With modern dimensions, 2 3/4″ chambers, and reliable single triggers, twenty-gauge Browning Superlights are fantastic O/U shotguns for grouse and woodcock. Here’s your chance to get a deal on one: This one is online at Gunrunner Online auction, and sale ends this Saturday, 12/14 @ 19:50:00.
Browning Superposed “Superlight”, 20 ga. Over/Under shotgun. Serial #62939V70, mfg. Belgium. Grade One. Excellent condition. The super light version with small frame, short barrels and straight grip stock. 97% blue with some marks on barrels and some light receiver edge wear. Blue receiver with border scroll work. Has been hunted with, but nicely cared for. 26 1/2″ barrels have bright bores. Tight action. 2 3/4″ chambers.
Straight grip stock has nice checkering and only a few marks – nicely figured with plastic Browning marked buttplate. Ejectors. Single blue selective trigger. Very light and dainty! Hard one to find! Perfect for this winter’s bird hunting! Includes brown Browning hard case in excellent condition with keys. Great little gun!
SALE PENDING – that’s what the listing on this fantastic little Beretta said just a few hours after the little O/U gun on the market. It’s easy to see why. Of all the configurations that Beretta’s ASE over-under shotguns came in, this one has to be the rarest. I wish I hadn’t missed it.
BERETTA ASEL EELL 20 GAUGE O/U WITH 27 1/2″ BARRELS – GREAT ENGRAVING: Lovely deep cut floral engraving. Solid rib. Ejectors. Straight grip with long trigger guard. High condition. Plugged swivel holes – typical of ASEL guns. Barrel weight of 1,190. Mirror bores. Bottom barrel measures at .625 with 20/1000 choke (Mod) while top barrel is .623 with 28/1000 Choke (Full). Bottom barrel firing pin need replacement. Weight of gun is 5 LBS 11 1/8″ OZ. Shipping is $35. Stock dimensions follow. LOP – 14 5/8″ Drop at Comb – 1 3/8″ Drop at Heel – 2 1/8″ Price: SALE PENDING
1953 Beretta AS 20E Boxlock 20 Gauge Over Under Shotgun
I’ve written about these great little doubles a number of time before. They’re such great shotguns that very time I see one I feel obligated to let people know.
Back in 1949, Beretta introduced a line of O/Us that would become legends. The ASs were boxlock O/Us and Beretta built them as lightweight hunting guns. The shotguns came in 2 gauges (12g and 20g) and 3 grades (ASE, ASEL, and ASEELL).
1953 Beretta AS 20E Boxlock 20 Gauge Over Under Shotgun
Today, a lot of Beretta fanatics consider the AS-grades to be the best boxlock shotguns made by the Italian company. If you’re looking for a fantastic upland gun, the one you see here is hard to beat.
1953 Beretta AS 20E Boxlock 20 Gauge Over Under: 26 inch skeet and skeet chokes. This gun is 99% receiver 97% barrels and 98% wood. Double triggers. Serial # is 11xxx. WT 5lb 7oz DAC 1 3/8 DAH 2 1/8 LOP 14.
1953 Beretta AS 20E Boxlock 20 Gauge Over Under Shotgun
Merkel is not a gunmaker I associate with dynamic shotguns. Most of the Merkels I’ve seen have been stout O/Us with full pistol grips and robust forends. While these guns looked like they could chew through thousands of rounds without a glitch, they didn’t look like they would do it with any liveliness or grace.
That’s why this 20 gauge Merkel side-by-side that I saw at Julia’s on Saturday surprised me. It’s going to be sold tomorrow, 3/12, if you’re looking for a nice looking bird gun, it’s worth looking at and taking a shot on.
This Merkel was made in conjunction with L.L. Bean’s 100th anniversary, and I picked the gun I wasn’t expecting much. But I very impressed once I had the gun in my hands. This double has all the snap that I would expect to find in something British, and it was beautifully engraved and well finished. As the day went on and I looked at other doubles, I came back to this Merkel a few more times. I think this Merkel is one of the sleepers of the sale, and whoever gets it will get a nice shotgun — and probably a great deal.
Lot 2210:L.L. BEAN 100TH ANNIVERSARY PROTOTYPE MERKEL 147SL 20 GA. SIDELOCK EJECTOR SHOTGUN WITH CASE. SN 482432. Cal. 20 ga. 3″ Chambers. 28″ Shoe lump bbls with concave, matted game rib and crossbolt extension, are gold inlaid “L.L.Bean 002”. Two prototypes were manufactured. No. 001 was retained by the family. This gun(002)was the working prototype and has been handled, shot or positively reviewed by some of the most respected writers in the industry from Field & Stream, Shooting Sportsman, Upland Almanac, Sporting Classics and others. From an Upland Almanac review: “L.L.Bean should be very proud to put their name on this gun as it stands as a testament to their renowned quality, precision and well thought out products…a fantastic high quality shotgun that anyone would be product to own…the perfect shotgun to commemorate a century of excellence from this iconic company.”
It is now being offered by James D. Julia, Inc. with all proceeds going to National Wild Turkey Federation’s JAKES program to support getting more youth involved in the hunting and shooting sports. This will be the only L.L.Bean prototype that will ever be available to the public. Bbls are marked with Merkel’s address, grade and importer. Breech ends have 2-1/2″ triangles of well executed open shaded scroll. Bbl flats are stamped with German nitro proofs for 20 ga. 3″ chambers. Coin finished action with automatic safety, bushed strikers, raised rib tumbler end cocking indicators, detachable locks with H & H style takedown pin, side bolsters, and double triggers, is engraved with very fine scroll. Sideplates are semi-relief engraved, with well shaded sporting scenes of dogs and game birds; with pointer on point as trio of ruffed grouse explode from undergrowth on left lockplate; and a trio of woodcock are settling into alders on right. Top lever is gold inlaid “LL”.
Bottom of action is gold inlaid with “L.L.Bean, Inc.” and “100 Years” in scroll terminated ribands above and below gold inlaid rendition of the time honored and famous, rubber bottom and leather upper, Bean’s “Maine hunting shoe”, flanked by dates “1912” and “2012”. This fine engraving is the work of “B. Hafner” whose signature appears on bottom front of left lockplate. Nicely figured and smoky marbled European walnut straight grip buttstock measures 14-1/2″ over checkered wood butt, and features skip line point pattern checkering, as well as a vacant gold oval on toe line. Matching splinter ejector forend has Deeley release. Bore diameter: left-.625, right -.625. Bore restrictions: left -.014 (mod), right -.008 (IC). Wall thickness: left -.030, right -.031. Drop at heel: 2-1/2″, drop at comb: 1-7/16″. Weight: 6 lbs. 8 oz. LOP: 14-1/2″. High quality leather toe under case with stitched leather corners, has stitched on leather label embossed with the same treatment as bottom of action, depicting hunting shoe. Interior is lined in green felt with same label stitched in lid. Case contains cocobolo and brass two piece cleaning rod with mop, jag and brush in leather case, pair of snap caps, and a square plated oil bottle, along with an L.L.Bean wipe down cloth.
CONDITION: Excellent, near new, showing only some light, careful use, with a few almost invisible marks mostly on buttstock. Perfect bores, mechanically crisp. Ejectors are perfectly timed. Case is excellent, exterior showing some minor scuffs, straps and handle some use. Interior is excellent, as are accessories.
