Your worse nightmare...a newbie gun enthusist and a newbie computer poster. Anyway, I just picked up 3 Browning shotguns. I have done hours of research, but am not even sure what I have. Please inform me if what I think I have, I have, or any other info that may be of interest. 20 guage Magnum 20 auto. 27 inch flutted barrell, made in Belgium. Year?
Browning I.D. (Pics)
- Thread starter Fritzers
- Start date
You've got three very good shotguns, tho I'm not sure what a flutted bbl is.
Try posting this down on Harley's Forum, the guys can tell you down to the day of the week when these were made.
Belgian Brownings have a certain cachet that the Japanese Browning do not. The Citori is Japanese.
The Belgian O/U is a Superposed, the auto is an A-5. Both are JMB designs and very long lasting.
As for value, can't help you, not up on present prices in your area. Will guess they're worth $1K or more each.
HTH....
Try posting this down on Harley's Forum, the guys can tell you down to the day of the week when these were made.
Belgian Brownings have a certain cachet that the Japanese Browning do not. The Citori is Japanese.
The Belgian O/U is a Superposed, the auto is an A-5. Both are JMB designs and very long lasting.
As for value, can't help you, not up on present prices in your area. Will guess they're worth $1K or more each.
HTH....
Sorry, my bad...yes they have vent ribs, not fluted.
The Belgian O/U is a Superposed, the auto is an A-5. Both are JMB designs and very long lasting.
Thank you Dave, saw Superposed and A-5 listed...do you know what superposed means? And what does JMB designs mean?
that mag 20 made its debut in 1957 IIRC. yours appears to have had the stock chopped and a recoil pad added.
And thank you Kingcreek, what does 1957 IIRC stand for? The gun looks brand new and unmodified...seems like chopping the stock would reduce the value? Not going to sell them but would like to perhaps adjust my insurance.
The Belgian O/U is a Superposed, the auto is an A-5. Both are JMB designs and very long lasting.
Thank you Dave, saw Superposed and A-5 listed...do you know what superposed means? And what does JMB designs mean?
that mag 20 made its debut in 1957 IIRC. yours appears to have had the stock chopped and a recoil pad added.
And thank you Kingcreek, what does 1957 IIRC stand for? The gun looks brand new and unmodified...seems like chopping the stock would reduce the value? Not going to sell them but would like to perhaps adjust my insurance.
Superposed means one on top of the other.
JMB stands for John Moses Browning, who was to firearms what Michaelangelo was to chapel ceilings. He died in 1927, and at least 10 of his designs are still in production, from the 50 caliber Browning heavy Machine gun(AKA Ma Deuce) to a little takedown 22 rifle.
IIRC=If I Recall Correctly.
Don't just get them evaluated, take them out and shoot them. That's what they're for!
A lot of shotgunners would covet that battery...
JMB stands for John Moses Browning, who was to firearms what Michaelangelo was to chapel ceilings. He died in 1927, and at least 10 of his designs are still in production, from the 50 caliber Browning heavy Machine gun(AKA Ma Deuce) to a little takedown 22 rifle.
IIRC=If I Recall Correctly.
Don't just get them evaluated, take them out and shoot them. That's what they're for!
A lot of shotgunners would covet that battery...
When I get a chance I'll dig out some Browning promo stuff and a magazine article from 1957 on the mag 20 and get some scans. I've got one like new and its listed in my personal inventory with a value of $1100. (sub ~$200 if a chopped stock) your citori is worth about same and the superposed is worth a few bills more. somebody else could give you some firmer prices.
a nice older 20g citori is the one Browning on the top of my wish list.
nice trio
a nice older 20g citori is the one Browning on the top of my wish list.
nice trio
Fritzers,
You might also want to go to Browning's Date Your Gun webpage to see when it was manufactured. (I tried dating one of my guns once. It was close but I think I still prefer women.)
I'm not sure that the recoil pad isn't original. Browning may have had some different options on the gun(s). My dad had an A-5, bought new and never modified, and I think it had the identical recoil pad. However I haven't seen that gun in about 25 years so I may be wrong. I know one of his semi-autos had it because the recoil pad was the reason I chose that particular gun as my first 12ga to fire. (The first time I ever shot a shotgun, a .410 at about age 8, the guy that owned it told me to "hold it away from your shoulder so you don't hurt yourself!"
I was about 12 before I even considered firing a shotgun again.)
Tom
You might also want to go to Browning's Date Your Gun webpage to see when it was manufactured. (I tried dating one of my guns once. It was close but I think I still prefer women.)
I'm not sure that the recoil pad isn't original. Browning may have had some different options on the gun(s). My dad had an A-5, bought new and never modified, and I think it had the identical recoil pad. However I haven't seen that gun in about 25 years so I may be wrong. I know one of his semi-autos had it because the recoil pad was the reason I chose that particular gun as my first 12ga to fire. (The first time I ever shot a shotgun, a .410 at about age 8, the guy that owned it told me to "hold it away from your shoulder so you don't hurt yourself!"
I was about 12 before I even considered firing a shotgun again.)Tom
I was just looking at the Date Your Gun page for the Auto-5 around the mid-50's. About the time that my father's gun would have been built. I wonder if the "light weight" gun may have had a recoil pad on it? For no other reason than replacing a couple of inches of wood with a couple inches of rubber, semi-cutout at that, would be a quick way of taking a few ounces out and helping tame the recoil of a lighter gun as well. Just an idea.
Tom
Tom