browning safari salt wood years

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Salt cured Browning stocks

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What years did Browning use the salt curing process in their wood stocks? Safari grade Fn Mausers in particular  

biggun said: What years did Browning use the salt curing process in their wood stocks? Safari grade Fn Mausers in particular Click to expand...

I have a Safari 308 Norma Mag and it is a 1962 manufactured rifle. It did have the problem. I heard about it took to my Gun Smith and he glass bedded the barrel. There was some salt intrusion on the bottom of the barrel but he cleaned that up. It still shoots very well. I was told the problem with the way the wood for the stocks was cured and soaked had a lot to do with this problem. It was supposedly eliminated in 1969 but I have no confirmation about that. Normbc9  

salt wood I know this post is a little old, but be aware that dates in and of themselves are not sufficiant to not get a salt gun stock. Many stocks were replaced with custom wood and the stocks resold. Also a few salt stocks showed up on guns from the 80s, not sure why other than it is possible some of the salt wood got holed away mistakenly and used later. Also Fajen, Winchester and some others also used salt wood. The only way to be sure is to inspect the rifle, take it out of the stock, unscrew the butt pad screws, if they come out on a salt stock the BP screws with be very bad, and sometimes they are fozen in the stock! Do not try and seal or refinish a salt stock, burn it and replace the stock, refinishing only makes the problem worse, and sealing is only a temporary fix, replace it if you already own the rifle and don't buy a salt gun unless you get it for a steal, because until you fully inspect it, you never know how bad the damage is. I don't believe Browning is fixing any of these guns other than the superposed shotguns to the original owner because they had a lifetime guarantee. there is a guy that was a Browing gunsmith for over 30 years and came on about 71 that now has a gun shop that refinishes the rifles and replaces the stock, the average cost to do this is $800, some more, some less.  

I have encountered several BT99s that had SC stocks.  

just for a heads up, Salt Wood stocks where not limited to just Browning. I has come to my attention rather recently that Ruger too had a limited issue with salt wood stocks in the early mid 70's, 75 - 77 or there abouts. if in doubt just do as was posted above and remove the screws from the butt plate.  

John Barsness has a brief say about he "salt wood" stocks on the various Brownings in the January issue of "Riffle" magazine. As to the Rugers?, my '76 M77 doesn't seem to have a salt wood stock?, the metal in the wood is in fine shape! and I've carried it such heavy down pours that I've put it on the dash of the pickup so the defroster vents could dry it out!, did add a little to fogging of the windshield.  

Like Wrenchman, my 1972 purchased M77 7RM shows absolutely no sign of corrosion with the stock/metal.  

not all stocks from the era that was involved but they are out there. I'll try to get the official time period and post it later. I was not aware of this myself until just a couple months ago. it was not near as widespread as Brownings stocks but it is legit.  

it seems around '76-'77 and with the more better figure wood. here's one link where they talked about it and I have found others too that confirmed. RugerForum.com :: View topic - SALT WOOD Gun???  

It must be the VERY nice wood on the M77's, the stock on my '76 "Liberty" is nothing fancy but not bad?, a quick check of the sling studs and but pad screws found all 4 of them free and clear of any corrosion.  

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Browning salt cured walnut questions

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A few months ago I came across a beautiful Browning BAR 30.06 with grade II engraving made in 1970 that had a period Redfield 3-9 scope. The owner said he shot it a few times when he first got it but it had been a safe queen. I disassembled it, cleaned and lubed everything, and put it back together. It shoots great, nice and soft for my 66 year shoulder. Since I was interested in acquiring a couple of other Browning rifles from this era, I started researching and reading and found that a large number of them made from about 1966 to 1973 have walnut stocks that were cured with a salt method. This has caused a great problem with rusted and rusting rifles. Fortunately, it seems that my recently acquired 1970 BAR is salt free. Is there a good source of detailed information about this problem? What percentage of Browning rifles from this era had “salty wood”? Would these rifles now, 45-50 years later, have obvious signs of salt corrosion that would be visible on pictures if a person was trying to buy via internet sales? Does anybody out there have personal experience with this problem?  

