[StansCustoms]

Once upon a time I had a Browning Trap Gun that had what I call fish scales on the sides of the action when you open the barrels.

I was VERY new to the game and bought the gun used in Midland, Texas.

I knew nothing about it... except that out of the 1/2 dozen guns or so on the Golf Cart that day at the Midland Trap club....I didn't miss a single target with it for the first 10 or 15 shots. Considering I traded the only shot gun I owned in on it at the time (a 20 gauge 870)and had only shot Trap the day before with a 20 gauge...that was pretty impressive according to the range owner.

I took his word for it and bought the gun that day in 1984. The west Texas economy crashed about then so I only got to use the gun for a very short time and wound up just selling it some time later.

I didn't really know one Browning from another back then...but would like to find another one like it and see if one would work as well now as it did then.

I remember the range owner telling me that the gun had had some custom work done to it. It was backbored and ported and had an adjustable recoil pad on it... Common stuff now but none of the factory guns had that stuff back then.

I remembered it as being a Broadway Trap...but have looked at a bunch of Broadway Trap guns and haven't seen one that looked like the one I had then...so maybe it was something else...like a Superposed or something.

Even though the old gun was really rough...dinged up with plenty of bluing loss on the receiver, you could see that it had been a nice one in it's day..

It had some scroll engraving on it similar to some of the older Citori's , and had fixed Full/Imp. Mod. barrels...and what I remember most was that it had the Jeweled? or fish scales on the sides of the barrels when you opened the action. (where it would denote the length of barrel and choke on a later model Browning).

I don't know if the fish scales were factory or custom, along with the backboring and porting...but would sure like to figure out what the gun was.

Can anyone that is familiar with the older Browning Trap guns shed any light on what this gun might have been??? ...and pics sure would help here, if you do have an idea what it was...or even own one.

I've been looking a couple of years now for an older Browning Trap Gun with fish scales with no luck...so I though I see if I could find some help here.

Thanks for any clue...

Best regards..Stan Mayfield

 

[GW22]

You're not talking about jewelling, are you?

-Gary

 

[JACK]

Good shot Gary. We all wondered

 

[daddiooo]

First time I ever saw that was on a Winchester 101 combo years ago. Nice finishing touch that you rarely see any more.

 

[Straight50]

I have owned Supers that had the jeweling and some that didn't! Don't know why!

 

[StansCustoms]

That's it Gary..!!!

I didn't know what it was called. I had thought jeweled...then thought naw, something else.

Jeweling then!..Good no more fishing for scales..lol!

Anyway...gun I'm searching for had jeweling like that, as well as some pretty decent scrolling on the sides and bottom of the blued receiver....(would be real nice these days...but just a little better than on the average Browning back then).

Straight50...So maybe it was a Superposed...

Did some folks have guns customized with jeweling...or was that likely only from the factory?

Is it unlikely that a Broadway would have it?

Gary...what is the barrel from you have pictured?

..Stan

 

[GW22]

My Berettas have this jewelling but it can be done to any gun. Lots of nice bolt action rifles have it on the bolt. Hell, we used to do it in high school metal shop just for fun.

-Gary

 

[StansCustoms]

Hmmm...maybe hard to find what I'm searching for if high school kids did it for fun.

I thought it might be something only done on well appointed factory guns.

That's the best clue I had regarding what it might have been...as far as it being rather distinctive.

I've been looking at Superposed Shotguns. They on made a jillion of them, if that's what it was....and it may have been, because the engraving/scroll looks VERY familiar.

Stan

 

[halfmile]

Superposed grade 1. Jewelling may have been added. Diana and Midas grades were much more ornate.

HM

 

[Straight50]

My 1963 Superposed Broadway Trap has the jeweling on the sides of the ejectors. I had a Lightening Trap standard width rib model that did not have the jeweling. So I am not sure which models did or did not. If you like jeweling (engine turning) there are many gunsmiths that can do the job for you.

 

[StansCustoms]

HM...

That looks about the way I remember it..

One other thing that I'm not sure of is the rib height. The few pics I've seen of the Superposed look like the rib sits pretty low. I vaguely remember that the rib had a little heigh..(maybe)/maybe not too)?

I'm still looking for better side views of the complete gun and rib....and maybe one of a Broadway too.

Thanks for the help and pic...Stan

 

[StansCustoms]

Straight50..

Really!!! Your Broadway has jewelling....?

Do you have pics of the Broadway??? That's what I really thought it was...but it's just been so long!

Is the jewelling on your gun factory??

I really don't care about the jewelling so much as figuring out what I used to have ...and maybe finding one like it.

I made a terrible mistake by selling that beat up old gun gun. But didn't know it till years later, when I tried to find another gun that shot as well for me as that one...

Thanks...Stan

 

[Straight50]

Only the ejector slides are jeweled on this gun, not the rest of the breech area? As far as being factory, I don,t know! I bought the gun used. Like someone above said, I believe most the higher grade ones had it. I have seen a pigeon grade gun that had both breech sides and ejectors jeweled. The rib on mine is 3/8 high, but a lot wider. The engraving is grade one, like HM,s. I will get a pic of it tomorrow pm if I can get home early. Sounds like you may have had one. Most barrels were 30 or 32 inches. I have heard of 26 inch barrel Broadway's but never saw one!

 

[StansCustoms]

Thanks for going to the trouble if it isn't a giant pain to do.

It may have just been the ejector slides on my old gun too. It's one of those things I'm almost sure I will recognize if I ever see one again. This may be the end of a long quest..from the description.

If memory serves I'm pretty sure my old gun was 32" with I/m-F fixed chokes.

Most of the guns I had owned up till then were very "plane jane".

I grew up with all manner of saddle guns on the farm. But they were more like tools...nothing fancy.

So that Browning , ruff as it was, was pretty cool to me back then. I won my class with it a couple of weeks later, in my first little club shoot....and it was off to the races after that. Unfortunately...the local economy tanked like only a Boom Town can do...and shooting came to a sudden stop for almost everyone.

Took me over 20 years to get back into it...and I have a couple of guns that I love...but nothing like I loved that "first" one.

Thanks...for the help and information....finding and replacing that long lost gun, has been a high priority on my bucket list for a long time....

Best regards...Stan

 

[todddietrich]

I jewelled the bolt of a winchester Ranger 120 with a wooden pencil eraser, drill press, machinist vise and some jeweller's rouge. Do you remember if your old gun had a bolt through the side of the forearm? It's a good way to spot an older superposed.

good luck in your search,

Todd / Illinois

 

[Straight50]

Here is some pics of my older Broadway with the engine turned ejectors. As I stated earlier, I don't know if it came from the factory that way or someone did it later. Its only a grade 1 gun and I haven't seen many grade 1's with it on them. Btw, the rib is 5/16 high, not 3/8 as I posted previously. It is of course 5/8 wide. I hope these pics help to determine what you had way back then. This particular gun has 32 inch tubes. I added a Kickeez pad and a 10 ounce recoil reducer, and it is pleasant to shoot doubles with. I have had 5/6 of these over the years (only two Broadways) and all have kicked pretty hard until you add some weight. Good luck on your search Stan. If this is what you had, they come up for sale on here occasionally.

 

[grntitan]

My Beretta 682 Gold E has those fancy fish scales. I don't think jeweling is uncommon at all. My Browning BT100 also had it on the drop out trigger.

 

[GW22]

grntitan:

Like this?

 

[grntitan]

Yup, that's it. That's a beauty Gary. Did you get another one?

 

[GW22]

Did I get another one? "Don't be silly - that gun has been in the back of my safe for YEARS."