Just got an Auto 5!

[Ergo the Qualmed]

Got an Auto 5 at a gunshow! Wasn't planning on buying anything...though I saw some Auto 5s, which I love. For $900?! Well, i usually see them for $550 or so.

But then, I found a Browning Auto 5 in what appears to be good shape, for **$250.** I simply could not pass it up! i don't know horribly much about them, but I had some assistance.

Says that it was made in Belgium (in French i think), as well as "Modified 12 Special Steel." Has a polychoke.

Anyway, how did I do? Serial # 1565XX

Any special advice regarding things to do before I shoot it? I plan on using low-brass 2 3/4 target loads, no steel. And no slugs, either, unless someone tells me otherwise about any of this haha.












My main issue is that the stock is slightly wobbly; there are a bunch of screws back there, and i do not know which one(s) to tighten. Especially since they are that dual-screw design. Also, how to get the bolt out to clean.

But, yeah, any advice, accolades, or hatred is welcome!

Gosh, i just love the way these Auto 5s look. Can't wait to take it to the Trap field!

[Ergo the Qualmed]

[Ergo the Qualmed]

To reiterate in case you skipped it:

My main issue is that the stock is slightly wobbly; there are a bunch of screws back there, and i do not know which one(s) to tighten. Especially since they are that dual-screw design. Also, how to get the bolt out to clean.

But, yeah, any advice, accolades, or hatred is welcome!

Gosh, i just love the way these Auto 5s look. Can't wait to take it to the Trap field!

[hcbr]

nice congrats on the score!

[jpscoot_21]

Older gun.. looks like it has the "suicide safety" in front of trigger guard. Stock might be cracked at wrist if loos. The wood looks very nice. I'd take it to a gunsmith that works on these.

[Trojans]

An Belgium A5 for $250.00? Score! I love the way they look they are like the A-10 Warthog of the shotgun world. I tried for a year to get a dealer to
Sell me his sweet 16 with invector tube at a better price. I finally gave up and bought the Benelli ultralight. I still want one though. love the camelback look.

[sargenv]

I never could shoot the a-5 all that well, but that's a pretty good score.. they are nice to have and they are the original speed-feed shotguns.. with the bolt open, feed a shell into the magazine from the bottom and see what I mean.. does this one have a magazine cutoff?

[Shrubmaster]

You scored, I just got a rem model 11 for the same price and its not as nice as your A5. Congrats!

[Nihonto Chicken]

Congrats!

Congrats on purchasing your first humpback! Never fear, there will be more, once the infection takes full hold.

Okay, good news and bad news, both at once. Both ends have been cut (pad and variable choke added), so that this one has no collector value, but at the same time this allows you to shoot it to the max and do whatever mods you want without bad pangs of conscience. It is a very good shotgun, as near one hundred years of production will testify, and your purchase price was good for the apparent condition.

The safety is, IMO, a "semi"-suicide. The early A-5s and similar Remington Model 11 SGs had the toggle safety totally inside the trigger guard. Your model has it at the TG front, operated from both outside and inside, not ideal, but not as dangerous as the earlier configuration. As long as you're not working with thick gloves in sub-freezing temps, you should be okay. Or possibly say, your buddies should be okay (which is more than can be said for Dick Cheney's hunting partners).

As far as the wobbly buttstock, here's a link to the Numrich Arms schematic:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=5385

The buttstock tang screw is #68 (with lock screw #44). The forward screw, #57, is the mainspring screw (don't screw with it ).

The finish appears to be decent with some light freckling and discoloration. Try gently rubbing the bolt and blued exterior surfaces with oiled copper or bronze (not steel) wool (generally available at your local hardware store). This will remove a lot of the discoloration without removing the remaining bluing.

Enjoy your gun show find! I had a similar experience last year when I scored an RRAD rebuild IHC Garand mixmaster for $850. Not a steal, but a decent buy hidden amongst the Beanie Babies, beef jerky and Chinese cheapie crappola.

[Shrubmaster]

Yeah, as stated earlier, these guns are prone to cracked stocks AND cracked bolts. My forend has a hair line crack, but there's a few guys out there making really high end replacement wood stocks and I plan on going that route aftwr the rest of my gun has been restored.