There’s a bit of info in this article: https://shotgunreport.com/2013/05/22/browning-salt-wood-explained/ I acquired three Superposed O/Us and an A5, all made in the 60/70s and all apparently free of the salt wood curse. It’s my impression that if the condition hasn’t manifested itself by now, you’re clean. Added: Google “Browning salt wood” for a series of articles.  

If it has salt wood you would definitely know it by now  

I have a Browning Safari 7mm magnum heavy barrel that had a salt stock. There is some pitting on the receiver under the wood line but none above. I restocked the rifle, it was VERY hard to find a replacement stock, it took me five or six years. Salt wood nearly sunk Browning, they had a LOT of shotguns and rifles that were stocked with salt cured wood. Whenever you are looking at buying a vintage Browning, take the time to examine it very carefully. I have seen Brownings that looked good until the wood was removed. If the rifle or shotgun was kept in a low humidity environment it may no exhibit signs of corrosion until the wood is removed. Caveat emptor  

I appreciate all the information, and I had seen the shotgunreport.com article. This website also has a good video about salt stock restoration--http://artsgunshop.com/ There are a number of good Browning videos here. I've just wondered what percentage of rifles/shotguns from this era were affected. And after 45 years or so, salt damage should be apparent by now.  

Interesting. OP, I have the same rifle, a 1969 with a Weaver 4X on it. It was a gift from my great grandfather to my grandfather. It had never been fired. I received it about 8 years ago. I suppose it's a safe queen because I've never shot it either. I had no idea there was a salt stock issue with these rifles. I suppose I'll go along with the same assumption, for a 50yo gun, I'd know it by now.  

When I worked at Gander Mountain, one of the older guys that worked there had his own shop in the past and was a respected gunsmith. He told me a story about an old man who collected Browning rifles. He called him over to value the rifles as he was going to sell off the collection so his wife who have more money saved when he passed away (he had cancer if I remember correctly). When he started looking at them, a vast majority of them were rusted beyond repair. He said on several of them, the stock screws disintegrated when he tried to take them out. He said the poor man broke down in tears as he was counting on being able to sell them all for thousands of dollars. He said he was able to clean them up and reblue them, but they went from $1,500+ collector pieces to $300 brush guns in his opinion. He told me if I ever wanted to buy an old Browning, if the seller wouldn't allow me to take it out of the stock, pass, no matter what the outside looked like.  

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High Power Safari Grade vs. Medallion Grade

Discussion in ' Discontinued Browning Models ' started by MaineMan2 , Jun 9, 2023 .

MaineMan2 Copper BB

I recently purchased a Belgian made Browning High Power rifle chambered in 30-06. It was sold as “Medallion Grade” but I’ve just been informed by Browning that the L70 at the end of the serial number indicates Safari Grade, not Medallion. It’s a handsome rifle in excellent condition and I want to keep it. However, I am concerned that I may have over-paid for it because of the mislabeling. What were the differences between Safari and Medallion grades in 1970? Is there a significant difference in value between the two? Edit to add: I followed up with Browning to get a torque spec for the action screws. 20 in/lbs.

Ranger6 Administrator Staff Member Administrator Global Moderator Forum Moderator

I believe there were 3 grades. Safari, Medallion and Olympian. The base models were built on the Sako action. The Medallion had up-graded wood and skip line checkering, rosewood grip and forearm caps. There should be a Ram's head on the floor plate also. You very way may have overpaid depending on the price. I personally would be concerned if the wood was salt wood, if not then I would shoot it until it won't shoot no more. If it has salt wood then you definitely paid to much and will be a big problem if not corrected. As far as value, well what they can get out of it. I sure there is a difference in price, but how much will depend on lots of things. Welcome to the forum.

