Trap forend on a Sporter 725 thoughts!

[GuySal]

Hi all

I've had my 725 sporter for a year or so and use it for local clays etc. It has the 'schnabel' forend which I found ok 

However, just before the lockdown I had a go with a 725 fitted with a trap forend. I enjoyed it with a more chunky feel

I was looking at simply getting a trap forend to swap but my gun is the black version and my dealer is looking at £300....!

Just wanted to get any thoughts of anyone who has done similar with whatever pros / cons they have before possibly wasting £300!

Thanks for any advice 

 

[westley]

I recently sold a 725 'Black' sporter, yer know the one, it rusts straight out of the box, the firing pins are rubbish, the trigger is awful, yes, that's the one. Well, mine was 4 years old and was immaculate and never a hiccup. Well, it had a schnabel forend and I found it OK. My left forefinger is always pointing forwards along the left side of the forend and I find this quite a comfortable grip.  I now have a 525 XS Pro  (it's a long story !) and I am struggling a bit. The grip is great, (no palm swell) BUT the forend with the 'Trap' style wood,  I find a bit of a handful and struggle to get my left hand in the same position consistently. I have a Caesar Guerini 20 bore which has a "somewhere in between forend" and find this far more comfortable. I have small hands and short chubby fingers and as such had to have the 725 palm swell reduced. So, if you have hands like JCB buckets, go for it, otherwise try it for at least 100 targets before doing anything drastic.

 

[ColinD]

Was the Trap 725 a Protrap as the stocks are different to the 725 Sporter one, not just the forends

 

[GuySal]

Hi. 

Thanks, it was a standard 725 but the trap forend fitted

 

[ColinD]

I have a Gureini and Prosport both with beaver style forends which I find great.Had a Beretta 686E Evo with a Schnabel and couldn't get on with that or my mates Lanber with the same type

But I do have large hands, if you found it better when you tried the other then perhaps that style suits you. Have a look around for a second hand one, I managed to get one for my 686E for £60

Edit There's a complete stock on Guntrader for a 725 with a semi beaver forend for £350

 

[GuySal]

Thanks. Have just emailed the seller!

 

[Luke_(NL)]

If you can find a trap fore-end lying about, go for it. I swapped my Beretta fore-end from something round to the trap style and was much happier for it. I'll even admit that one of the reasons not to buy a 525SL was that there was no beaver tail fore-end available.

As a side note 300 for a fore-end seems rather steep. Would the fore-end even differ on the black version from the regular 725's? Either way, I really don't understand why Browning makes this harder than it should be: Beretta lets you order fore-ends galore at the click of a button and they'll even send you pictures of the wood to choose from. Including postage I was out less than 170 Euros.