*SOLD* Browning Superposed Lightning 20ga 26" *RESTOCKED 'SALT WOOD' ERA EXAMPLE*

Bryant Ridge's Analysis:

John Browning apparently began designing the Superposed (Over/Under) shotgun in 1922. It was his last firearm design and a labor of love. He conceived it as the last gun the government would ban from private ownership. Like most John Browning guns it is a complicated design. The great man never used one part when two or three could be made to work. On the other hand, those parts are lightly stressed and, like most Browning designs, Superposed shotguns are very reliable. It was Browning's intention that the Superposed be the first affordable O/U shotgun. Previous O/U designs were bespoke guns built to order for the gentry. This goal was met when the gun was introduced, and the Superposed stayed reasonably affordable and reliable until the 1960's, by which time rising Belgian labor costs began to price it out of the market. In 1975 the Superposed was dropped from the regular Browning catalog due to the effects of inflation, but it is offered to this day in a myriad of grades or as a completely bespoke gun from the FN Custom Shop.
 
John Browning passed away in November of 1926, before some of the final details of the gun, in particular the single selective trigger mechanism that he wanted for the Superposed, had been finished. The gun was introduced in 1931 with double triggers. Browning's son Val kept working on the single selective trigger design, which he finally perfected. It was incorporated as the standard Superposed trigger in 1939. This trigger uses an inertia block mechanism. It doesn't balk and it doesn't double. The Browning SST remains one of the very best and most reliable such triggers ever designed.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Browning
Model: Superposed Grade 1 Lightening
Serial: 54302V9
Date of Manufacture: 1969
Caliber: 20 Gauge with 3" Chamber
Finish: Blue
Barrel Length: 26" Ventilated Rib Barrel with Improved Cylinder and Modified Chokes 
Optics/Sights: Bead Front
Stock/Grips: Smooth Walnut
Action: Over-Under
Markings: Standard

May 12th 2025 Bryant Ridge

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