New Browning Maxus Shotgun
Earlier this month Browning announced, to much fanfare, a new 12 gauge autoloader shotgun called the “Browning Maxus” at the annual sales meeting. Browning have really hyped this shotgun and have called it “The Most Reliable Autoloading Shotgun the World Has Ever Known.”.
The Browning Maxus Stalker model
The Browning Maxus Mossy Oak Duck Blind model
Browning claim the shotgun generates 18% less felt recoil, 44% less muzzle jump, 19% faster bolt speed and 24% faster locktime. The shotgun has a variety of improvements that make this performance increase possible:
* A new gas system called the “Power Drive Gas System” which is cleaner and more reliable with light loads.
* A new trigger called the “Lightning Trigger System” which has an average lock time of .0052 seconds.
* A new recoil pad called the “Inflex Technology Recoil Pad” which claims to decrease muzzle rise (I recently bought a grind-to-fit Limbsaver recoil pad recently that claimed the same thing).
It also has some nice magazine improvements. A feed system called “Speed Load Plus” allows the first shell inserted into the magazine to go directly into the chamber without cycling the action! Don’t ask me how this works but I look forward to examining the magazine system when it makes its way into the gun shops.
Browning have also introduced an improved magazine plug that can be inserted and removed in seconds using a car key.
The shotgun will be offered in two models (see above photos) and each model will be available in either a 3″ chamber or 3 1/2″ chamber and a 26″ barrel or 28″ barrel. Depending on the configuration the price will range from $1,199 – $1,499. It will be available sometime next year (2009).
Photo from Browning.com. An apparent reference
to the fictional Gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius
As part of the launch Browning released a video on youtube. It has some very impressive videography. If you are not interested in the shotgun itself skip to the middle to watch the shooting.
The Most Reliable Autoloading Shotgun the World Has Ever Known? Maybe the most reliable that they make.
I’d have to say the benelli M4 would have to be the most reliable. Can’t beat dual self cleaning pistons and US military adoption.
Speed Load Plus sounds great, but $1,200+ for a shotgun? For $1200, I’d rather get an AR-15 and stick w/ my $300 Remingtion 870.
beautiful, i love that auto round cambering device, I’m guessing its like when the slide locks back on a pistol, only the bolt is held open for the first round, then I’m imagining there’s some form of bolt release mechanism. inside the magazine that releases when a round enters. simply stellar, looks like a very nice shotgun, and for a reasonable price!
sounds like its got a few gimicks. gimicks are always the first to break
I just love reading blogs from all these superior shotgun experts who haven’t yet shot or even touched the shotgun. Seems to me that if these people knew as much as they think they know they would be spending their time competing with Browning Firearms and not bitching about them. And as far as the price goes, of course you think your cheap shotgun is better, its probably all you could afford. And furthermore, just because the military adopted it doesn’t make it the best gun, but perhaps just the best price( in bulk ). SO, save your money boys, put it on lay-away so it won’t hurt so bad and one day you to can have some real bragging rights. Until then you just keep right on plugging away with your 12 gauge boat anchors.
Have you ever noticed that people who own Cadilacs say “my Cadilac” and not my car. Same reason we Browning owners say “my Browning” and not my shotgun.
Ditto ! What JD Husky said. You don’t know if you haven’t tried it!
MJ
J.D. is right about putting down a product we haven’t tried ourselves (as well as his point about the military). At the same time, it feels like a bit of a putdown that some of us can’t afford some of the nicer shotguns. I have a Browning BPS (for deer) that I love, but I don’t have the $$$ to buy one of their auto loaders. It works and it’s quality; and that matters to me. I have a Benelli Supernova for waterfowel for the same reason. It’s ugly, and it’s a little more work for follow up shots, but it would take a nuclear explosion for it to fail me. With that said, I have to admit that I’d love to be able to afford the Maxus–it’s just not in the cards for me to own in the near future (and maybe not ever).
The speed load plus works just like an A-5. This isn’t new technology. The bolt is held open, then when you insert a shell into the magazine, bada boom, bada bing, it chambers it.
The speed loading mechanism is a Browning invention over 100 years old.
The Browning Gold also has speed loading and it works great.
Browning was one of the greatest inventors in American history.
Huskey is right..
Let us put our money where our mouth is. Only then can one step up to the plate and give his negative thoughts.
With a state of the art research and development facility like Browning, Actions do speak louder than words. !!
DOES ANY 1 KNOWS IF THAT BROWNING MAXUS GONNA COME INTO EUROPEAN MARKET?
The gun looks great……. The price fair…. But i’ve trawled all the web looking for availability in the UK; to no avail.
Anyone help?
I have hunted with my father all of my life and as an adult my husband and I hunt everything we can. When it comes to ducks, geese and upland birds I went out last fall and purchased a brand new Benelli – paid too much for something that failed one day when we were shooting skeet – less than 2 boxes of shells had been shot through the gun. When I returned it I followed my father’s advice of “not buying what is suppose to be the best and too expensive but what you know works” and I bought the Browning BPS – I love it!! And I just ordered my husband the Maxus for father’s day – I can’t wait to get it for him!! And for $1600 in Canada it really isn’t a bad price for the quality that I expect to receive. When it comes to Browning I expect this to last my lifetime or most of it!! My friend was given a Browning BPS when he was 12 and I wouldn’t know how many thousands of shells he put through it and he just retired it for a Browning semi last fall…… buy what you know works everytime – don’t settle for anything less than that!
