The sn you list dates to 1978.
They haven't. Some models yes, but, not all.The assembly of Browning shotguns in Herstall,Belguim ended in the year 1976 along with the importation of FN shotguns.Production and importation was switched to the company Miroku of Japan in that year.Some Brownings are now produced in Belguim but assembled in Portugal but this does not apply to all models.
Yes, several different models have gold plating.
He didnt invent the shotgun, however he invented many different models of shotguns. auto5man
There are many different models of Browning shotguns that were made in Belgium by the Fabrique Nationale manufacturing plant in Liege/Herstal. The oldest of which is the Auto-5 Automatic Shotgun which began in 1903. Some Superposed shotguns are still made there.
A copy of the Browning catalog for 2007 would be your best reference
Unsure of your meaning of "break away shotgun". If you mean breakdown shotguns like double barrels they continue to make several different models.
There were many models of shotguns being made in 1970. Please be more specific
There were 2 distinct models of the Browning double auto shotguns made.the first models were the standard double auto,and light weight double auto shotguns which were made from 1952-1960.The second set were the twelvette double auto,and the twenty weight double auto.These were made from 1957-1971.The letter combination prefix of 3A would suggest that your Browning shotgun nwas made in the year 1963,which would make it the second set of shotguns mentioned.I hope that you find this info informative.
Legacy Sports sells several models of Verona shotguns.
My answer would be no.Browning never used a K prefix to the serial number on any model of their shotguns,let alone the 20ga models.
1200,1300,1400,1500
No, the value of American made Browning Auto-5's, are less than the Belgian models based on like condition. The American made models were made using Remington model 11 machinery. While tens of thousand American models were made during the war, few Belgian models were made and/or assembled during that time. There are very few collectors that are interested in American made Brownings versus the Belgian Browning Collectors.