Tell me about the Browning A5!

I am thinking about buying an old humpback, but don't know much about them. Any comments on reliability, durability, handling, their practicality for hunting today, etc. would be appreciated.

I would mostly use it for upland hunting, so will probably go with a 20 gauge. However, I haven't ruled out a 12 gauge in case I ever get an invite to a duck blind.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob

My Dad bought a 12 guage 2-3/4" in 1964 and hunted everything from squirrels to geese and turkeys with it until the early 90's. Only problem he ever had was it not chambering the second round and that was just a switch that flipped on the receiver. Only 'retired' it to try something new. Didn't last long though and he was back to the A-5 until I got him a 20 guage BPS. The A-5 has a very distinctive lock-up sound, used to drive our Springer Spaniel nuts if you did it out of season, we'd have to let him out to hunt in the back yard.

My grandfather bought one in the early 70s but didn't use it too much. It's mine now and spends much of it's time in the safe but man is it sweet to shoot!

They're great guns neither of us would ever give them up willingly. Once you've patterned one and shot a box at clays, you'll see what I mean.

Ken

I have my dad's old Belgium made Light Twelve. Ventilated rib, 26 inch barrel, modified. Great on quail and rabbits. It handles great and fits me like a glove. But it has so much sentimental value that I am almost afraid to use it. I recently purchased a GSP pup and am trying to get him intimately aquainted with Mr. Bob, to the point that I am going to steal my brothers Jap made 20 gauge A-5 when he comes home for Christmas. It is a little lighter and points exactly where the birds are. No sentimental value invested and since he lives in PA. I will get to use it until he comes back this summer.
Seriously, no other semi-auto in that price range seems to be as well made. If you do not believe me cycle the action on a Browning and listen to the steel sing to you. Do the same with a Remington or Winchester and you will hear the difference.
And I should add that my dad's gun ( made in '56 ) has had thousands of rounds run through it and has never seen the inside of a smith's shop. Still tight as a preacher's wife but alot better looking.

[ 11-26-2003, 16:48: Message edited by: crowrifle ]

I'll second or third the above. Reliable and very durable. Action cycle/recoil a bit different than what you may be accustomed to but one quickly adjusts to the mild shove and music that accompanies. One has to move a collet under the forearm to switch from light to heavy loads, a 1 minute drill.

Three generations of quail hunters in the family use the Sweet 16 from Belgium on quail and upland game. All choked modified. I have mixed emotions about the choke but will not install tubes in mine. Perhaps the newer Jap models of the 16 have tubes. FWIW, it's the only A5 variant I'd care to own, and it will handle the broad sweep of game in the U.S., exception being the use of steel shot. Use Bismuth for waterfowl with the old Brownings or get one of the Jap models for steel.

My 16 was new in '58, went back to Browning for a face lift in '80. No repairs other than that and it has probably had 20-30k rounds thru it. Usually takes a case or two of ammo to break one in though.

Digital Dan, not wishing to pry but would you give me a ball park price as to what that face lift cost. Been considering the same for mine. Thanks.

The only shotgun my dad ever owned was a Sweet 16 A5. He shoot pheasants, ducks, geese, deer, rabbits, grouse, ...etc. I have it now that he is gone. it's pretty worn but functions flawlessly. I love the old hummbacks.

I own dozens of shotguns, but I hunt with an old A5.

It is reliable, but I have other reliable shotguns.

What I really like about it is how I can hit stuff with it.
I call it "my never miss gun".

Mine is a full choke and I shoot steel shot.
I can shoot the head off a duck at the limit of shotgun range.

The A-5 is probably the best hunting shotgun ever produced. The "humpback" design makes for an extremely long sighting plane, and it just seems to naturally align your eye with the barrel and the game. Ditto what has been said about durability. One thing not mentioned is the speed loading feature which allows you to thumb a shell into an empty magazine after the last shot and have it go straight to the chamber for a quick follow-up. This feature has earned me quite a few extra birds in the bag over the years when a straggler gets up after the covey flush or a couple of doves follow up the rear behind the lead group.

I favor the small gauges. If you are going after anything other than waterfowl or something like turkeys, my advice is to go with the 20 gauge. You will find the 20 to be magic for dove, quail, partridges, and even pheasants. Besides, you shouldn't use steel shot in the Belgian models anyway due to the exquisitely thin steel used in the barrels, so that kinda regulatorily eliminates them as waterfowlers.

I'm taking my 50's vintage A-5 out for a case of shells, this weekend. Lovely gun. I second the "can't miss gun" sentiment. At first I hated the thing because it beat the heck out of me on every shot until I replaced the springs and friction pieces. The old springs were about 20% shorter than the new, and the friction piece slid freely on the magazine tube. The new parts really softened up the recoil.

