I recently acquired a short recurve bow (52", I think). It has been painted with a very nice camo job. My preliminary research suggests that it is a Browning Nomad Stalker. Shoots pretty well, and feels like probably 45-50#. Might be a good bowfishing setup. Does anyone have any info about the older Browning recurves? I'm thinking it might be vitage late 60's or mid 70's. I saw an old advertisement from 1968 with a picture that lists it at $47.50. Any tips on the history of the bow would be appreciated.
Thanks, Dick
Good bows and nicely made. They were designed by Harry Drake, a prominent flight shooter from the era.
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/120ah1.jpg)
Browning bought out gordon glass archery line in early 60's....Gordon is the developer and manufacturer of the glass used in most recrurves and compounds today. Gordon had a real nice line of recurves built in the 50s and early 60's... After Browning bought out their line, I believe they took along some of gordons bowyers and moved to Morgan Utah around 1963... Browning used some of the old Gordon forms, but also added bows that were designed by Harry Drake when he started working for Browning..Drake was well known for his limb design and flight shooting records. The old Gordon bows and some of the early brownings used multiple 5 or 6 skinny lams in their limbs...Browning later used less and thicker lams to save money. There are a bunch of beautiful bows ..Browning had some beautiful woods in their risers..... The explorers, safaris, and the little wasp were great shooters.... the 3 piece backpacker with belly mounted limbs is a cool little bow also...Drake also had a patent on a folding target and hunter bow.....This is not to mention their target line of bows that were also top notch in their day...
Most of the browning hunting line had a 1 series and 2 series...the 1 was the shorter and the 2 longer...for instance a explorer 1 was 56" and a explorer 2 was 62"...i believe there was a nomad stalker, a nomad stalker 1 and a nomad stalker 2..hope this helps.
Steven,
You have some beauties there and also some very interesting info which is much appreciated. :thumbsup:
I've had a few Brownings along the way and always liked them. The WASP was one of the screamers in my stable.
I also thought they were made in Morgan, Utah, but I remember a debate here some time ago. One TG member was sure they were only made in San Diego and never in Utah (which was Browning's headquarters). :archer2:
I am currently shooting a Wasp, marked #51 - 0T1457 - 56 AMO. (actually shoots #46.5).
I have never read any info on dating these from the serial #.
Does anyone know how to date these bows?
it is a blast to shoot!
Soon i will shoot an Explorer II - after I refinish it.
Blackhawk...i do own most of these bows..but the ones in the pics arent mine :)
Xavier.... i don't think there is a sure way of dating the brownings..... there are a few folks that should get you close though.... george stoudt, droptine (rich), and a few others.
I have a Browning Wasp, which I use mostly for bowfishing, but it would also serve well as a backup bow, if it were ever called upon to do so. It shoots very hard too, I might add.
I have a Browning Wasp marked 50+ on the riser, near as I can tell about 53#
I really like the Brownings, good shooters, beautiful woods. My favorite is the Cobra 2.
Danny,
I have one of those Cobra 2's and it has black limbs with black and white limb tips...It's a shame it just sits in the stable..I took a few pics of it this week and may load them once I figure the photobucket thing out...
Right on Jocobsladder,that was a great lesson.Ive always wanted one of the cobras.They just looked cool.
Chanumpa..... both cobras are great little bows...if you draw over 28" lean towards the 58" cobra II :thumbsup:
I have a 52#@28" Browning Explorer (62" but the decal just says "Explorer") and it is a favorite of mine. Spits out a arrow with authority.
I haven't come across a timeline of models and serial numbers.
SAFARI 54" 1963-65
EXPLORER 62" 1963-66
SAFARI I 54" SAFARI II 60" 1966-1971
EXPLORER I 56" EXPLORER II 62" 1967-71
COBRA 50" 1969
COBRA I 50" COBRA II 58" 1970-75
FURY I 54" FURY II 60" 1972-75
BACKPACKER I TAKE-DOWN 1972-75
THE FOLLOWING ARE CHEAPER MODELS
NOMAD 54" 1963-1965
NOMAD I 54" NOMAD II 60" 1966-1975
NOMAD STALKER 52" 1970-71
NOMAD STALKER I 52" NOMAD STALKER II 58" 1971-1975.
WASP 56" 1970-1975.
Here's the 1968 line up.....
