Browning has produced some of the finest over/under hunting shotguns of the last hundred years, and that all started with John Browning’s Superposed. In fact, it’s no stretch to say that the American hunter and shooter’s fascination with stackbarrel design is directly attributed to John Browning, and generations of hunters have spent their time in the field carrying a Browning over/under.
Browning over/unders remain very popular with hunters and shooters, and it’s remarkable how little the overall design of these guns has changed since they were released in 1931. Looking at a new, modern Browning over/under, like the Citori Feather Lightning 20-gauge, shows that Browning’s brilliance has outlasted a century of competitive designs.
First Choice for Hunters & Shooters By the 1970s, the price of Superposed production was climbing and FN Herstal, who owned Browning, began looking for a way to keep Browning over/unders within reach of the average hunter and shooter. Production was moved to the Miroku facility in Japan. Though the location changed, the new guns (called Citoris) were very much like the original, and the design remains largely the same as what you’ll find in the current Feather Lightning 20-gauge. The boxlock action utilizes a full-length hinge pin, and the in-line ignition system improved reliability. The receiver profile is reminiscent of the Superposed, but the Feather Lightning’s receiver is made from aluminum alloy with a steel breech face and hinge pin as opposed to all-forged steel construction of other Citori models.
The addition of the aluminum alloy receiver lessens weight substantially. The standard Citori Hunter Grade I 20-gauge model available today weighs in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces with 28-inch barrels—considerably heavier than the new Citori Feather Lightning 20-gauge model which weighs just 5 pounds, 15 ounces with equal-length barrels. For the serious upland hunter who chases wild Huns in steep western mountains or walks long miles in search of wild pheasants or grouse, ten ounces of weight savings is considerable.
Unlike Browning’s Citori 725 shotguns, which offer a low-profile receiver and mechanical triggers, the Citori Feather Lightning is true to the original design with the same bolt locking system found on the original gun. The gold-plated single selective trigger on the Citori Feather Lightning model is inertia/recoil reset operated. The tang-mounted safety doubles as a barrel selector, as is the case with other Browning over/unders, and the top lever utilizes the same look and designs of Citoris of the past.
Browning Citori Feather Lightning 20-Gauge Shotgun (Photo courtesy of Browning) Browning Citori Feather Lightning 20-Gauge Shotgun Specifications Action Type: Over/under boxlockGauge: 20-gaugeChamber: 3-in.Weight: 5 lbs. 15 oz.Finish: Silver nitride receiver, blued barrelsChokes: 3 extended Midas (IC, M, F)Suggested Retail Price: $3,180Website: browning.com
Catching Lightning The Citori Feather Lightning 20-gauge comes with an engraved silver nitride receiver with intricate engraving and automatic ejectors. The trigger guard is also silver nitride treated, and the metalwork looks great with the grade III/IV oil-finished walnut stock and richly blued steel barrels. There’s an ivory front bead and a mid-bead, and these guns come standard with three extended black Midas chokes (IC, M, F). Of course, the signature feather that’s the hallmark of Browning’s lightweight aluminum frame Citoris can be found on the bottom of the receiver.
As the name implies, this gun features the Lightning stock that has adorned many of the over two-million Citori shotguns that have been produced over the last five decades. The forend is rounded and sits comfortably in the hand, there’s a round knob pistol grip, and the 18 LPI checkering is clean and functional. Length of pull is 14 ¼-inches with a 1 5/8ths drop at the comb and 2 ½-inches at the heel. One new feature found on modern Citoris like the Feather Lightning is an Inflex recoil pad that helps reduce impact to the shooter’s face and shoulder—a worthwhile addition to this lightweight upland hunting gun.
The Citori Feather Lightning pays homage to the great guns that came before it with its receiver and stock design without cheapening the finished product or placing it out of reach of the average hunter or shooter. (Photo By: Brad Fitzpatrick) Citori shotguns feature hand-fit parts and, as you might expect, the construction quality is excellent. Miroku has been building some of the best shotguns in the business for decades and that’s one reason the Citori has become one of the standard-bearers in the market. Buying a stackbarrel that costs less than the Citori may mean overlooking details like poor fit and finish, rough parts, and so forth. Citori owners shouldn’t be afraid to closely inspect their guns, and that goes for the Feather Lightning. On the other hand, the Citori gives up very little to guns costing much more money. Sure, you can purchase shotguns with upgraded wood and adorned side plates, but in the field or at the range the Citori stands alongside guns that cost more.
The Citori Feather Lightning 20-gauge is not cheap—MSRP is $3,180, but no Citori has ever been cheap. Instead, these guns are a great value, which means when you do purchase one, you’ll have a hunting arm that lasts a lifetime and that you can hand down to your children.
The engraving on the receiver is clean, as is the checkering, and the overall attention to detail is obvious. (Photo courtesy of Browning) On the Range I must admit that I have a soft spot for Citoris. When I shot competitive trap and skeet in college, carrying a Citori meant you were ready to compete against the best. These guns held up well for tens of thousands of rounds or more, and they were the workhorse firearm for most collegiate teams at that time. When you walked to the line with a Citori, there was an unmistakable sense that you finally owned a gun that would carry you as far as your skills and ambition warranted.
The Feather Lightning 20-gauge wasn’t designed exclusively for the range, but it will work for clay target games. The flat rib aligns naturally with the shooter’s eye and the curved, gold-plated trigger is smooth and clean, breaking at four-and-a-half pounds. The inflex recoil pad makes light 7/8-ounce 20-gauge loads bearable for long shooting sessions, and the tight, smooth action of a fresh out-of-the-box gun begs to be broken in with a few hundred shots at 108mm targets.
However, there are other Citoris (primarily steel receiver guns) that are better suited for all-day shooting—where the Feather Lightning shines is in the field. Anyone who has owned and carried a steel receiver Citori and hiked many miles with these guns will attest these stackbarrels get heavy when you’re hunting wild birds. My first Citori, a steel receiver field model in 12-gauge, was a great target gun but more gun than I wanted to haul all day. When you carry the Feather Lightning, you’ll feel the weight saving immediately.
Browning offers chrome-lined three-inch chambers on these guns, so if you want to push the 20-gauge’s limits, that’s not a problem. The extended Midas chokes make great sense on a field gun. When you’re headed out in search of birds it’s nice to know what tube is in each barrel without having to count notches or unscrew the choke tube. One of the items I’m most likely to leave behind when I have birds on my mind is a choke wrench. That’s not a problem with the Feather Lightning, and the black color of the Midas chokes doesn’t detract from the classic field look of the gun.
Controls on the test gun operated cleanly, from the barrel selector/safety to the forearm release lever. The lines are excellent, with beautiful engraving that is neither too austere nor gaudy. I personally love the look of the silver nitride finish against the dark, oil-finished walnut—I think if you’re going to purchase a gun with high-quality engraving a silver receiver shows it off much better than blued steel.
But the Citori Lightning Feather 20-gauge is not a gun that’s prone to scratches and dings. Shipping, assembling, field testing, and regular handling at the range didn’t leave any blemishes on this gun. Your Citori may well obtain a few scratches and marks over the years, but you probably won’t mind reminiscing about those old wounds.
The Feather Lightning 20-gauge is a gun that upland hunters will appreciate. It offers all the rock-solid construction you’d expect from a Browning over/under, yet doesn’t sacrifice the look and feel of the original Citori and the Superposed that came before it. There are times when I think John Browning would be dissatisfied with the construction and quality of some modern firearms, but not the Citori.