Browning b25 restoration

I've recently been given an old b25 a1 by an old family member that does not want the hassle of renewing there certificate. The gun has had a fairly hard life but saying that it is 63 years old, the blueing is in a fairly bad way and the stock has had a repair at some time in its life. The gun has a plain action with 28" barrels and is choked 1/4 & 3/4.

If I were to spend the money on getting the bluing redone, getting a custom stock made and maybe having some engraving done is the gun likely to be worth anything or is it just not worth doing?

I notice that this company http://www.faanderson.co.uk/custom-b25.html sell old a1'S that have been sent back to browning to be customised and they do look nice.

It may well be worth your time to consider discussions with F W Wiseman of Cannock.

Barrel blackers to the guntrade and Brian Wiseman is one of the trades finest engravers.

All this work will not be cheap, so it would be wise to factor in resale value and sentimental values before spending.

give Dennis Stepney a call at UK gun repair  he restored my Browning b125 at a very good price and looks like a new gun even though is well over 20 years old

Tom,  according to you the gun was built in and around 1953? thats pretty old for a AI.  for certain it needs rejointing amongst other repairs etc.,

The value of the gun does not warrent the cost of rejointing, reblacking, restocking. use it as it is don't throw good money onto bad.

Bray184 said:

give Dennis Stepney a call at UK gun repair  he restored my Browning b125 at a very good price and looks like a new gun even though is well over 20 years old

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Yep Dennis is good, my DT11 is with him at the moment.

The cost of getting it up to scratch will not be cheap, but hey it's a piece of history! If anything is to be done,try not to alter the original spec. In other words as an A1 it should have a plain black action, if money is spent on getting it engraved it may be money wasted. As for the stock, well I've seen some really nasty repairs that have been sorted out properly,to a point where you would never know anything had ever happened!!

Thanks for all the advice. As an a1 it's never going to be worth much so I may just leave well enough alone. I'm going to show my ignorance now and ask what you mean by rejointing?

Tom b said:

Thanks for all the advice. As an a1 it's never going to be worth much so I may just leave well enough alone. I'm going to show my ignorance now and ask what you mean by rejointing?

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Re jointing is done when the gun shoots loose. The barrels basically do not fit tight against the action face due to wear in the hinge. It's very common and any decent gunsmith will sort it for you. It may still be worth getting a quote for renovation, A1's are not worth a fortune but they are still sought after by some people and the value of such guns is more likely to increase not decrease!! Its a hand made gun after all.

Les, If its a 1953 gun it will have a pin through the forend and possibly a half pistol grip stock? as to rejointing an A1 there are two ways. first is to fit an oversize hingpin (exspensive) or build up the hook (half a job).

A 27.5" A1 of 53 vintage ain't never going to make a grand! you could buy a 72 tidy one for that!

shootinguru said:

Les, If its a 1953 gun it will have a pin through the forend and possibly a half pistol grip stock? as to rejointing an A1 there are two ways. first is to fit an oversize hingpin (exspensive) or build up the hook (half a job).

A 27.5" A1 of 53 vintage ain't never going to make a grand! you could buy a 72 tidy one for that!

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Yes you are more than likely right there mate, but at least it cost him nothing by all accounts! I wish someone would give me even a right old dog of an A1, especially if it was a trap gun!

I think that's decision made then. I will leave it as is, I don't see the point in spending the money on it if I'm unlikely to see my investment back.

Tom b said:

I think that's decision made then. I will leave it as is, I don't see the point in spending the money on it if I'm unlikely to see my investment back.

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All depends on how much it would cost, a quote will cost nothing. What spec is the gun?

Actions should never be re-engraved in my opinion. The process involved in softening the action for the engraving to be altered, and then re-hardened will invariably leave the action warped. Re blueing and restocking is straight forward enough. 

id sell it on and find a better one.

as guru said the hook can be built up but having had this done first hand on an old A1 of similar vintage it never lasted and required the same job performing only 5000 ish shells later. as for the engraving of an A1 i would disagree, a fair few year ago now we had an A1 engraved to D5G and exhibition woodwork added, the guns was used for another 10 years before being sold on at 2.5 times the purchase/rebuild cost.

The B25 is a hand made gun that means that the metal is softer  and more workable than factory made guns, engraving a B25 action is no problem!

I had a B25 trap gun with a half inch rib (unusual) rejointed, engraved to D5 standard,  with super wood and inletted wood in the stock instead of a pad. 

I had to take it to Belgium and fetch it back 4 months later and it cost me £4500 plus £1000 for the AI trap and I sold it 4 years later for £6100 but I never used it,

This is one of the issues with Belgian Brownings, unless you check the provenance of a gun you do not really know what you are buying. Many, many A1 were imported by a dealer years ago as grey imports , then engraved by Italian studios (cheaper than FN) and sold as high grade Brownings. Carpe Diem.

Caveat emptor is probably more appropriate!!

DT

hate to be picky but being given a gun isn't strictly buying it, i would suggest gaudeat et qui accipit is probably more appropriate .

How about 'Just be careful'