Hi Bruce,
As someone who values your opinion a great deal I am seeking out your advice once again. I’m think of purchasing a like new Browning B-2000 12 Gauge .
Can you give me some advice concerning the history of this model ? I know your are fan of gas operated autoloaders as am I. I just wondered if they are reliable, have a history of more then normal parts breakage, and your opinion of buying a Browning that is no longer made. Those who I’ve spoken so far to about this gun said it was very soft shooting and handled quite nicely. I don’t know if it was a problem gun for Browning, or just one of those guns they discarded, while looking for the Holy Grail of autoloaders in the past 25 years. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. ( I still think they’re not done looking)
Thank You,
Peter
Dear Peter,
I don’t really have much experience with Browning’s B-2000. I’ve shot them some, but never owned one. Of course, that won’t stop me from making up all sorts of things to tell you about them.
I believe that the B-2000 was Browning’s first commercial effort at a gas operated shotgun. Fjestad’s “Blue Book of Gun Values” states that it was produced from 1974-1983. The B-2000 replaced the recoil operated Double Auto and was in turn replaced by the Beretta patent Browning B-80 (mechanically similar to the 300, 301, 302, 303 Beretta gas guns).
The B-2000 was a relative failure for Browning. They sold 115,000 of them in the US over the ten year period. The Remington 1100 dominated the market at that time. By contrast, the classic A-5 humpback was in production in Belgium from 1902 – 1972 (2,500,000 made in Belgium) and in Japan until 1997. As a modern comparison, Beretta makes 50,000 391s a year.
None of the B-2000s I shot had any problems, but I didn’t shoot them long enough to give them a fair test. I felt that recoil was pretty standard for a gas gun of that weight. I wasn’t a big fan of the modified hump back receiver, but it wasn’t a big deal. You should note that it was very rare to ever see a B-2000 in clay target competition, though Browning did make skeet and trap models. That’s never a good sign. That said, you don’t see Benellis used in top competition and they are an excellent and reliable hunting gun.
As to parts, Brownells carries parts for some Brownings, but I didn’t see the B-2000 listed. If I were you, I’d contact Browning service and ask them if parts are still available. You don’t want any gas gun for which you can’t get parts.
I don’t know why Browning stopped making the B-2000. It might have been lack of sales or less than ideal performance or both or neither. There just weren’t enough of the guns out there for me to get a good feel for them by talking to other owners.
I’m always a bit reluctant to buy a 35 year old “orphan” that wasn’t really all that popular in its prime. You have to ask yourself why it wasn’t successful the first time around and what would make it more desirable a quarter of a century later. Look at the Ithaca Model 51 gas gun- a great handling, soft shooting gun, but it ate parts the way my dog eats kibble.
Fjestad’s lists the B-2000 as selling for around $350 in 98% condition, so perhaps modest purchase price changes the picture. Still, a used B-80 costs only slightly more and is a proven gun once you get the gas ports sorted out if you have a 3″ gun. I don’t have any first hand knowledge as to how the B-2000 handles different shell strengths.
Browning has certainly been star-crossed in it’s search for a competitive gas operated gun. The B-2000 wasn’t a success. The B-80 worked well, but was short term solution with Beretta until Browning could come up with it’s ill fated A-500 made in both a gas and recoil operated model. The current Browning Gold had initial teething problems and sales never really recovered as Browning had hoped. The Gold doesn’t begin to approach the Beretta 391 in popularity.
Best regards,
Bruce Buck
The Technoid writing for Shotgun Report, LLC
(Often in error. Never in doubt.)
Shotgun Report® 
I just bought a B2000 in 20 gauge because I wanted a light recoiling gun for doves and informal clays. I couldn’t think of another steel receiver semi auto other than the Remington 1100 which I am very familiar with but have suddenly become very pricey. The 1100 will generally work although internals are made from discarded beer can materials! With Remington’s demise I can find parts for a B2000 a lot easier than for the 1100 which is very strange.
This gun is every thing I expected it to be and is a conversation starter with its left side loading port and Speed Feed like the Browning Double Auto. Once you learn the gas system it is not difficult to maintain though does require a little bit of fiddling to get all lined up properly to assemble. It does not bother me at all. The fact that the gas system is within the magazine tube keeps nearly all of the carbon off of the rest of the internals.
