Check out the new(apparently old/antique) toy!

sheekster1977

sheekster1977

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I have very limited info on the gun itself, so if someone knows it's rough origins, please chime in with your knowledge..even if limited.

Mid 1900's Browning .22 pump action gallery gun..He explained that 'back in the day', they used these in fairs to ping with, as opposed to the bb guns that pop out corks now.

It, however, has been professionally restored, or 'touched up'...guess it was in a bit of rough shape..

It was an older gentleman who sold it to me, which was sort of a somber experience as he explained that he never had any sons to hand it down to.

He was glad to hear that i have a son to shoot it with, so he finally parted with it.

I personally think it's a gem!

Here's some pics...

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Well, after doing a brief internet query, i found that it's called a Browning "Trombone"..Now to date it according to the serial number..
 
super7 said:
Nice find. I think you'll be impressed with how simple, smooth and reliable those pumps are. The takedown option is icing on the cake.
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I worked the pump a couple times, and was very surprised on how smooth it was!

And it's got some good weight on it too..i'm guessing 5.5-6lbs..just feels heavy duty.

Can't wait to get some rounds through it..
 
lone ranger said:
wow..I AM IMPRESSED. I do rebluing and re finishing, but that is waaayyy better. Very very nice 22.
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Yeah, i think it looks great!
There is a small pool of the 'old-timer' gunsmiths, that are hidden deeply in plain sight i guess lol..I am slowly coming to know, and acquaint myself with some of this crew.
These guys have a talent, patience, and a mechanical knowledge that just doesn't quite compare to today's 'modern' workmanship.

It's sad that allot of these guys don't have anyone to pass their awesome guns/equipment/knowledge to..it ends up either forgotten about, confiscated, or sold off at a ridiculously cheap price to be rid of...which i guess is better than being destroyed!
 
Very well done.
What is the rifle chambered in? 22 LR, 22 Long or 22 Short?
Most "Gallery" guns were 22 short and often used black powder cartridges of the day, their bores often poor as a result.
 
Hard to date Browning guns with the serial numbers as they had a fire and all records were destroyed. If you can find old adds you can usually place them within a few years that way. We had one that shot LR also. The gallery rifles were usually marked as such and took the special gallery rounds which were sometimes made to not shoot straight on purpose.Dad always talked about going to the Cagary Stampede and offering to buy his own ammo and paying the guy to shoot and getting told no way.
 
pretty much impossible to date a Trombone, I've had a few pass through and very few differences through production to be noted. some very early models had a hooded front sight and some late production ones had grooved receivers. hang on to that one for sure and pass it down when the time comes. I've keep a couple myself for that very reason.
looks to me to have been restored, new wood perhaps? most of them are susceptible to crack at the wrist on the lower tang where the trigger group meets the stock. I did a complete restoration (strip and blue) along with new wood from WGP and it looks almost exact (tru oil about 6 coats)
cheers
 
tungngroove2000 said:
pretty much impossible to date a Trombone, I've had a few pass through and very few differences through production to be noted. some very early models had a hooded front sight and some late production ones had grooved receivers. hang on to that one for sure and pass it down when the time comes. I've keep a couple myself for that very reason.
looks to me to have been restored, new wood perhaps? most of them are susceptible to crack at the wrist on the lower tang where the trigger group meets the stock. I did a complete restoration (strip and blue) along with new wood from WGP and it looks almost exact (tru oil about 6 coats)
cheers
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What are they worth typically in this condition?
 
sheekster1977 said:
What are they worth typically in this condition?
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I've had them come an go for anywhere $200 (needing restoration) and up to $600 depending on condition...I've seen really nice (unfired) 1969 for $1000. Typically desired in unrestored condition and the restored ones make better heirlooms than "sellers".

EDIT: make sure you remove the pump screws and blue Loctite them back in. they have a tendency to loosen while cycling the action.
 
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tungngroove2000 said:
I've had them come an go for anywhere $200 (needing restoration) and up to $600 depending on condition...I've seen really nice (unfired) 1969 for $1000. Typically desired in unrestored condition and the restored ones make better heirlooms than "sellers".

EDIT: make sure you remove the pump screws and blue Loctite them back in. they have a tendency to loosen while cycling the action.
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Yeah, planning on keeping this one. Thanks mate..
 
I remember as a young boy shooting one of these lovely old guns in a sideshow in the seaside town of Ramsgate in Kent. Those frangible .22 shorts sure spanged on hitting the target, and I collected a piece of one in the back of my hand. The stall-owner gave me another ten shots and a ten-bob note to keep quiet about it. They used to carry an apron with long pockets, pre-filled with magazine inserts holding ten cartridges, ready for the next sucker...

Rossi in Brazil still make them, and of course Winchester made their very own version, too.

tac
 
That is one awesome Browning Trombone! Its nice to see its in such good condition as there is nothing worse than rusty trombone.
 
I recall these .22s being part of the circus when it came to town.

I helped the concessionaire with reloading.

Colossal rip-off. Concessionaire would volley fire at a target from about 3 feet, then ask me for an address in my small town.

Then he would hang it up as a "winner" of some unspecified prize.

...but it got me into recreational shooting where, some 50+ years later, I'm still regularly punching paper.
 
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