The Browning Nomad

Features

Early guns featured an alloy frame, whereas later ones — such as what we got to shoot — were steel. The grips were unprepossessing checkered black plastic. The unloaded weight on our 6 ¾”-barreled specimen was right at the advertised 34 oz.

The 10-round magazines are interchangeable between the Nomad, Challenger and Medalist. That, plus the fact replacements are available through Triple K for a bit over 50 bucks a copy, constitute the good news. The bad? Original Browning factory mags can run about three times that.

The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation but the real plus to the Nomad is the big, easy-to-acquire “shark’s fin” front sight.

Shooting the Nomad was an absolute gas — well above and beyond what we were expecting. The trigger pull was excellent, slightly over 3 lbs. and as crisp as … well, we’ll refrain from the usual “breaking icicle” clichés, accurate as they may be. And of course, there was the nice big front sight. The sighting radius of the 6″-plus barrel was greatly appreciated. However, for the type of “packability” you’d want in a trail gun, the shorter 4 ½” version would most likely get the nod — we’re certainly hoping to luck into this variant someday!

Although the Euro-style heel magazine release can be a pain to those used to something easier and quicker to access, it’s not a deal-breaker for what’s essentially a .22 plinker, albeit a very sexy one. Other controls are minimalist and unobtrusive such as the side-mounted safety lever. And in the interests of simplicity, there’s no slide release nor is there a bolt hold-open feature for the last shot.