The Owners Manual that Browning sent me applies to both Safari and Medallion grade rifles. This example has a different species of wood for the forearm and pistol grip caps; however, I cannot say for certain that it is rosewood. The checkering on the stock is skip-line with scalloped borders. There is scroll engraving on the receiver and back end of the barrel, plus the floor plate and trigger guard. There is a rams head on the floor plate. There is no evidence of rust on the receiver or barrel under the wood and no sign of salt that I can see. The wood finish is perfect with no checkering or cracking. I am not familiar with Sako actions. This rifle’s bolt is fairly similar to a Mauser 98 except for a few differences. Notably the 3-position safety is mounted on the receiver, not on the back end of the bolt. The bolt release is different also. The non-rotation claw extractor and bolt face look very much like my FN Mauser. There is a “Made in Belgium” roll mark on the right side of the barrel, and no other country of origin is indicated anywhere else on the receiver or bolt. I hope that you can look at my photos. My apologies for not figuring out how to embed them in the post - I did try!

Pictures posted for fellow member: MaineMan2

Very nice sir. How does she shoot?

Ranger6 said: ↑ Very nice sir. How does she shoot? Click to expand...

Good deal, keep us posted please.

South_HouA520 Copper BB

The rifle you illustrate is without question a Browning Medallion Grade High Power. The Safari Grade (one of which I own, in .30/06 Springfield), while handsome, is not nearly so elaborate. There are many cosmetic differences but the easiest to detect is the Medallion Grade's contrasting wood on pistol grip and forearm tip and much more extensive and elaborate checkering patterns. Whatever you may have been told to the contrary, you own a Medallion Grade High Power, not a Safari Grade. Google some images of "FN Browning High Power Safari Grade" and the differences will become immediately obvious. There was also an Olympian Grade, more elaborate still, but the barrel and action are much more heavily engraved and the action is finished in French gray, not blue. High Powers chambered for short (e.g. 222 Remington) and medium (e.g. 308 WCF) length cartridges were made up on either of two Sako actions and the actions are clearly marked as made in Finland. High Powers chambered for standard and magnum length cartridges, including the 30/06, were always made up on FN's postwar civilian version of the '98 Mauser action, although, toward the end of production, a modified version of that action utilized a short extractor rather than the long, rotating '98 original extractor. I am almost certain that all Browning High Powers chambered in .30/06 were made up on long extractor version of the FN action, never the short extractor version. Yours has the long extractor. The salt wood issue can be much more subtle because the degree of salt retention apparently varied tremendously, depending where the stock blank was situated in a stack. The lower blanks got the worst of it. Some blanks just got a little bit. I have held in my hands a Medallion Grade High Power in 7MM Remington Magnum that had been stocked in salt wood and terribly disfigured. The corrosion reached well above the forearm inletting along the barrel and was visible on the receiver at the tang and along the upper inletting. The barreled action had been re-blued but the damage was too deep to erase. Heart-rending. The salt wood process was adopted by Browning because fancy Walnut was getting very hard to find for the higher grades of their long guns in the late Sixties and early Seventies. In passing, we should remember that serial numbered parts were not pulled from the shelves to build guns in serial order. A serial number applied in 1965 might not have been made up for a year or two later, depending on how big the production runs were. The salt wood went into production - if memory serves - as early as 1966 and ceased to be used sometime in 1972 or so. From what I've seen, field grade Brownings were not commonly made up with salt wood but I couldn't prove it. Having said all that, the quickest way to see if you've been shafted is to remove the barreled action from the stock and see if there is corrosion present. If you don't see any, given the age of the rifle it's unlikely the wood is salty. If you want to be really sure, you can buy a small bottle of a chemical compound you can apply to a small, unobtrusive spot of wood (scraped raw) inside the inletting. The liquid turns white in the presence of salt. I believe Brownell's carries it but, if not, let me know and I'll dig through my kit and find the brand and maker for you. Pulling a buttplate screw and looking for rust won't give you a definitive answer. The damage on salt guns I've seen wasn't subtle: rust clearly visible around escutcheons, tangs, and other steel parts that penetrated the wood. If the gun looked sharp to you when you went over it before buying, I'd guess its going to be all right. But do pull the stock off that Medallion Grade and look.

