















Now however it's nice n clean. 

And I got some nice shots of it. 

Just eager to go out n smash some clays... Mind you, after this long away from the range, I'll be lucky if I can even hit the air around the clay... 

 

[ColinD]

Supprised they didn't give it a quick clean and check before you took it away, especially as it was out on display all that time.

 

[Luke_(NL)]

At least cleaning a gun kills some of all this time we have to spend on not shooting.  My guns are clean, the cabinets all sorted, and I am literally watching tru-oil dry when I'm not working. Reloading isn't an option either for having encountered a Berdan-primed case. *facepalm*. 

Now that's she's clean she is a looker though! 

 

[AW13]

@Adam17 -  OT - spotted a nice looking Defender in the pics, with the super large drip tray !!

 

[Charliedog]

Probably says more about the shop you got it from than anything else, look elsewhere or get solid recomendations in the future, disappointing but no real harm done i would suggest

 

[Adam17]

@Adam17 -  OT - spotted a nice looking Defender in the pics, with the super large drip tray !!

Yup, a big drip tray... 

Long story short, it's actually a mixing tray my pops gave me before he moved to Spain (was in the building trade) I put it there to save space in the shed, and, as I had lheard defenders leaked it would save the wife nagging my ear off from getting oil on the new driveway... When I got the Defender it had NO LEAKS was wondering if I got a fake

But actually, over the last couple months, I noticed a bit of a drip... 

She is going in for service/mot next month, so am getting it looked at. 

Do love my landy! 

Her names The Duchess

https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic64005.html

she has a blog ., not much on there lately though.