Show us your Guns!

[Kirk H.]

dates to 1976:

Very very nice Mike!

 

[MikePotts]

Thanks, it's a gem, original spare mag & soft case too!

 

[Renault]

Wow! Nice Hi-power, Mike!

Congrats

 

[MikePotts]

Thanks Bob!

 

[EriCal]

About forty-five years ago I bought this Browning Grade III 22 auto. It was intended as a grandchild’s gun, never to be fired. It was expensive but I wanted it very much and traded guns I have often wished I had back in order to buy it.

It took about a year to get the rifle and it is indeed absolutely beautiful. Belgian made, with wonderful engraving and breathtaking wood. Truly the heirloom rifle I wanted.

I kept the Browning stored in a living room bookcase/gun cabinet along with a number of other lesser rifles. One day – I was in S E Asia in a squadron at the time – my dear wife was dusting the bookcases and the gun cabinet. She had removed all the guns from the cabinet and had leaned them against a table. Something happened and all the guns fell over domino-style.

For the most part, except for the Browning, the damage was not too bad. The lesser rifles were slightly damaged but the Browning was badly damaged. The bottom of the receiver – the trigger assembly – was badly scratched & dented; the forearm had a deep scratch on the bottom and the stock had a large chip near the loading port and the checkering was damaged.

Needless to say, I was absolutely sick. I don’t think my wife had any idea how valuable the rifle was or how badly it was damaged. I was upset but I never spoke of it. I simply boxed the gun away and put it out of my mind. When guests were in my home and we looked at my guns, I would not even mention the Browning.

From time to time I wistfully thought about having it repaired but concluded it would be a $600 -$800 -repair – possibly more than the gun was worth - and it would never be as new anyway so I did nothing about it.

About five years ago I happened to be looking thru the Shotgun News or a similar publication and was astonished when I saw the values of signed, Belgian made, Grade III Brownings. Belgian made? I knew mine was Belgian made. Signed???? I did not know anything about them being signed but examination with a magnifying glass revealed that mine was indeed signed by the engraver.

Apparently my rifle was worth far, far more than I had thought and maybe now it was worth that $600-$800 repair. But to whom should I trust the rifle for that refinishing work?

I explained what I have just told you to my gun dealer and asked him to recommend a gunsmith to whom I could trust the repair. He immediately responded, saying “Oh, well, send it back to Browning”! Well, I never thought of that!! I contacted Browning and began the process. I understood they would examine the rifle and give me an estimate for the repairs and obtain my go-ahead before proceeding with them.

Actually, Browning never sent an estimate. They simply repaired the rifle and returned it to me along with a bill and a certificate of authenticity of the repair. The charges were $50 for refinishing the forend and $75 for refinishing the trigger section of the receiver!! They replaced the stock rather than repair it and there was NO CHARGE for the new stock!! The total cost, including postage was about $135!!! And I had agonized about this rifle for thirty five years!!!

The repair is perfect and the new stock is every bit as stunning as the original. The rifle is as new.

My dear wife, now gone, never knew about the damage nor of the success of the repair. I deeply regret any anger I may have felt over the incident. If only I had contacted Browning right away and had it repaired, I would have had many years of enjoyment from this rifle.

To this day, it remains unfired. Ironically, both my daughters are successful career women and there will be no grandchild to whom I would leave this rifle nor any of the other grandchild’s guns I have accumulated for them. Perhaps it is time to begin shooting these wonderful guns. Oh, and I took the dealer to lunch in appreciation of his advice.

 

[MikePotts]

Cool rifle....cooler story. Thanks.

 

[Renault]

Excellent story Erical!!

Professionally, Always had good luck dealing with Browning!

 

[DeaconKC]

Erical, what a great story and treasure. Mike, that P35 is a beauty.

 

[Renault]

Well I messed up today. Another one of these followed me home;



Dunno if it's any count or not. Suppose I'll find out when I can get some cases stuffed for it.

.35 WCF ctg.

 

[Oldsarge]

Well I messed up today. Another one of these followed me home;



Dunno if it's any count or not. Suppose I'll find out when I can get some cases stuffed for it.

.35 WCF ctg.

I'm no great fan of lever guns but one of those in Krag would certainly get my attention. When I was younger I dreamed of taking one on a moose trip via canoe in Ontario. Not sure I'll ever make it. Besides, what would i ever do with a whole moose? It took the wife and me a year and a half to eat a bison!

 

[Renault]

Have a nice one in 30 US Army, Sarge! Some people get all weak knee-ed when they see an nice young lady or a really cool automobile. For me it's the 1895 Winchester!!! I really like them!

 

[Kirk H.]

Well I messed up today. Another one of these followed me home;



Dunno if it's any count or not. Suppose I'll find out when I can get some cases stuffed for it.

.35 WCF ctg.

Well don't feel too bad....I have had several follow me home too......Kirk's home for wayward firearms

 

[MikePotts]

Sorta up there with 9x57 Mauser?...I had one of those I'd like back!

 

[Renault]

LOL! Mike! We had two, 10 round boxes of Kynoch 9 x 57 on the shelf for sale at the shop for several years!!!! I looked to see if they were still there the other day when I wasn in town. Alas they were gone!

 

[MikePotts]

Yeah...I scrounged a few boxes from somewhere, shot some & sold the rest with the rifle. Pretty thing, almost English looking for a German made commercial.
No hope of ever putting a 'scope on it though, so I guess it had to go.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

My dad gave me this old flintlock.

I took it home, cleaned it up, got some railroad spike wall hangers, and a powder horn for it. I think it looks nice above the TV.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Well I messed up today. Another one of these followed me home;

Dunno if it's any count or not. Suppose I'll find out when I can get some cases stuffed for it.

.35 WCF ctg.

I wish one of those followed me home.
Would take good care of it.
But not on this Country.

 

[Renault]

Joao thanks !!!

AET! That flinter looks good withthe powder born hanging there on the wall!!!

Kirk. How well I know those wayward guns!!!

 

[MikePotts]

Ah well....they're still in business, something will turn up.

Here's my stop-gap idea:

Not perfect but better I think?

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Well I can finally say I do own a firearm. Can't take it out of my house nor fire it as I only have a household detention permit.
This shotgun was owned by my father and since he passed away, I now "carry it". It was bought when I was 6 years old on my birthday.
It's a Italian Zoli 12 gauge. It doesn't worth much (I spent more money to be able to own it than it's real market value), but it's something that will always makes me remember my father.
Sorry for the crap pictures.