Most of the people I shoot skeet with tube their guns for sub gauge shooting. Matter of fact they shoot their 28 gauge tubes most of the time because of lack of recoil and for the challenge but..most of them are shooting Perazzi and Kolars. I have two O/U guns and I’m trying to decide if my Browning CX is a high enough quality firearm to justify spending basically 2k tubing it. My other gun is a Beretta 687 trap combo that I use for trap, skeet and sporting clays however I’m not crazy about sending it off to be tubed plus it already weighs a ton with my pfs. The Browning has an adjustable comb and I’d probably just leave the 20 or 28 gauge tubes in it all if the time. So is it a sturdy enough to justify spending basically the same amount on as I spent buying the gun new?

I think your Citori is worth tubing. I believe it enough that I have personally had two of them done.

The only reason I can see for tubing the gun would be
to compete, and I really see no reason to compete.
Why would you want to do the same thing over and
over with 4 different gauges? Why would you want
the expense of buying that sub gauge ammo, or the
expense of a whole mess of loaders and components?
Why all the powder, wads, etc just to do the same
thing over and over with 4 different classes?

As long as you are not competing, you can just
use one loader, and load 3/4 or 7/8 ounce in your
12 gauge, and shoot lots of low recoil skeet.
So you can get the low recoil and cheap ammo
and avoid a mountain of complexity to do the same
thing with a tube set and room full of loaders.

Look for a used set of companion tubes in 20 or 28.

Another perspective:
I had a Browning Gti with a full set of Briley Ultimate Ultralite tubes. I liked the gun as a 12ga, but with any of the tubes installed, it swung like a pig on a fence post. For me the tube sets just didn't work. I sold it and bought a true 28ga. I really like the way it feels and it will be the gun I use to shoot Skeet. 28ga is fun, but the gun has to work for you.

Thanks. Yeah it would be for competition. To shoot sub gauge skeet. Lots to consider. I do load my skeet loads with 7/8 oz and light powder charges so I don’t feel the recoil so much but can’t compete in the sub gauge class.

Tube it. Put weight in the butt stock to bring the balance point back to about where it is now - presuming you like it where it is.

Shoot 20 ga. In 12 ga events so your gun isn't butt heavy and so you don't have to clean the bbls between events. If you feel you have to shoot 12 ga, get a briley or kolar barrel weight to maintain your balance point. Maybe use your 687 for doubles.

or just buy a 410 and shoot it in all the classes.

I agree with the gun having to work for you. I actually purchased the GTI he’s talking about and shoot it better than my true 28’s. I’m a fairly big guy and the smaller framed 28’s are just too whippy for me if that makes sense. The heavier gun just works. If you can, shoot a tubed gun first and make sure you like how they swing, they’re not for everyone.

I'm glad the gun is working out for you. One thing I forgot to mention, and I'm sure you found it, there is a barrel weight in there to put on it when you shoot 12ga.

You're probably better off buying ANOTHER gun that already has subgauge tubes installed. It isn't difficult to find a used 28" gun WITH tubes for 2k or less.

I have a buddy looking to sell a Weatherby Orion (made in Japan, 28") with a full set of tubes (he upgraded to a Citori w/ tubes that I found for him). If interested I can send his email address to you.

I bought Briley tubes for my Browning 725. It was a mistake for me. The gun ends up a shade under 10 lbs and swings like it. I have bought 3 Browning this year from Guns Unlimited a 20, 28 and .410. The Briley tubes will serve as a back up.

I did this very same thing...

I wanted a 28ga. Instead I bought a used reloader and make 3/4, 7/8 and 1oz shells. Its like I have a 12, 20 and 28ga gun. Absolutely cannot feel any recoil with the 3/4 and very little the 7/8 loads.

I am also "immune" from the current ammo shortage.

I do not compete

Yes the Browning CX high enough quality and sturdy enough to justify adding sub-gauge tubes. I've seen more tubed Citori's than I have any other make of firearm.

The issues with weight and balance changes are not unique to Browning. It happens with every gun unless you spend money on a carrier barrel.

The OP said it was for competition. Your alternative is not applicable.

The question is competition as in NSSA, or competition as in club and traveling leagues?

How did you take a sub 8 pound gun, add 13 to 15 ounces of tubes and end up at 10 lbs.? It should be closer to 9 lbs. 9 lbs. is not particularly heavy for a skeet gun.

My son made a couple of Junior All American skeet teams shooting a 725 with Briley Companion tubes. He had no problem handling it when he was 13. He always shot it tubed for skeet, 20 gauge in 12 and 20. Reached AAA in both.

I have never seen a league that would allow you to shoot a non standard load in sub gauge competition. I shot in a league for years that ended the season with 410. Not surprisingly, you actually had to shoot a 410. I guess there are always exceptions.

It is not legal to shoot a 12g in a small gauge comp (unless the gun is correctly tubed). Weird that one would comment on competition when not doing competition ???

I found that tubing my gun made it too heavy out front. I later bought a carrier bbl that equalized the 12g weight to the carrier bbl w/ tubes. I shot some good scores w/ those.

Eventually I went back to small gauge guns as they were more fun to me.

I did not see anything in the OP about wanting to shoot competition.
Maybe he does, but it was not stated. Everyone is pretty well
aware of the skeet rules and what gun is required. I think everyone
knows you can't use a 12 gauge in smaller classes. Some shooters
do use a small gauge in a larger class though. There are those that
shoot a 20 in the 12 class. I suppose they can also use 1 1/8 ounce
loads in their 20 when using it in the 12 class.

There are quite a few shooters that put tube sets in their gun just
to fool around, not to compete. Different strokes for different folks.