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/browning.jpg)
Appreciate the listing jacobsladder,,I have a 50x Wasp I picked up last spring just to try,,heck of a bow actually, plain jane as far as the wood goes. Browning made some beautiful risers in their upper end bows and they don't seem to command a lot of $'s for such good shooters.
Outstanding! Thank your for the models & dates. I knew my 62" Explorer predated the 62" Explorer II and now I have a three year window.
Thanks a bunch
My first recurve was a Bear Kodiac Magnum.
After that I used two different Browning Nomad stalkers for several years. I always liked those bows.
oops
Thanks for all the great info. Very interesting. Now, if I could only get the paint off to really see what I'm looking at. Does anyone think it would be worthwhile trying?
Dick
It'll take a little elbow grease but you might have a nice looking bow underneath. This is my Nomad Stalker
(http://i54.tinypic.com/257lhys.jpg) (http://i51.tinypic.com/2nt6q0.jpg)
(http://i54.tinypic.com/25qah5f.jpg)
I would like to find a LH Cobra or Safari,but they are hard to come.
Very good information.
Quite a line up, in fact, I need to find a mid 40lb wasp...
Great information Steve on the line up from Browning.
:thumbsup:
I collect, shoot and hunt with Browning recurves. I just love the bows for the way they shoot and also the beautiful wood used. I tried to buy an unfinished handle from a cobra, a second from a guy on **** several years ago, but got out-bid. I talked with the guy selling the handle section and he said he used to work at the airport in San Diego where the Browning bows were made. He took the handle section out of the dumpster along with a couple of others and kept them in his garage for years because he thought the wood used was beautiful. So apparently, the Browning bows were made in San Diego for at least a few years. I wish someone that knew something about the history or knew someone that worked at Browning would write things down before all of the information is lost.
I have a Browing Wasp takedown that was bought in 1986 for $125 new, 50 Lb, still shoots great. A production bow, not very pretty but a good shooter.
James.................
Jim, beautiful Nomad Stalker. I had one, great bow, but I sent it to the troops in Kandahar a few years back. I sold my Cobra 2 when I went all Longbow, but now I shoot recurves some again and wish I still had it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Jim Picarelli:
It'll take a little elbow grease but you might have a nice looking bow underneath. This is my Nomad Stalker
Don't look so bad as it is! :thumbsup:
Thanks for the info. re ranges of years for different models - narrows down their age!
I was lucky enough to get a almost new quality Cobra II this past year for my wall...still hope to pick up an Explorer, Backpacker and maybe Safari.....then maybe another Cobra or Wasp to actually use for my turkey bow next year. Too many desires and not enough dollars...LOL
Great information here. Beatuiful looking bows. Jim, great looking bow as it is or a fun project if you want to touch it up a bit.
Thanks Jacobsladder for posting all the neat info and line up of Browning bows. I had a LH Safari II 60" and 46#. I bought it used for 30 bucks and it was in very good shape.
It had a very pretty dark colored riser. Does anyone know what kind of wood was used in the riser? I'm still kicking myself for selling my first huntig bow.
rosewood for sure...either east indian rosewood earlier models...or possibly brazilian rosewood later models.
My vintage Browning wasp is in the top right hand corner of your screen (for now) with a nice doe I took this winter.
Those old Brownings are sweet shooting sticks! I love my old Explorer 2.
As far as the Morgan, Utah vs. San Diego, Cal debate... it appears that the bows may have been made at BOTH locations, at one point or another. I don't know why, but when the San Diego facility is mentioned, certain folks get up in arms and want to protest and debate, and some even doubt that Browning had a building in San Diego. For the life of me, why some people get so cranked up over this here, on other sites, and in archery store debates, I'll never understand. Browning bows are fine looking and shooting bows, no matter where they were made!
A 1967 issue of Bow and Arrow Magazine (which had a Browning Explorer 2 @ full draw on its cover), had an in depth feature article on Browning Archery and its new state of the art facility in San Diego, where some very fine looking recurves were built. In fact, the 2010 issue of Aug/Sept. Traditional Bowhunter, on page 70, has a photo of a Browning Explorer 2, with the aforementioned 1967 Bow and Arrow magazine with the Explorer 2 on its cover. Why would Bow and Arrow magazine print a story (with a cover shot) and photos about a bow factory that didn't exist...?
