I am an amateur trapshooter and a confirmed Browning man. I currently shoot a BT99. I am considering a Browning BT100. Several decisions must be made. No 1 is stainless steel, is it practical, and most importantly, the thumbhole stock. While it looks impressive, and Browning says it is great none of my shooting buddies has one and I can’t get any input about it.

What are your thoughts on this?

Bob

Dear Bob,

I have never shot one of the SS thumbhole BT-100s. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I won’t put my two cents in.

I have had a few comments emailed to SR about some reliability problems with the BT-100. Was it the trigger? I forget as it was some time ago. Anyway, there weren’t too many complaints, but there were some. I have never heard anyone say anything bad about the BT-99. This thumbhole/SS bbl sounds like the rifle guys are designing shotguns. If you shoot your shotgun like a rifle, it might work.

I did shoot a thumbhole International Skeet gun in the ’70s for a while, but found that it positioned my hand more vertically than I liked. It also put more pressure on the web of my right hand on recoil than I wanted. Of course, that stock could have had a grip that was too vertical and been a bit short. Still, I would wait to see if the thumbhole stock catches on. It hasn’t in the first 100 years of trap shooting. I’m a Luddite by nature. Still, if you want to be first, be my guest. You may be a “Browning man”, but they don’t always get it right. Remember the Browning recoilless single barrel trap gun? Remember the Browning B-2000? Remember the Browning A-500? G-500? R-500? Uh huh. Sometimes a wait and see attitude is appropriate. Your BT-99 is a heck of a gun. If you buy the BT-100, don’t trade the BT-99 in.

As to the SS barrel, it probably doesn’t hurt anything. Flugmann (alias Caprinus) made an entirely SS O/U some years ago. They still may be in business somewhere in Sweden for all I know, but they didn’t catch on over here. SS is nice in a rifle because the new SS alloys resist throat erosion better than the standard steels so the barrels don’t wear out quite as fast. That has never been a problem with shotguns, so a SS bbl is an answer without a question. Still, if you find SS attractive, why not. I too am attracted to shiny things.

Best regards,

Bruce Buck
Shotgun Report’s Technoid
(Often in error, never in doubt.)