Hunting spoon, tell me about it...
 

Hey guys,

My dad is trying to get his hunting licence again and after doing the theoretical exams, he also needs to go to the range again.
This spoon was a gift from my mother and she does not buy junk. (At least not as far as I know)
I'm posting some pics here for you guys to see and comment on.
This way I can maybe learn some new things about it.

This is what I know.
Belgian made Browning, double barrel, supposed to be one of the last hand made spoons, some nice engravings, b25 designation but no clue what that means.
Bought new 30 years ago, been used for hunting, well maintained.
Tested and approved for steel shot.
The guys at the range thought my dad was crazy for using it for skeet shooting and hunting.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1348318413.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1348318472.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1348318614.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1348318679.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1348318746.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1348318809.jpg


Thoughts, comments?
Let's hear'em.

That is in fact a custom Browning B25 Superposed shotgun. High grade and very valuable and collectible. Your mom bought great stuff. Wonderful gun. Great following. Can be shot and displayed. Keep it nice but use it. That's what it's for.

Browning B25 Superposed shotgun review | Shotguns | Shooting UK

Secondhand Browning B25 shotgun review | Sporting Gun

Very nice! Hope he enjoys it!

It is indeed a Browning B25. It is certainly a high graded gun, but it is not a Diana grade. Most b25's were bespoke/custom guns and ordered either by grade, such as midas grade, duck grade, pointer grade, exhibition grade. etc. or you could just by one out of the custom shop stock. The serial number breaks down like this 40088 is the guns number in the run, S means it's a 12 ga, 74 is the year of manufacture so it was made in 1974. you can get a letter from Browning for it here:I would like historical information about my Browning firearm. Where can I get this? - Browning Questions and Answers

Thanks for the links! Very informative..
I think my mom paid about 2000$ for it.
If the price listed at the bottom of the review link is correct, I woud say she made a good investment.

Your talkin around 10,000 USD here...I would only use it at the range, where it won't get beat up.

Beautiful shotgun!!

Wait yer IN belgium....you should be sending US guns!

Beautiful gun!

What is he planning on hunting with it?

G

Small game, rabbits, feasants, stuff like that.
That's what he used to hunt years ago.

If I can hijack for a second (really nice gun, G), is there a way to get the shine off the Japanese Citori stocks?

I love my Citori but it looks way too shinny. Goofy, really. I like the look of G's Dads gun.

Dave?

It won't get hurt using it for skeet shooting or duck/pheasant shooting, but rather by transporting it in the car or not being cleaned and stored correctly. So enjoy it and keep it in a padded beathable gun bag and get it out when you are in the shooting location.

A good quality gun like that is good for thousands of rounds so a few hundred here and there won't do any harm.

It's probably chambered for 2 and 3/4 inch ammo so better get a gun shop to check before you are tempted to fire the newer 3" ammo.

And I'm no exert so I'm happy to be correected :)

Paul use 0000 bronze or steel wool.

Was going to say the same thing David did.

We used to use steel wool and then Linseed oil on stocks. Rub it in with your hand and the heat from your hand really makes it look good...

Sweet shotgun.

Few spoons out there can beat that...... I'd hunt carefully with it..... ;)

Euro hunting in Belgium for rabbits and pheasant is not like Western US hunting for mountain quail and chuckar. Belgium will have farmed fields and rolling hills at best and often the hunts are driven, where you are set up in a spot. Opportunities to drop your gun still exist, but not like you are on a 5 mile chuckar hunt in rocky terrain, beating brush etc.

I'd hunt with that every day. Maybe even for chuckar. :D

G

man..i really need to go and chase some grouse.

As far as function goes, people like what they like. But you are dealing with a commodity that has a fair amount of value. As such you have to keep an eye on what its value is and the depreciation involved in ANY modification that you do due to personal preference. By removing the "shine" you also remove SALEABILITY to the next person. It will be very difficult to sell as most will walk away and it will have to be deeply discounted to find a buyer. Better to sell it and buy somethng that suits your personal preferences.