doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Browning 20 O/U Price Check

Gentlemen, A gun has come by a little outside my normal realm and I could use your sage advice.A Belgium Browning 20 O/U Serial No.124xx,(date??) 28" mod+full,2 3/4"and 3" in very clean original cond.99% action and barrel blue,tight action,mirror bores,few very light marks on original stock finish. Two issues: LOP 14 7/8" over the dreaded Pachmayer White Line pad (13 7/8"from wood butt to single trigger)and a 1 1/2" crack on the left side rear of the forend wood,not very noticable but there.Value??

Terry, A friend just purchased a 20 gauge Superposed here. Gun is in excellent condition - he paid $2,000 and was offered $2500 before he got it home. That may give you some idea of Western Canadian prices at this time. I know 2 guys that are looking for good ones and would be willing to pay $3,000 for one in 90% plus condition.

In the US, $3500-4000 for a high condition 28" 20 ga SP is my estimate. The fore-end crack hurts some but I don't know how much. The fore-ends's are very thin next to the ejector hammers, about where you describe the crack.

The 28" guns sell for more than the 26.5" barreled SPs.

One of the more desirable serial number ranges for collectors. The only more coveted is the steel trigger 2 3/4 inch chamber guns of 1949 and very early 50s. Your stock was barely trimmed. A horn butt could be reinstalled flat and you would be almost back to original length. It has to be installed by a real good stockmaker to avoid ending up a mess. I don't know if your gun was shod in horn, but the serial number is close enough for horn to be proper. If your gun is a solid rib gun, it could be worth $4000 once you get the buttplate back on properly. Vent rib and gold trigger, maybe $3200.

Terry, my 20 Super is numbered 108xx and has the horn BP. My dad bought it new in 1957, which equates to the date tables. The rear of the stock is curved, so I don't know how much wood you'd have to sacrifce (read: shorter LOP) to get the original look. One of my other Supers has a Whiteline pad and it is cut straight. FWIW, the gun has 3" chambers.

I just bought a 1960 gun, (LTRK, 26.5", ) in about 98% overall, mirror bores, tiny fore-end crack in the same location as yours. My stock hasn't been cut. My gun has 3" chambers and it shoots tight for the choke designations (codes ** and **-, which is M and IC).I've always wanted a 20 just like my 1949 12, but I settled for a vent rib instead of the solid rib on my 12. I paid $2100 and thought I got a bargain. Incidentally, you can date your gun by the serial number on the Browning website (browning.com).

that Superposed was born in 1958 and yes the 28" do bring a premium especially with solid rib.However a cut stock is still a cut stock,you can't grow that wood back.I doubt you will get in the 3k range more like 25-2700 is what it would sell for.That carck may be able to be hidden by a good restorer.

Eightbore, why are the early guns bringing a premium? I just bought a 20ga super, ser# 306 w/28"bbls and a vent rib, steel trigger with a cut stock, 13 1/4 to end of wood, that is a standard weight, not a lightning and is great for targets, but weighs 6# 13oz. I wouldn't think it would be coveted as a field gun @ that wgt? My gun has 98/99% metal and 80 % wood finish. Jerry

The early 50's guns are light weight with smaller wrist that feel better to some. The European sold models continued this light weight and small wrist into the early 60's. I have a US sold early 50's (1951) 20 and an early 60's (1964) that was sold in France that feel very similar, although, of course, the engraving is different.

Thanks for all the feedback.Gives me a pretty good handle on value.
Just put it on the scale and it weighs 6Lbs 13oz. with the groovy,vintage white line pad.Any thoughts on what would be a more acceptable pad?? BTW, gun has a vent rib and gold single trigger.Chokes are pretty tight at .022 and .032.Grip is pretty slim,handles great.