But if anyone still wants to believe that this is all cow-pie, and that the San Diego facilty never existed, I'll make you an offer; Any old Browning recurves you have and or locate, that were built after 1967, just in case they were built outside of Morgan, Utah..., just on the slim chance that the San Diego facility existed, and was not a drug induced, Hippie pipe dream... pack the bows up real nice and secure, and ship them to me! Why chance it, and who wants an old Browning recurve that wasn't built in Morgan, Utah...right???
Great bows and great shooter, quick as most bows out there! Put a feather rest(radiused one) and for some reason makes them an even better shooter. I have owned several over the years! Shawn
HIT OR MISS............I wouldnt be surprised at all to find out that some of the brownings were made it Sandiego...... The Gordon brothers of gordon glass had their facility in Sandiego...they had their own line of bows that browning bought out....... Im quite sure some of the brownings and gordon bows were built on the same forms..Here is some info.......
During these early years, Gordon Plastics, Inc. – as the company was known then – was housed in a small metal building on Banks Street in San Diego. During the early '60s their landlord built a new 12,000-square-foot facility that served them through 1975. This facility is where most of the initial R & D for today's technology took place.
During the '60s the brothers decided to sell the bow-making business. Since they were producing bows and also selling Bo-Tuff laminate to most of the other bow manufacturers, there seemed to be a conflict of interest with their archery customers. The Gordons decided to concentrate solely on producing high quality laminate for all bow manufacturers. They then sold the bow company to Browning Arms.
many of the brownings came in 3 lengths according to the model...one might not have a number,then there was the one series and two series being the longer...if i remember correctly the one and two series had 3 lams in the limbs...a couple of my my favorites is the xplorer 1 56" and xplorer 2 62"...the 56" is just as smooth as the 62",made in 1972...i also like my cobra 2 at 60"made around the same time...
Those Explorers really look great! I'd love to find a LH one!
I really would like to find a Cobra I,LH.
My little Nomad I
(http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m316/SeaSpectre/stumpinandcaitlin011.jpg)
She is a shade noisy without help, but, she will sling those Banshees with some serious authority. I love the old Brownings and wish they would make a comeback.
I love the old brownings. Almost as much as the old bears. I have two nomad stalkers for bowfishing and several other old brownings in my collection. All are great shooters and the wood on the upper end ones like my safari and cobras are just beautyful! I can't say enought good things about their bows.
I'm refinishing a Fury II right now. I'm wondering about reworking the arrow shelf a little, or would that be defacing a classic? It was neat seeing a picture of what it's suppose to look like. It was completly cover in camo paint when I got it.
GOOD AND PRETTY....THATS WHAT THEY ARE...
Here is one of my favorites-Browning Appollo, 66" and 42# @28", rosewood handle with chocolate brown glass on back and tan glass on belly, 4 lam limbs with very skinny tips with no overlays but it does have a wedge inserted between the lams in the tip. Absolutely, one of the best shooting bows I've ever owned.
(http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee200/kelly1049/Browning002.jpg)
Also, have a couple Safari II, 60" bows, both have rosewood handles and chocolate brown glass, one with tip overlays and one without.
Kelly; that is one of the most kinky looking piece of Rosewood I have ever seen, deep and dark red. The profile looks a bit like an old Ben Pearson Colt, but with grade AAAA wood. Take care of that Sweetheart!
I refinished this sweet Browning Explorer 1...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/stickbow98/BrowningExplorer11.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/stickbow98/BrowningExplorer12.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/stickbow98/BrowningExplorer13.jpg)
>>--Ron--<>
Good job there Ron!Now I know why your bows look all so nice!
Thanks, Felix. I appreciate that coming from you. :scared:
>>--Ron--<>
This makes you more talented!!
My 1966 Browning Explorer predates the I & II versions and lacks the highlight laminates. It's still my best shooting bow - at least in my hands.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Stumpkiller/Bowhunting/HPIM2050.jpg)
Sweet looking bow Ron, would have been cool to have seen the before pic!
My 13 year old son's Browning Explorer II. It's the one on the far left. The bow in the middle is a Proline:
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/MattsDillonsandDougsBows010.jpg)
Here it is with him on the right. The one on the left is my 11 year old son and his Proline bow. Both bows are 35#@28" and are perfect at their draw lengths:
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/MattandDillonBowShooting001.jpg)
This is my Browning Wasp, 51#@28". I use it mainly for bowfishing:
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/BrowningWasp001.jpg)
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/BrowningWaspBoys3D005.jpg)
They made great bows!
