Please explain "saltwood" for Browning
Hi all, I have a quick question about "saltwood." What exactly is it , is it bad, and can damage be prevented. The reason for me asking is that i have a Browning Safari Grade rifle in 264 Win mag., serial number L54XX. I have taken apart the rifle to clean and everything looks fine, but will this "saltwood" screw up the rifle. Oh, also can anyone give me a born on date for this rifle? Thanks
Mark
Mark
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The way I understand it is that Browning packed their stocks in salt to make them dry faster. The salt stays in the wood and will cause major damage to the metal on the gun over time. Sure fire way to tell is take a screw out of the butt plate. If it has rust it is a salt gun. 0 -
Thought to be a good process for accelerating the drying time for wood this method was a serious problem in the gunstock business.
Here is an excerpt from the BB on the process.
"5. Wood. Superposed collectors are wood fanatics. All things being equal, an exceptional chunk of walnut on a 12 ga. Grade I Field gun may add $250 to the value, and make the gun sell faster for a higher price than a specimen with normal factory wood priced less. On higher grade Superposed, sometimes wood alone will make the difference on a purchase or sale. Stocks with the rounded-off pistol grip knob and long lower tang (pre-1966) are a lot more desirable than a pistol grip with short lower tang (1966 and newer). While the salt-wood problem has been well documented, remember that between 1966 and 1972, the Morton Salt Company sold Browning a new salt method of "speed drying" walnut blanks, as Superposed demand had outstripped the company's ability to provide kiln-dried wood. Unfortunately, this new process yielded a good many salt-filled stocks and/or forearms to be utilized in maintaining adequate production, resulting in rusting metal surfaces where there was wood/metal contact. If in doubt about salt-wood on a Browning Superposed manufactured during 1966-72, please consult a knowledgeable Browning dealer and/or collector."
As for mfg. year I think you need to recheck you s/n and you can run it down at the following link:]
http://proofhouse.com/browning/index.html
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
If you have taken apart your Browning and see nothing you are ok. It would have done MAJOR damage by now. I have seen the "salt damaged" guns. What a waste! nambu 0 -
Your rifle is definitly not a salt gun. Your rifle was built in 1960. The problem first starts to show itself starting in 1966 and pretty much ends around 1976. Safari, Medallion, and Olympian grade rifles should be suspect between 1967-1976.
Better question might be; is your rifle a 24" barrel and without a recoil pad? Very early .264's were made that way. Most .264's have a 22" barrel and a pad.
Enjoy the rifle.
Jeff0 -
Salt wood resulted from a process used on Brownings to speed up the curing time of wood...the salt would draw out the moisture and speed up the drying process, unfortunately the salt residue remained in the wood grain and caused metal corrosion where the metal and wood made contact. This was not a Browning problem, but a supplier problem.
About 1965, a large wood supplier sent wood not only to Browning for FN's use but also to Bishop, Fajen, Winchester, Ruger and to the US Military for M-14 stocks. This company was drying their walnut using granulated salt, by covering the wood with salt and placing it in quonset huts.
The wood dried so quickly that the workers said they could actually see a steady drip of moisture coming from the wood. The wood was already cut into the appropriate size planks and no one thought that any salt residue would remain on or in the wood after final shaping, sanding, and finshing.The US Government stopped using walnut for the M-14 rifles and went to other types of wood because properly cured wood was so scarce at the time.
In Brownings case, the problem first showed up starting in 1966 and ends on their guns about 1973. Superposes and T-Bolts made between 1967-1973 should be looked at; Safari, Medallion or Olympian made between 1967-1976; and any A5's 2,000,000 edition Commemoratives should be looked at.
Inspect any place the metal touches the wood. Take out the butt plate screws and look them over carefully. If you find no rust, the gun is probably OK. Sometimes you can test the wood with silver nitrate. Place a drop or two on a hidden spot on the wood, if it bubbles you have a problem
(From "Browning Sporting Arms of Distincction" by Matt Eastman)
Browning procrastinated in signing the wood contract it Europe because there was a price spike. BA thought it was a ploy and put off the purchase knowing there was plenty of cheap California wood available if needed. By the time the European wood deal fell through the California wood was gone.
The only figured wood available was planks bought in California but sent to South America for furniture. BA was trapped and had to take it. *That's* where the salt curing was being done but BA missed it being a problem.
BA *tried* to sell some to TRW for M-14 stocks but Claro walnut failed the physical test and was never used. Bishop, Fajen, the so-called Warsaw (MO) pact, bought some and sold it in semi-inlets.
BA nearly went broke from the fiasco. A serious tax problem about the same time almost put them under and as a result they lost the FN connection and were forced to Japan and Portugal for guns and parts.
1968 was the "1964" of Browning Arms. That's why round knob, long-tang, (RKLT) Brownings are more desirable.
If a Browning has French walnut stocks it can't be salt wood. All Claro, especially the higher grades, is suspect.0 -
Wow. Thanks for the info. Great reads. I guess I should have found out the year of my rifle first than I probably wouldn't have worried about it. I thought it was newer. Anyway, Jeff, its a 22" bbl but does not have the recoil pad. It has the black plastic butt plate w/ "browning" on it. Does it make a difference? It does have the Mauser bolt w/ long extractor. Again, thanks to everyone for the info.
Mark0 -
Glad we could help. I never heard of a 22" without the pad, but anything is possible. Could have been a special order.
Take care,
Jeff0 -
quote:Originally posted by ndeltaguns
The way I understand it is that Browning packed their stocks in salt to make them dry faster. The salt stays in the wood and will cause major damage to the metal on the gun over time. Sure fire way to tell is take a screw out of the butt plate. If it has rust it is a salt gun.
Good evening fellow enthusiast, I am new to this forum.
I also have an FN Browning; I picked it up 3 years ago SN: 8L 45xxx. Periodically I would try to search for information on it, date of mfg etc, with out success. Thanks to Contender Man, and the proof-house link I now know more.
I was aware of the salt wood issue and reasonably sure my piece was not so predisposed. The receiver, barrel, and floor-plate assembly, were and are in excellent shape.
There were however gnawing observations and symptoms that caused me some doubt. It wasn't until I recently started refinishing the stock that doubt began to give way; Butt plate screws, sling studs, and cross bolt a rusted mess. As a consequence I conducted a "Browning" + "salt wood" + "safari grade" search and happened upon this forum. I am now convinced that I have the dubious honor of owning a "salty-dog", or to be optimistic the proud owner of an FN-Browning barreled action with floor plate assembly.
Has anyone in this group had to replace there stock or does anyone know where I might find a replacement, unsalted of course?
A little more than a year ago I was at the rifle range shooting next to gentleman who had a restocked Model 70 Featherweight, he said he had it done by someone in Pennsylvania, $1,200. Who ever it was they did an outstanding job, and I did not get the fellows name. Is there good stock maker that someone could recommend?0 -
I'm new into collecting the Browning 22 takedown. I'm interested in the saltwood discussion. Did the saltwood affect these guns as well? I'm interested in the grade l, ll, lll.
Thanks0
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