doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Browning BSS

It's a slimmer BT

I think that the Sporter configuration is much more comfortable for me to swing and shoot, but then I'm not a PG and BT guy,
Not all BSS wood is equal.

Apparently, some is more equal than others.
Absolutely beautiful!
.

Jeff, the Sporter forend is more of a semi-beaver than a splinter, but it's definitely smaller than the forend on a standard (PG) BSS. For a real splinter, look at the forend on the BSS Sidelock in the photo. Way smaller than even the Sporter forends.

Thank you Bob.
I bought both of the above BSS's and they were configure with PG and BT wood. I called emailed browning requesting a trigger guard, Sporter stock and for end. They sent me a misc. parts of which I sent back. Their next shipment was unrelated, but still wrong. I phoned Browning and asked for the parts manager. I told him my story and asked if they had any nicer wood.
He sent me the Claro Walnut stock. They still may carry Sporter stocks and trigger guard and it might be worth it to call Browning in Utah.

I owned an early, non-selective trigger, 12 gauge BSS and thought it handled like a bridge timber, though utterly reliable.
It was stolen in a break-in.
If one should come my way again it would immediately go to my favourite gun stocker to be slenderized like the BSS Sidelock.
They are very popular in Canada for waterfowl, with chokes opened up to shoot steel shot. Thus, no longer cheap.

Mine is a non-selective trigger gun, too. The right barrel was .018" so I had the left barrel opened to match the right, at .018". It has worked fabulously for some 9-10 years. I shoot 1 1/4 oz. steel loads in it, and it kills ducks like the hammer of Thor. I had just bonded with it when I went to the U. S. Open Sporting Clays Championship at Tunica, MS in 2010. I won AA class in the S x S event, and the Veterans concurrent in the S x S, with it.

I agree the beavertail is not the prettiest thing on the block, but it is very useful for clays and ducks. I once killed a limit of 12 doves (years ago, the limit now is 15) with 13 shells with a BSS. I didn't miss, but wounded a dove that was headed for some thick stuff and had to shoot him again. Very shootable guns.

SRH

Browning parts are in Arnold, Missouri. I replaced wood on a BSS and tried to get someone to hand pick it for me. They told me the best they could do was that I could order the wood and send it back if I didn't like it. I could do that until I got the wood I wanted. Of course I would have to pay shipping both ways every time I did that. I did return one stock because it had very green sapwood and they refunded the shipping on that.

Thanks for all the comments and information. I already saw that Wenig's has a pattern for this gun. Might have them match a light piece of California English to the forend and have them head up a big piece of wood. Then my local stock maker could fit it to me easily. Oh, how I love a project! The quest for the perfect gun continues. I already have the perfect o/u target gun - a Perazzi built for me. Unfortunately, a Perazzi sxs is $16500 and will never fit into the budget.
Regards,
Jeff

When I got my 30" BSS, I took to a stocker and had him reshape it to match the slimmer f/e on my Sporter. Pretty straightforward with the pattern right there on the bench. Cost with checkering and finish was a couple hundred. Worth it.