browning .375 H&H mag

B

bowtekhunter

New member
so i got to looking at a gun i have it was my grandfathers ,its a browing safari series 375 H&H mag made in belgim, and i noticed the serial # is L1 0001 can anyone tell me anything about this gun? is it a very high quality rifle?
 
I don't know much about gun values or history - do yourself a favor and don't sell it :) unless you're really in need of $.

The 1 in the SN with all those zeros in front tells me it was the first run of something -but again I may be WAY off.

That aside - Belgian Browning is generally not a bad thing at all :) and 375 H&H is a nice caliber in AK, Asia or Africa.
 
I believe that it was an FN Mauser commercial action that Browning used to build those guns on. They changed at some point to another action, I'm not sure when. Do you know what a Mauser action looks like? The FN commerial actions are outstanding quality. Just the action alone (receiver) can go for what many common production guns sell for now. Last I heard an FN commercial action (std length) was worth something north of $400. Thats just the action, no barrel, no stock. The 375 magnum length actions are worth more than the standard length actions.

Don't know what the whole gun is worth, but if it has the FN action, it has one of the best foundations available for a high quality rifle.
 
A Browning Safari Grade I in 375 H&H is worth somewhere north of $1,000. As stated, it is built on a FN Mauser 98 action (with minor mods), stocked in European walnut, and has a solid rubber pad on it if it has not been tampered with. It should have the grade and Browning info rollmarked on the barrel. Very nice rifle, not really rare but very nice.
 
so i got to looking at a gun i have it was my grandfathers ,its a browing safari series 375 H&H mag made in belgim, and i noticed the serial # is L1 0001 can anyone tell me anything about this gun? is it a very high quality rifle?
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This link may help you out. http://proofhouse.com/browning/index.html

It sounds like a FN Belgian Mauser. Is the 1 actually in fron of the L? This would make the date of manufacture 1961.

The only issue was a few years in the late 60's or early 70's. During this period FN bought a supply of salt cured Walnut which over time damaged the metal on some rifles produced during this period.

I've got a 59 in 3006. IMO it was one of the better CRF bolts made. Up here in good original condition they go for over $1000 - $1500, maybe more for a 375H&H. While not rare I don't see too many for sale at a reasonable price.

That's a beauty I would hang on to it.
 
Browning Safari

A nice piece you have there, granpa's gun to boot. The serial # would give it some collectors value, even if it shows some use. The 375 is used worldwide, although some consider it "light" for some African game. If the corner store in Africa has CF rifle ammo it will be 375 H&H. Check Browning's web site for dating by serial #, factory letter was only $25 last time I checked.
Family treasure.

The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave...
--Patrick Henry
 
They are fantastic guns and the only problem some of them encountered was some of the rifle stocks had wood with salt in them and caused corrosion on the action where the wood touched. The browning Safari rifles came in FN Mauser actions and Sako actions in the standard calibers and in the FN Mauser action only in the magnum calibers.

The 375 H&H was probably produced in much smaller quantities then the standard calibers and is worth well north of 1 K as someone else stated. It's one I would hold on to and think of your grandfather every time you touch it.

The stock design on these rifles in all calibers was somewhat bulky and the guns tended to be a little on the heavy side and some people weren’t that fond of them. In the early 90’s I picked up one in 7mm Mag with the prettiest Claro Walnut stock I had ever seen and I bought it for $350 which was about what a new Remington cost at the time. I also picked up one in 30-06 that had a nice but plainer stock and it had the Sako action. I later sold the 30-06 and ended up giving the 7mm Mag to a cousin of mine.
 
Belgium Browning 375 H7H Safari

I recently acquired a mint Browning safari 375, and I am trying to determine the year of production. The barrel state Belgum Safari calibre 375 H&H and the serial number is 55069L69. I am not sure but I presume the year of production would be 1969, on FN action. Being a lever collector I am not to familiar with these real guns. Can anyone help with the year of production and value. Gun is MInt
THank you
 
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