Early Browning A5

[gunrun45]

So... I have this Browning A5 that I bought cheap. I tried to sell it here but nobody bit. It is an early A5 belgian with the full length solid rib and original wood. somebody put a adjustable choke on it as well as a williams rear sight.
It is an early serial number that isn't on browning's web site it's so old. The serial number is horizontal in front of the trigger guard and it has the "suicide" safety.

So, I'm back to my original plan.
I have performed the obligatory "search" and "google" but found very little info on what I want to do.
I want to cut it down to a 18.5 barrel, add a synthetic stock and a mag extension tube. Maybe a little gunkote or something... For what I paid I thought it would make a good trunk shotgun.

I've seen pics of them done up like this online and the thought intrigues me...
Anybody have any info for me on tips/ tricks on modding this gun?

[.454]

So... I have this Browning A5 that I bought cheap. I tried to sell it here but nobody bit. It is an early A5 belgian with the full length solid rib and original wood. somebody put a adjustable choke on it as well as a williams rear sight.
It is an early serial number that isn't on browning's web site it's so old. The serial number is horizontal in front of the trigger guard and it has the "suicide" safety.

So, I'm back to my original plan.
I have performed the obligatory "search" and "google" but found very little info on what I want to do.
I want to cut it down to a 18.5 barrel, add a synthetic stock and a mag extension tube. Maybe a little gunkote or something... For what I paid I thought it would make a good trunk shotgun.

I've seen pics of them done up like this online and the thought intrigues me...
Anybody have any info for me on tips/ tricks on modding this gun?

You will regret if you bubba-job this fine gun. Normally an unaltered early A5 in excellent condition sells for as high as $800-1,200 but right now gun sales are down, people are wary of spending money in this economy. Just look at the FS forum here on Calguns and see how transactions have declined sharply after Christmas. On top of that, it's just after the winter holidays and most guys who wished a firearm for Christmas already got one. This is not the best time to sell guns and chopping down a fine Belgian Browning because you can't sell it right away is not a good ideea.
Let's do a little bit of math: when you will be finished will all the "mods" the resale value of your gun will decrease from a minimum of $800 to something like $200. If you count how much you'll spend on the "tacticool" stock and the mag extension, you actually end up with a $200 gun on which you spend another $100 to mod it. That's a minimum of $700 loss.
Why don't you just take $700 from your pocket and give it to charity instead?

[yellowfin]

I would NEVER chop or alter a Belgian Browning. Have you shot it? They point and swing better than 90% of any shotgun and 95% of anything under $2000. Three or four of them are in my family's legacy collection--when your dad or granddad gives you one, you are officially one of us and part of the chain to pass it down to your kids.

NEVER EVEN THINK about butchering one of those pieces of classic outdoors heritage.

[Dirtbiker]

I'll give you $200 and save that fine shotgun's honor. Don't cut it up please!

[missiondude]

Looked up you for sale post to see the shotgun in question. I am not an expert on old Brownings, although I do have two from the 50's and two Remingtons built on the A5 patent. Are you sure that the gun in question is a Browning, and not some other maker that built it on the A5 patent. I did not see Browning anywhere on the gun in the pictures other than followed by patent information.

[gunrun45]

Yep, its an early model browning with horizontal serial number in the 87,000 range above the loading port. Acording to the Browning site here:

http://www.browning.com/customerservice/dategun/detail.asp?id=13

It was made between 1903 and 1939. Beause the serial number range for this to 228,000 or so I think mine was made earlier due to its serial number.

If you look at the pics posted later in the thread you will see the patent proof marks on the barrel and receiver. Its a numbers matching gun and I'm sure it would be worth some bucks if someone hadn't already put the adjsutable choke on it, lopped off the stock and put the williams site on it.

[sromero]

Chop it!! I think you're on the right track with synthetic stock, a Choate mag extension (if you can find one) and some flat black Durakote. Ghost ring sights, a weapon light, and ported barrel or ported choke tube are more good options. Send pics if you do it!

[Bend]

Gunrun45-

Here is what you can do-

Go to MidwayUSA and/or Brownells and get:

a Ramline plastic stock and forestock (the stock comes with a sling stud)
a mag cap with a sling stud
a slip on (stock) shell holder
a new recoil spring
a new friction ring
a Hi-Viz front sight
a Hi-Viz mid-barrel sight

Also, find an abused Japanese ribbed barrel. Have a g'smith cut it down (check the lenght, the barrel moves alot during recoil) and install Hi-Viz sights. Search the web for the correct adjustments for high vs low brass.

You will save the wood, cap and the origional barrel for the good of Browning and still have a shoty you will like and can use. And, don't oil the outside of the mag tube. DON'T SCRATCH THE ACTION either!

ETA: Pic's


20 inch bbl.


Adjustments

[Thefeeder]

a5

Shot A-5's for over 25 years.....never, ever had a malfunction.

[sromero]

Great solution gun run. Nice shottty too!

[Intimid8tor]

My dad gave me his Belgian made A-5. It is a M designation which puts it in the 50's. Even when times were tough it is the one that I kept around. Had to replace the forend as it was cracked. Still have the original forend somewhere. If your forend is in good shape I might take it off your hands as it would probably be a better match to what I was able to get from browning in the 90's.

[professionalcoyotehunter]

I'll buy the stock and barrel if you are just going to not use them.

[maxicon]

Well, if you can't sell it, it's not much of a collector. If you want to get rid of it, drop the price by 5% once a week until it sells - that's the best way I know of finding the true value of a gun.

Otherwise, hack away. There's not exactly a shortage of old A5 shotguns and their clones, especially ones that have already been modified.