EDITOR’S TEST Browning Crown

Browning’s latest game gun, the Crown, is given the once-over by the editor

Launched at the British Shooting Show in 2018, the Browning Crown (or Royal as the prototype was called) uses the renowned 525 action and is designed specifically as a game gun. It replaces the Grade 6, which was decorated with gold inlaid game birds on the action, which some thought too “blingy”.

The Crown takes a rather more subtle approach to decoration and the game scenes are silver on silver. In case you are wondering what silver on silver means, the birds on the side of the receiver are picked out in bright silverwork, which has the effect of making them look almost holographic.

Tasteful

This rather tasteful addition to the Browning family will turn a few heads, not just for the engraving, but for the beautiful wood too. The gun we tested had a well-figured dark walnut, which set off the coin finished action to a treat.

There are teardrops on the side of the stock, a nod to tradition, and the chequering is nicely executed: not too sharp, yet deep enough to give some purchase and control. There is also a vacant oval on the stock, typical of a traditional game gun.

The forend is of a rounded English style, as you would expect on game gun and the barrels are deeply blued, giving them a dark lustrous finish.

Many readers will be glad to know that the trigger blade was plain steel, so there’s no gold plate to wear. Also, the finish matches the rest of the gun, making it subtle, understated, yet rather distinctive.

However, the gun is not just meant to look good, it is designed to perform. An interesting thing to note is that the barrels are a nominal bore, which gives a better shot pattern with fibre wads. This is important in this day and age, where we are conscious of the harm plastic is doing to our environment.

The chokes are fixed and the gun we tested had ¾ choke in both barrels.

It’s slightly unusual to have the chokes exactly the same in both barrels as usually