Sidearms & Scatterguns Anyone here a pre war Browning expert?

[jbell]

I have 2 old pre war Browning shotguns that I would like to figure out what they are worth (yes I know they are only worth what someone will pay...) I have been out of the vintage shotgun scene for some time now and have these two left and would like to know an approximate value, if any.

1936 Superposed that I have a certificate from Browning for so I know what it is and where it came from (very cool story by the way)

1904 year A5, I don't have much info on this old gun but based on my research I think it's a pre 1905 but post 1903

I can get pictures and more details if someone on here knows much about them or if y'all can point me in the right direction I would be grateful.

 

[Charger442]

i know this is almost a year old, but wondered if you ever got the info you were looking for? i am not an expert but have gotten into the Superposed over the years and study Schwing's book from time to time. About to sell a Broadway and came across this post

What trigger configuration on the Super? Barrel length? Chokes? looks like solid flat rib? looks like someone did some restoration on it as the gold trigger was rare in pre-war guns but common when they refinished. but it could also be original if it was ordered that way. what does the letter say?

is it a low enough serial number that it has a letter after the serial number? i would assume this one would have a C as it looks like the field configuration.

 

[jbell]

I really haven't had time to look into it. The Superposed is a field grade, I think a 28" full but I'm probably wrong there. It is a 1936 gun with a 4 digit serial number no letters.

 

[pmclaine]

Man they are beautiful in their worn yet cared for looks.

 

[jbell]

Man they are beautiful in their worn yet cared for looks.

I agree, thank you

 

[Charger442]

I really haven't had time to look into it. The Superposed is a field grade, I think a 28" full but I'm probably wrong there. It is a 1936 gun with a 4 digit serial number no letters.

yes, certainly grade 1, but its field configuration instead of a trap configuration which would have less drop at the heal and a straighter comb. it has the lightweight field forearm also, and doesnt have the front horseshoe.

what trigger does the letter say it was shipped with? might be the explanation for the gold single. maybe it had the twin single or true doubles?

if it was a 30" id be holding myself back from trying to buy it from you. still trying to find a nice pre-war pigeon with 30 inch tubes, non-crossfire rib, and original twin single triggers. probably a unicorn.

 

[jbell]

yes, certainly grade 1, but its field configuration instead of a trap configuration which would have less drop at the heal and a straighter comb. it has the lightweight field forearm also, and doesnt have the front horseshoe.

what trigger does the letter say it was shipped with? might be the explanation for the gold single. maybe it had the twin single or true doubles?

if it was a 30" id be holding myself back from trying to buy it from you. still trying to find a nice pre-war pigeon with 30 inch tubes, non-crossfire rib, and original twin single triggers. probably a unicorn.

I'll look at the letter tonight. Thank you for the info!

 

[jbell]

I really wish I knew more about the old A5...

It's a very cool gun! I'm thinking there are not too many out there like it.

 

[pmclaine]

I really wish I knew more about the old A5...

It's a very cool gun! I'm thinking there are not too many out there like it.

I had a mid 80s Jap one.

The sound of all that metal eating and ejecting shells is glorious.

Recently gave a friend a Sweet 16 talk about a joy to shoot....

 

[PDXGS]

I've got a 1927 A5 with the safety in/on the trigger guard assembly- Awesome gun...
Watching to see what the collective says about yours

 

[jbell]

I've got a 1927 A5 with the safety in/on the trigger guard assembly- Awesome gun...
Watching to see what the collective says about yours

Post a picture of it!!

I'll try and get a few better pics of my A5 posted up. The historian at Browning said they have no records from the early 1900's.

 

[jbell]

Here is the letter about my Superposed. Cool story about this gun is that I live in Maine, about 20 miles from LL Bean (the Freeport home store). They have a decent gun shop and sometimes I will swing in on my way to work just to see if they got anything cool in. One morning I saw this old 4 digit serial number Superposed that was in pretty good shape. I knew it was a pre war gun so I took it to the counter and asked them to hold it until I get out of work. I purchased it that night. I reached out to the Browning historian and found out that it was originally sold to The James Bailey Company in Portland Maine on October 3 1936. I purchased it 18 miles up the road 76 years and 8 days later. I think that's pretty cool...

