I have in my possession and possibly for sale , a Browning Superposed 12 bore 30 inch with both full choke and a stepped 8mm vent rib ,double trigger . The barrels are marked Fabrique Nationale deArms de Geurre Herstal Belgique , and the letters FN on the top lever .Nowhere on the gun does it say Browning . The serial number is 31 . Browning UK had the gun on show at a CLA Game Fair some 20 years ago having confirmed that it was genuine and at the time was the oldest know gun in existence .
The gun is in good overall condition but has been lightly refinished ,apart from a recoil pad is all original .
How do you value a gun like this ?
gunman,
According to Brownings Dates of Manufacture book, your gun was built in the first year, 1931. Approximately 2,000 Superposed were built that first year, yours being a very low number obviously.
For value, the recoil pad really reduces the value above all else, especially if the wood was cut. You mention lightly refinished, this will reduce value if any engraving or lettering has been sanded or buffed over.
Like all guns, condition, condition and condition are the rulers by which all guns are valued, and how bad somebody wants it. Start high and work your way down if it doesn't move.
Regards,
#31 is worth about what #23, #649, or #256 is worth. It's just a number. Early Supers are cult items these days, but inexpensive cult items.
Is it still a Browning if not marked as such? I have an FN marked pre-war superposed with not any indication it was manufactured for Browning Arms Co. Could it have been made and marketed for the European market only through some other arrangement?
Approximately one third of pre war superposeds were not sold to Browning by FN. FN had the right to sell the superposed under its name in the world outside North America and it did. All guns were numbered consecutively and there are no separate numbers for Browning and FN guns.
I have read that the very early number guns (perhaps 100 or 200) were mostly sold by FN on the world market. Your gun is one of these. Gun number 1 went to Val Browning and is the Browning museum in Ogden Utah.
Not being a Browning probably reduces the value of your gun somewhat. The FN guns have some cosmetic differences in engraving and wood from the Browning guns as well as the barrel identification.