The Power Drive gas system and Lightning trigger are carryovers from the original Maxus (which can handle up to 3.5-inch loads), but you will notice that the latch design to remove the fore-end has been done away with in favor of a traditional screw-on cap. The loading port has also been enlarged and the bolt handle is oversized (both standard enhancements for most new autoloaders these days). You’ll find that the trigger guard is larger, plus it has been ramped to make “loading easier” though I’ll have to wait to make that determination until I get my hands on one. The Maxus gets a makeover this year with mostly exterior upgrades to Browning’s flagship gas gun. Browning Maxus II The Maxus II runs off the Power Drive gas system, the same one used in the first generation model. It’s a pretty good time to buy a shotgun right off the shelf, and these are the best 2021 has to offer.

There are plenty of affordable O/Us and SxSs with gold inlays, checkered stocks and fore-ends, and engraved receivers to be had. You’re also getting more for your dollar with break-action guns this year. And you couldn’t count on them to fire reliably. The receivers often wouldn’t seamlessly fit with the barrels at lockup. There was a time that the construction of some Turkish-made doubles could be hit or miss. Mossberg and TriStar are doing a fine job of making break-action guns that look beautiful and are supremely functional. Side-by-sides and over/unders continue to be accessible to the average hunter because more blue-collar gun companies are building them. You’re seeing larger bolt handles and loading ports, lighter triggers, and custom exterior finishes like Cerakote in production autoloaders. The focus now is improving the outside and overall functionality of the gun.

The platforms-whether it be gas, inertia, or pump-have largely remained the same for decades. There’s not much left for gunmakers to innovate when it comes to the operating systems of new shotguns ( John Browning and Carl Sjogren did their jobs too damn well). Hunters are getting more for their money when it comes to buying break-action shotguns.

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