There are all sorts of anomalies in the serial numbers of FN Browning High Power rifles. Whoever at Browning told you an "L70" serial suffix indicated a Safari Grade High Power had very obviously not bothered to ask you any questions about what it looked like or to furnish an image. According to reputable sources - this particular one located at proofhouse.com -- a 1959 or later (up until 1968) High Power with an "L" product code indicates a Safari Grade FN Mauser action rifle. However, a High Power with an "L" product code made in 1969 and later (until 1975) can also indicate an Olympic or Medallion Grade but in any case an FN Mauser action. A knowledgeable blind man could ascertain yours is a Medallion Grade just by running his fingers over the engraving in the steel of the barreled action. He could also distinguish an Olympian from your Medallion by feel - the Olympian's engraving is far more extensive and elaborate.

The salt wood testing solution I mentioned is silver nitrate. The Custom Shop, Inc. in Hamilton, Montana stocks a small bottle of it, SKU CS1384. Their Website is customshopinc.com. It's a little pricey at around twenty-five bucks but will do the trick.

Gentlemen - thank you so much for your informative replies! I had studied the features expected on a Medallion grade High Power before bidding on this one and saw everything expected. I did remove the action from the stock and there is absolutely no rust anywhere. Clearly I dodged the salt bullet. Range report to follow…

I don't know what you paid for your Medallion Grade but, in the condition shown in your photos and chambered in .30/06, I think you bought a mighty nice rifle your grandchildren could enjoy when you and your children are done with it. Despite the seemingly obsessive concerns about accuracy prevalent today, a well-made High Power in 30/06 can retain excellent hunting accuracy well after several thousand rounds of standard pressure rounds have gone down its barrel. However, I notice your Medallion Grade has its original buttplate - something collectors dote on. That in itself is a likely indication its original owner didn't spend hours and days at the range or hunt prairie dogs with it. I'd bet a donut the round count is pleasingly low. My own '06 Safari Grade wears a Pachmayr White Line pad (and a floated barrel) from somebody up the chain of possession. It was made in '62 but still shoots within 1 1/4" at 100 yards with good ammunition and is comfortable enough at the bench for 15 to 20 rounds. It wouldn't be without the pad, for me at least, but I've seen 79 Winters. Congratulations on your good buy.

South_HouA520 said: ↑ I don't know what you paid for your Medallion Grade but, in the condition shown in your photos and chambered in .30/06, I think you bought a mighty nice rifle your grandchildren could enjoy when you and your children are done with it. Despite the seemingly obsessive concerns about accuracy prevalent today, a well-made High Power in 30/06 can retain excellent hunting accuracy well after several thousand rounds of standard pressure rounds have gone down its barrel. However, I notice your Medallion Grade has its original buttplate - something collectors dote on. That in itself is a likely indication its original owner didn't spend hours and days at the range or hunt prairie dogs with it. I'd bet a donut the round count is pleasingly low. My own '06 Safari Grade wears a Pachmayr White Line pad (and a floated barrel) from somebody up the chain of possession. It was made in '62 but still shoots within 1 1/4" at 100 yards with good ammunition and is comfortable enough at the bench for 15 to 20 rounds. It wouldn't be without the pad, for me at least, but I've seen 79 Winters. Congratulations on your good buy. Click to expand...

MaineMan2 said: ↑ Thanks! The rifle doesn't have iron sights, so the fact that the scope still wears a small inspection sticker on top in very good shape indicates to me that it hasn't been shot much at all. However, the barrel did come dirty which surprises me. (I was not able to inspect it in person before buying it.) You would think someone would at least run a lightly oiled patch through it. Click to expand...

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Salt Wood Brownings

Dear Technoid,

As a loyal follower of your column, I have often read of your fondness for the Belgian Browning. At this point I may even buy one for conversion to a Sporting Clays gun. I’ve been shooting a 28 inc ch barrel just because of the additional weigh in the newer models.

