1951 Browning Auto 5

[SoCal Survivalist]

A friend of mine has one of these, and is looking for info on them.

He has a Browning Auto 5 slug gun, (has rifle sights), with serial numbers that place it in having been made in 1951. The gun was mad in Japan, as is stamped on the barrel.

Does anyone know any interesting history of these?
What is this worth?

[WDE91]

bonie and clyde used a chopped down one

[lmudave]

Barrel is not original as in 1951 it would have been made in Belgium. I have a few that I love. Cool old gun with some neat history and a brilliant design.

[Sicarius]

the A5 was designed over 100 years ago. It is a brilliant design that to this day, still rivals some other semi autos in reliability and functionality. It is still the fastest shotgun to chamber a round from empty with the bolt locked back. Simply feed a shell into the magazine tube and it will automatically feed a round into the chamber and close the bolt. Did I mention brilliant? Great shotgun. Not the softest shooting by a long shot when compared to other semi's but still one of my favorites. They just started producing them again too.
Kevin

[Bend]

the A5 was designed over 100 years ago. It is a brilliant design that to this day, still rivals some other semi autos in reliability and functionality. It is still the fastest shotgun to chamber a round from empty with the bolt locked back. Simply feed a shell into the magazine tube and it will automatically feed a round into the chamber and close the bolt.

The early A5's had a one piece carrier that would not allow this. A 2 piece carrier is required. I think the change happened sometime in the '40's.

Did I mention brilliant? Great shotgun. Not the softest shooting by a long shot when compared to other semi's but still one of my favorites. They just started producing them again too.
Kevin

New and old A5:

http://www.browning.com/products/interactive/firearms/a5/index.asp

[Sicarius]

Forgot that little bit of info. Lol.
Kevin