How do you identify a pistol?

[vis-à-vis]

I've got a number of hand me down weapons one of them is a Browning .22LR Pistol. But for the life of me, I cannot idenitify the model of it. I do know its roughly 20 years old (if not more).

 

[Glockfan.45]

Post a pic of it here on the high road. I promise you will find somebody who knows what it is.

 

[hexidismal]

Yep, Post some pics at a prime time and I bet you'll have an answer in minutes. And the better the pics, the quicker and more accurately detailed answer you'll get.

 

[f4t9r]

Call Browning and give SN# maybe they can help !!!!

 

[vis-à-vis]

I'll see if my roommate will let me use his camera when he gets back. What if I give you guys a serial number? Is there any way you can look it up for me?

I'd like to get 3 more magazines for it. I love shooting this and grew up shooting it.

 

[Glockfan.45]

What if I give you guys a serial number? Is there any way you can look it up for me?

Call me paranoid but I wouldnt give out a s/n over the web.

 

[hexidismal]

I'm going to hazard a guess here, even without any pics or info . Well, I'm assuming you know its not a buckmark. Of course I don't know that, but I figure if it was something current production you'd be able to easily find it. I also figure its more than likely to be a Medalist, a challenger, or my pick out of the total left field guesses The Browning Nomad.. does it look like this ( maybe with a shorter barrel )?

The only reason I guess that is because the Browning Nomad is probably the more obscure of it's 22s of the time, and also the less expensive ones.. thereby making them more likely to wind up as just an old shooter. maybe it's silly to guess with 0% information .. but the Nomad is the one most people don't know the name of.. so...

 

[loki.fish]

Yeah, I wouldn't be giving the s/n to any of my guns over the internet either. A pic is all this community needs. I can guarantee somebody will be able to ID it.

 

[vis-à-vis]

Why wouldnt you give the serial number of you gun?

Hexidismal, Right ON!!!! That's it, only mine has wooden grips and a shorter barrel as you say. So it's a Browning Nomad?

 

[hockeybum]

nice hexi

 

[mete]

Browning made three 22s at that time the plain Nomad, the fancier Challenger and the fanciest target Medalist .Different barrels were available and interchangeble. Photo please !

 

[hexidismal]

Well, good guess aside, actually it could also be a Challenger. In my first post I was under the impression that the challenger had a discernably different front sight from the nomad. After a little investigation , it seems I was only half right about that. The Challengers I was thinking of , have a ramp and a pinned FS on it. It would seem though that there are some that do have the same FS. So.. I'm not actually sure how to tell them apart. I do know that the Challenger was the replacement for the Nomad after it was discontinued due to manufacturing costs.

OK, quick update: the difference is in the grip angle.

 

[hexidismal]

Lord's Envoy: does your's have a gold trigger ? And it does have the same FS as the one in the picture, right ? Not one with a ramp under the blade ?

 

[vis-à-vis]

Mine does have a Gold Trigger and I dont know what FS means. If that means FWD Sight, then no its not the same but has the ramp. My roommate isnt home yet, so I cant take a picture.

 

[hexidismal]

Ah ok , what you're got then is a Browning Challenger II, not the Nomad. Yes, by FS I meant front sight.

 

[vis-à-vis]

Good gun? whats it worth in In decent shape?

 

[isp2605]

Does this look like it? Browning Challenger II.
I gave $100 for this one in 1986.

 

[Eleven Mike]

Hit the Barnes & Noble, or other large book store, and see if they have a Blue Book of Gun Values in their Sports section. Make sure to bring the book with you when you order your tall, skinny, no-foam mocha.

Other options:

Library
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