The questions that I have are:

1. What is meant by “Salt Wood” and what should I look out for? What years or serial numbers are problem children?

2. If I buy a trap type stock and would like to bend it how much bend can a stock bender put into a stock? The reason that I ask is that a competent fitter (H&H) recommended a drop in the comb at my eye of 1.5 inches. With a 1 3/8 x 1 3/8 inch trap stock I figure that a bend of 1/2 inch at the end would be just about right. Is this a reasonable thing to attempt?

Boots on and waiting.

Cheers. Joe

You are absolutely correct that I have always had a fondness for the B25 Belgian Browning. They are indisputedly tough guns and have a balance and feel that generally works well for me. They aren’t perfect and have little weak spots, but generally I prefer them above all other O/Us.

“Salt wood” guns occurred generally between 1967 and 1969, but occasionally occurred in guns as late as 1972 and as early as 1966. In the 12 gauge models the last three letters of the serial number will read “…S8” for 1968. In the ’70s it would read “…S70”. Stock blanks were soaked in salt and then leached clean to hasten the aging process. They didn’t get all the salt out and it comes back to haunt you. The only cure is to replace the wood. Glass bedding has generally not proven a satisfactory fix.

The usual clue of a salt wood gun is that there is a line of rust where the receiver joins the rear of the action. Sometimes you see it in the forend, but usually in the buttstock.

Many salt wood stocks have been replaced. Browning stocks are serialized, so if you pull it, you can tell if it has been replaced by the factory. If you are the original owner, they replaced the wood for free. If not, there used to be a modest charge. It may be more now as second and third owners come on stream.

If you are looking at a Browning made in the “salt” years, you can easily test it for salt. Even if there are no outward signs of rust, you might want to pull the butt plate/pad and scrape an area to expose a bit of fresh wood. Put a 1% solution of silver nitrate on the fresh wood. If the solution remains a light purple, you are fine. If it turns whitish, you have a salt stock or forend. Check both the stock and the forend.

Most of my Browning trap stocks are more or less, sort of, around 1-3/8″ sloping back to 1-5/8″ at around 14-3/8″ lop from the factory. Every B-25 trap gun that I have seen (maybe a couple of hundred) has had a standard trap stock with no cast, no Monte Carlo and no parallel comb. I have never seen a parallel comb or Monte Carlo B25 trap stock, but they may exist.

It is always best to speak to you stock maker, but the bend at cheek of 1-1/2″ that you describe ought to be a piece of cake. While he is bending the stock, you might also want him to shave down the big beavertail forend if your particular trap gun comes with one. I find the FN trap forends just fine, but the American B-25 trap forends too bulky. It is easy enough to shave it down to anything you want, rechecker and refinish.

If you do find a nice trap gun, remember that exact measurements change between guns. You might luck out and find that you can shoot the stock just the way it comes. I have to lengthen the stocks one inch on my guns. That brings my face back down the sloping stock very slightly and I find that I don’t have to bend a thing. Everyone is different, but try it the way it comes for a bit.

Best regards,

Bruce Buck Shotgun Report’s Technoid (Often in error, never in doubt.)

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How can I wash out salt wood on Browning Safari grade guns

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Any way to cure these stocks that were known to rust the action. Any washing procedure to eliminate this problem. This was found on the Browning FN bolt guns called the safari grade.  

I have a Browning T-Bolt with a salt stock, not only did it rust the action but the finish peeled as well. I posted on Rimfire Central, was told some have been able to reseal their stocks but the best solution is to restock it.  

My T bolt was the same. I stripped the stock and let it air dry for a while then sealed it with Danish oil.  

I have dealt with this also and I would recommend restocking. The salt permeates the wood and even with recoating with some some substance, there may be enough micro-pores and open spots that the will allow the salt to come in contact with the metal.  

Same problem with my T-Bolt. I simply removed the stock & wiped it down with mineral spirits, dried it well & used several applications of shellac to seal up the wood. It's a simple solution & no more rusting.  

