andrevannibos
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Loc: North West Province South Afri...
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Good Day gents
I have heard a lot of discussion on the fact that FN use to use so called 'salted' stocks on their rifles. As I use a FN in 10.75x68 on a almost daily basis, I would like to know more about his stock building technique, as well as the pros and cons concerning the use of this technique?
-------------------- Andre
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xausa
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Reged: 07/03/07
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Loc: Tennessee, USA
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As I recall, "salted" stocks referred to stocks exposed to salt which caused extensive corrosion problems. FN spent a fortune replacing all the "salted" stocks.
Dear Bill,
The best discussion of the Browning salt wood issue is in Ned Schwing's "Browning Superposed" book (Krause Press, 1996). According to Schwing, in the mid '60s Browning needed a better supply of high grade walnut for it's guns. A California contractor had a large inventory of good walnut taken from clearing power line right of ways. Demand for Browning guns was at an all time high and the usual kiln drying process for walnut was too slow to produce what was needed. Rapid kiln drying also produced cracks in the California walnut.
Morton Salt had developed a salt solution drying process successfully used in the furniture industry with good results. This cured the walnut much faster than the kiln method. Browning tested it and there were no problems, so Browning bought the process in 1965. "In an area roughly the size of a football field, five-foot by five-foot by eight-foot stacks of stock blanks were covered with salt. The salt was supposed to leach out the moisture and dry the wood quickly. The process did accomplish its purpose but the moisture that was drawn out of the blanks on top of the stacks ran down into the blanks below, resulting in a brine solution that soaked the lower wood blanks." (Schwing, pp 246) The retained salt reacted with the gun metal with the finished stock was installed. This caused the rust associated with "the salt wood problem".
According to Schwing's interviews with Browning's Harm Williams and Val Browning, all the salt curing was done in the US and affected at least 90% of all Browning stocks from made from 1967 to 1969. The problem continued to show up until 1972, but in smaller numbers. It was then that the entire supply of walnut blanks was burned and replaced with traditional kiln dried wood.
To detect salt wood on 1966 to 1972 guns, first check for outward appearance of dark or discolored spots. Check every place that wood meets metal, as on the rear of the forend and at the head of the stock. Rust on the metal will be apparent if there is a problem. According to Schwing, the definitive test is to remove the butt pad/plate, scrape away a little wood from the exposed butt and apply a 1% solution of silver nitrate to the fresh wood. If the silver nitrate remains light purple, there is no salt. If the silver nitrate turns white, you have a salt gun.
If you can prove that you are the original owner of the salt gun, Browning used to replace the wood for free and will probably still do so. If you bought the gun used, you are on your own. I got a used Superposed 410 with salt wood about ten or twelve years ago. Browning charged me about $250, if memory serves, to replace the wood. It wasn't free, but it was certainly a bargain price. I don't know what the numbers today are.
By the way, Browning wasn't the only one to get taken in by the salt wood walnut curing process. I've heard that some other gun companies did also, but weren't quite as up front about dealing with it.
Best regards,
Bruce Buck The Technoid writing for Shotgun Report, LLC (Often in error. Never in doubt.) <http://www.ShotgunReport.com>
Edited by xausa (20/11/09 01:56 AM)
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andrevannibos
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Thank you Xausa With my FN being built in a time far before that debacle, I need not have worried! Thank you for a very informative article on this. One more thing: could glass bedding the action and barrel not sort out this type of problem and give a potentially very accurate rifle? Just playing devils advocate... Groetnis
-------------------- Andre
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9.3x57
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Loc: United States
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XAUSA:
Years ago I ran a shop where we were jobbers for Browning, and that 90% bit has me scratching my head.
90% of Superposed guns maybe?
IIRC, some models of guns were not built with salt wood stocks at all. Wasn't salt wood restricted to Superposed guns?
Also, I seem to remember that Browning had salt wood information on an old website, but a quick check shows nothing. I bet a direct contact would get the whole scoop.
-------------------- What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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Carpetsahib
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Loc: Western NC
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Quote:
IIRC, some models of guns were not built with salt wood stocks at all. Wasn't salt wood restricted to Superposed guns?
I have owned several T-bolts with salt wood, so no, it is not restricted to Superposed models.
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CptCurl
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I recently saw a Browning Safari .458 that clearly had salt wood.
Curl
-------------------- RoscoeStephenson.com
YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.
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Altamaha
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Loc: Washington State USA
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Back when I was in a Mauser frenzy (meaning buying 98's and FN rifles to strip for the actions) I had several FN Mauser actioned Brownings with salt wood. As I was stripping the guns for the actions, no real problem, as the actions would receive a polish or a bead blast and a trip through the bluing tanks. Stocks were cut up and donated to the shop wood stove.
The salt wood was real obvious, with rust on the bottom half of the barrel and action.
Rumor back then (in the 1980's) was Browning bought walnut from Turkey, the raw logs were stored in salt water mill ponds at a sawmill. I never thought this was the real story, nice to see the real reason as posted above.
What is unbelievable to me is the stupidity of someone in the gun industry even thinking about using salt cured wood.
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9.3x57
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Quote:
What is unbelievable to me is the stupidity of someone in the gun industry even thinking about using salt cured wood.
This really is quite the story, isn't it!
I've always wondered the same thing.
I also wonder what the whole SNAFU cost them...
-------------------- What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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LongIsland
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Loc: New York, U.S.A.
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There was a thread on another forum a while ago and a well known ACGG riflemaker stated the Browning saltwood came from Calico blanks in California. I was concerned as I still have a blank that I purchased in '77 from Calico but it seemed the cut off date was around 1972 IIRC. Bob
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Peterb
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I heard that Browning chose Calico to treat the blanks. Calico did NOT treat blanks for themselves this way. In fact, CXalico only air dries as kiln drying ruins wood for gunstocks. It is interesting to visit Calico. They had a couple rooms the size of football fields that were so full of wood drying that it was over 30 degrees cooler inside as it formed a swamp cooler inside (which slowed the drying process) requiring that they build more building. I have seen Browning 98 FNs that were rusted from the salt wood. I had a 1970 salt wood Superposed. The wood swells beyond the recoil pad. No rust is visible outside at first. My gun stated misfiring because the rust destroyed the springs. They will still freely replace the wood and fix damage if you have the original guarantee card. Otherwise, it is about $1000 now.
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