Just got my RBL back from having some work done. Now the forend does not fit and the wood is not the same. I do not recall if the forend was numbered to the gun or not. Could someone please check their forend to see if it has a SN? There is no mention on the work order about replacing my forend with 2x4 figured wood.

Are you kidding me? What work was done.

There is NO serial number on my forend unless it is buried and I don't want to remove the wood.
bill

Mine (307) has the SN only on the water table and barrel flats. Also had my forend replaced w/ dissimilar wood.

Thanks guys, I hope this is just a simple mixup. I will be on the phone in the morning.

I'm on my third FE for my RBL. The first was so ugly (exhibition grade with no figure) that it was immediately returned for replacement. The second one cracked due to the FE screw coming loose. There's almost no thread to hold it on and the screw should be made longer, but isn't.
The third is a nice (not great) piece and has held up well.
I ordered a RBL-28 last night, but, this time it will have standard grade wood. Save your money boys. It's, generally, not worth the extra expense.
The only one I had apart was the second and it had no serial number.

Well the gun is headed back to see if they can sort things out. It sounds like they got my forend mixed up with another gun. This could not have happened at a worse time. I leave Saturday for a duck hunting trip and the RBL is the only gun I have for steel. Does anyone know if it is ok to shoot steel out of a BSS?

browning recomends only useing steel shot in its guns that came with factory choke tubes....its up to you from there...

Forend serial # IS stamped on underside of forend iron, must remove wood to see. HTH, R Rambler

JB, I have been shooting steel out of a 12 ga Grade II BSS since 1986, with no issues at all. However, when I bought it new, I had it opened to IC/MOD.
Gordon