I have a T2 that I bought new and have never had any problems with rust. The wood appears to be sealed with an Epoxy and the metal is still like new. Will now watch it to make sure it stays that way.  

For many years Browning offered to replace the wood on any 'salt wood' gun. That no longer applies though. There is no real way to elliminate the salt from the wood as it is, as already stated, deep into the pores of the wood from the quick cureing process. Browning knew there was no way to seal it to prevent the rust from reforming and the gun being returned once again for refinishing/repair from the damage. > Over the years I've seen most every trick tried to halt the salt from rusting the metal. Some work better than others but in the end, the salt will win. Alot depends on the enviornment the gun is in too. A very low humidity enviornment along with a new coating to the wood will do the trick well for a time but not for ever. Salt is hygroscopic(sp) and absorbs water from the air. The wood then acts as a spong to hold the water and it's all placed tightly up against the metal. I've repaired a number of 'salt' guns and they aren't pretty when left unattended. Some of the deepest pitting and damage you can imagine under the wood line, butt plate screws that snap right off at the head because the shank is rusted away, springs pitted nearly through, etc. Some actually have moisture drops/beads in the action and wood from the salt drawing it in. In most cases the owner only notices a thin line of live rust around the edge of the wood in spots to alert him of the problem if he isn't fully aware of the fact that he has a 'salt gun' already. If you've done a scrape and reseal job on salt wood,,check it often for re-rusting so it doesn't get away from you. Restocking is really the only answer to preventing any further problems. A real shame for such beautiful wood that was cured in this manner. Good thing they only tried this brainstorm method once.  

Glass bed the entire stock.  

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Has anyone found a way to seal salt wood?

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Has anyone had any success sealing stocks and forearms that were dried using salt curing? This was most prevalent in Browning Superposed in the mid to late 60's and early 70's. However, salt dried wood was used by other companies and can show up from time to time. The S.O.P. used is to replace the wood, but if this is not in your budget, I don't know what other alternative you would have then try and find a repair. If you have found a method and/or products that have been used successfully, please advise. I was thinking that a urethane based spar varnish might be a possibility. These product are used to seal marine vessels and exterior wood that is subjected to harsh environments.  

Bob, The best bet if you have salt cured wood is to have a nice evening fire using it. Unless the wood is completely encapsulated in a seal like epoxy the salt vapors will still attack the metal and then the inletting will not fit anymore. CT  

bobzilla said: Has anyone had any success sealing stocks and forearms that were dried using salt curing? This was most prevalent in Browning Superposed in the mid to late 60's and early 70's. However, salt dried wood was used by other companies and can show up from time to time. The S.O.P. used is to replace the wood, but if this is not in your budget, I don't know what other alternative you would have then try and find a repair. If you have found a method and/or products that have been used successfully, please advise. I was thinking that a urethane based spar varnish might be a possibility. These product are used to seal marine vessels and exterior wood that is subjected to harsh environments. Click to expand...

If there was, someone would have figured it out in the last 50 years. There's a reason why Art snaps the sides of the stock off salt wood when he replaces it, so it doesn't find its way back into the system.  

Sealing the wood does not work it just prolongs things. I assume if you were to cut about 1/16" back on the inletting and completely bed the metal both front and back pieces you might have some success but it would cost and be unsightly.  

It's just dumbfounding that anyone could have believed salt curing wood was a good idea. Seriously. But no, people have tried the urethane idea and it still ate up screws and actions. Not worth the risk.  

2:55 explains how to fix salt wood.  

dklees said: It's just dumbfounding that anyone could have believed salt curing wood was a good idea. Seriously. But no, people have tried the urethane idea and it still ate up screws and actions. Not worth the risk. Click to expand...

Besides a baking soda boil, why not seal the metal?  

mkstephen said: Art's Gun and Sports Shop Look under "video's" Click to expand...

Seal it in a fireplace and light a match.  

Wow that sure was a great video and art did a wonderful job on the gun high five for putting the video on so we all could see now i know who to call if i need some work done.  

