Just picked up this boxed beauty in a trade. Has been assembled but not sure if it was fired. Did Browning do a test fire on guns before being shipped out to a dealer?
The S/V book says that a test target was furnished by FN during the 1920's and '30's. Whether they were function fired during later production I don't know, but I do know that Belgian proofing law requires test firing with proof loads at various stages, hence the many different proof marks on the guns. So you may have a NIB gun that's never even been assembled since it left the factory, but before it was boxed up and shipped the Belgian guns at least got quite a workout. EDIT: Just noticed it's a 1980 gun you're talking about. I don't know what the Japanese or FN requires.
