Educate Me on Browning Gold Auto Shotgun

Tell me how solid and dependable the Browning Gold semiauto shotgun made in the 1990s and early 2000s is. It's a gas operated gun, but does that mean it has the rubber o-ring like a Remington 1100 does? Will it cycle a variety of shells?

I really would like to have one in 20 gauge, but those almost never come up on GunBroker. Back when the Gold was made in a variety of configurations, I couldn't afford one. Very briefly around 2002-2004 Browning offered it with a straight English-style stock and called it something like Upland or Upland Special. That is a unicorn right there. Maybe they only made and sold about 30 of them.

The Gold Hunters were good gun albeit the early 3.5" models had a reputation for being finicky with ammo. The 20ga with english stock is nowhere near as rare as you're thinking. The rarer models of the Gold 20's are the FLD model (which had a semi-humpback reciever akin to the Silver of today) and most of all the Dove Special which was a camo 20ga Gold in Mossy Oak Breakup camo. I can count on one hand how many of those Dove specials that I have seen in the wild or online

Thanks for that information. Do you know if they use a rubber o-ring for the gas system to function or do the Golds have a more updated system?

I’ve never disassembled a gold, but I know a silver hunter has a gas valve similar to a beretta. No O rings

No O-rings. They use a piston/gas valve system exactly like the Winchester SX3’s. As a matter of fact a lot of the Gold /Sx3 parts will interchange

I had a Browning Gold for 1 season. No matter how clean I would keep it, it would jam. I've seen other folks that shoot them for years with no trouble. Mine could have been a fluke. I got rid of it and bought a pump.

Was the gun new?

I’ve owned my 12 3” model since the early 2000’s, mine is just fine. I wish I had a 30” bar. Vs the 28” that it came with. I’ve run everything from light field loads to heavy duck loads.

It was. I would guess it was about 2000 or '01. I'm a dog hunter and I used it running dogs. Still the tightest patterning shotgun I've ever shot. Everything I'd shoot at an animal it would jam. I'd bring it home, break it down and clean it. Carry it out back and it would shoot 5 as fast as you could pull the trigger. Next time I'd shoot at something, it would jam. The last day of season I shot at a Buck and it jammed. I tore it down in the seat of the truck and cleaned it with a paper towel. Put it back together and 30 min later another buck came out on me. When I shot him it jammed. I was ready to wrap it around a tree.

After I sold it, I talked to another fella that had always used one. He told me that if he put the mag cap on too tight, his would jam. Don't know if that's what it was though.

Also, I told the guy I sold it to that it would jam and I sold it for just enough to buy a BPS. Wouldn't want anyone to think I dumped it on someone.

I put about 30,000 rounds through one. Probably needs a cleaning maybe a magazine spring or the extractor claw is worn.

Pretty darn reliable shotgun IMO.

Got a Gold 20 FLD 28" purchased in 98. 2 3/4 and 3". Probably 4,000 rounds through it. 99.99% Mint condition. No O-rings on the golds. Gas valve. Never had the first jam with it, and it'll cycle anything you want to put through it. Great shotgun and I have a bunch. It's on par with another of my favorite autos, Beretta Urika AL 391. You wont go wrong with the Gold, if you can find one.

Most people report favorably on the Gold. Why do you think Browning quit making it? (I think the only Gold offered now is a 10 gauge turkey gun.)

I had 1 that was the same way. I ended up trading it straight up for a ruger red label 12, I was sure proud to get rid of it. I will say the gold was the softest shooting 12 I’ve owned.

Absolutely no idea. When my boys got older, I figured I'd just get them a couple Golds for dove and quail guns and was shocked to find that Browning had quit making them. Gold was the top of the Browning line for years. Only thing that I can think of is that about the time it was discontinued, Browning brought out the Maxus and A5 lines and those were going to be their new upper level guns. Probably just clearing the field for a more expensive line and the Gold was too close in price point, so they introduced the Silver so that there was some price point separation between the grades.

