Replacing a stock on a Browning Citori

AKSkeeter

AKSkeeter

Well-known member
After 38 years of chukar hunting in rocks, rock ptarmigan on steep slopes, blue grouse hunting on steep avalanche shoots, and may falls in icy conditions,
my 1984 Browning Citori stock is toast. I fell yesterday on a steep icy slope and fell today with 2 inches of fresh snow over ice. The missing part is lost somewhere in the snow in Montana.

brokenstock.jpg
Will a replacement stock fit the receiver or will I have to take it to a gunsmith to fit the stock to the receiver?
Also any suggestion for a stock bolt with torx or hex head instead of the old slotted head stock bolt?
Thanks.
 
AKSkeeter said:
After 38 years of chukar hunting in rocks, rock ptarmigan on steep slopes, blue grouse hunting on steep avalanche shoots, and may falls in icy conditions,
my 1984 Browning Citori stock is toast. I fell yesterday on a steep icy slope and fell today with 2 inches of fresh snow over ice. The missing part is lost somewhere in the snow in Montana.

View attachment 4650
Will a replacement stock fit the receiver or will I have to take it to a gunsmith to fit the stock to the receiver?
Also any suggestion for a stock bolt with torx or hex head instead of the old slotted head stock bolt?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Contact Browning. They may be able to get you the stock and also complete the repair
 

Browning Factory Repair

My Browning 625 was sent to Browning to replace the stock about a month ago. Talked to them today to check on progress and they quoted an August delivery date. That sounds way too long. Anyone have similar experience? Same problem as ammo supply??
forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com

My experience several years ago. Took a lot of phone calls but they did a good job in the end. No problems since.
 
dakotasj said:

Browning Factory Repair

My Browning 625 was sent to Browning to replace the stock about a month ago. Talked to them today to check on progress and they quoted an August delivery date. That sounds way too long. Anyone have similar experience? Same problem as ammo supply??
forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com

My experience several years ago. Took a lot of phone calls but they did a good job in the end. No problems since.
Click to expand...
I was thinking the same thing, post pandemic service is typically extremely slow.
I ordered a used stock from EBay, hopefully it will fit.
Since my Citori is 38 years old I don't care what it looks like, but it is my go-to shotgun from August to mid January.
If EBay does not work out, plan B is to send the used stock back and buy a new stock from midwest gunworks.
I did order a hex head stock bolt as that 1984 original stock slotted head was always a hassle with a super long screw driver.
 
The other potential problem is the inletting on stock for trigger guard...there are 3 different
length tangs depending on the Citori model. (Mine is a long tang trigger guard).
If the replacement stock is for a short tang trigger guard, it will cost me another $60 to
order a new trigger guard.
 
Got a Citori stock from EBay, but did not come close to fitting since my Citori is 1984 vintage.
Spent $279 for a field grade stock from Midwest.
Took the stock to S&S here in Polson who will fit and glass bead the stock to the receiver.
I was impressed with S&S, they do lots of high end stocks: https://www.ssplusstocks.com/2016/09/15/finished-projects/

In the meantime I have a 20 gauge 1984 Citori and my waterfowl gun (Winchester SX4)
 
AKSkeeter said:
After 38 years of chukar hunting in rocks, rock ptarmigan on steep slopes, blue grouse hunting on steep avalanche shoots, and may falls in icy conditions,
my 1984 Browning Citori stock is toast. I fell yesterday on a steep icy slope and fell today with 2 inches of fresh snow over ice. The missing part is lost somewhere in the snow in Montana.

View attachment 4650
Will a replacement stock fit the receiver or will I have to take it to a gunsmith to fit the stock to the receiver?
Also any suggestion for a stock bolt with torx or hex head instead of the old slotted head stock bolt?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Try ebay. Lots of factory stocks for sale. Them factory ones should fit fine, they are all machined. Minimal sanding if any.
 
Kismet said:
Outstanding!

er...did it ever occur to you that it might be too pretty to hunt with?

just sayin'
Click to expand...
My Citori is 38 years old with the bluing rubbed off in many locations, not very pretty.
The stock I bought from Midwest was a basic field grade stock for $279.
FCSpringer said:
Try ebay. Lots of factory stocks for sale. Them factory ones should fit fine, they are all machined. Minimal sanding if any.
Click to expand...
Not for a 1984 Citori...the only Citori stock I could find on EBay was not even close.
Minimal sanding would ultimately result in a cracked stock due to recoil stress,
broken_stock.jpg
the stock needs to be fit to the receiver by a trained gunsmith hence S&S stocks.
 
AKSkeeter said:
My Citori is 38 years old with the bluing rubbed off in many locations, not very pretty.
The stock I bought from Midwest was a basic field grade stock for $279.

Not for a 1984 Citori...the only Citori stock I could find on EBay was not even close.
Minimal sanding would ultimately result in a cracked stock due to recoil stress,
View attachment 4820
the stock needs to be fit to the receiver by a trained gunsmith hence S&S stocks.
Click to expand...
It's not that hard. Glad your back in action. There is places you can send yours for a duplicate, even broken, and finish the inletting yourself for a couple hundred bucks. Plus your wood you pick. I just did this one last year.
 

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FCSpringer said:
It's not that hard. Glad your back in action. There is places you can send yours for a duplicate, even broken, and finish the inletting yourself for a couple hundred bucks. Plus your wood you pick. I just did this one last year.
Click to expand...
Beautiful stock, Ken.
 
I have a friend who is a gunsmith specializing in stocks.
He recommended the pros at S&S rather than "do it yourself"
To do it right so it will last a lifetime, it should be glass-bedded to the receiver.
Otherwise, eventually this is likely to happen:
broken_stock.jpg
 
Not to be a wise-guy...but the internals look pretty damned good for the age. (y) to Browning and/or the care you gave this gun.

Not to hijack...but:

To anybody looking for this kind of stock work...just want to say that I had a VERY HORRIBLE experience with 'Wenig Gunstocks' in Lincoln MO. I had a cracked stock replaced at Wenig. The stock was ill fitted. A simple knuckle 'knock' on the wood yields a hollow 'tick' where the wood meets the receiver. Not the solid, wood sound of a proper fit. The LOP is off. I opted for a pad and not full, checkered wood stock. The installed pad was not what I specified. A spacer plate was installed with it as well. This tells me that they used some scrap stock they had. It must have been too short so they just added plastic plates and the incorrect pad to meet my longer LOP. The specifications I supplied per their instruction were simply ignored.

I called and voiced my discontent. I was told to send it back. It had already been there for nearly 7 months. I would also be charged for further modifications. Wasn't given so much as a "We're sorry". I posted a simple...factual, review on their site...it was removed...preserving their "5 Star" reviews. Unless you're going to spend $5000+ to restock your 'bespoke' beauty...the rest of us peasants...serfs...untouchable peons, ought not bother Wenig. They will not give you their best efforts.
 
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