I can tell you that 20 gauge models of the B2000 are not easy to find as there were not many made and they seem to stay popular with their owners.
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I bought a B 2000 from Dinny Dinnes in 1973 still have it. I nick named it ( Meat )
Any thing you aim at you get. I purchased
2 barrels with it. 3 inch magnum and a super modified. Can’t tell the difference in eather. I have shot both at the same meat shot. Love the gun! I will jam if shooting over head that has happen several times. The best gun I have. And I have a collection of browning guns.
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I have an early B2000 in 3″ that always cycled 2 3/4″ magnums [our reloads] and even store bought field loads. It doesnt like bargain target loads but is reliable for the better ammunition it was deigned to handle.
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my 2000 is a nice looking gun handles well shoots fine ..,.its not a magnum ..shoots doves well ..sometimes pheasants and quail..hard to clean but worth the used gun price it will last another 10 to 15 years.
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I have a 1976 Model B-2000 12 ga and have been hunting ducks, geese, pheasant and turkey for 40 years and have never had a problem. I have a 30″ full choke 3″ mag barrel and a 30″ full choke 2-3/4″ barrel and it never misses a beat. I have been in the coldest and most foul weather conditions and all the Baretta’s, Remington’s and Winchesters jam and miss fire. Not the Browning B-2000. I have killed many partners geese for them while they where trying to get there guns to fire. Only thing you need to do is keep them clean with Hoppes solvent, keep the gas piston clean and very lightly oiled. When that wonderful Steel Shot became mandatory, I started hunting Geese with a Ithaca Mag 10 with Briley Choke Tubes (Ithica Circa 1974) and Turkey, no problems. I would like to have choke tubes installed on the B-2000 barrels and start using steel shot. The B-2000 is the smoothest firing 12 gas 3″ mag to this day.
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Awesome gun. But it!!
My Browning B2000 1973 semiautomatic shotgun was discontinued in 1980.
My first shotgun. 1st day ever with a shotgun outshot my 1st husband birds per shot by 25%
It will hold 5 but only legal to have 4 loaded in areas
Don’t have to shot all at once but doesn’t kick so is ok if that is your thing
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I have a 79 model 12 ga and we have been there and back several times since new. Recently I have replaced many worn parts, but the gun runs like new again. As others have said, just keep it clean. I will be looking for a back up that will keep me hunting until I cant any more. I have 4 barrels all with briley choke Tubes installed. Love the gun like a member of the family.
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J’en possède 2 un special trap en acier et un special chasse le corps est en alliage d’aluminium .
Entre les deux, le poids varie de 1 Kg (3.950 et 2.950).Je les est acheté en 1979 .Ils fonctionnent toujours à la perfection .
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Interesting article. I have owned my B2000 12 gauge since 1978. I really like it and found it to be soft shooting and 100% reliable with multiple shells. I have a slug barrel, and 30″ full choke barrel that came on the gun and a Skeet barrel. I primarily used it for skeet shooting at the local skeet range and shot and won several club competitions. It has cycled at least 10,000 rounds without fail. I think the downfall was a lot of owners not understanding how the gas piston works or is reassembled wrong after cleaning. It’s easy to do if you’re not familiar with the particulars of assembly. I have never had to replace any parts but then, I put it away after the skeet range was closed due to housing developments. Bottom line, the gun is great handling, soft shooting and reliable.
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I believe that every time Browning comes out with a new product, someone badmouths the old model. I have owned a-500s that have been touted as the biggest mistake that Browning ever made, They were wonderful guns…..true Brownings. Go figure?????
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I have owned a B2000 since 1975 after reading an interesting article in the local outdoor mag.However in cold weather the gun does not function as it should, after the first shot the spent shell is ejected ,another round is fed into the chamber, now this is the disappointing part is that the trigger cannot be squeezed no matter how much pressure is applied unless the unfired shell is ejected by cycling the bolt and loading another shell into the chamber, I have met with the Browning people in Montreal who referred me to the warranty repair centre in Coburg Ontario.where I have been back on three occasions for the same problem but have had no success in rectifying the malfunction, I really do like the gun but as far as buying another Browning firearm No Way!!!!!