I don’t care what anyone else that thinks bad about a browning shotgun really cares . I will still own one !! can’t wait .
Is the Maxus FN Browning or just Browning USA. Looks pretty damn good to me all the same If it lasts as long as my A5 which I have been shooting for 40 plus years (thousands of rounds through it) I would be happy, but then I probably only have another 30 years of shooting left so why change
. Hunting mate has had his A5 about 10 years longer than I, has not had to replace any parts in its life and I have only ever replaced I part which if I had proper welding expertise I could have repaired. GO Browning I say, and to you Bunnies who have never shot one, shut up until you try one.
when is this coming to canada?
I shoot Browning,Iown many Brownings and I’ll
Buy a pair of these too…browning has great customer service and is a good value whether its a Citori or a 31/2 stalker,,,jb
BOUGHT NEW SBE2. TOOK TO CANADA AND THE RECOIL PAD FELL OFF AND THE COMB SEPARATED. IT CONTINUALLY JAMMED, MISFIRED AND DISAPPOINTED. HAD TO USE A 835 ULTIMAG AS BACKUP. THAT INCIDENTALLY PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY. HAD BENELLI REWORK IT AND IT CONTINUED TO FAIL. MY OPINION IS IT IS OVERPRICED AND OVERRATED. I BOUGHT A USED BROWNING GOLD HUNTER AND MY PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED. I PRE ORDERED THE MAXUS AND CANNOT WAIT. I HAVE OWNED AT LEAST 75 SHOTGUNS OF ALL BRANDS AND I GO BACK TO THE BROWNING! OH, AS FOR THE COMMENT FROM THE SKEPTICAL, YET SUPER-KNOWLEDGEABLE MILITARY OUT THERE, IF YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN HAD YOUR HANDS ON ONE, HOW CAN YOU CRITICIZE? I HAVE BEEN THERE TOO AND I KNOW THE LOWEST BID WILL GET A CONTRACT EVERYTIME.
Wondering about the cleaning procedure and all the moving parts. Own a few different shotguns including Benelli, Beretta, Browning, Remington, CZ and even Stoeger. Find the Beretta and Browning to be a pain to clean, Remington (1100) can be a pain as well. Receiver lock up in the Benelli’s barrel isn’t the easiest to clean either. Guess if the gun fits, shoot it. Almost all of my guns have failed at some point and to some extent, all for different reasons but none of them has “broke”. We, as hunters and shooters, tend to buy expensive guns, decoys, clothes, boots, boats etc. and usually spend as little as possible on ammunition. This is where the failures on any gas, inertia, O/U, SxS or pump guns usually stems from, not the manufacturer of the firearm. Will probably pick up a Maxus as well, probably from someone committed to one of the other manufacturers friends, they are the ones that always have problems with guns and should be selling them at a discounted price, even though I never seem to run into them.
Took my brand new Maxus 3.5 inch out the other day and decided to put it to one of the most difficult reliability test. I got 1oz crappy Centurion shells that won’t function in most autos and feed them through the brand new unfired Maxus. Sure enough it eat them up like anything else. If a brand new 3.5 gun can shoot that stuff and function it should do fine on a steady diet of Winchester Super X. Check out the videos on Youtube that compare muzzle jump of the new Maxus!
I just ordered the Maxus. I have the A 5 light 12 ,A5 12 guage magnum,A5 sweet sixteen,Browning gold Hunter and Browning BLR .308.None has ever failed me.I also have the Beretta A390 ST Ducks unlimited 12 guage.Nice Gun but the Brownings NEVER fail and I can’t condemm the Beretta as it has been a great gun as well.Can’t wait to get the Maxus.The reviews sound great.
First of all, I think that Browning is a very good firearms manufacturer and I would feel quite confident in buying the new Maxxus shotgun. I own a Browning Bar Safari and I love it. However, I dont think that you should put your other flawlessly functioning shotgun away just because of the new Maxxus. Personally, I’ve owned a Remington 11-87 for years now which I paid approximately $800 Canadian dollars for and its been absolutely excellent for me. It doesnt have much recoil and it looks and feels great. Mine handles up to 3″ shells and cycles different sized shells easily and flawlessly. For all the “little” frills that they brag about that the new Maxxus has, why should I put out another approx $1500 Canadian if my Remington is working great??
If you dont want a gun that will fail to cycle and knock your teeth out when you fire heavy fowling loads like a benelli, Then get an Xtrema 2.
To critics who have not even tried a Browning where are you coming from? I own a Brownign Maxus and i love it, yeah sure it was expensive but i save up my money for a long time and bought one and this all started from a youtube video. This gun is so awesome i cant even describe it. NEVER EVER JAMS(no joke) SUPER easy to clean and very easy on the shoulder even with 31/2′.
Good hunting Browning Owners
Gp.
I found the Browning Maxus to be coming to the Lebaron sports; Lebaron.ca in Canada in January 2010. The prices in Canadian dollars are approx $1416 for the stalker mondel to $1554 for the mossy oak duck blind model. I have decided to order one after all the good things many people are saying about this shotgun. Of course, my Remington
11-87 LC has never, ever let me down in any way, but I do love firearms and am greatly looking forward to purchasing this new Browning.