I don't know why folks get confused with Gordon Plastics and Browning bows, but as noted above, some still do. There is just too much published material available.
Gordon Plastics made bows beginning around 1962 and were named the Gordon Royal Bows. Soon after Browning acquired Gordon's bow making business. With Gordon Plastics being located in San Diego at the time, and due to the fact Gordon made bows for Browning after the sale under contract to Browning, these first Browning bows were manufactured in San Diego. At what exact time they ceased making Browning Bows in San Diego I don't know.
There is some good information posted above and some nice photos of one of the nicer production line of bows made.
I ran across an Explorer 2 a while back in great shape. The riser is a solid piece of Brazilian rosewood. The original finish is also in great shape. The thing that really surprised me was when I looked at the limbs there were 4 lams of maple between the black glass.
Great shooting bow by the way.
It is noted in the December 1963 "Archery" that Gordon Plastics was manufacturing 1000 bows a month for Browning.
Cliff...GREAT INFO!!!
Browning were some of the best designed bows and had a complete spectrum from high end to low end bows while still maintaining quality during their era.
You can shoot any one of their higher end bows and will be hard pressed to fine anything any better to.
I feel that bow designed reached its Golden Age during the 70's. We now just have a few high teck additives, such as carbon, ect.
Look who was designing the Browning bows, anyone ever hear of an archery pioneer called Harry Drake.
Liquid Amber; Thanks for the info! I was begining to think I was the only one who believed in the "mythical" San Diego Browning bows, or who had read about it (The San Diego facility), in vintage magazines! The article I read was in a 1967 Mag, so they were still building them in San Diego at that point in time.
I took more grief about this than I care to remember on another site about 2 years ago, from the all knowing "Archery Gods"...LOL! One begins to feel like Galileo if you challenge common beliefs and misconceptions with facts and evidence on "that other site"...
heres some pics of brownings ...the bottom pic is a nice royal gordon bow..you can see that it looks similar to a browning....
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/DSC00229.jpg)
Explorer
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/DSC00160.jpg)
FURY
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/DSC00159.jpg)
DRAKE FOLDING TARGET BOW
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/browningfolder2.jpg)
BACKPACKER
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/DSC00447.jpg)
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/Browning1.jpg)
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/Browning3.jpg)
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/Browning4.jpg)
Wow, that Gordon wood is nice! My Explorer 2 is lighter. That dark, rich reddish brown on your bow is unreal! Almost too pretty to hunt with!
Chris..she was a beauty for sure.... i couldnt hunt with it anyway..it was a lefty , so it is in the hands of someone who can shoot it now..LOL...... the wood was so beautiful i bought it and kept it safe for awhile.... here's a pic of back side of riser
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/DSC00227.jpg)
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/DSC00230.jpg)
Has anyone ever heard of a Browning nomad stalker 1 at 70#? I haven't been able to find any example online of a heavy Stalker but i bought one sight unseen for what i think was too good of a deal to pass up and should have it in a few days....hope the seller was correct about the weight. :)
Never seen one that heavy but not to say there were not a few made. Finding them around 58-60# is rare enough much less 70# if true weight. Good luck.
Shot my first deer with a recurve in 1968 with a Browning Nomad Stalker. When I find a nice one it will join the stable. But that Wasp looks like a keeper
Well here's to hoping. I'll post up pics as soon as it comes in.
I had one that was 60 lbs but never seen one at 70.
50' Browning Cobra...my turkey bow. Even took it out last fall a few days for whitetails.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/002_zps25f03669.jpg) (http://s13.photobucket.com/user/sf1oak/media/002_zps25f03669.jpg.html)
I have a 44# Nomad Stalker. I got it on here when I was getting into trad archery. I love that bow, it is a good brush bow. I think it is 48"
A few years ago I had to get rid of my 56# Wasp which was just a bit too much. I was amazed at the speed I was getting from that bow compared to some modern customs I had.
Then up pops a near-mint Wasp at a gun show with some gorgeous shedua. It is 47# and I can hardly wait to string it up and see if this Wasp performs like all the others I have read about.
