The Many Faces Of The BROWNING SUPERPOSED

Guns Magazine, Sept, 2001 by Nick Sisley

Whether you like your guns plain or fancy, there's a version of this classic on that will appeal to you.

The Superposed was the world's first over and under shotgun -- at least the first to be blessed with resounding success, if you can call a quarter million total production shotguns "resounding." Remington 870 pump gun sales are up over 8 million in comparison, and the 870 is 20 years younger than the Superposed.

But virtually any knowledgeable shotgunner will still call the Superposed a resounding success. Despite the Superposed being designed before the start of the Great Depression, and production ending practically 30 years ago, this fine O/U is as highly thought of today as it has been at anytime during its long history. Even today, this is often the shotgun by which all others are judged.

The story has been repeated several times -- the Superposed design was rejected by more than one American manufacturer. Perhaps disillusioned by American manufacturers' lack of vision, firearms inventor and innovator John Browning sold the Superposed to Fabrique Nationale in Belgium. It was not until 1931 that Superposed shotguns began trickling into America. By 1935, the asking price had actually been reduced -- to $69.75 -- as a result of the Great Depression.

Development Of A Classic

The most basic Superposed model is the Grade I, followed by the Pigeon, the Pointer, the Diana and the Midas. The Grade I comes with tasteful scroll engraving and a blued receiver. The Pigeon is the first step up from the Grade I, but it is significantly different. On each side of the receiver are two pigeons in flight. These pigeons. are surrounded by light but intricate scroll. This scroll engraving wasn't cut deep, but it is nonetheless very well done. The bottom of the Pigeon Grade receivers are well covered with scroll and rosette engraving. There's no question that the Pigeon Grade Superposed is a great-looking gun.

But there's also no question that the Pointer Grade is a major step up. The Pointer Grade is typified by a pointer holding a pheasant on the right side of the receiver and a retriever on the left holding a duck. The game scene surrounding the dogs is most intricate, and is surrounded by delicate scroll and rosettes. Lots of coverage. There's also plenty of scroll-and-rosette work' on the receiver top, opening lever and elsewhere.

On the bottom of the Pointer Grade's receiver there's a game bird scene, plus virtually full coverage of the metal in scroll and roses. Some shooters consider the Pigeon Grade Superposed the most pleasing to the eye, but in Pointer Grade, the engraving practically comes alive on the metal.

The Magnificent Diana

The Diana Grade is truly stunning. Some shooters feel that the engraving on a Diana Grade rivals that on a Perazzi SCO Grade. Price on the latter might approach or exceed $20,000. In contrast, the current Gun Trader's Guide suggests $3,795 for a Diana Grade in 12 or 20 gauge.

Typically, the Diana Grades feature a duck scene on the right side of the receiver, and a pheasant scene on the left. A marked difference is the deep-relief engraving that surrounds the game scenes. This part of the Diana engraving is also much more elaborate than on the Pigeons or the Pointers. The bottom of the receiver is bedecked with a great deal of very ornate work, plus a small game bird scene. The gun features a lot of engraving scroll topside on the receiver, the top tang, the trigger guard and elsewhere. Further, the checkering pattern is different (meaning even better) and the wood is also an upgrade.

The Diana Grade incorporates some absolutely beautiful engraving. The higher grade Superposeds were done by craftsmen who are no doubt all gone now, but they produced a level of work that is becoming more appreciated today than when originally produced.

The Golden Midas

Unlike the other Superposed 0/Us, the Midas Grade features gold inlays used for the birds in the scenes. Like the Diana Grades, the gold birds are ducks on the right, pheasants on the left side of the receiver, but neither the birds nor the scenes are duplicates of those seen on the Diana Grades. Further, the blued Midas Grades guns feature deep-relief engraving that is most pleasing, plus there's a gold bird on the receiver bottom, as well as plenty of engraving coverage.

Browning, at various times during Superposed production, offered quite a number of upgrades -- in addition to the four covered here: Pigeon, Pointer, Diana and Midas. These four, however, accounted for the lion's share of the company's high-grade production.

Shotgun Essentials

There are two overriding qualities a shotgun must have if it's to enjoy a long life and the respect of skilled shotgunners. The Superposed possesses both of these qualities -- in spades.

First, the shotgun has to work, and we don't mean "most of the time." It has to function flawlessly for literally hundreds of thousands of rounds. Of course, out of a thousand top-grade guns, a few of them might not perform perfectly over such a rigorous period of shooting, but the vast majority must.