Borwning Superposed - built in '69 - no visible rust/salt problems - opinions needed

For a gun in that condition most sellers are asking $1300 - $1400 but I think it's hard sell at that price and realistically $1000 - $1200 is pretty good money for these guns. No one wants Full/Full to start with and it will cost a few bucks to have a gunsmith open it up. The 3 inch chamber is meaningless because you really don't want to put steel through these guns anyway, especially if they are choked full and full. At $1200, there are lots of newer/used guns out there with choke tubes that can handle steel shot. Having it fitted with after market choke tubes will cost close to a grand if you get a 4 or 5 choke tubes with it and will only add a hundred bucks or so to the overall value of the gun so if you go that route then you need to keep it as a shooter and enjoy it. I see no indication of salt wood in any of the pics you posted but it's on every ones mind when they buy a Superposed made in that era, that makes it an even harder sell because buyers don't want to take a chance.
 
The Browning Superposed is a wonderful gun, in all its iterations. I prefer the earlier twin-trigger version, but I also have a single-trigger model. You can’t go wrong with a Superposed. Personally, I think the whole subject of chokes and the need to change them highly overrated. Different loads react differently, and for waterfowl I would suggest trying bismuth loads with a patterning board before even considering opening up the barrels.

When chokes were first developed, cartridges used fibre wads and cardboard. Much of the constriction work that used to be done by the barrel is now done by plastic shot cups. I can understand a serious-money competition trap shooter being concerned with chokes, shaving an extra few hits... but for hunting? Not so much. Victorian shots racked up game totals in the tens of thousands of birds and other game with cylinder and improved cylinder barrels. Tight chokes might gain a few extra metres, but the critical factor is whether the gun is aimed properly in the first place - chokes don’t make you a better shot.

Sorry for the rant, I’m feeling grumpy in my old age today.

Nice looking gun, by the way.
 
The Browning Superposed is a wonderful gun, in all its iterations. I prefer the earlier twin-trigger version, but I also have a single-trigger model. You can’t go wrong with a Superposed. Personally, I think the whole subject of chokes and the need to change them highly overrated. Different loads react differently, and for waterfowl I would suggest trying bismuth loads with a patterning board before even considering opening up the barrels.

When chokes were first developed, cartridges used fibre wads and cardboard. Much of the constriction work that used to be done by the barrel is now done by plastic shot cups. I can understand a serious-money competition trap shooter being concerned with chokes, shaving an extra few hits... but for hunting? Not so much. Victorian shots racked up game totals in the tens of thousands of birds and other game with cylinder and improved cylinder barrels. Tight chokes might gain a few extra metres, but the critical factor is whether the gun is aimed properly in the first place - chokes don’t make you a better shot.

Sorry for the rant, I’m feeling grumpy in my old age today.

Nice looking gun, by the way.


"Single triggers are a triumph of technology over common sense."
 
Back
Top Bottom