doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Browning High Gloss Finish

Jim, I assume Browning has had time to use everything that was au courant. What's the finish on the 30s Supers? Got an early "twin-single" trigger variant on its way; doubt I'll feel it necessary to take corrective (defective?) action but just in case. I also had a late 30s skeet gun which had been thru the mill ("smooth as a river biscuit") but the finish was intact and very servicable.

jack

Jim, I think any synthetic finish can and will eventually chip along the edges, and at the sides of deep scratches, and need to be retouched or refinished. I don't know why the manufacturers use lacquer, varnish, polyurethane, etc., except that it's quick and cheap to apply and looks pretty in a dealer's gun rack.

A good hand-rubbed oil finish is labor intensive, but if you like your gun it can be a labor of love. And the end result is as weatherproof as the painted-on stuff, but deeper into the wood, more protective, better looking and easier to maintain.

They always chip and crack and do all kinds of things. My question is whether to just live with it or change it.
Case in point is a Pigeon grade trap gun. Long tang, round knob, very pretty wood. Gun blue and finish are almost as new but the damn stock was hunted a bit and has numerous scars which are mostly finish deep. So, leave it "original" or go ahead and take off the synthetic finish they put on and use a nice modern rubbed oil finish? Which will affect the value and which am I most comfortable with personally. Thoughts? Regards, Jake

I am not endorsing the use of lacquer as a stock finish, I prefer oil myself, but that is what I think they used. More than likely the pre-war ones used a varnish or shellac. I just like the look of oil finishes on fine walnut regardless of its durability and will take the time too keep it up.

Jakeroo, I have an early 60s Superposed Magnum with the thick plastic-y finish that looked a bit like a bear had sharpened his claws on one side when I got it. After doing a bit of research I tried cyanoacrylate glue (superglue) to fill the gouges. Smoothed it down with 800 grit paper, and then polished it with an acrylic polish (Novus plastic polish). The repair is invisible.

I'm torn about refinishing mine. It has very nice wood and I do think it could look much better, but it is also my #1 duck gun, and there are times I'm glad I have that thick tough finish.

I haven't had anything to do with the "shiny" finish on a Browning but have de-shined the finish on a several Rem. 700s, a Weatherby varminter and a Sako. I use OOOO steel wool to just dull the shine and them apply a coat of good hard paste wax. I seldom get any scratches on these guns as the wax makes the surface very slippery. The proceedure gives a nice mellow glow to the finish, giving the whole gun a richer look - at least in my eyes. --- John Can.

6 or half a dozen. it resists scratches and water and is very very durable, but a `white dent ` is hard to repair. you can dull down the gloss a number of ways if you dont like it. guys who beat their guns dont like it because they cant repair it, but they are easily repaired if you know how.