Browning 22 rifle SN location

M_conrad_0311 · Mar 13, 2023

I have an old Browning 22 semi automatic rifle that is just like the one my grandpa taught my brother and I to shoot with. My brother has had it for many years. The original rifle was stolen from our home in the mid 1980s. My brother no longer feels safe having firearms in his house with his Huntington's disease and asked if I would like to keep it. Of course, I was tickled pink to keep it. I haven't had time to break it down for a cleaning, but upon inspection, I only found a possible serial number on the butt plate. Is this the correct and only location? It seems to be in unlikely place, considering one could simply remove or change butt plates. Sorry for the poor photos, I will try and get better ones in the morning.

dsf · Mar 14, 2023

I have a few older types, they're at 2nd home. Separate the barrel from the receiver. IIRC it's on the receiver, leading edge. BTW, grooved receiver was discontinued as POI tended to change when disassembled and reassembled.

Gene L · Mar 14, 2023

Old time guns didn't always have a SN prior to 1968.

backer · Mar 14, 2023

On some the number is on the bottom of the barrel, an inch or so out from the forearm. The numbers are usually lightly struct and hard to see unless the light is just right.
Bob

NYlakesider · Mar 14, 2023

backer said:
On some the number is on the bottom of the barrel, an inch or so out from the forearm. The numbers are usually lightly struct and hard to see unless the light is just right.
Bob

Right! On mine, Belgium built in 62 it was on the bottom of the barrel.

M_conrad_0311 · Mar 14, 2023

I found it on the face of the receiver. T9391. Thank you all for the help. It looks like the butt plate number is a match. That is interesting. I will have to look up the manufacturing date if possible.

M_conrad_0311 · Mar 14, 2023

backer said:
On some the number is on the bottom of the barrel, an inch or so out from the forearm. The numbers are usually lightly struct and hard to see unless the light is just right.
Bob

There were what look like proof marks on the bottom of the barrel

M_conrad_0311 · Mar 14, 2023

dsf said:
I have a few older types, they're at 2nd home. Separate the barrel from the receiver. IIRC it's on the receiver, leading edge. BTW, grooved receiver was discontinued as POI tended to change when disassembled and reassembled.

After reassembly of this one (a few times), I can see how that would happen. They take some persistence to get right and tight.

Ivan the Butcher · Mar 14, 2023

Dad had two. One for Iron sight shooting of yard pests, and one with a scope for outside the fence. It was a later barrel mounted cantilever scope base.

Serial number info: T means Long Rifle; E means 22 Short. #1-12000 is 1956, First Year Production! Congratulations.

Ivan

(FN production started in 1914 but thoe records are missing.)

30-30remchester · Mar 14, 2023

The one thing I do know about this model is that if you whack a coyote in the head with it as you ride by on a tote goat, the buttstock with no longer be attached to the receiver. A bonus to this lesson is that your father, who owned the said rifle and did not know or give your permission to use, will not be nearly as proud of his 12-year-old son as I thought he would be.

2152hq · Mar 14, 2023

Some early FN production was ser#'d only on the small 'plate' that the Magazine tube is inserted into under the Butt Plate.
Some on the bottom of the bbl ahead of the forend (more common).
Most of the FN production not made for USA import (pre-1956) is ser#'d under the bbl that way.
In much of Europe, the Bbl is the Control Part,,the 'Firearm'. As the Frame is in the USA.

No ser#'s were demanded on cal .22rf Long Guns made in the USA or imported into the USA until passage of GCA68.
Many mfg'rs and overseas mfg'rs chose to # them anyhow.

These were FN production for European & Far East sale at the time when Remington was making the Model 24 and later the 241. Remington had the North (& South?) American markets for their Model 24.
That was all by agreement betw the two

The 'Browning Arms Co' marked FN made import into the USA didn't start till 1956.
Remington had authorized the end of assembly of the Model 241 and the scrapping of the mfg'r tooling in 1955.
From that point forward the FN mfg'd 22 semiauto rifle was the only one on the block and was still marketed in Europe as just that,,the FN.
Imports into the USA were the exclusive of 'The Browning Arms Co' and so marked on the rifles

That the rifle was a Browning's Patent and always so marked has caused some confusion.

Mike SC Hunter · Mar 14, 2023

backer said:
On some the number is on the bottom of the barrel, an inch or so out from the forearm. The numbers are usually lightly struct and hard to see unless the light is just right.
Bob

Mine is.....

lamarw · Mar 14, 2023

They are wonderful little rifles. I handled one many years ago and always wanted one. I finally scratched the itch by buying two of them.

Mike 139 · Mar 16, 2023

I’ve always liked Browning Firearms and 5 years ago found a SA .22 made in 1970...OP, according to Matt Eastman’s Guide to Browning Firearms, 1924-1987, your serial shows 1956 production.

An excellent reference/ resource on Brownings is Arts Gun Shop in MO. He retired from Browning and along with his family opened up a Shop. They produced videos showing assembly/ disassembly of the SA .22 along with several other Browning firearms.

I took mine to the Range a couple of weeks ago, using CCI std. velocity, I shot the 3rd. Steel plate from the left, Standing, Off-hand @ 50 ft…..My Wife got me the Case it travels in…

2152hq · Mar 17, 2023

I have a 1956 mfg (estimate) that was made for European sales.
Ser# marked on bottom of bbl.
'Browning's Pat' marked on top of bbl
No 'Browning Arms Co' markings.

It was in tough shape outside and missing the inner mag tube assembly.
A replacement Japanese/Browning inner mag tube assembly seems to fit fine.
But I haven't had it all back together yet to actually load and fire it with that tube to see if it works in Live Fire.

Stocks are refinished and recheckered. Metal repolished and markings recut.
...That's as far as I got.

The Remington 241 will have to do till it gets completed.

Camster · Mar 17, 2023

2152hq said:
I have a 1956 mfg (estimate) that was made for European sales.
Ser# marked on bottom of bbl.
'Browning's Pat' marked on top of bbl
No 'Browning Arms Co' markings.

It was in tough shape outside and missing the inner mag tube assembly.
A replacement Japanese/Browning inner mag tube assembly seems to fit fine.
But I haven't had it all back together yet to actually load and fire it with that tube to see if it works in Live Fire.

Stocks are refinished and recheckered. Metal repolished and markings recut.
...That's as far as I got.

The Remington 241 will have to do till it gets completed.

Yours would be a pure FN, made for all markets outside of the US, not a FN made for Browning to sell in the US.

Browning 22 rifle SN location

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