Citori ID mystery, not a Browning?

[socalKA]

Hello,

Ive just purchased/won a Browning Citori in an auction. I am having a hard time validating the year of manufacture and additional info based on the serial number and other markings. I have also reached out to Browning directly. They are just as stumped.


Here is the available info on it:
Model: Citori
Gauge: 12 GA
Barrel Length: 28"
Serial Number (as marked): 42309
Barrel markings:
left side: CITORI - FABRIQUE NATIONALE HERSTAL
right side: 12GA. SHELLS 2 3/4" - MADE IN JAPAN

Ive upload all the images the auction house has provided to this google drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/163V43u9_CLnIsOuRzKAqfByc-RthhZOn?usp=drive_link

The last response from Browning directly,
"After reviewing the pictures, that firearm is a Citori made by Fabrique National under the Browning Patten. The serial number doesn't match my records from the citori and from what I can find if we made the firearm it would be stamped Browning Arms Company, Morgan, UT. I would reach out to Fabrique Nationale Herstal to see if they can date this firearm for you. You can also try Browning Collectors Association, as they might have a more experience with this older firearm"

Ive reached out to both entities, but Im curious....

Have you ever seen a Citori like this?

[G-forceJunkie]

That is a mystery, as Browning said, that serial number makes no sense and doesnt follow any standard pattern or show up on any serialization charts I have. Miroku was making the same shotgun under their own name and I believe Charles Daly as well. Perhaps you got some mish-mash where a non-browning conforming serial number was stamped on a Citori stamped gun.

[Bakerloo]

I would post it on Shotgun World. Lot's a knowledgeable people there. It's made by FN and I think that makes it desirable.

[ar15barrels]

It clearly says browning citori right on the receiver and citori on the barrel.
It's a pre-type1 which is before browning date codes for the Citori.
That makes it a 1973 to 1975 gun.

This is from the NRA serialization document:

BROWNING SERIALIZATION 1975 TO CURRENT In 1975 Browning began using the two (2) letter code system (located in the middle of the serial number) for determining the year of manufacture.

https://www.nramuseum.org/media/940941/serialization-date%20of%20manufacture.pdf

[G-forceJunkie]

I would post it on Shotgun World. Lot's a knowledgeable people there. It's made by FN and I think that makes it desirable.

FN Never made Citori's, they are made in Japan. FN Bought Browning in the late 1970's hence FN on the barrels along with Browning.

[socalKA]

Thank you all for the inputs so far. Ive now taken the "Citori" home, and included/attached some additonional proof marks.
Also included a summary from ChatGPT after giving it the same info:

1. Origin of Manufacture

• The right side of the barrel clearly says “12GA. SHELLS 2 3/4" – MADE IN JAPAN.”
• That means this is not Belgian-made (Superposed or FN-retail). Instead, it’s one of the early Japanese Citoris built by Miroku.
• The left barrel flat saying “Citori – Fabrique Nationale Herstal” often throws people off — FN was Browning’s parent company, so their name was included on early Miroku-made imports.

---

2. Proof Marks


Here’s the confusing part:

• The marks on your barrel flats look almost identical to Liège (Belgian) proof symbols.
• That’s unusual, because Japanese-made Brownings normally carry Miroku’s own proof stamps, not Belgian ones.

What’s likely going on:

• Early production Citoris (mid-1970s) sometimes had barrels proofed in Belgium before or after shipping from Japan, depending on where they were destined for sale.
• Your gun may be one of those transitional imports: Japanese-made, Belgian-inspected/proofed.

---

3. Serial Number

• The number 42309 doesn’t match Browning’s published Citori serial formats (which usually follow a “year code + model code + sequence” pattern from 1976 onward).
• That fits with what Browning told you — some early Miroku/FN Citoris didn’t follow the later schema.
• In those cases, FN Herstal or Browning collector organizations are indeed the best sources for archival lookup.

---

4. Choke Marks

• The **$ marks on both barrels = Skeet/Skeet (your earlier hunch was right).
• This is consistent with early Citoris marketed as skeet models.

20250917_142106.jpg 20250917_142112.jpg

[kendog4570]

[QUOTE=ar15barrels;n54677564]It clearly says browning citori right on the receiver and citori on the barrel.
It's a pre-type1 which is before browning date codes for the Citori.
That makes it a 1973 to 1975 gun.

This.
Early Citoris are quite unique. One way to tell is crude (by Browning/Miroku standards) welding on the inertia block. Later guns had either nicely finished welded assembly's , or the part is machined as a single piece. Other differences too, but I cant remember.

[G-forceJunkie]

But FN didn't buy Browning untill 1977. Citori barrels I've seen before that are only marked "Browning Arms Company, Morgan Utah" and "Made in Japan" The OP's gun has FN on it leading me to believe its 1977 or later. Maybe the original barrels got replaced at some point? Here is a pic of a 1974 Citori

1974citori.jpg

It clearly says browning citori right on the receiver and citori on the barrel.
It's a pre-type1 which is before browning date codes for the Citori.
That makes it a 1973 to 1975 gun.

This is from the NRA serialization document:

https://www.nramuseum.org/media/9409...anufacture.pdf