New Member Starting a Superposed Collection

I also posted this in the new members forum:

After surfing a couple of sites I found you folks. I've owned a modern Citori Hunter for quite awhile, shooting trap and skeet. I've just added:

a 1951 Superposed 12g Trap Grade 1, 30" barrels with fixed full/mod, completely unmodified (other than a red bead). The bottom extractor was repaired/replaced at Arts several years ago. The gun shows some wear as it was a primary shooter for years; I plan to do the same with it. Also,

a 1967 Superposed 12g Trap Pigeon Grade, 30" barrels to which Briley added interchangeable chokes. Yes, it was a salt gun that Browning repaired. The new stock was then cast to the right and more drop added to aid in sporting clays, the work being done by Michael Murphy & Sons of Kansas. This gun is in very good condition but will see plenty of use at the clays field.

Both guns belonged to my FIL but he's beginning to pass on his modest collection. I'm honored to be the new caretaker of these guns.

I also added a DeHaan 28g O/U that I'll use for skeet. It'll be my "starter" sub-gauge for that pursuit while I hunt for a Browning 28g, hopefully another Superposed. Thanks for being a friendly and helpful group.

That's a great start to a collection. It gets addicting.

The '51

The '67

This is the original Browning case for the '67

Yes, wonderful start. They are quite addictive.

It’s interesting to see how other folks get started into Superposed (and other) guns.

When I was finally able to start ‘collecting’ at 58 my initial goal was a Gr I ‘slam’ - a RKLT Gr I in each gauge. Prior to that, I had owned a S73 30” Broadway and still had a J70 28” f/m - neither of which were RKLT.

Long story, short - I never completed the slam. I had 2 V3’s, a ‘61 20ga Pigeon, and a J5 skeet but the slam was completely derailed by the appearance and rare opportunity at a pre-war Diana. After that, I had opportunities at a couple of F4 field guns but elected to save ‘28ga money’ for other high grade examples.

So congratulations on the Gr I and Pigeon. Maybe your interests will take a similar course or opportunities will dictate or help you establish a focus toward a specific area of interest……or interests. Familiarized yourself with the details and production history and you will learn what’s original, and what’s been modified. Buy the highest condition ‘honest’ guns at reasonable values that you can justify - they will hold their value better.

There’s a gun out there for everyone based on their respective knowledge of the details, history, and the market. Sites like Guns International are a general indicator of prices certain guns are NOT selling for unless you monitor activity daily. Not everyone can (or cares to) spend that much time ‘looking’. But the more desirable examples at reasonable prices usually last less than an hour, or a day, at most.

Thanks for sharing your Superposed guns with us.

Happy Hunting!

Thanks for the warm welcome A-dae. It sounds like you had an original plan with a couple of detours. I backed into my Browning journey but now I'm kinda hooked. My oldest stepson is quite the shooter and sportsman...he's a warden with CDFW and there's no keeping up with him! He has quite an interesting collection of both modern and old from varied mfgrs. He favors the 16 but has begun to add 28s, many in the SxS flavor. I may follow him down the sub-gauge rabbit hole which will, of course, necessitate reloading. Oh well, I'm retired and need something else to do!

Quick question for anybody familiar with the shooting scene in SoCal: I'm in Ventura County and looking for a club or other shooting venue. Other than Oaktree which is commercial (a club I've watched grow from small to a very busy op) it's tough to find somewhere that isn't as busy as an LA Frwy! I'm going to check out North Hollywood Sportsman Club tomorrow (not located in No Hollywood LOL) but there's not a lot available for trap/skeet. Thanks in advance for chiming in.

This will sound weird coming from so far intercontinental South . Seen some recent YouTube of LA Clays. Looks pretty neat place with skeet,trap and sporting.
My Aussie shooting buddy went there 5 yrs back while in LA on vacation and gave it big thumbs up.

Thanks for the reply Auzzie. LA Clays is now owned by Oaktree, not a bad thing, just saying. I, also, have heard good things and their prices are a bit less than Oaktree with a senior club discount. The issue would be distance and more importantly, drive time with traffic. I ended up joining North Hollywood Sportsman Club. Reasonable rates, a bit over an hour drive time, laid back friendly bunch...a true club vs a commercial operation. Small basic facilities with 3 trap and 1 trap/skeet combo. Shot 28g skeet yesterday with a small, friendly, helpful crew...exactly what I was looking for. Planned schedule will be Wed trap and Sun skeet. That'll keep me busy! LOL

Sounds like you have found a suitable place. I will put it in my book of places to check out for a holiday visit one day. That schedule will certainly keep you busy and you will get pretty good quickly and learn lot of fundamentals that can help your wing shooting.
One thing there is never any shortage of at gun clubs is coaching and free advice . Trick is to determine what works for you and who to listen to. Lol
Enjoy the clay journey

Quite right! Interestingly enough, the trap side was friendly but serious...very serious. The skeet field...super friendly, great tips and points, lots of joking and even a cigar smoker or two. My 28 is going to get a workout over there!

