Browning muzzleloaders

[Dogmann]

What can you guys tell me about the Browning muzzle loaders in 45/50&54?

Who made these? Were the barrels RB or fast twist??

[Tatume]

Hey Dog, Here's some stuff to get started. Take care, Tom

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?69123-Johnathan-Browning-54-Mtn-Rifle-loading

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?293152-50cal-Johnathan-browning-muzzleloader-search

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?152570-Browning-Mountain-Rifle-Value

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?257330-Jonathan-Browning-Mountain-rifle

[varsity07840]

What can you guys tell me about the Browning muzzle loaders in 45/50&54?

Who made these? Were the barrels RB or fast twist??

They're usually way overpriced when listed on GB. If the lock break, I doubt if you could find parts to fix it.

Duane

[pietro]

.

The Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifles were one of the best quality traditional muzzleloading rifles available, and AFAIK were made by Browning's subsidiary (Miroku Gun Works) in the 1980's, and are replicas of S. Hawken rifles.

The octagon barrels are browned, have a blade front sight and adjustable buckhorn rear sight.

The Browning rifle's have the following rifling twists: .45 caliber=1-54", .50 caliber=1-60", .54 caliber=1-62"

The barrels were marked "JONATHAN BROWNING MOUNTAIN RIFLE" in script on the top flat.

The stocks carry iron furniture, comprising of the buttplate, triggerguard and breechplug tang which are also browned to match the barrel, etc.

The front action lock is a standard, with parts/replacement available from the likes of Track of the Wolf, etc, etc. - and is fired by a single-set trigger.

The rifles had a hook-style QD breechplug with a distinctive ram's horn bolster, and the barrel is held to the stock by two flat barrel keys, which are surrounded by oval steel escutcheons, left in the white.

The stock has a pewter nosecap.


I would prefer one in .54, but YMMV.


.

[BPJONES]

The Browning Mountain rifle was also available with brass furniture and a blackish-gray barrel.

[fouronesix]

They were a fairly nice factory repro of an original Hawken- better than most others called "Hawken". I believe their bores are 8 groove and fairly deep at least in the 54 cals I looked at. I really like deep 8 groove bores. The only thing I didn't particularly care for was the odd trigger guard with the angular ridge down the middle and the rearmost loop aways looked chunky and cast.

But discontinued and no parts support. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/list/Item.aspx/994/1
So if a part breaks, it will probably have to be made. Not that bad really as most parts are not hard to make or fix.

[paul s]

They are top quality, Made in the USA! Had a 54 with brass trim and it was a good shooter, whish I had kept it.

[BPJONES]

They are top quality, Made in the USA! Had a 54 with brass trim and it was a good shooter, whish I had kept it.

Yes, I had also read somewhere that the mountain rifle was made in the USA, not Japan. I have a 50 caliber still in the box, and it says made in USA. I would not worry about trying to find parts. There are many people keeping 150-170 year old rifles and shotguns functioning that parts haven't been available for for a century. Where there is a will there is a way!.

[fouronesix]

Not 100% certain but believe that is correct??- while most Browning guns were/are Miroku or FN products, IIRC the Jonathan Browning Mtn Rifle and at least one model 22 rimfire rifle were made in Utah.

[pietro]

.


Browning hasn't actually manufactured a gun marked "Browning" since just after John Browning sold the rights to Winchester for his single-shot rifle in 1878 - after which John Browning only invented & made samples to sell the rights for to other gun making companies like FN, Remington, Winchester, Colt, etc, etc (FN/Browning owned a controlling interest in Miroku, and now also owns Winchester) .

Many Brownings have a Utah barrel address, though - which is where the Browning corporate offices are located.

.

[BPJONES]

.


Browning hasn't actually manufactured a gun marked "Browning" since just after John Browning sold the rights to Winchester for his single-shot rifle in 1878 - after which John Browning only invented & made samples to sell the rights for to other gun making companies like FN, Remington, Winchester, Colt, etc, etc (FN/Browning owned a controlling interest in Miroku, and now also owns Winchester) .

Many Brownings have a Utah barrel address, though - which is where the Browning corporate offices are located.

.


I wished I could find the article again but of course one never can. I know that Browning mainly just sold the rights to other gun makers but in this article it said the mountain rifle was actually made in Utah. If the guns were made in Japan, or basically any other country, then it will have to have that countries proof marks. I shall pull mine out of the box later and confirm if it has any proof marks or not.

Okay, I just had a look. The box says made in the USA and on the barrel it says made in the USA. There are no proof marks of any kind or any other markings to indicate another country of origin.. I also looked at my other mountain rifle and it says made in the USA and no proof marks. So I am going with that they were made in the USA which is probably another reason why they were so expensive back then. The labor rates were a lot higher in the US then than Japan.

[pietro]

.

I stand corrected - Thanks !

.

[BPJONES]

.

I stand corrected - Thanks !

.


No problem and I hope I didn't come across as being sarcastic. Most people likely don't know the Browning Mountain Rifle was made in the USA. As you said, most Brownings are made elsewhere by someone else. I likely wouldn't have known this for sure either if I didn't own a couple. Could be what makes them a bit more collectible to some cause they were made in the good ole USA.

[fouronesix]

I may have seen the same reference you suggested. I believe it was written up in a Salt Lake City newspaper, at the time, about the actual manufacture of both the Jonathan Browning ML and a 22 rimfire rifle- the news being that it was the first time in a long time that Browning labeled guns were being built there- contrasting to the fact that most were made in Japan (Miroku) or Belgium (FN).

[pietro]

No problem and I hope I didn't come across as being sarcastic.




NP here, either - no harm, no foul. ;) Thanks, again !

.

[C. Latch]

What was the .22?

I had no idea that Browning had made anything in modern times. I thought they were just importers.

[fouronesix]

OK, after some poking around, I found the article on the net. It is a copy of the Deseret News out of Utah dated Feb. 17, 1979. The gist is that Browning will have 2 guns made in Utah (Salt Lake City)…. the first in about 100 years. That is why it was newsworthy in 1979.

Both guns to be made at a plant in Salt Lake City operated by Arms Technology Inc under license from Browning. The guns mentioned are the Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle and the Challenger II semi-auto 22 "plinker"…. a design previously made in Belgium that apparently didn't sell so well because of a relatively high retail price.

Here's a link to the article if you want to read it.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19790217&id=Fp1YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VYADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3267,4618164&hl=en

[C. Latch]

Thanks! I did not know that. :)

[BPJONES]

Yes, that is what I read. Thanks.