The only hitch with the new parts is they take some time to break in, and the gun sometimes wouldn't cycle for lighter shooters (I'm 270 lbs, so there were no problems for me)

It would behoove any A-5 owner to get these parts from Brownells.
Recoil Spring 149-005-378
Friction Spring 149-005-215
Friction Ring 149-005-205
Friction Piece, Bronze 149-005-197
Action Spring 149-005-001

[ 11-26-2003, 23:29: Message edited by: The Duh-merican ]

I have a 1935 model in 16 ga. My grandfather used it in south Louisiana for duck hunting when duck limits were much different than today. Hundreds of rounds fired in a salt water environment.I got it in 1969 and used it for much the same purpose in Texas salt marshes ,along with a lot of doves,squirrels and 2 deer. I completely stripped it in 1988 and cleaned the inside of the receiver.It was packed with powder residue but the gun had never missed a beat. Nothing was especially worn. The mechanism fitted together like a watch and some of the interior pieces were even engine turned.It's my dove gun now and still gets a couple of hundred rounds per year thru it and the only thing noticeable about the gun other than being worn grey and the checkering being slick is that it is starting to develope the "Browning crack" at the base of the forearm.
It was converted to 2 3/4" in 1958 and had a Weaver choke added at that time because the choke was shot out of the barrel. I keep hoping it will wear out so I can get another one, but I think it has another 70 years in it. I guess by now you realize i'm impressed by the Auto 5 but there are a lot of them in my part of the country and mine is not an uncommon experience.
Covey

The A-5 is a fantastic gun. My father shot literally thousands of shells through one (he was a "one gun" kind of guy. I've got several, 20ga, 12 ga, 12 ga magnum, etc. They were made in Belgium for a long time then production moved to Japan. I've got several of both. The Jap guns are made just as well if not better than the Belgium ones. The newer Jap guns were back-bored and had screw in chokes. They are also a little heavier than the Belgium ones. the only complaint most people have is the recoil which to me isn't bad if you have the friction rings set correctly. I've literally fished mine out of the bottom of beaver ponds with no ill effects.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bobvthunter:
[QB]Tell me about the Browning A5!

My Grand dad bought a Rem 11 (12ga)before WWI, he and his three boys hunted with it until his death in 1954 (Browning sold Rem the patent to produce the 11 and it and an A-5 are the same). Dad boutht another A-5(16ga) in 1946 and hunted it until giving it to my brother. He gave me and A-5 in 1960 (16ga). He bought another A-5 in 1972 (20ga) and hunted until he was 85 and gave it to my niece, who hunts it now. I now have the Rem 11 and last I shot it was in 1973 when I got a "double" on Canada Geese. I am confident that I can take it out of the safe and it will still do the same today. To my knowledge none of these shotguns have had as much as a spring replaced.

A-5's and their Remington coutnerparts are durable to say the least and very reliable.

When Browning decided to discontinue the A-5 I bought one. I found a 1950 built light 12.

It is the best shotgun I have ever owned and shoots great!

I learned to shoot trap with a Browning A-5 many years ago. Dad traded an old SXS for it and used it many years before I got my hands on it. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

A "light 12" with a full choke, it has filled the freezer with birds many times over, fired thousands of rounds of A-A's in 8 1/2, seen many a goose pit, and piled up an enviable varmint record. It was at its best with 1 1/4 oz #4 shot, and I couldn't tell you how many phesants were shot at over 65 yards, but it's a pile of 'em.

I retired that A-5 in the 90's. Replaced it with a BPS thinking they would be much the same, they aren't as the 12 gauge BPS is a much larger, and heavier gun. With steel shot in mind I was going to buy a 10 guage, but never did as they are even larger yet, to the point of being "clunky".

I still shoot the A-5 from time to time, and it always does its job, if I do mine. It's a true "classic".

If it's possible to say you love a gun, I loved my old Browning Auto-5. You can still find them used at gun shows. Buy one with a 30" vent ribbed tube, then later on get a slug barrel with rifle sights for deer and you're pretty well set for life. I even used mine for trap shooting. I was never very popular with it on the trap range because the spent shells fly everywhere, and most trap ranges don't appreciate you scurrying about picking up spent casings. Some of the older ones also have very attractive stocks. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Update. My old A-5 and my new GSP pup lucked up on a good sized covey of birds Thanksgiving day. The birds flushed wild but most of the singles flew to a hedgerow that borders a large field. Jake finally got it figured out and we managed to knock down 4 of those birds. I quit shooting after that and just let him work on finding the singles. It was one great afternoon.

[ 11-28-2003, 21:45: Message edited by: crowrifle ]

I had a 20 that I picked up at an auction for $125 not too long ago. It looked like it was some farmers truck gun, but it cleaned up okay.

100% reliable with any ammo I fed it. I especially like the magazine cutoff.
It was not quick to shoulder for me, I kept bringing the gun up too high.

If you like the feel and fit, then go for it, they have been making them for 100 years with few changes so that must tell you something.

Stonecreek is dead on the money regarding shooting steel shot through a Belgian made gun....don't do it! 30" barrels were designed to make the best use of the "slower" powders of yesteryear. With todays ammo, a 26" barrel will quicken your swing and reach just as far. I retired my 1972 Belgian made 20 gauge A5 when steel shot became mandatory and went with a 12 gauge for all the reasons you've read here, plus the fact that I can completely disassemble/clean the salt spray/mud out of my 870 using a nail.

Let me pile on here. I have a Light 12 with a mod. original barrel that is deadly on Sporting Clays and really upsets the O/U crowd. I bought a jap barrel chocked Full at a local gunshow for $75 for steel shot and it works well for Pheasants, Ducks, Geese and even the 'high flyers' on Kodiak.

I would never sell it and see no reason to buy another as this one will last forever. I find the recoil substantially less than the Rem. 1100.