Hi Folks!

With a little encouragement from SuperXOne and Slugo -- see viewtopic.php?f=53&t=367647 -- I went and bought a 20-gauge Browning B2000 at an auction this past weekend.

Here it is, and here's what I've learned about one of Browning's most misunderstood and underappreciated guns ...

It's not a beautiful gun, but handsome none the less. While the B2000 vaguely resembles an A5, it's really smaller, more lithe, in both look and feel.

Slugo and I took it out to the range, and I loved, absolutely loved, the way it shot. For me, it came up naturally and hit easily.

But there's more to the story, I'll continue tomorrow ...

Thanks!
Dave

As many of you know, I’m a gun renter. That is, I try to buy guns at a good price, play with them for awhile and then sell them for close to what I paid. If there’s any loss, I simply think of it as a rental fee.

This allows you to get a lot of experience with a lot of different guns at a minimal cost, and after a few short days, I’ve picked up a lot of experience with the B2000. To start …

- All the dire warnings about the unobtainable plastic parts in the B2000 are exaggerated … if not completely false. The B2000 has three plastic buffers, and all three are readily available, in both 12 and 20 gauge versions, from Midwest Gun Works.

Now, I was prepared to replace all three in my 1975 B2000, but when I took it apart, I found that wasn’t necessary. The plastic parts were neither brittle nor damaged. I took them out, cleaned them up and wiped them with ArmorAll. They should be good for another 38 years.

- The gun I bought has a 3-inch barrel, and I assumed it would still handle 2-3/4 inch shells with a bit of adjustment.

Well, you know what happens when you assume. Sigh. Even after giving the gas system a good cleaning, it still wouldn’t reliably cycle 2-3/4 inch shells. Anyone out there have a 2-3/4 inch, 20-gauge, B2000 barrel you want to get rid of?

- However, I’ve learned that there are a lot of 3-inch, 20-gauge loads available. Primarily hunting loads, but loads for clay games too. (For example, see http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/39802)

I also assumed – again, sigh – that you shouldn’t shoot steel shot through the B2000. Wrong. Unlike the classic Belgian Browning A5s and Supers, the B2000 “will accept all current factory steel shot loads except those with T, F, BB and BBB size shot ….” (See http://www.browning.com/customerservice ... asp?ID=128) And many of the 3-inch, 20-gauge loads are as stout if not stouter than popular 12-gauge loads. So you can get 12-gauge performance out of a 20-gauge gun.

- But don't those loads make the B2000 kick like a mule? Well, I guess that's where all those buffers come into play. It's really quite pleasant with 3-inch loads, no better or worse than my Maxus with target loads.

All of this makes the B2000 a much more useful and practical gun than I expected. (But I’d still like one of those 2-3/4 inch barrels.)

That’s today’s report. Stay tuned.

I'll give ya' $50 bucks for it!!

A little more knowledge gained today ...

I have two 20 gauge reloaders -- a Lee LoadAll and a MEC 9000. The Lee can be converted to load 3-inch shells for free. The MEC can be converted using a $55 kit.

To quote Jim Bouton, "Yeaaaah, surrrre."

Seriously, I haven't decided if this is a rental or a keeper yet. I really like the way the gun feels and shoots, but the shell-length issue is an obstacle. Stay tuned.

Plus it makes a dandy sawed off given the lack of a action spring tube in the butt stock.



FYI the movie is "Outland" a pretty good watch.

That's not a B2000, is it?!?

I would bet that it is a B2000. Check out the "dual carrier & cartridge stop" on the bottom of the receiver. That's how you spot them on the used gun racks.

Roboslug

That's the best pic I could find, there are others that show the loading port.

Here's some more info.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Outland

On the movie poster he has a Winchester M12.

One thing to mention on the b2000.....I remember going to gun shows years ago and they were selling for cheap, I mean really cheap. NIB guns, many of them on the $200-$250 range those days are over, especially for the 20ga.

For many years, one of my clients was a consumer products company, and every once and awhile, they'd come up with some good new product that -- for some odd reason -- just wasn't accepted by its customers.

Soon, it would be discontinued, blown out at a discount and disappear.

Then, years later, consumers would rediscover the item and the market price would jump by multiples of two, three or four. It's hard to figure sometimes.

Thanks!
Dave

P.S. While visiting Jake and the good gunsmiths at Reesers, Jake told me that he has a 3-inch Magnum B2000, and that it will cycle 2-3/4 inch shells ... IF you use a heavy shot load. I'll try that tomorrow.

i also have a 20 with a 3 inch barrel mod choke, i bought a new in box 2 3/4 barrel on ebay for $75 vent rib mod choke about two years ago, they are on there quite often at a big range of prices and condition!

$200 guns? $75 barrels? You guys are just trying to make me crazy, aren't you?

Welcome to the NEW economy & prices.

http://www.corsonsbarrels.com/browningbarrels.htm

http://www.barrelexchange.com/srch_1.cf ... mit=Search

Roboslug

Jake was right. I picked up some 2-3/4 inch, 1-ounce Remington loads last evening. (Specifically, Remington 20 gauge, 2-3/4 inch, 1220 fps, 1 ounce, 6 shot loads.) I had two failures to eject early in the box, and then, it cycled 20 in a row with no problem. (Remember, this gun still probably has less than 100 rounds through it.)

Yes, I know you typically can't/don't shoot clays with 6 shot, but the same load is commonly available in 7.5 shot as a "Heavy Dove Load."

Enjoy!
Dave

For those of you scoring at home -- and even those that aren't -- the 20 gauge B2000 with the 3-inch barrel weighs 6 pounds, 10 ounces unloaded.

I wasn't thrilled with the trigger on the gun. It was heavy and felt like it was gummed up, perhaps from old lubricant or shipping preservative.

So I measured the trigger pull ... It averaged a gummy 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Ugh.

Then I removed the trigger/carrier group. (Instructions are in the owner's manual, which is available at Browning.com.) I saw little, if any, dirt or signs of use, but I did see old lube.

So I cleaned and lubed (with CLP) as many pivot points as I could easily reach. I reassembled the gun, and measured the pull again ... It averaged 5 pounds, 2 ounces.

That's much better, but not great. It still feels a little sticky. I'll give it some time, and if it doesn't get better, I'll take the gun to Jake and ask him to completely disassemble the trigger/carrier group. (That's a bit above my pay grade.)

Enjoy!
Dave

Minor update ...

- I've decided this gun is a keeper, and so I went ahead and ordered the supposedly unobtainable plastic buffer parts from Midwest Gun Works. They arrived in two days. Pretty good for parts so many have said you can't get.

- A 2-3/4 inch barrel is en route. I won one in a Gunbroker auction. Stay tuned for a report.

Enjoy!
Dave

I have a Browning 2000 that was my mothers. My dad bought it for her back in the 70's. It probably does not have 100 rounds through it. The problem is, the stock was professionally cut for her length of pull and the gunsmith must have assumed she was a midget. I would like to use this gun but would need a new stock any idea where I can get one?

Also, it's a 2 3/4 inch gun. If I buy a magnum barrel for it will it handle 3 inch shells?

Thanks!

http://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgw ... utt-stocks