Browning A5s

[Bigben]

I am wanting an older Browning a5 12 guage. Any tips, things to watch out for? Never had a semi auto shotgun, always pump or SxS. I love the look of the old Belgians

Thanks in advance

[W.R.Buchanan]

Don't buy a gun made before 1963! You can tell by simply pushing up on the cartridge lifter. If it allows you to feed rounds into the magazine without pushing the bolt release button it is a later model gun with the Speed Feed Feature. The later guns have a Two Piece Lifter which allows this. Earlier guns have a one piece lifter which does not.

The pre 1963 guns all had to be turned over, and the bolt release held down to allow loading the magazine. This is NOT a desirable feature! The later guns eliminated this problem.

Don't be afraid of Japanese made guns. They are every bit as well made as the Belgium guns.

You are looking at $600-1200 for a post 1963 gun and you won't be losing any money on the purchase as the prices are only going up.

Here's a pic of my 1963 gun which I refinished and turned into a Slug Gun. I paid $600 for it, and it didn't look like this when I got it.



Second Pic is of my Favorite Uncle's 1965 A5 which is pristine with Full and Modified Vent Rib Barrels case and even the instruction manual. It is worth $2000.

Each barrel is worth $400-600 at current prices. Check Ebay The Full Choke Barrel is unfired! That gun is as good as it gets and is most Desirable, The only
A5 model that would be worth more would be a Sweet 16 post 1963 in the same condition with barrels and case.



Both guns are "Light Twelves" which is the preferred 12 ga model.

Randy

[SkyHawk]

I don't mind the old-style one-piece shell lifter but for sure the split lifter is nicer and worth more $$.

Look at the foreend, many are cracked I guess the question is how bad and how repairable.

It would be nice to get a good look at the outside of the mag tube where the recoil spring & barrel rides to check for any unusual wear or galling, make sure that both friction pieces are there etc but I don't know if many provide pics like that in auctions or online listings.

Also nice if you can check the receiver at the front of the ejection port for any peening or cracking caused by the bolt handle slamming into it, which can happen if someone drops the bolt too many times with the barrel off or even loose.

[W.R.Buchanan]

skyhawk: all good points!!!

these guns were designed by a Genius and once you get inside one and actually start to understand how it works you will never cease to be amazed by the design.

These guns are as good or better than any Semi Automatic Shotgun design currently offered and the only reason they are not still being made is the complexity of the machining required to make them. They just cost too much to build.

As far as a competition gun they will run as fast or faster than anything else out there and the only weak point is being able to Quad Load them which is a little harder than doing a Benelli. Cycle Speed and Reliability are second to none.

My slug gun has thousands of rounds thru it. I personally have put over 2500 rounds thru it, and it was well used when I got it.

My uncle's gun has about 200 rounds thru it and I put the vast majority of them thru it after he gave it to me in 1995. He fired 22 rounds thru it from 1965 to 1995! I fired 150 rounds thru it the first day I shot it.

By simply giving them the appropriate amount of 30 wt. Motor Oil in the right places, and an occasional deep cleaning they will literally out last you and your kids. The mechinism is that good because they were designed as "machinery," first,,, and as firearms second.

A good source of info on these guns is Art's Gun Shop Videos on Youtube. There is a complete disassembly and reassembly video that is easy to follow and very thorough and has all you'll ever need with regard to the Auto 5. He actually knows what he is talking about as he was a Browning Gunsmith at the Browning Facility in St Louis for 30+ years.

From an engineering viewpoint I look at these guns and say to myself ,,,

"How in hell did he ever figure all this out?" I can only cite Divine Inspiration!

Randy

[dogrunner]

It ought be stated that fitting a split carrier is no problem at all. I so fitted my 1954 H series and it works like a charm.

Mine incidentally is set up with a vent rib bbl of 1955 mfg and carries a poly choke. Also picked up a Hastings rifled tube. Truly, the best all round gun I've owned in my life. At near 80 I can still bust nearly 25 straight and within about 150 deer or hogs are meat on the table.

I can not recall a malfunction in literally thousands of rounds.

[Wounded Knee Floyd]

Call Durhams guns, just got a consignment of a lot of vintage Belgium A-5s. 530-624-6874

[SkyHawk]

I recently became an A5 fan after picking up this A5 clone Savage 720 from the 1930's for only $200. After some TLC it runs like a dream. I hit the sporting clays course with it a few weeks back, it was an absolute pleasure to shoot. Now I am keeping an eye out for a nice Browning.

[Bigben]

thanks for the info guys