I picked up a Browning O/U at a local gun shop today. I was hoping y'all could let me know what I have. It's not in great shape and someone has changed the front beed and replaced the butt stock, but I just plan on killin birds and the occasional rabbit so it doesn't really bother me. Here are some pics.













[img]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/...4-9DEDFB6FDFD1-2980-00000284E323316C.jpg[/img]

You're not schitten' me dude...I believe you know what you have there!

Well not really, this is my first over under. I have kinda been wanting one for a while and was looking for a Franchi Renaissance. I stopped buy to buy some 22lr rat shot and saw this one and started fiddleing with. It just felt right. I knew it was a browning, but was not sure what it was, mostly because the first time I didn't notice the Superposed etched on the rib, and it had the wrong butt stock.

I was in a hurry so I left it there. But over the thanksgiving weekend I kept thinking I should just go back and see if it still felt right. I tried to look up spme onfi on what it might be. I was thinking it might be a model 26 due to the lack of engraving and the price.

So I had to day off and drove back over to check it out. It still felt right. I paid more attention to this time and saw the Superposed. But there were 4 or so other Superposed there and the were all priced much higher. Had different embellishments and different features. This one just felt the best to me so I bought it.

But other than knowing its a early Superposed I don't know what "all" it is. Did the have a lightweight back then?

There are several things that make me scratch my head on this gun... To start it is not particularly "early" as the selective single trigger is post war, IIRC. But the serial number is very low???

Also, the fore end steel cap is something I have never seen before. I have only owned a few Superposed, and really like them... But I have never seen the cap.

Again, IIRC, the lightweights look more sleek, but only weigh a little bit less.

The first question I would be asking is about the possibility of this having been a salt gun and going through some modifications in rebuilding???

For your purposes (and what you feel you paid for it) it is still a dandy deal even if it was a salt gun.

Well I'm happy either way. I just kind of like knowing what I have if someone asks. There was another in the 12000 range, I believe, it had a slightly "fatter" forearm and the barrel selector was on the safety. It had, what I thought was a cross bolt just about half way up the forearm.

I'll look into information on salt Brownings. Thanks.

It almost looks like the forearm cap was added by somebody later. I've never seen anything like that one. I like it! Would have bought it in a second... Almost looks like it was a trap gun with that stepped rib. They might have replaced the stock to make it better for a field gun. Would the lower serial # be due to a special run of early trap guns? Salt was used in the curing of wood Browning used on their guns in the 60's I think. The salt would attract moisture and pit the metal where it touched the stock. I've never actually seen one...

Typed in 1932 Superposed in yahoo and ended up at guns interantional. They had a pic of one, with way more engraving. But it had the same trigger selector and metal fore end cap.

Cool! Never seen the end cap before. I like it! Thats going to make a good bird gun I think...

I'd be very happy with that gun, Badley. Definitely a pre-war gun, a terrific piece of history. The salt business is definitely not a player here. You may find that the butt plate is made of horn; these were often worm eaten from standing in a closet corner for long periods of time.

Oddly, the pre-war guns don't bring as high a price as a gun from the middle fifties, considered by most collectors as Browning's golden years.

Were it me, I'd take good care of it, don't mess with it, and definitely not shoot steel in it. Great find, lots of character in that piece.

I have a couple of a5's that were given to my boy on the day of his birth. They have the horn butt pads. They are are in pretty poor shape.

This gun has had its origional but stock replaced with later model Supperposed stock. It' has a hard plastic butt plate displaying the word Browning.

I went over and joined the shotgun world fourm and posted the same question of helping ID the gun. It appears that I have a Early Grade 1 standard weight with monobloc barrels.

Received my letter from Browning today. Shows to be a Standard Grade, 30 inch barrels w/ vent rib trap stock. Fit single trigger in 3/4 rear position. Sold for 78.68 on Dec 11, 1935 to Ware Cochran and Coultag in Spokane Washington.



Ware Cochran and Coultag sounds like it must have been some kind of business. Guess now to satisfy my curiosity ill be trying to track down the history of the buyer.

That's cool to find out that information about your shotgun. Shotgun World is a good forum too. That's a gem of a shotgun you have.

I've seen 2 now with the forend tips the other had double triggers and a solid rib very open chokes and its owner shot skeet and phesants with it. Magnum Man