My article on Miroku side by sides was in the Sept/Oct 02 issue. But I'm afraid I can't shed any light on the number of screws.
The above posts straighten out the confusion between Grade II's and the Sidelock. Grade II's, when you can find them, are selling for ridiculous prices, mostly based on the fact that there aren't many out there. Maybe even fewer than Sidelocks. I recall some specially engraved Grade II's that were different from the standard ones, but I'm very hazy on those. As for the Sidelocks, there was only one grade. However, a few were game-scene engraved, whereas the majority were scroll. I can't recall ever having seen one with game scene engraving.
Back when Browning brought out the Cynergy, I was one of a group of writers invited to field test the gun on clays and pheasants at a lodge in South Dakota. Several of us suggested to Browning that bringing back the BSS might be a good idea. But it seems that all the experienced sxs makers at Miroku had retired and they probably would have had to retool to make the guns, which had then been out of production for well over a decade. Now, with the increasing prices for Spanish guns--won't be long before new AyA 4/53's top $4,000, I'd guess--it might once again be a worthwhile endeavor for Browning/Miroku. I'd certainly like to see the return of the BSS, with a double trigger version and in 28ga as well as 12 and 20. There certainly was a time when Miroku made sxs that looked every bit as much like British doubles as do the guns coming out of Spain.
Virginian, if the Dickinson had a decent trigger, I'd second your urge to jump on it. But I'd urge you to try one out with snap caps before you take the plunge.
