Superposed Barrels and Chokes

[Bobby Cash]

I acquired a 1967 Superposed .410, RKST in what appears to be unfired condition.
Sold as a 28" Skeet, I was happy to measure the chokes and find Full/Mod.
Grade 1 Superposed wood lottery winner.

https://i.imgur.com/EoU8kCR.png

https://i.imgur.com/rPac4ub.png

Lack of use didn't stop it's proud owner from taking it in and out of the safe a bajillion times.
Art's is returning the wood to "Factory New" and is installing a proper Long Tang.
Enter an in the white set of 28 gauge barrels, 28' Full/Full.

https://i.imgur.com/mlqP9S2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fobPYh0.jpg

Art's filled in all the missing parts, carved it's own forend, and fit the barrels to the grade 1 .410.
I'm a skeet shooter, less an upland hunter. For fixed chokes I'm thinking
Improved Skeet/Skeet(.007/.005) or Improved Cylinder/Improved Skeet(011/.007).

I subscribe to the theory that less is more and currently have fewer guns than I've had in the past 20 years.
With fewer guns I'm looking for utilitarian overlap. Since this is a composed set and altering chokes won't land me a fiery spot in Hell,
why not shoot it all?

Why not Briley's ???

[George Davis]

I have a 1967 Grade 1 12 gauge Superposed Skeet with 28 inch barrels with a complete set of companion tubes, enjoy still believe for the money Superposed is the best buy for over and under shotguns.

[Kevin McCormack]

Very nice gun, but the thought process here raises a few questions. What are the .410 barrels marked? If the gun was "sold as" a skeet choked gun, they should both be marked **$. If Full & Mod they would be marked * and ** respectively. What type gauge did you use to measure the chokes in determining them to me Mod & Full?

And what is the rationale for installing a "proper" long tang vs. the original configuration short tang? In this production era (c. 1967) Browning transitioned from long to short tangs (ST) and later from round (RK) to flat knob grips. The sidetracked wisdom of most SP collectors looking to buy minty guns from that era was/is if the tossup is between a STRK and a LTFK, go for the long tang for its graceful appeal to the hand and eye. Is this the attraction?

Art's is definitely the place to go for Browning repair and restoration, but what were the "missing parts"? on/in the gun?

I understand the appeal of an extra set of small-gauge barrels, and the reasoning for rechoking for skeet. My choice would be a combo of skeet and IC for the 28 ga. barrels. Then you would be set for both skeet and an occasional upland bird hunt as well. (Original FN factory 2-barrel, 2-gauge sets are quite rare and seldom offered for sale.)

So far as choke tubes are concerned, years ago I purchased a gorgeous Pigeon Grade Lightning Trap Superposed for use as a bunker (International/Olympic) trap gun. I got the gun at an obscenely low price because the former owner abandoned trapshooting for the then-new sport of sporting clays and had the gun opened up from its wonderful factory chokes of IM and Full to IC and IC. Then of course he wanted "more choke"!

I sent the gun to Briley, who at the time were in the vortex of the screw choke craze, and offered 5 choke tubes fit complete for $285 on a "special SC package". When I got the gun back I installed the IM tube in the lower barrel and the Full in the upper barrel. In ten years of hard bunker competition, I never changed the tubes again.

All things to think about.......

[John Dallas]

K - Wonder if those tubes can be easily removed today?

[Bobby Cash]

Good morning Kevin.
Chokes Marked and measured Full/Mod. They were mis-identified by the seller.

Regarding your description of the desireability of the Long Tang I would add that the "Bean Counter"
who instituted the Short Tang and the Flat Knob programs should be horse whipped!

The missing parts referred to the new barrels only.
Everything having to do with the forend and everything having to do with ejectors.
And a silver front bead.
https://i.imgur.com/l3d7T7F.jpg


You're probably right on the IC / Skeet chokes.

Thanks for your input.

[Kevin McCormack]

K - Wonder if those tubes can be easily removed today?



Sure - PB Blaster's Penetrant product works wonders, but use sparingly and BE PATIENT. (You can help its action along using a hair dryer). Keep it off the wood on the gun and wipe away any excess from the vent rib posts after applying.

For super crudded up/truly frozen tubes, use a 75/25 mixture of new (fresh) ATF fluid with acetone warmed to a temperature that won't exceed that of the rib solder (I've forgotten what that is) and slowly bleed it into the thread rims of the tubes in the barrel.

The super viscosity of the new, pure ATF is "supercharged" by the solvent as an accelerant in penetrating the threads the full depth of the tubes, and the resultant capillary action reaches the most microscopic points of contact between the tube and barrel threads. This can be done with the barrels upright or (better still) plugging the bores (wine corks work great depending on gauge) and pouring 2-4 oz. of the mix in from the chamber end using a small funnel and plastic hose. An hour or two of this treatment is usually sufficient, but doing it later in the day and letting the barrels hang overnight gives the penetrants the ultimate exposure time.

PRECAUTIONS: Don't get any of this magic brew on your wood or the stanchions (posts) of the vent ribs on your barrels (which is why I think hanging the barrels vs. the muzzle end bleed) is best.

Also be VERY careful heating acetone - no flames anywhere near it (the small desk coffee cup warmers work great). The only thing I know of more explosive is ether!

[John Dallas]

Scary. That's why I remove my choke tubes regularly, and put a dab of RIG on the threads