The Browning BPS pump action shotgun was introduced by the US-based Browning Arms company in 1977 and is still available today. From its introduction and until now the Browning BPS shotgun is produced for the Browning company by Miroku factory in Japan. As a side note, the Browning Arms company, which was founded by the legendary American gun designer John Browning, was purchased by the famous Belgian arms making company FN Herstal in the same year of 1977.
The Browning BPS shotgun traces its roots to one of many patents by the John Browning, originally issued in 1915. This basic design was first manufactured as a long-forgotten Remington model 17 shotgun, and after that, in a slightly modified form, as a highly successful Ithaca model 37 shotgun. The Browning BPS follows the same basic pattern, but has certain differences with the Ithaca, such as details of the locking system, dual action rods, and placement of the manual safety.
The Browning BPS shotgun was and still is manufactured in a broad variety of versions, intended for hunting, home defense and security use. One of most famous users of this weapon in its “tactical” form is French Gendarmerie Nationale, where this weapon is known as BPS-SGF – Browning Pump Shotgun – Special Gendarmerie Française. While hunting versions of the BPS were produced in a variety of calibers, starting from tiny .410 and ending at massive 10 gauge, most “tactical” variations (such as Browning BPS Riot or aforementioned BPS-SGF) are available in 12 gauge, with 76mm (3”) chambers.
Browning BPS is a conventional manually operated pump action shotgun with sliding forend. Bolt locks to the barrel extension by using a tilting locking piece, located at the top of the bolt. Gun has dual action bars, made from steel. Receiver of the gun is also made of steel and has opening only at its base, as both loading and ejection are achieved from the bottom, as per century-plus old John Browning patent. Ammunition is stored in and fed from a tubular magazine, located below the barrel. Standard magazine capacities vary from three to seven or eight rounds, depending on the version of the gun and shell length. To achieve bottom ejection, cartridge lifter has two long arms, made from spring steel. When bolt goes back, those arms are forced sideways to clear the way down for a fired shell. Once empty shell is ejected, lifter arms are released to spring inwards and to receive a fresh round from the tubular magazine. In combination with a tang-mounted manual safety, this makes the BPS a truly ambidextrous weapon. Slide lock release is located to the left of the trigger guard, at its rear. Standard furniture for Browning BPS can be made from classic walnut wood or from modern polymers. Tactical versions of the BPS usually feature barrels 20-24 inches long and magazine tubes with capacities of 5 or 7 rounds. Most variants of these shotguns are provided with Invector (older guns) or Invector Plus removable choke systems.
Specification | Value |
---|---|
Full text name | Browning BPS pump action shotgun (USA / Japan) |
Caliber cartridge | 12 Gauge |
Action type | manual |
Trigger type | sa |
Overall length, mm | 1035 |
Barrel length, mm | 508 |
Weight empty, kg | 3.4 |
Magazine capacity, rounds | 5, 7 |