What is my Browning Superposed worth?
The last gun John Browning designed and the best thing in most estates that contain one. Built in Belgium across several grades, and families routinely price a high grade as an ordinary over-under.
Made 1931–1980s.
No page can price your gun, and one that offers to is guessing. What this does is show you which one you have — because that is where the money is.
How to tell which one you have
- Confirm the country of manufacture, stamped on the barrel or receiver. Belgian production is what matters here.
- Look at the engraving coverage and any grade designation, which separate several distinct price levels.
- Check the barrels for ribs, chokes and whether they have been shortened or polished thin.
- Establish the gauge, since the smaller gauges were made in far smaller numbers.
The versions that change the number
| Version | What it means for value |
|---|---|
| Grade I 1931–1980s | The standard grade and the majority of what survives. Still a properly made gun. |
| Pigeon, Pointer, Diana and Midas grades various | Ascending levels of engraving and finish. The difference between them is substantial money. |
| Small gauges various | 20, 28 and .410 were made in smaller numbers and are sought after. |
| Later Belgian production 1960s–1980s | Continued manufacture with changes collectors distinguish carefully. |
What actually drives the price
- Grade, which is the single biggest factor.
- Gauge, with the small bores well ahead.
- Original finish on wood and metal, and whether the stock has been refinished or shortened.
- Barrel condition, including wall thickness on guns that have been polished.
And the two that apply to every gun on this site: do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real part of the total.
"It is an old over-under, they are all much the same"
Superposed grades run from a plain field gun to fully engraved pieces, and the difference is not subtle once somebody knows what to look at. This is the gun most often sold for a fraction of its worth in an estate, because from across a room a Midas and a Grade I are the same shape.
Should I have the wood refinished before selling?
No. Refinishing removes original finish and rounds the sharp edges of the checkering, and both are things a buyer at this level looks for immediately. Honest wear on original wood is worth considerably more than a fresh coat of anything.
Getting a number for yours
Send photographs and we will tell you what we will pay for it. We buy nationwide — a single firearm ships to us prepaid and insured, and for a collection we come to you. More on what separates one Browning from another.