Browning Superposed - 1969

[mcbosco]

A very reputable dealer in Arizona has a 1969 Browning Superposed, 20 gauge, 26.5", new in the box and unfired, 6lbs 2 ou?

what is a fair price, he is asking $4,000

[reba]

Can't say about a fair price; except that there are some really nice new shotguns out there that come with a full set of chokes.

[reba]

It appesars after asking some experts that this shotgun may be worth $2500; but not $4,000 unless it belonged to Roy Rogers which it didn't because all of his guns were used a lot!

[mcbosco]

2k - 2.5K is what I came up with myself, that dealer is in Scottsdale Az, so I am not suprised.

[Bob Meister]

The point I think you are missing is that its N.I.B unfired. Thats a gun to collect and hold onto. The $2500 is a price for a nice 1969 20 ga. superposed. I was looking to get a 20 ga. Superposed a couple of years ago and did a lot of research. I found one N.I.B. for $3500. I ran into a famous gun reviewer at a clays range and told him of my find and he looked at me and said "wouldn't you want to shoot it?" I thought about it and said yes I would. He said "then it would be a $2500 gun. I think the Arizona gun is probably worth $3500 for somebody that wants to hold onto it. How many unfired N.I.B. 1969 Superposed are out there?

[BigShooter]

If the stock on a shotgun was never marred in any way & the gun was used little & cleaned well I think it would be almost impossible to tell the difference between a 100% gun & one NIB unfired. I would never pay $4,000 for that SP but I never buy a gun I don't want to handle & shoot. In the not too distant past you could get a 98% SP for around $1,700 - $1,900. I'm a little surprised at the weight. The 12 ga. SPs I always thought felt a bit on the heavy side compared with a Citori for example.

[Greg Jennings]

It's pretty much been said already...

If you want something to put in the safe, take out and admire every so often, then you could easily pay $4k for a NIB Superposed...if it's perfect...a lot of older unfired firearms are not.

On the other hand, if you want a shooter, then the NIB superposed is worth what you'd pay for a comparable "Good" O/U.

I'm a big fan of Beretta O/U. I have one that I know has over 30,000 down the tubes and it's been trouble free other than replacing the hammer springs once. The originals had a badly designed retaining nut. The new ones are foolproof.

Greg J.

[BigShooter]

Lots of really good clays shooters use Beretta O/Us ...... therefore one might conclude Greg must be a really good clays shooter ... but if he's an original nut ... he's not foolproof!

[ACooper]

Lots of really good clays shooters use Beretta O/Us ...... therefore one might conclude Greg must be a really good clays shooter ... but if he's an original nut ... he's not foolproof!

Thats funny...

[Greg Jennings]

Unfortunately, I think I'm neither the original nut or foolproof.

Mark, I shoot skeet with the same model Beretta that John shoots clays with. Same reason: the heavier weight makes for a smoother swing.

[claybuster_aa]

I love my Silver Pigeon Sporting! I will eventually get some Briley ultra light tubes for my gun when I get some extra cash saved up. I was just in a real jam, I needed to pick a up a car for my wife for back and forth to work and around town. Found a '99 mustang convertible in decent shape for under 3k. I could have used some of that money for a set of ultra lite tubes, but picking up a car is more important. The Stang looks really good and seems to be running well. I hated to do it but circumstances forced me into a car in a pinch. I want those tubes badly, a set of 20s and 28s but will have to wait. Some day....

[tdhusker]

I think paying 2500 to 4000 for a NIB Superposed is OK if the nostalgia is imortant to you. As far as wanting it for a shooter or just for the handling aspects of the shotgun, there is something to be said about the advancement of a modern O/U. A used Beretta sporting clays gun like the Gold E or a CG clays gun just has better triggers, more choice in barrel profile and choke tubes that are going to outperform that old Superposed 7 days a week.

I am partial to the Beretta's low profile reciever and the triggers on their competition guns are outstanding. Guerini is also making some really nice competition guns that will be in that price range. As far as lower priced clays O/U's I'm not real wild about the Citori's tall receiver and chunky feel but I do have some experience with the Cynergy and it is comparable to a Beretta but tends to need trigger work. If you don't mind the look of the Cynergy, it's not a bad way to go, then send off to a guy who knows how to tune them. There again, I'd stick with the sporting clays models.

I also have silver pigeon sportings in 20 and 12 I use for hunting. Reasonably priced used and you won't find a better shooting gun for the field without a much higher price tag. Make sure you get one with RH or LH cast to suit you though.

[Tejas]

I'm surprised no one has commented on how the Superposed was choked. If it was M & F $4,000 is a little high. IC & M or S&S NIB will be in the price range quoted on gunsamerica.com or gunbroker.com. There were not nearly as many 20"s made as there were 12's and consequently a 20 can be more than twice the price of a comparable condition 12.

[lvrgsp]

What years were the salt wood stocks....I thought they started in '69-'70 for the superposed and some of the bolt action rifles?

Danke

[whitedogone]

I think Browning's salt wood problems began to emerge in 1966, and continued until 1972. Most experts have never seen a long tang salt gun, and therefore believe that almost 100% of the salt guns had short tangs. Browning (FN) bought salted stocks as well as unsalted stocks but did not keep track.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Gentlemen,
I think some of you might be looking at this in the wrong way, when I sink $4000.00 into a good shotgun I intend to use it. I would not purchase any Superposed Browning for $4000.00, NIB or not. I would however purchase a pre 1913 16 guage, L.C. Smith, Monogram Gun for even more, and I would use it as often as possible in the Grouse woods. Offer the dealer $2,500-2,800 for the Browning, if he will not sell at that a shooters price, walk away from the deal. I have a 28/20 Browning Combo set and it was made in the Browning Custom shop, for a Pa Gun dealer. I still would not pay more than $3,500 for the Combo set even today.
RGD/Dave

[BigShooter]

Dave,

Nothing wrong with your thoughts but you might want to glance at the original date on some of these threads before responding. This thread for example is almost a year old & mcb either bought the gun or not a long time ago.