Well i got it and it's a 70# bow. At least that's what's on the riser. I normally use a 60lb hanging scale and it maxes that out before i get it to 28" so i have no doubt its somewhere in the 65-70# range. I'll clean it up and take some pics to post up this weekend. Love the small size but it does have a bit of hand shock and noise to it. some string silencers and limb padding should take care of that. might need to find heavier arrows. Has reinforced limb tips which i believe that means it's fastflight compatible?
Hi guys, Here's the pics, didn't have a chance to clean it up so here's exactly how i received it. Also had a quick question on brace height on this Nomad Stalker 1. The info on the riser is:
4W4958-1
70#
52"
AMO
I strung it up with the included string that measures 49" and have a 6.25" brace height untwisted. I thought i read somewhere that folks were using brace height closer to 8"? So I twisted it to 7.5" and left it at that but just wanted to double check on that. The bow shot much quieter at 6.25 than it does at 7.5" might be due to lightweight carbon arrows. (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gjEjFFk8DBs/VRcxjcwSQEI/AAAAAAAAE1c/4RioLA1PGw4/w1204-h903-no/100_1694.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ccD-KOoc2UU/VRcxjr_UUNI/AAAAAAAAE1g/hRl3T_adPTc/w1204-h903-no/100_1695.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kgvAfNUZiWE/VRcxibp-MsI/AAAAAAAAE1M/-xL3giRd5O0/w1204-h903-no/100_1693.JPG)
Hi folks. On the topic of Old Brownings. I just came across a Browning Cam-lock 1 recurve. I can't find any info on it at all, I can't even find a single picture of this bow online. any info would be appreciated.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/N34EHsDp7FIQI1RKglis8JeH9bMOZC9RsmVnFQh_4xNaGuJknXdO91JoH5dHtl4DU8vZsRLPTt3GNK0KDOxbnPcGkdLXrjQmFKn68ysFq5eVv-ioKDOZ4l1iO-EuFezxYhmYoOxxtN3M4RcW4etYXWYLeEB7WetxP2nmJSk6RnCt-ghAqQnV0Do5IMRutQQ9cPQGmKWHaNRs2uoug5xLHCZVaY31bs0UlnyPUhRjSj3ahnK6owsx16rByn9n8qOlTts0a5YdBgpN90_jaoJk52G66AdTZYBqokPr22LsY03459KW-kb4EImi-dKEEIn6RG1ECTpj3l6wHJaHRhFA6iZIg2qXmDhhWfSmRS8H5-nlAN08TWdG0iHoYWpIk_AAiw2rilGsN6rovCgS3PHln01inpIGMrUIo4jO7qjg6ferWV5Wnnce1fLHf9coTEcma40Sijmg3dCQpP58Uyv8x6wuC8wcSJJAu9FHDDP19zeWnVoyzts9E4RyXV1GPklaQ9M5fEQHukWdU0B0uucMr3-V_m5mcXjYZBMCxdCcloA66t8MYAWNRVFnWijqotXpiBB92SAo0-nhN7Ku5ExmUyehGZaXOBg=w960-h720-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3zw91i0KoPbwhsZxQ_Aj2y2pdnvbkyicjOSZ_0mRfNxxvDTMFD_bJM43BZOFRjt1mWjUMuMGhhK1ZBmcO0OY8oSWrhbq1ikHkVPXgwoXR9L1U5HbUZCJQINfeZNFqptvSkVaTeBqk-RxOc8HPmnfJZhPTiV39P9p-JhRMfuQFZftaGvYHXdJjYwHsgoQdWGK6mXi1HI7IdZjz7p7BauJcAuHLUTeEugbfLVQQotw5XCGWhtxMRhisL5ZFTjdFPzNKQNn2udkXgMlOGZn71IGrJR7a1GMTwmXgP27nrbuAguH2EXxPTFS7Z7dzg9w807HPrWMOaIfAlz1oviGdKXPjjMyI1ecKIQf1HtjvincB9X6MrUwNC6tSM949v6Ntp48heryzfPdXhJXStdkNxDrDSHrZi0JHr7w9yFTwPxw1zkv7KO2NoCLw6xxr2IMSOhqkClxijByyPHXyHJfOGUB1WyVIN4Fb-mLSgKeuhYzYlwJXOH7Vzn80Oyu5NH67VT-fcc8MopAuNOIQg10Y--V9U99Qke2N9XYy3M-6ZVcGvLYJ2wzhowaCU1Sb23jMjuSCHZA5MhI_yYAtl--2cjBc-r27o6cNkw=w684-h911-no)