I first read on this website about the BSS and that it was made for Browning by Miroku.
Then I noticed that Holts Auction here in the UK had two coming up in their Sealed Bid sale for cheaper guns. I bid on one but did not get it - the successful bidder paid £420 or $600 for it, which was way over the estimate. So in the spring of 2024 I browsed through the British Internet site for guns and found several for less money. Many had been in the rack for years. One caught my eye 200 miles away, so after a phone call to the dealer I bought it sight unseen for £300 i.e. $400. The serial number is 4528xx, and many here are in that range. It has a splinter fore-end. A pal found me an original handbook, which shows three versions of fore-ends, up to a huge beavertail!
As your previous poster said the bluing on the barrels is thin but OK. Mine has British proof marks dating to 1974 and weighs exactly 7 pounds and no ounces with 28" barrels. It is choked EXACTLY like my 1946 Webley, with 13 thou and 40 thou constrictions, and handles much the same too. Usefully it has 2 3/4" (or 70mm) chambers so it is my back-up plan for when steel shot becomes compulsory. The barrels are indeed chopper lump, and bear an inscription "Made in Japan, Assembled in Korea". I suppose this was to keep the costs down. I probably have some photos somewhere, but may need to talk to Parabola...
The stock was too short at only 14 inches so I spent money to have it lengthened with a matching piece of wood.
Last November I had my best-ever game shooting day so it has been a good (if small) investment, all thanks to this Forum.
HB
