doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com salt issue with browning superposed

I am interested in purchasing a Browning Superposed and need information regarding the salt problem with some of the guns.

Details of the Morton curing process, years of production affected, etc. to be found in Ned Schwing's The Browning Superposed, John Browning's Final Legacy. Briefly, production affected comes from roughly six years in the late sixties, early seventies, high quality stock blanks (crotch black walnut) more likely to be cured by this method due to low availability at time, guns so stocked more likely to show damage (or not show it on the exterior). Other Browning firearms (including rifles) of the period also affected. Many restocked by Browning under warranty, a service obviously no longer offered. If you consider buying such a gun or rifle and no damage is apparent action shoulders or barrels near forend, best to request removal of forend and stock. Market value for such guns depressed by reputation without regard to individual condition.

jack

What Genius, though it would be OK to use Salt Cured wood for stocking Guns ?

Had it be done before ? Or done since ?

Think it was Uncle Morty at Morton Salt. When it rains it rusts.

jack

Ken:

I just purchased a 1967 20 gauge "lightning" model. This is right in the time when "salt" wood was a problem. The gun is stocked in (really poor quality) Claro walnut which as I understand it was the type of wood that Browning purchased and salt cured.

The gun showed no significant pitting anywhere that I could visually inspect. I had the sellers remove the buttplate and the buttplate screws were clean and showed no rust. Once I returned to my home I pulled the buttstock and forearm and again no signs of rust. I figure if you are not seeing signs of salt damage after nearly 40 years probably not too much to worry about. I purchased the gun at a price that was approximately 1/2 of what I see 20 gauge superposed listed on Guns America, etc...So, the stigma of a "salt" gun certainly depressed this guns value in the eye's of the seller.

Hope my recent experience helps with your inquiry.

The best advice is to avoid the salt year serial number range. If you're bargain hunting, it's your dime and it certainly pays to know what's what. I spent my "two dimes" on a '68 Diana 12 ga. 28" field and got back change and a gun in a grade and condition which I would not have owned otherwise. Even if you make it a rule to eschew suspect guns, human nature being what it is, you can bet your booty someone somewhere has restocked a non-salt Super with a salt-era takeoff for reasons ranging from expediency to greed. jcj has it right; if the action bar, tangs, springs, forend mech and barrels haven't rotted away by now, it doesn't stand to reason that they will decay merely on the say-so of fastidious collectors.

jack

One would think salt damage would have shown up by now, and there is the possibility of a re-stock, and perhaps the whole gun was redone by Browning or Arts... There is a test for salt cured wood that involves a drop of a chemical on an unfinished part like under the butttplate. I think it's Silver Nitrate but don't quote me on that. Jaqua's in Findlay does this test on all Brownings from that era but it only tells about the stock that's currently on there...