Good Morning,
I recently traded into a 20 GA Browning BSS. The gun has 28" tubes, IC/Mod fixed chokes, single none selective trigger, 2 3/4" or 3" chambers.

The person I got it from seemed to feel it was an early production gun and had owned it for quite some time, he also felt the chokes had been opened prior to his getting it from Mod/full to IC/Mod. So I went to check the serial number (all numbers match) and that is where the questions arose.

Everything I can find on the Browning site and other sites indicated that there will be either a 2 letter code or a single letter (indicating 12 ga or 20 ga)followed by two digits which are the year of production. So far so good. Mine has 64XXB57. This is where the issue arises since they didn't start making the 20 GA BSS until the early 1970's (1972 I beleive) so it obviously cannot have been built in 1957.

Now there is a good chance I am have or am overlooking something obvious and if so I apologize but I thought I would check here next to see if there are any Browning collectors out there that can shed some light on when this gun was built?

Thanks....
WBLDon

Okay, I've got a 20 ga. Browning BSS on my lap in front of me right now. Mine is coded XXXXXRR368, so following your numbering scheme, mine would have been made in 1968. Correct? I've had people argue with me over this, but on the barrels, mine reads "Assembled in Korea with Japanese Components." When I got this one it had a cut down buttstock and a fairly wide beavertail forearm. The wood had been poorly refinished. I bought replacement wood form the Browning Service Center in Missouri and replaced both the forearm and buttstock.

I will never part with this gun. I have others I shoot more now, but there's an interesting story about how I got this gun. I found it in a store that was managed by a College classmate of mine. I looked it over and later told my wife about it and that I thought I was going to go back and buy it. When I got there, it was gone and I was told it had been sold. I was disappointed. Then my wife gave it to me for our anniversary.

After further consideration this can't be right. I just looked at a 12 ga. BSS that I know was made in 1986 and it is marked XXXXXPX158.

I'll be watching this topic in case Larry Brown wanders by and knows something about the numbers/dates.

according to this, your gun was made 72, 73,or 74:

http://www.browning.com/customerservice/dategun/detail.asp?id=26

You can call the Browning Historian.
Info used to be on the website.
He is extremely helpful!-Richard

Ed, are you talking the year on David's or my shotgun, if mine, I am not saying your wrong but how are you coming to this conclusion? After looking at the site you listed, have looked there before, if does not answer the date on mine.

David as per the site that Ed listed PX=83 and RR=77. 158 indicates 12 Ga and 168 indicates 20 Ga (as I understand it). This is for guns made from 1978 to 1987.

My gun is likely pre 1978 as it only has ONE letter in the serial number indicating it is a 20ga (the X I show before the B is actually a Number not actually an X, sorry for the confusion) and the 2 digits after this letter are suppose to indicate the year of production. Unfortunately this is not the case.

WBLDon

don: i figure it this way...

according to the link above, first bss 20ga guns were made in 1972. browning began new numbering system in 1975...

therefore, as your gun does not fit into the 1975 numbering scheme, it was made prior to 1975, or, 72, 73, or 74.

The 20ga. BSS came out around '71 or '72 with a non-selective silver trigger, marked "made in Japan". A few year later, all BSS assembly was moved to Korea and had a gold selective single trigger.
JR

Hmmm ... this doesn't seems to account for my 20 ga. BSS Sporter, which is marked "Assembled in Korea from Japanese components". It has a selective trigger, but silver, not gold.

My 12 ga. BSS Sporter -- bought new in 1985 -- has a gold selective trigger, and is marked "Made in Japan".

Jay

Obviously a bit of overlap, Jay. Nothing about Browning production is carved in stone.
JR

My 20 has the silver single selective trigger and is marked Korea and my 12, bought new in 1986, has the gold trigger and marked Japan. I've had people tell me before that none of the BSS guns were ever marked "Assembled in Korea from Japanese components", but there it is right there on my gun. Yours too apparently. Both of mine are the sporters with the straight stock. Does your 20 have a beavertail forearm? Mine doesn't now, but it did originally.

I have at least one marked like that.

It's a smaller semi-BT. When looking for the gun I ran across one with what I'd call a full BT, but not sure if it was the same as on the Hunter pistol grip guns or a bit smaller.

I replaced the original stock, worst looking I've seen on any Browning gun, slab sawn with grain running almost perfectly vertical, apparently was stained but the wood took the color unevenly, very pale in the middle of one side.

Jay

The OP's BSS was manufactured in 1975. One many early Japanese Brownings the numbers that represent the date codes are backwards. My theory is it was a Japanese right to left reading thing.