Gang, I have come across a very early FN-made Browning Auto 5, with straight grip stock, no magazine cutoff and four-digit serial dating it to the second year of FN's first 10,000-gun order from John Browning. It is a 1904-A variant, with FN label on left of receiver and Browning Automatic Arms Co., Ogden, UT USA on the barrel, marked COCKERILL STEEL.
It appears to be in fine mechanical condition with a very good bore. But stock shows hard use, with cracks, some of the screws are a bit buggered, and much of the blue is missing with some small rust spots and light pitting here and there.
I would like to hunt with this 111-year-old shotgun. How much restoration would you do, and why or why not?
Here's the right side of the receiver:

And the left:

And the barrel steel marking and proofs:

No restoration, looks like shooter grade to me. I'd hunt with it.

Ditto

In this case, anything you do to it to "restore" it, will not be recovered in any future sales price; so, clean it and leave it alone. Wax the wood and oil the metal. And you can shoot it.

Looks like a beauty, Bill. I'd keep it in good shooting shape and don't worry about restoration. The A5 always was a pleasure to shoot!

As with vintage sports cars, they're only original once. That one appears to be a keeper just as it is.

12 ga or 16 ga? I believe the 16's of that age had the short chamber (65mm). I don't have any experience with any 12's that old, just something to check.
C.G.B.

Very hard to almost impossible to get parts for this gun FYI...I wouldn't spend any money on it. Just shoot it. They have little resale value.