Stopped at my LGS this morning just to say hello. As I was leaving the owner asked if I'd seen the Browning 78. Uh oh! Octagonal barrel 25-06. Needed a good cleaning but I think the bore will be quite respectable after some TLC. One very small spot on the bottom of the barrel that might have some light pitting and minimal blue wear at the muzzle. The rest of the metal is nice and the wood is very nice with 1 or 2 light scuffs. It'll need medium rings since what appear to be original low rings let the scope bell crowd the hammer. I've half-heartedly been looking at these and the 1885s for quite a while. My 1885 30-06 was a fine shooter..... The price is significantly better than anything I've seen in a long time. Are they worth messing with? He's holding it for me for a few days so I'll need to make a firm decision soon. And I wonder if the current liking for stainless/synthetic rifles will make gems like the 78 obsolete. Even at a very good price it's still too much to pizz away.