Browning tried to fix some of the affected guns by sealing the wood but it was a failure, if I remember correctly Art was actualy involved in that process back when.  

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Salt wood Brownings

Ever hear the term "Little bit pregnant" Nuff said! Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2  

RKA5, Over the years, I have seen two A5s with salt wood. One was a 20ga and the other was a 12ga. Both guns were high grade versions.  

ded&ded said: I am doing a little self education on the salt wood Brownings. I found and read Art's long and detailed discussion and several other threads from various forums. What I have not found is any discussion of serial numbers for these guns. Did I miss something? Or, is there nothing to do but pull the wood and inspect each one? Thanks for any light that can be shed on this. Click to expand...

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Browning L579, Salt wood, next steps

• Thread starter Bob58
• Start date Dec 4, 2014

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Active member.

• Dec 4, 2014

Anybody know if the Browning, round top L579's are drop-fits into Sako L579 stocks? I know the barrel contours are different, just curious about the action inletting, both receiver and trigger guard. I have a Browning 243, pencil barrel that I've lifted out of a salt wood stock and I need to find something to do with it. Has very little damage to it relative to other "salt woods" I've seen. Thinking about either duplicating the stock or swapping the barreled action for just an action and then re-barreling it to a preferred cartridge. It pains me to just take that nice barrel off but I'm not real interested in a 243 pencil barrel. Or should I be?  

Well-Known Member

I myself would want to bring the Browning back because I think the pencil barrel makes for a really unique looking rifle. If you decide to save it the people you would want to talk to is Art's Gun and Sport Shop in Missouri.  

I LOVE pencil barrels. Sure, they may limit your shots at the range, but nothing beats the looks and handling.  

paulsonconstruction

Sako-addicted.

I've never heard anyone say "Wow, it's a pencil barrel, must be worth more." In fact, most accuracy buffs tend to shy away from light whippy barrels. If you are going with a "more preferred" cartridge why not get the barrel you prefer, also. Inletting for the action would be the same, but I think the bottom metal changed at one point during production so you would need to confirm that. (I could be confusing it with the L57 which had a wide & narrow bottom metal).The only way a L579 stock would be a drop fit is if you had the barrel specially contoured to match the Sako factory barrel. You've got a great action for a custom build, so I wouldn't limit myself based on any preconceived notions. Spending the money on a custom rifle should result in one that YOU want, not what you think others will want, as they NEVER sell for what you have in them.  

SCC Secretary

Whoa, there! A Browning saltwood stock can be rehabilitated. You treat it a bit like a building with asbestos by sealing off the offending substance. I'm no expert on it, but with the right wood sealant applied to the inletting and barrel channel the salt corrosion process can be arrested. If, for some reason you do need to go with a different stock, then Paulson is correct that L579 actions did come with two slightly different bottom metals. However, I think that all of the Brownings used the later bottom metal with the round plunger release and rounded floorplate tang. That action will fit later L579 and A-II stocks. No stock, other than a custom-inletted one, will fit your stepped Browning barrel. By the way, I find the Browning stepped "pencil" barrel very cool and would hate to have to discard one.  

Same here. I just bought what I think is a very early Garcia L579. It does have the fixed swivels and no rear sight, but the barrel is the heavier contour, I believe. Honestly, I'd like it more with the light contour barrel.  

These are all I have ever owned and were early Safaris w/s type release.  

Attachments

Hey, Misako, thanks for coming up with that! I currently own just one L579 Safari but it has the plunger release. So apparently they came with both and presumably may very well have different width floorplates. Or not. I'm not certain that all square-tang s-release floorplates are wider than all round-tang plunger release floorplates. About the only occasion you would have to find out is when attempting to put a barreled action into a stock that it didn't come with and I don't do that all that often.  

• Dec 5, 2014

Steve- At one time I was certain that there was only two distinctly different inletting patterns on the L579 and then I found a third the hard way. It wasn't too difficult to get it to fit the action but it was a surprise. I am a bit gun shy about telling someone to go for it as not many are as cavalier as I am about it.  

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