 

[Charger442]

I admittedly am not up on the A5 history outside of owning and shooting a Savage 720 for a few years, so I can't offer much. I do know that euro straight grip stock isn't that common.

 

[Charger442]

Here is the letter about my Superposed. Cool story about this gun is that I live in Maine, about 20 miles from LL Bean (the Freeport home store). They have a decent gun shop and sometimes I will swing in on my way to work just to see if they got anything cool in. One morning I saw this old 4 digit serial number Superposed that was in pretty good shape. I knew it was a pre war gun so I took it to the counter and asked them to hold it until I get out of work. I purchased it that night. I reached out to the Browning historian and found out that it was originally sold to The James Bailey Company in Portland Maine on October 3 1936. I purchased it 18 miles up the road 76 years and 8 days later. I think that's pretty cool...

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Very cool story. And I was right, it shipped with a twin single trigger and was later retrofit with the single selective trigger.

Wish it had the twin single still but still awesome none the less. I'll have to post picks of my pre-war trap when I get home

 

[pmclaine]

Here is the letter about my Superposed. Cool story about this gun is that I live in Maine, about 20 miles from LL Bean (the Freeport home store). They have a decent gun shop and sometimes I will swing in on my way to work just to see if they got anything cool in. One morning I saw this old 4 digit serial number Superposed that was in pretty good shape. I knew it was a pre war gun so I took it to the counter and asked them to hold it until I get out of work. I purchased it that night. I reached out to the Browning historian and found out that it was originally sold to The James Bailey Company in Portland Maine on October 3 1936. I purchased it 18 miles up the road 76 years and 8 days later. I think that's pretty cool...

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If I give you $75 that's quite the appreciation in value over new for something so well used yet loved.......should I provide my FFL info?

 

[jbell]

Here are a few closer pics of my old A5. As best as I can date it is a 1904 gun. I suppose it could be a 1903 gun made after June 16 1903 based on the patent date on the receiver. In 1905 they went to a enclosed forearm finger groove from what research I have done. As you can see there is no magazine cut off, it has a single piece elevator, no lock screws on the receiver, Cockerill steel barrel (used between 1903 & 1906), a safety that is completely inside the trigger guard as opposed to the later suicide safety that slid through the front of the trigger guard. It has 4600 serial number.

Anyway I would love to be able to actually date this old gun somehow.

 

[jbell]

If I give you $75 that's quite the appreciation in value over new for something so well used yet loved.......should I provide my FFL info?

I appreciate the generous offer, but I'm not really looking to sell them right now. Just curious what they may be worth. I know they are not worth very much compared to a lot of the guns I have owned but these two are kind of special to me.

 

[pmclaine]

Here are a few closer pics of my old A5. As best as I can date it is a 1904 gun. I suppose it could be a 1903 gun made after June 16 1903 based on the patent date on the receiver. In 1905 they went to a enclosed forearm finger groove from what research I have done. As you can see there is no magazine cut off, it has a single piece elevator, no lock screws on the receiver, Cockerill steel barrel (used between 1903 & 1906), a safety that is completely inside the trigger guard as opposed to the later suicide safety that slid through the front of the trigger guard. It has 4600 serial number.

Anyway I would love to be able to actually date this old gun somehow.
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You can hear the wheels turning in Brownings head when he was machining the receiver........

"If I turned this into a 30-06 machine gun it would be bad ass............."

 

[Charger442]

Just to hijack the thread a little bit

52xx serial number, sold March 1, 1935 for $108 to a shop in Pennsylvania. Originally had the twin single trigger and replaced with SST, and it has a release trigger added in 1982. I am going to remove that (preserve it) because it's annoying. Full over full, which is the Belgium full, so measures to extra full, using the parlance of our times.