[Ergo the Qualmed]

I never could shoot the a-5 all that well, but that's a pretty good score.. they are nice to have and they are the original speed-feed shotguns.. with the bolt open, feed a shell into the magazine from the bottom and see what I mean.. does this one have a magazine cutoff?

Yeah, it has the magazine cutoff, which i personally think is an awesome innovation!

Congrats on purchasing your first humpback! Never fear, there will be more, once the infection takes full hold.

Okay, good news and bad news, both at once. Both ends have been cut (pad and variable choke added), so that this one has no collector value, but at the same time this allows you to shoot it to the max and do whatever mods you want without bad pangs of conscience. It is a very good shotgun, as near one hundred years of production will testify, and your purchase price was good for the apparent condition.

The safety is, IMO, a "semi"-suicide. The early A-5s and similar Remington Model 11 SGs had the toggle safety totally inside the trigger guard. Your model has it at the TG front, operated from both outside and inside, not ideal, but not as dangerous as the earlier configuration. As long as you're not working with thick gloves in sub-freezing temps, you should be okay. Or possibly say, your buddies should be okay (which is more than can be said for Dick Cheney's hunting partners).

As far as the wobbly buttstock, here's a link to the Numrich Arms schematic:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=5385

The buttstock tang screw is #68 (with lock screw #44). The forward screw, #57, is the mainspring screw (don't screw with it ).

The finish appears to be decent with some light freckling and discoloration. Try gently rubbing the bolt and blued exterior surfaces with oiled copper or bronze (not steel) wool (generally available at your local hardware store). This will remove a lot of the discoloration without removing the remaining bluing.

Enjoy your gun show find! I had a similar experience last year when I scored an RRAD rebuild IHC Garand mixmaster for $850. Not a steal, but a decent buy hidden amongst the Beanie Babies, beef jerky and Chinese cheapie crappola.

Yeah, I don't trust safeties of any kind, especially on old guns like this. Especially when located inside the trigger guard and sorta stiff haha. And thank you for the parts info; my only issue now is finding a screwdriver that can fit those outrageously thin crew slots...grr.

Am I right in thinking that bolt removal is suicidally difficult (for someone who knows as little about the gun as I do)?

Yeah, as stated earlier, these guns are prone to cracked stocks AND cracked bolts. My forend has a hair line crack, but there's a few guys out there making really high end replacement wood stocks and I plan on going that route aftwr the rest of my gun has been restored.

There is a hairline crack in the back of the forend, which i think i may just squeeze some wood glue into.

Of course, when i took it apart, it looks like the brass friction disk was on backwards, so maybe that's why there was a crack and a need for a pad!

I assume this auto-5 is also not slug-friendly? Though the polychoke is labelled as opening up to Improved Cylinder...

[Shrubmaster]

Youtube is your friend. As ferr ya polychoke, get a nice digital caliper and test its true range of choke and do some birdshot test fires before attempting any slugs. may just be better off finng another barrel and canning that choke (I've heard horror stories).

[Shrubmaster]

On another note, all the proof marks on your gun makes my 11 look extremely plain and "run of the mill", there's only a few marks on mine and they simply don't tell a story like yours.

[Ergo the Qualmed]

On another note, all the proof marks on your gun makes my 11 look extremely plain and "run of the mill", there's only a few marks on mine and they simply don't tell a story like yours.

They sure are plentiful, I just wish i knew what story they actually were telling!

As far as this gun goes:

According to the guy I bought it from, it belonged to a dear friend of his that recently passed away; the guy's daughter wanted the fellow I bought it from to sell it.

Kinda sad, y'know? This Auto-5 lasted him for many decades, and in the end outlived him; it sorta makes me feel oddly happy to be giving the gun a new home, a life outside the display case or gun buyback center, where it will continue to be used ~80 years after it was built. Like, somehow this guy's legacy goes on in the shotgun.

I dunno, maybe it's odd, but that's just how I feel haha. I must not be getting enough sleep...

/sentimental moment over

[choprzrul]

The Browning A-5 shoulders, points, and shoots like none other for me. I've got a 16ga and a Magnum 12ga. Love them both.

Congrats on your score!

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