Yes 28 is a great gauge for skeet just way too expensive to even contemplate over here now days.

I also have a 67 grade 1. Special Trap 30” Slightly different to yours.
Same gun but FN world market variant. It has beaver tail forend and flat knob stock. The recievers are only edge border engraved with plain blued sides and long tang trigger guard. Hinge pin pattern is the same.
Mine has been pretty heavily modified to Briley
thin wall chokes and converted to mechanical triggers so could use a 410 tube set for skeet in the day.

So, just an update on the guns and fun…I’ve been shooting regularly on Wed, Sat, & Sun. Very fun as I get better. Mostly skeet with both the 28 and the ‘67 12ga Superposed. I’ve spoken again with my FIL about his knowledge of the gun histories. After contacting Browning about a history search I’ve been told it may be six months out before I even receive a reply…oh well.

The ‘51 was bought back around ‘03 from a woman whose father may have been the original owner. Pretty cool! My FIL sent it back to Art’s to have the lower ejector replaced. I’m considering sending it back out to Art’s for a full rebuild, it’s very difficult to break open after it gets warm. Other than a Galazan pad this gun has not been modified and I intend to keep it that way. It’s a shooter for sure, but I’ll be reloading 12 in lower pressure just to make sure it remains in good shape.

The ‘67 was bought second hand back around ‘96 from Sportsman’s Exchange in Oxnard CA. We think an attorney from Goleta bought it new, returned it to Browning for a salt stock exchange, and then sold/traded it on. He wrote his name in “magic marker” on the back of the case so I do have his name. As mentioned before, my FIL had Briley put interchangeable chokes in it and had the stock dropped and cast for sporting clays. It’s a great shooter but since it has been modified from original I’m considering having an adjustable comb cut in so that I can really dial it in; maybe even some tubes for sub gauges.

I’m “late to the game” when it comes to these sports and don’t really intend on getting too deep with expensive examples. I rather enjoy the fact that my guns are older (the ‘51 is a couple years older than me!) and they are often a topic of interest for others. Thanks for hosting a great site.

Hey Aussie. I thought I had replied to your post but apparently not…sorry about that.

My ‘67 is kind of a hybrid. It has the later flat knob but the long tang. It’s the traditional trap rib, not the Broadway.

Any recent additions to the collection?

I wasn't really 'looking' for the last 2 I acquired - they actually found ME. I rather like little surprises like that.

Apologies for the late reply, we were out of town. No new Superposeds let alone Brownings. The top ribs on both guns (‘51 & ‘67) have worked themselves loose in spite of using lighter loads. I’ve parked them until I decide who will resolder them. I picked up a Caesar Guerini for my club outings figuring that a newer gun will handle the 450+ rounds per week I’ve been shooting. But I’m taking my stepson out to the range tomorrow and I pulled the ‘51 out of the safe; one round of trap won’t hurt…right? ‍♂️
Thanks for checking in!

And…the Browning Historian finally (they’re very backlogged) sent the “provenance” documentation on both guns. It appears that my late FIL was the second owner of both guns so they haven’t traveled through many hands.

Thanks for the update. Glad you finally got some documentation from Browsing archives.

I can't say if one round of trap will hurt the '51 or not - but if you're planning to have it corrected anyway - why not try it?

I have 2 guns in the queue for complete rib re-soldering - due to be shipped back to my gunsmith's for re-assembly around Thanksgiving. They've done work for me before and they do the correct bluing process for the superposed - rust blue in a humidity controlled cabinet. I'll send their name in a private conversation.

Looking forward to getting those 2 back home and in the field. One is a restoration that began in April 2023. In the meantime I've been shooting a little .410 28" m/f at skeet and sporting clays. Fun!

keep us posted of any progress.

Thanks! I’ve replied to your message. I came to the same conclusion about shooting the guns(s) if they’re headed for repair/refurbishment.