Cleaning a BPS

[spearingboy]

Hey everyone I don't know if this topic has been beat to death or not.

I'm looking into getting a new pump shotgun for waterfowl hunting and I'm left handed. One of my options is a BPS. I'm just wondering how many of you have had problems cleaning them? I read in the manual on Browning's webiste that there's no need to take the action apart for cleaning, just clean the barrel. That makes me a little nervous being that it'll be getting wet and exposed to different elements and debris.

Does anyone that's owned a BPS have anything good or bad to say about the gun (cleaning in particular)? Thanks for the time and any help.

[norm25]

No need to worry they are a great gun, and yes there is no worry about cleaning them they come apart quite easily.

[gatorhunter]

I've got one and buying it is one of the worse mistakes I've made with respect to firearms and other hunting items. It is a royal pain in the lower cushions to clean. You need 3 hands but can only fit a couple of fingers in the ejection port. Stay away from this firearm!

If it's a pump action that you want then go with a Remington 870. Reliable and easy to clean.

[HunterLee]

I have one. They are easy to clean if you do it right. Like you i am left handed and i love mine. You need to clean it though, they get dirty too. Just take your time the first few times and it will all go together fine.

[charliepete]

I'm a lefty and love my BPS. A tang safety and bottom eject is nice for us lefties. It is a pain to fully disassemble (actually disassemble is easy re-assemble is tough), but it's not really necessary. A little liquid gun scrubber goes a long away. I've had mine for 20 years and it's still in great shape.

[Gordie]

I also had a BPS and I'm not a south paw but it was a very nice gun and some what easy to tear down and clean. as stated take your time and before long you'll be able to do it blind folded.

[gatorhunter]

I guess I don't need 3 hands...just need to be left handed I'd love to see anyone put their BPS back together again while blindfolded

[adamr]

I agree with elwood. I have a 10 gauge bps love it. The only reason there hard to clean is a guy does it once a year if a person did it more often it wouldnt be that difficult which it really isnt. Its alot easier than a mossberg! Buy it get one with the etching there nice

[Mr.Seaguar]

Lots of sympathy to Elwood. If he considers a BPS easy what else is the poor guy cleaning? Bps are great guns, I have had several. Getting the pieces back in with man-fingers is not fun however. But really how often do you need to clean a pump shotgun?

[Walleye Guy]

I own one. One of the best pump shotguns out there. However, it is a pain to reassemble if you take out the action and slide bars. I'm pretty handy and my BPS has made a trip to a gunsmith with all the pieces in a bag....

[sheepheadslayer]

I have owned one for 14 years. I have never had it apart i just use the gun scrubber and thats it. I have shot 5000 rounds through it and it ejects like new. I also am left handed and it is a nice gun. 3 1/2" is why i bought it and cant be happier.

[magnum mike]

I traded my BPS 10 for a Browning Gold 10 for just this reason. The BPS is a great gun but hard to re-assemble. A can of gun scrubber and a toothbrush will solve all your cleaning problems.

[jam thrasher]

I have shot one for my entire life since I started hunting so mine is 17 years old and i have never taken the action apart and have NEVER had a problem with it not working. just a little gun scrubber at the end of the season and I am good to go. Best pump gun IMO out there.

[Harmonica Bear]

Ditto - and I've had mine over 20 years

[spearingboy]

Thanks a lot for all the replies. I ordered a BPS Duck Blind today. Hopefully everything works out and I have very few problems with it. Thanks again for you comments everyone.

[jlm]

Sorry I am getting to you late on this one, I hope all works out for you. My experience is as others stated, it is a VERY difficult gun to re-assemble. I am very hard on guns do to where I hunt and the difficulty in getting to some spots (lots of sand and always a ton of mud). I clean mine several times a season and break it down completely. I have owned and do own better shotguns in my opinion. My next one will not be a BPS. That is just me though, I may have gotten a bad one (which happens with all gun makers). Out of the box I was not impressed. Stiff slide action and the slightest amount of debris jams it up. You heard it correct, complete failure. Throw in a shell with a little rust (which happens during the waterfowl season), its just not happening. Again, sorry I am getting in on this late and I hope you have a better experience than me. Good luck!

[Archerysniper]

I allways thought you shot a box of shells out of them and throw them away, just kidding I have one and they are a pain to clean but it allways functions properly. I have people on my trap and skeet team that allways have problems with theirs dumping the second shell on the ground instead of chambering it but maybe they don't clean it either. If you whant a gun that will not give you problem get a 870.

[11-87]

I'm not the formost expert on guns, or super mechanical, but I have taken my BPS apart, and succeeded in putting it back together with relative ease. Taking it apart the first time can be a FemaleDog since you dont' always know what your getting into.. then it gets easier from there...

Mine don't get alot of use, but I like to clean it up once before season, during season, and then again after...

[ESmith]

I've got a 12 ga. BPS Gold, and have had it for 15 years. Detail stripped it several times. Its like anything else, you have to do it, and have the inclination to learn how to do it right. The fit and finish of the BPS guns is very good, and very tight. The trigger group for example, is a very good tight fit into the receiver. My Beretta 391 not nearly as tight. With a few detail strips, things loosen up a bit and it gets better.

Unless you are shooting large amounts, I think 1-2 detail strips per year is about all you'd ever "need". Field stripping, by that I mean just taking the barrel off is adequate to get you through what I'd consider to be a normal hunting season.

The BPS itself is a fine pump shotgun. The action is much cleaner and has a lot less slop in it than lesser pump's in my experience. I wouldn't let the cleaning issue (or in my opinion, non-issue) get in your way.