doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 1959 Grade 1 12 Gauge Superposed Magnum

Gun is very tight and appears to be 95 percent wood/metal condition. It has Briley thin-wall chokes installed (IC/IC) and what I believe to be a non-original recoil pad. It does have 30 inch barrels. I'm a skeet shooter and hunter, not a collector.

Ask on the gun with sales tax would put me in it at $2170. Does this seem like a reasonable deal or do I need to keep looking? I do appreciate any advice you may offer.

Emmett Boylan

Emmett;

I have the twin to this Superposed, with the original boring of "full and fuller" (same year). These guns in their original configuration are the best value you can get in a virtually hand made gun for turkey shooting with 3 inch shells. Someone has ruined the value of this gun of which you are considering and it is only worth a little more than half the price. I paid $1500 for mine 3 years ago. Keep looking as I considering buying an nearly new condition early 1960's model on Gunbroker several months ago for less than the price you were quoted. If I see this gun again on Gunbroker, I will let you know.

Emmett;

I found the 3 inch magnum Superposed on Gunbroker after I posted above. The ad does not mention that it is a 3 inch magnum,so many people would pass by, but I know that it is as I called and talked to the dealer several months ago and he told me that it is a one owner gun from a retired WWII bomber pilot. The price is excellent and is $570.00 less than the low value one that you have been offered.

Send me a PM and I will give you the Gunbroker number for it.

With the non original condition I'd say it's about a grande over priced....that kind of money can get you a used Browning 725.

Thank you all very much.

Emmett Boylan

Installing the Briley chokes was an expensive alteration which the seller has added to the price. To a Browning collector that gun has zero value. To a shooter is gives it flexibility but not too many hunters use O/U in the field.They tend to want three shot flexibility as well as choke tubes.

Pity, wrong choke configuration was one of my favorite reasons to buy another gun and now with the widespread use of choke tubes that reason is gone. Now I just have gauge, barrel length......

The Briley chokes, with shipping and 5 tubes, are around $550. 1959 is one of the best years for old supers. The gun originally came with a Browning marked Pachmayr pad. None of the 12 Gauge standard grade supers from the 50's have any collector value. At 95% the gun is probably worth around $1200 and the chokes add a little value, but not equal to the cost of the chokes. I would say the gun is worth around $1500 retail.

The 12 magnum from the 50's is almost identical with the trap model from the 50's except for the stock and forearm wood. Trap and magnum models were the only 50's guns catalogued with a 30" ventilated rib barrel.

Magnums of that era seem to have thicker barrels than other models.

It depends on some other things as well. How nice is the wood and its finish? if it has an above average piece of wood with some black streaks and figure, I would give that a $300 bump. Length of pull? If it is less than 14", knock off $200. It could be an $1800 gun tops if it has a lot of eye appeal and fits you well. Otherwise, around twelve to fourteen hundred. The Briley chokes are a benefit for steel shot usage also.
JR

Again, thank you all for your help.

The gun does in fact have its original pad. The wood is ordinary, appropriate to the grade, and has numerous handling marks, as well as what appears to be a worm hole in the forend checkering. The blue has only a couple small marks and appears to be more of a matte finish than a bright blue. There are only the two choke tubes. There is no case.

I have offered $1500, and they responded with $1800 as the best they can do. I will pass.

Regards,
Emmett Boylan