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Browning Silver Black Lightning 12 Gauge Autoloading Shotgun  Browning Arms is coming off of an all-time record sales year. This version of the well-known Browning Silver line offers a semi-hump treatment of the receiver and the Browning round knob, Prince of Wales style pistol grip. Specifications
This extremely well-finished shotgun weighed 7-3/4 pounds as tested. The Turkish walnut is balanced in color and grain with an attractive gloss finish that should adequately waterproof the wood. The polished barrel bluing and the black anodizing of the receiver are both evenly applied. The profiled cross-bolt safety is particularly well done on this model. Unfortunately, the excessively heavy Browning autoloading trigger breaks right at seven pounds, nearly the weight of the entire shotgun. When you buy a new Browning autoloader, you can expect to need an immediate trigger job. Other than that, though, the gun cycled one ounce loads with authority, right out of the box, with zero break-in needed. It is also an exceptionally soft-shooting gun, both due to its substantial weight and the Browning Active Valve gas system that has always been pleasant to shoot. Whether the Silver Black Lightning is for you will largely depend on personal preference and gun fit. In my case, but perhaps not yours, the Silver Hunter and Winchester SX-3 12 gauge guns fit me quite a bit better. Thus, based solely on the way the gun is stocked, it isn't for me. However, if this shotgun fits you, you will enjoy using it. The price point of the Silver is appealing. In today's market, the Browning Silver Black Lightning is both a solid value and good choice, as long as you don't mind aftermarket trigger work. |