Every one I’ve messed with that others said would jam, either had something assembled incorrectly or even missing or had cosmo/packing grease cooked on somewhere from not stripping it when new. There’s surely been a truly bad apple somewhere, but I’ve always seen it come down to something that’s no fault of the gun. They’re an identical design/action to the SX2/3/4 and Maxus and Silver, save for a feature here and there or a relocation of a guide rod or such. Far more durable design than any 1100, and always built better than 11/87s. Some folks don’t like them. Some of the same folks swear one of its twin Winchester SXs are awesome. 90% of any negatives are purely anecdotal. Any 3” version of a 3.5” gun is just about always a better bet for reliability. They are soft shooters, if chunky in the forend compared to some other stuff. I keep a 12ga 3” 24” turkey model for a buckshot gun and I love the 20s….have one upland and always looking for another, an FLD, a Dove, or even a Silver 20…..which has the speed load like the Golds, while the 12ga Silver doesn’t. For the $ these days (used), they can be a heckuva buy.

The one I had was new and surely had less than 200 rounds through it when I got rid of it. Probably shot a hundred or so bird loads out of it and maybe 50-75 rounds of buckshot. It was also as clean as a whistle and got broken completely down and cleaned every time it jammed. Usually when I'd clean it, it wouldn't have much dirt in it at all.

I know they are good guns because if everyone had the same experience I had, they wouldn't have sold many of them. I'm sure mine was a fluke, but it's now someone else's fluke. The Browning BPS I bought with the money turned out not to shoot buckshot worth a darn and I sold it too. I'd try a Gold again if I had the need. Although, I do like my Benelli enough that I can't see myself ever shooting anything else.

This is good information. Thanks. ~~ I'm glad you compared the Gold to the 1100. Being gas operated, do the Golds run as dirty as an 1100? I like my two 1100s, but they require VERY frequent cleaning.

The Gold (which is an updated/improved SX-1 design) has a ‘self-cleaning’ piston system…..which just means the dirt/carbon gets pushed to places that don’t effect it’s operation as much. However, it’s a very easy piston to clean, as well…..especially if you have a jar of slip 2000 carbon killer and an air compressor…..that and a wipe down with a rag, and you’re done. Simple disassembly for a gas semi, and they can run with any of the beretta gas guns people like to brag about round counts on.

Break it down, wipe it down, go again. The only thing about this gun versus the older 50’s model 1100 I have, is it is easier to clean and shoots a little softer with 3” shells. The Gold has choke tubes, the 1100 doesn’t. The Gold can shoot steel loads, not the 1100. The Gold will pattern 2 3/4 shells a lot better than the 1100, unless you swap to a 2 3/4 1100 barrel. I haven’t had either lock up in foul weather. The Gold was/is a great gun, many trap shooters used/still use them. The Gold is a lot easier to clean than a Beretta Al390. I don’t shoot thousands of rounds, but I shoot my share. Now, if I had my pick, the 1100 just points better for me. It is like an old model 12, there is something about those two guns that fit me better.

Never had a problem, absolutely love to shoot it. I’d be hard pressed to choose which one I enjoyed shooting more - the Gold Hunter or Beretta

Those 2 little gas ports up where the stock ring/barrel met is what you had to always keep clean. I had the 3” version and it got to where it wouldn’t cycle no matter how clean I kept it

I got one. Can’t remember if I’ve ever shot anything but 3.5 turkey loads out of it. I take it down and clean it once a year. I’ve never had a problem out of it. Know several that have one and hate em. Mostly duck hunters…

I’ve got one that’s 20 years old. 20ga micro. Finicky with low brass loads sometimes. I think the gas ports were to small I’ve read. They dramatically improved it with the Silver.

What he said , easy to clean it never had an issue with mine . Bought it brand new is 2002,2003 been solid as can be. Just that damn Dura Touch

SRM and maybe Briley and others would modify pistons to prevent the automatic gas restriction/heavy load setting from activating….can’t recall what they do exactly. Was supposedly dead nuts with all loads, but could allow more wear with heavy loads over time.