I'm so glad I found this forum. You guys have some amazing guns along with tons of knowledge to share with a new guy like me and thanks for that. Anthony.
This is what’s on it. From my research I don’t think this is correct. The second picture is what I believe should be on it. What do you think ?
I believe like you that second one should be the one for the 1909 examples. I have in my collection a few 1909 with the second buttplate. However, according to Sauerfan on SGW, if your buttplate is made of hard rubber with the back being compartmentalized (you probably, like me, did read that on SGW) your actuel buttplate would be the right one (I find this affirmation from Sauerfan nebulous). But from your picture, your buttplate seems to be made of horn as it appears to have had worms?? Anyway, that is a very nice 16 gauge that I wish I could have. Would you believe that someone offer me S.N. 46 or 48, I can’t recall exactly, and I refused it because it was a 16 gauge and it was in Europe. Now I regret. By the way, I have seen for sale some reproduction of the second buttplate in question, the one with the FN logo.
Yes I have one that is in new condition. I picked it up so when I re do this one I can put what I believe to be the correct one. Wow that low of a serial number would be pretty cool. Mine is one of the first 1500 made, and from what I could find shipped with the first batch to the USA that covered up to 3200 or somewhere in that neighborhood.
Browning’s deal with FN and Remington said NO Auto-5’s could be imported to the US for 20 years. The exception was a few for the Browning family. So, unless you’ve got JMB’s personal 16 gauge, your shotgun didn’t come here right away. Importation restarted in 1923. Here’s a picture of the FN buttplate on my 1924. I originally thought someone put hardware store screws on it, but other guns have similar screws.
Rudolph31 thought I read that in the Bible that the last 16’s shipped were right before WWI? That would have been 1914. There is mention of it on SW by Sauerfan. Perhaps I’m reading it wrong, Not sure how or when mine got here, however, it’s a pretty low serial number. Hey maybe I got lucky and it was JMB’s! I will never know. Well maybe someday in the after life I can have a long talk with him, I’m sure you’ll be at that table
The last were shipped in 1914 but not shipped here. On this forum we have people from the UK, Canada, Sweden, Australia, and some other countries that I can’t think of. Your 16 could have gone to any one of them.
Damn that would be neat to know where it went and how it got here. I’m sure some of the joe’s( soldiers) brought some back at some point.
I have one that a Joe brought back that I wish i could get some info on too. Browning had nothing when I called the historian. It’s on its way to Art for a makeover.
I hear that. I called and talked to the browning guy also, chased info for about a year and it’s just not out there that I could find. What do you have at art’s? You know I wanna see pictures. Is it old enough to do the slow rust blue?
This is on its way to Arts. I am guessing it’s a 1944 and was brought back by a Joe. It’s been reblued and the engravings are washed out. It should be slow rust blued. A guy local to me quoted me 3k to recut the engravings s as me slow rust blue. Somebody also taped the receiver for a scope mount which really sucks. I still can’t decide if I’m going to have him redo the wood
Yes the one on the 16 is horn. My new one like yours in the picture is hard rubber. When is it due back from art’s? I wanna see the rust blue for sure
He said it’ll be 8 months. I need to call him on Monday with my instructions. I don’t think he will do a rust blue
