I inherited a Browning O/U Lightening shotgun. It had been stored in a zipped-closed case and the end of the barrel was badly rusted (outside only, the inside barrel is fine). I had it shortened and Parkerized. It's in excellent condition. Does anyone know how much it's worth?
How much is it worth? Browning O/U Lightning
- Thread starter JrpSlm
- Start date
Well, before you shortened it, it was probably worth close to $1,800, now it's worth a lot less (I wouldn't even venture a guess). By shortening the barrels, you now have no choke in the barrels (if it was originally fixed choke), or you have no threads to thread the choke tubes into (if it was threaded for screw-in chokes).
You shortened and parkerized it - holy cow ..../ .....its virtually worthless now ( no chokes in the barrels )....and they look really short now...
Maybe its the light in your photo ...but the wood on the stock and the forend look like they don't match...and if that's true thats not good either.
( its now an unchoked coach gun....) ... $ 200 if you're lucky....( and all they want is the stock and the receiver as parts...)...
Maybe its the light in your photo ...but the wood on the stock and the forend look like they don't match...and if that's true thats not good either.
( its now an unchoked coach gun....) ... $ 200 if you're lucky....( and all they want is the stock and the receiver as parts...)...
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While I don't support the choice, I also won't bash you for it.
I've only inherited one gun and its probably the only one I ever will. It's nothing fancy but has more sentimental value than any of my other guns. Don't worry about the value, keep it, find something fun to do with it, use it!
I've only inherited one gun and its probably the only one I ever will. It's nothing fancy but has more sentimental value than any of my other guns. Don't worry about the value, keep it, find something fun to do with it, use it!
Blindstitch
New member
Ouch. Before you cut it I would have offered you cash. I just hope it's long enough to be legal.
Personally I would send it out to put chokes in it and thread some extended ones in. Poor gun.
New barrels for that gun probably cost a ton if possible.
Personally I would send it out to put chokes in it and thread some extended ones in. Poor gun.
New barrels for that gun probably cost a ton if possible.
Guess I wasn't clear on my post. I took the gun to two different gunsmiths before I did anything. Both said the damage to the end of the barrel from rust and pitting, inside the barrel and out, was not repairable. The barrel would have to be replaced and fit to the receiver by Browning. Then rust to the outside of the rest of the gun would have to be reblued which wouldn't match the new barrel unless the entire gun, with new barrel was reblued. The total cost would be more than buying a new gun! The inside barrel, after the first several inches was not damaged at all. So, I had it cut to the minimum legal size. Rather than having a worthless gun I now have a nice home defense or truck gun.
Blindstitch
New member
Any chance you have a before picture because it would take a lot of rust to make that gun worth lopping off.
g.willikers
New member
Don't feel bad.
Maybe its collector value doesn't exist anymore but,
You now have a safe and useful gun, whatever it turned out to be.
No worse than guys putting Chevy engines in old Fords.
As long as you're happy with the results, that's all that matters.
Now, don't you feel better?
Maybe its collector value doesn't exist anymore but,
You now have a safe and useful gun, whatever it turned out to be.
No worse than guys putting Chevy engines in old Fords.
As long as you're happy with the results, that's all that matters.
Now, don't you feel better?
As long as you like it - as is after the repairs - that's great and its all that really matters.
But you asked about value...and I'll still stand with my $ 200 opinion, if you're lucky, as a parts gun ....
.....even as a pseudo coach gun/ defense gun, without chokes, in my opinion its not really going to be sought after - but mechanically any Browning is a big step up over most any of the coach guns sold out there - and there are some gunsmiths that can put screw in chokes for a few hundred bucks - and then you might increase your value to $ 500 or so.
But you asked about value...and I'll still stand with my $ 200 opinion, if you're lucky, as a parts gun ....
.....even as a pseudo coach gun/ defense gun, without chokes, in my opinion its not really going to be sought after - but mechanically any Browning is a big step up over most any of the coach guns sold out there - and there are some gunsmiths that can put screw in chokes for a few hundred bucks - and then you might increase your value to $ 500 or so.