J Browning Mountain Rifle .50

[Muddly]

The same shop that provided me with my laminated TC Hawken, coughed up a lightly used Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle. For $240 out the door!
This is the first one I've seen or handled. Fine rifle gun too!
Rifled for ball, with rifling deep enough to trip over. The single set trigger is REALLY very nice. Never had one of those before.
The lock is quite substantial and slick as can be. Fit and finish are custom quality. Blade front sight and rear sight same as a Lyman Plains. Except, like the rest of the rifle, is browned.
Pics to follow, but I'm guessing I'm gonna have me some FUN times with this .50!

 

[user 31257]

That’s a great deal on a nice rifle.

 

[Grimord]

You got that gun for a steal. Good shooters with the 1:60"twist for round ball. A little on the heavy side, but they hang nice on the target or game.

 

[Grenadier1758]

You should have a good shooter. Replacement parts will be hard to find, but as sturdy as that rifle is, you should have a good shooter for a long time.

I still like mine.

 

[Tinhorn]

My favorite rifle. Mine likes FFG Goex, uses 50-60g for Rondy and target, 90g for hunting. Hits 2" square marker offhand at 40 paces. Wonderful rifle. Mine had stock shrinkage after 35 years, so I put Duck Tape segments on the bottom flats of the barrel to tighten it up. Right back to hitting the 2" mark at 40 paces, the best my old eyes can do. You have a very nice rifle, mine cost $500 back in 1985 from Cliffs' Guns, San Marcos, Ca. if I recall. Tinhorn

 

[Cattman]

to get a rifle like that for what it was going for back in the 70/s is like a gift from God. may i rub your head for good luck?

 

[Muddly]

Cattman
Ya made me smile. The LORD does pass out gifts that some would consider... odd(?) shall we say?
My daughters rub my head before deer season. For luck. Works too! Only had 2 dry years since '91 and one of those, '94, I didn't go. Always at least got a shot!
The LORD is good! Most times, life is too

 

[Cattman]

thanks for the reply, God likes to be thanked. he is good and you were blessed.

 

[Tinhorn]

Tomorrow, weather permitting, I get to shoot my .50 Browning with the new .495" balls I made this week, new Lee mold from Midway. I want to try the 50g FFG offhand at 40 paces, and 60g FFG at 75-80 paces. I really need to know if the trajectory changes, and by how much. Tinhorn

 

[Tinhorn]

Hooray! The new .495" Lee mold worked great; the rifle shot into 2" offhand at 40 paces, and leaning on the Chevy, I hit 2" at 75 yds, my max for old eyes and open sights. Bullets flew into the same group, at both distances. Patches good enough to re-use. 50g FFG was the best, 60g hit 6" high at 75 yds, no good for me. This .50 is just a paper puncher/Rondy rifle for me. But plenty accurate for woods walks. It sure likes the .495" ball, they patch tight with pillowtick. Sharp ignition lock time, too. Not as fast as my Leman barrel, but good enough for off-hand. Tinhorn

 

[F.G. Ford]

You have probably the very best production made plains rifles ever built.
If any better would be the .54 cal. model.
Those rifles are amazing.......I will gladly give you $242 for it sight unseen. It is not hard to see the generous man that I am.
Congratulation on finding such a great find.
Fred

 

[Muddly]

Not to insult your generosity... But she is very new to me!
Took her out today. .495 ball .015 Ox Yoke pre lubed and 70 he of 2f Swiss.
10 shots at 50 yards... 1 & 3/16ths.
NEVER had ball shoot like this!
Now one range trip is not a trend, but DANG!
She is a bit rough on patches though. 3 had significant damage. I don't know how old the patches are, but pre lubed can be damaged by long term exposure.
Should get some dry patches and see.
Didn't use a wad this time. Usually do. VERY hard to complain about these results though. It was so nice to see those balls just tear a ragged hole...

 

[Tinhorn]

Muddly- Take your cleaning jag with a snug patch on it and Slowly run it down the bore, feeling for rough spots. If it's smooth, try pillowtick patches and see if they reduce the blow-by. Mine needed thicker pillowtick to seal up. And boy, did they scoot out of there with 50g of FFG Goex ! Very nice rifle, made heavy for horseback durability, all heavy duty with enough stock drop for full-grown riflemen. The real deal, IMO. Long Hunters rode horses. Rifles had to withstand an abrupt 'get-off', if you will.. And most carried them in sleeves, the strap went on the sleeve, not the rifle. The sleeve further protected the rifle in a fall from a horse. Mine is a heavy felt truck runway vacuum bag from an airport. Tinhorn

 

[F.G. Ford]

Not to insult your generosity... But she is very new to me!
Took her out today. .495 ball .015 Ox Yoke pre lubed and 70 he of 2f Swiss.
10 shots at 50 yards... 1 & 3/16ths.
NEVER had ball shoot like this!
Now one range trip is not a trend, but DANG!
She is a bit rough on patches though. 3 had significant damage. I don't know how old the patches are, but pre lubed can be damaged by long term exposure.
Should get some dry patches and see.
Didn't use a wad this time. Usually do. VERY hard to complain about these results though. It was so nice to see those balls just tear a ragged hole...

With mine I shoot a 1/8" felt wad soaked with 40% olive oil and 60% bees wax with a .018 linen patch with the same lube and a .535 ball.
With a tang peep sight it shoots a ragged one hole group at 50 yards, and 1 1/8 " + at 75 yards. I'm sure it could do better with a peep sight at the muzzle, rather that the post.
You need a good quality patch to make those rifles perform
Those rifles are amazing.
Yours has a single set trigger?
Fred

 

[Tinhorn]

Yep, single set at about 2 lbs, and cheap .22 fold-down sight off a Marlin, with a nice big buckhorn brass blade silver-soldered onto it. And then painted black. Still has the Browning factory bead on the front. I paint it red for black Rondy targets, and black for red Rondy targets. I like bead sights on rifles. Easy to get plenty of hold-over for long shots just by holding the bead in the middle of the target. Tinhorn

 

[Muddly]

Yup, single set. Pulls about 2 pounds or so. I like it, but as several have mentioned ( other sites) there is a tendency to drop a shot by wanting to" follow the trigger". But being aware of it helps a lot.
Will try the wad too, but I've had good results with using a lubed patch, pushed in with my starter, under the ball. Recovered ball patches are in good shape. It gives great protection to the patch around the ball. Haven't tried it in Ma Deuce yet.
The adventure begins!

 

[Dale Lilly]

Wow! I have Jonathan Browning. It has a stock crack at the wrist that had been repaired. It was a bit off set so I sanded it down and refinished the repaired area. You have to look hard to find it and she shoots plumb center. You can't buy it for $240 .. not twice that ... maybe not three times that. Congrats. You made a super buy. Polecat

 

[Ken Neeld]

Beautiful rifle. I found a NIB last spring after wanting one for 40 years. Dang thing broke the mainspring just setting in the gun safe. After a lot of internet searching I found a gentleman who made me a new one.
There are no spares available.
I think I'll keep mine NIB, it's just too dang pretty to shoot.

 

[Prairieofthedog]

Beautiful rifle. I found a NIB last spring after wanting one for 40 years. Dang thing broke the mainspring just setting in the gun safe. After a lot of internet searching I found a gentleman who made me a new one.
There are no spares available.
I think I'll keep mine NIB, it's just too dang pretty to shoot.

Ken I my have asked you this before,but lost information.Who did you have make you a new Mainspring? Thanks.

 

[Ken Neeld]

I can't remember know, it was someone on Castboolits who volunteered to give it a try. He did good work and the lock is better than new.