Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Thinking about a Citori

I have a nice A-5 Light 12 I've been using for skeet and sporting clays for quite a few years now but have been thinking about replacing it with a Citori for a while now. I don't want a specialized skeet or clays gun just a nice field grade or slightly nicer grade gun. What should I look for?

Bill

I had a citori lightning and liked it, if you get a chance shoot the gun you want to buy before you buy it.

Spot

I don't think you can buy a bad Citori although it's been probably 12 years since I bought a new one. Outside of turkey hunting and waterfowling I use my "old" ones exclusively on upland game. I wouldn't use anything else.

My brother bought a new one about 5 years ago and he loves it.

Tired of the spring ringing in your ears?

Have 2 Citoris...a 12 and 20, but still think I shoot better with the A-5. It's more of a heads-up gun IMO.

Regardless, I like the Citoris for shooting trap, skeet and sporting clays.

See if you can borrow one at the range before you take the plunge.

Go with a Citori Lightning.
Great all around gun.

if its going to be strictly for upland hunting go with the 20ga...the 12ga is a little to heavy to carry all day unless you go with the aluminum receiver version...

I have a 28 gauge Citori and love it for ruffed grouse. Straight grip and very light.
gary

I'm sticking with the 12 ga and am not a big fan of the straight grip. They feel nice but I've never been able to shoot one that well.

I have my Dad's LC Smith 16 ga SxS for grouse and an all day carry gun. If I'm going out for pheasants at the club I use an 870.

Bill

Quality shotgun that will last a couple of lifetimes. My father's got several but his main gun used to be a Citori Ultra Sporter. over 160k rounds thru it (easily) he had it tightened up and it's sat since.

I highly recommend them.

For hunting, my favorite field gun is a Citori Lightning Feather 12 gauge with 26" barrels. It's about 6.5 lbs or a little more. The all steel reciever models are, for me, a little heavy in 12 gauge for a carrying gun (ok at the range though), but in smaller gauges are under 7 lbs.

I like the Prince of Whales grip on the Lightning model for hunting way better than the pistol grip on newer models. The pistol grip is too vertical to carry comfortably (again, for me). Pistol grips do give some people more control though, so some shoot them better. Also, the schnabel forend is not my favorite function-wise-- although I like the looks.

Overall, I'm a big fan of the Citori. If it fits you, or can be made to fit you, you should enjoy it very much.

Good shooting!

What's the Sporting Hunter? Is it heavier than a field or Lightning but lighter than a Sporting model?

I believe it has the higher or adjustable comb and the beads on the rib like a sporting setup.

A Citori is a pretty solid bet. The Beretta 68* series is also very solid. Just pick up a couple to see which fits better.

The Citori's I've handled all feel great to me. Brownings just seem to fit me. Not a big Beretta fan.

I've been talking to a guy about a Gran Lightning but he hasn't sent me the pics yet.

Bill

I own a bunch of shotguns and I've sold quite a few. As far as my current Citoris, I have a Superlight 28ga 26" bbl and straight grip, Citori field grade 28" bbl with pistol grip that I use for early North Dakota Ringnecks. I prefer a pistol grip of some sort with O/Us and a straight grip with SxSs. I thinks that Citoris will run forever with just a little care. I have only shot competitively with auto-loaders so I don't know how a Citori would hold up after 80,000 or 100,000 targets but I think they would do well. That is usually Kreighoff and Perazzi work. If a Citori fits well and feels right, buy one and don't look back.

Bought a Superior Grade Citori 12 gauge skeet gun in 1974; by now it surely has 7,000 rounds through it, and it's still tight. Never replaced a single part or spring, and both wood and metal retain 98% finish and gloss. You absolutely, positively can't go wrong with a Citori.

We have an older standard grade Citori 12ga that my 13 year old shoots trap & sporting clays with. Great shotgun, he shoots it well and loves it. Picked it up over on Shotgun World a couple of years ago. Great guys over there, lots of info, and good prices on older Citoris in good shape.


Since the older Citori was mine, I moved into a Citori XS Special with 30" ported barrels and love it. Has the palm swell and adjustable comb. It is a dream to shoot trap & sporting clays with. Don't think I'd part with it.

I owned a Browning Citori White Lightning in 20 gauge for a few years - one of the firearms I should never have traded away. The 12 was too heavy for upland hunting over the course of a day, but the 20 was perfect. In fact I tried to buy it back from the buddy who I sold it to - no dice. Looking at a new 20 gauge Franchi Renaissance now - very light and comfortable to carry.