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You have over oiled you firearm. Get some spray gunk remover and apply to the space between the trigger and the receiver. Believe me this works.
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I’ve owned a 12-ga. B2000 since the mid-1980s and shot a lot of geese, ducks and pheasants with it. Never had any problems. In fact, one memorable goose hunt near the Missouri river in SD it was the only gun in a group of 10 hunters that didn’t have any problems. We were hunting a harvested corn field in string of pits (6-ft. deep round holes dug with an augur on a tractor) over decoys. It was bitterly cold, the wind was howling (no surprise for SD) and there was a skiff of snow on the ground. The wind was whipping up a mix of find dirt and snow that would melt as soon as it hit any warm parts on your gun and then freeze almost instantly. The geese were coming in so fast you didn’t know where to look, but after the first shots were fired the doubles and over-and-unders were done. As soon as the actions were opened and exposed to that snow/dirt mix it melted and refroze and they wouldn’t close tightly enough to fire. One by one the auto loaders and pumps froze up too, jamming or misfiring. The B2000 was the only gun that didn’t have an issue that day, and I was pretty impressed. So were all the guys with far more expensive guns that were useless in that environment, except maybe as clubs. I was kind enough to shoot their geese for them though…
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I have a 20 ga. 2000 which I have owned since about 1980. I love the gun and have had no problems at all. Keep it reasonably clean like you would or should do with any shotgun.
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I have had a Browning 2000 since 1981. No problems so far, but I’m really worried now:). Softest recoil due to very smooth gas action and the heft of a steel receiver(almost the same receiver as the great Browning Automatic Rifle….the sporting rifle, nothing to do with the military BAR). I think the following are the real reasons that the Browning 2000 was overtaken by even lesser designs:
A. It used interchangeable barrels(I have a 28″ and a 24″), not interchangeable chokes, which were available in later shotguns which displaced it. That is an expensive way to change from full to improved cylinder:). You could buy a good pump shotgun for less than the cost of a spare barrel.
B. Its gas action wasn’t touted like later actions as automatically adjusting from the lightest to the heaviest loads. Though mine will handle everything from 24 gram(7/8 oz) to 42 gram(1 5/8 oz) magnums. So long as the port pressure is sufficient, irrespective of perceived recoil and shot/slug weight, it will work.
C. It didn’t accommodate 3″ magnum 12ga shells, unless you fitted a 3″ magnum barrel(expensive). This won’t work very reliably with 2 3/4″ shells. The 3″ barrel has only one gas port, the 2 3/4″ has two gas ports. I have no need for expensive 3″ shells that might give you an extra few yards range. Both my barrels are for 2 3/4″ shells.
D. It has a steel receiver which I prefer over lightweight alloy. Some people complain about the modest weight, while also whining about the kick of magnums in their alloy receiver pump.
E. Not enough people have used them, since production didn’t continue for long in the face of interchangeable chokes, alloy receivers, self-adjusting actions and other trendy things that excite gun writers, but not me. So people may be afraid that parts are a problem. I haven’t replaced anything:
A friend commented dryly that I should clean the gun every year! It isn’t like an M4 that you strip before you use it, in the middle of your shooting, and again when you are finished…..hard to do in dusty conditions under fire(:.
It has only had the gas setup detail stripped a few times in a third of a century. Otherwise the gun gets the same treatment as the Rem 870. Occasional boresnake, and oiling. Bit of tung oil or walnut oil on the (nice French walnut) stock.
Favorite shotgun vs Rem 870, Win 1300, Mossberg 500, Brno 300 series O/U, all of which I have used a lot.
I do go on, lol, but hope that helped.
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I have a B 2000 since 94. Dad Bought it used it and after 2006 its in my use. Has been a reliable gun. have fired alot. never needed a repair. I dont see any bad about the Gun, parts or any thing else. Its still better then many other models.. It has smooth recoil and smooth action. keep the pistons and trigger assembly clean for best performance.
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I have owned a 2000 since 1975. Mine is a 20 ga. and I have used it for quail and dove hunting. I love this gun. It has been very reliable and I have fired many cases of shells through it. Keep it fairly clean and it will fire every shot. I have an a5 but I still prefer the 2000 for day in day out use.
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