Anyone have a serial number vs year of manufacture list? Also would like to see photos of the engraving on their O/Us to help ID the grades.

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Check out here.

http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun%20Articles/Miroku_O-U_shotguns.html

They did make a specific engraving for their 'Superior Grade' guns.

May only apply to Charles Daley guns though?

Great lead on Miroku gun information. Thanks dal.
Swampman

Thanks. Those are great guns and main competition for Beretta boxlocks with "U-type" bolting system which in itself is testimonial to their greatness. Thank you. Now I know what that slide button on side of action on high grade Charles Daly guns was for.

Your welcome I bought a 1973 charles daly miruko superior grade 12ga. Skeet gun. Mint condition, for $700 cdn. My son shot it very well, so it's his now. Very under rated manufacturer IMHO. Perfectly regulated barrels to boot. One of my best buys.

That was a great piece of information. It would worry me a bit, however, on how much time the author spent documenting different versions of various springs, and, how often they broke in exactly the same spot.

Best,
Ted

Jerry, the gun you've depicted is a 'Superior' grade. The 'Field' grade guns had an altogether diff engraving pattern and the 'Venture' grade guns were extractor models.

I recall doing an article on Miroku guns several years ago. A gunsmith who worked on them did point out that broken springs was the major issue with the OU's. But nice guns. I like the deep chiseled engraving.

I purchased new a Miroku Charles Daly in the fall of 1969. Superior Grade 12 ga with 26" barrels. Basically the only gun I used for 20+ years. I shot it better than anything before or since. When I bought it a hunting buddy had a new Gr1 Superposed. No caparison between the two, the Daly had better wood, better fit and finish, much better engraving, etc. Put a huge number of rounds through it with zero problems. Even (stupidly) quite a few baby mags. I loaned/gave it to a nephew and it was stolen from him in 1995 or so while he was attending college in southern Illinois. I still have the original box which indicates it as a Model 203, serial number 552718. I had removed the white spacer from the grip cap, too ugly for me. Oddly enough, a handgun stolen at the same time showed up about 2 years ago in St. Louis and I now have it back. Unfortunately my Charles Daly is still stolen and unaccounted for.

Here's my early 1970s 20 ga.Superior Grade Type 3 (another $700 CDN gun):

http://www.browning.com/news/articles/brief-history-browning-legendary-miroku-factory.html

That's an interesting article, ninepointer. Thank you for posting the link. Its the first written place I've seen making refs to Dakin guns being Miroku's. Not sure wot the point was of calling Gough Thomas a snob was. I've all his books & read the majority of his articles as they were published & to me, that label does not fit at all. I wish there were more said regarding the model 52 & the 'My Luck' SxS's as well, but there wasn't. At least from the article one can tie the guns to a time line now.

Nine Pointer,
Tell me about the "type 3" please?

My gun pictured in first post appears identical to yours.

Jerry,

You'll find an explanation of the 4 types in the link that Dal provided. In summary, different variations of flat springs for the top-lever and ejectors were used in Types 1, 2 & 3, whereas coil springs were used in the Type 4. All 4 types used flat mainsprings.

I've heard it said that the Type 4 with coil springs is the best (heard it from a guy selling a Type 4). When I looked into getting a spare set of flat springs for my gun, I learned they're tougher to get for a 20 ga. than they are for a 12 ga. I was also told by one source, "Call me when you actually break a spring. I'll probably never hear from you."

Those who have access to back-issues of Clay Shooting USA may be able to locate an article called: "Miroku - The Best Gun Maker You Never Heard Of".

What type of spring system is used in currently made Browning Citori made by Miroku? They seem as durable and trouble free as venerable Beretta 6xx series O/Us.