Browning B-S/S BSS Sidelock Double Rifle / Side by Side Shotgun, Blue & Engraved 28” 2 Barrel SxS Set, Rifle & Shotgun BBLS, MFD 1985
SOLD FOR: $5,090
LSB#: 160109CH01
Make: This shotgun was made by Miroku of Japan for Browning
Model: B-S/S Sidelock
Serial Number: 01019PV938
Year of Manufacture: 1985
Caliber: 20 Gauge with 2 7/8” Chambers for 23/4” Shells
Action Type: Double Barrel Side x Side Sidelock with Top Lever Opening and Double Triggers
Markings: The underside of the receiver is marked with a circled “R” and “BROWNING”. The left water table is marked with a circled “H” and “01019PV938”. The left side of the left barrel is marked “BROWNING ARMS COMPANY MORGAN, UTAH & MONTREAL P.Q. / MADE IN JAPAN”. The right side of the right barrel is marked “B-S/S SPECIAL STEEL 20 GA. SHELLS – 2 ¾””.The flat on the underside of the left barrel is marked “01019PV938”, a circled “H”, a circled “SP”, “NP”, 20”, “28” and “*” (Full). The right barrel flat is similarly marked except without the serial number, and the choke marking is “**” (Modified). The left barrel in front of the flat is marked “1” and the right barrel “3”. The top surface of the forearm iron is marked “01019” and the lower tang is marked “01019PV938”.
Barrel Length: The barrels are 28” in length.
Choke: The left barrel is choked about Extra Full and measures 0.584“ at the muzzle. The right barrel is choked about Modified and measures 0.608“ at the muzzle.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is small brass bead screwed to the rib between the barrels. The rib has a slightly curved surface to aid in sight acquisition, which matches the slightly curved surface at the front of the receiver.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two piece checkered walnut with a satin finish. The buttstock has a long straight grip with a curved brass disk inlaid into the belly. The butt has a skeletonized coin finished and engraved steel buttplate mounted with checkered wood showing through in the open center. The forend is a splinter forend with a button at the front for releasing the forend. There is a sling swivel stud mounted near the toe and another on the bottom of the rib between the barrels. There are six light marks in the top of the comb and two shallow compression marks and two small dings at the toe. There are also five small dings in the belly between the back of the lower tang and the checkering. the forend shows several small dings on its rear underside. The checkering is sharp without mars. The LOP measures 14 ¼” from the front of the forward trigger and 13 3/8” from the front of the rear trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate is scroll engraved at the heel and toe with leafy engraving on its side edges. The engraving is sharp and there are no marks in the buttplate or in the checkered wood in the center. The buttplate does show a yellowy tint from the remnants of a thin layer of lacquer, which was probably added to protect the finish. The buttplate should clean-up like new with some careful scrubbing with brake cleaner. The buttplate is in about Excellent condition. The stocks rate in about Fine Plus condition.
Type of Finish: The barrels are blued and the receiver and its tangs have a coin finish. The receiver, lever, trigger guard and tangs are elaborately scroll and border engraved.
Finish Originality: All Original
Bore Condition: The bores are bright with no erosion.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 99% of its metal finish. There are several light handling marks scattered along the surfaces of the barrels and six tiny marks through the finish on the right edge of the barrel rib at the front of the forend. The undersides of the barrels show a few light marks around the sling swivel stud There are no marks in the receiver. The screw heads are sharp and engraved. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Excellent condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The safety comes on automatically when the barrels are opened. We have not fired this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This shotgun comes with a set of heavy rifled barrels chambered in .45-70 Government. The barrels are blued, 23” in length with a full length rib and have no markings. There is a quarter rib screwed to the rib with grooves for scope mounts and an express sight at its front. The express sight has one fixed leaf with a shallow “V” notch and one folding leaf that has a flat top with a small “U” notch in its center. There is a brass bead front sight inlet into a textured ramp base, which is fixed to the barrel rib at the muzzles, and it has a setscrew at the front of the sight to help hold it in place. The barrels are blued and retain about 98% of their original metal finish. They show several light handling marks scattered over their length. In addition, there is a tiny mark through the finish on the outside of the left barrel about 7 ½” from the muzzle and a spot of pinprick surface erosion both sides of the quarter rib at the back of the barrels. The bores are bright with shallow but sharp rifling. Overall, these barrels are in about Excellent condition.
Our Assessment: This is an exceedingly well made and beautiful looking side by side shotgun made for Browning by Miroku of Japan in 1985. It is a B-S/S Sidelock model with double triggers. It has an elaborately scroll and border engraved receiver, with engraving included on the lever, tangs, trigger guard and even the screw heads. The 28” barrels are blued and the receiver and its tangs have a coin finish. The buttplate is a skeletonized buttplate, also engraved with a coin finish, and the wood showing through at the center of the buttplate is checkered. The stock has a long straight “English” grip and a split forend. This is a beautiful shotgun, so please our pictures before bidding!! The shotgun is in Excellent condition with only light marks in the barrel and wood. It comes with a second set of rifled barrels in .45-70 Government. So, you end up with a double barreled shotgun that will be great for the field and by switching barrels you get an express rifle chambered in .45-70 Govt. With this combination, you ought to be able to hunt just about every bird or animal in North America, although 20GA is too light for most waterfowl. The Browning collectors should be very interested in this shotgun – the sidelocks are very nice looking and were made for less years than the boxlocks with their blued receiver.
