Browning Auto-5: Need Input

Smoothbore

Smoothbore

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
The Browning Auto-5 in 12 gauge.

There is a regular Auto-5 and "Lite" Auto-5, is this correct?
These are gas operated, yes? Made in Belgum?
Does the "5" refer to mag capacity?

I am looking at one made in the mid-1960s. How do they compare
to "modern" gas semi-autos? Any pros and cons?

Would this be ok for casual skeet and clay?

Thanks
 
Basicly the same gun today as long long ago, 1903 I think, never looked it up.
The action is recoil operated, the barrel moves rearward to toss the spent shell casing.Its fairly heavy, the lite version is obviously lighter, a fine old browning, the ''hump back'' is its nickname.
Frank
 
You're right, they are heavy. Not a gun you want to want throught the bush with all day. My father bought his new in 1954 and I still use it. It is the best turkey gun going with the extra full choke. It was made in Belgium, very solid gun great to shoot, fits well and it NEVER jams. Of course I am a Browning die hard. The reason they made it for so long was because it worked and it worked well. Some of the newer stuff just doesn't compare. I have some new stuff and I love my Auto 5. Real steel for a real gun.
 
If what you want is a target gun, even an informal one, there are better choices than the Auto 5.

In it's day the Auto 5 was a magnificent breakthrough in firearms design and development. The bad news was its day was a century ago.

As a design it is complex relative to more modern guns. The forearm has a tendency to crack, it is not always reliable with light loads and restocking one is potentially an expensive proposition.

If the gun was made in the 60's it's a Belgian gun. Browning specifically recommends against using the Belgian guns with steel shot which is something to keep in mind if you ever intend to use this gun for waterfowl. Also it would have left the factory with a fixed choke and interchangeable chokes make a gun much more versatile for clay shooting.

Better choices would be the Remington 1100, Beretta 300 series, Browning Gold or Benellis.
 
Have a '63, love it. I use mine mostly for ducks and geese and it has never jammed. It originaly came with a 32" ribbed barrel that I replaced with an 28" Invector II barrel and screw in chokes. Swings a lot nicer now too. The beauty with this barrel is that it drops right in and I still can use the old one... if I ever get around to chasing turkeys. :)

RC
 
I have an A5 Light 12 Belgian. Love it. It has a 30" barrel full choke. It shoots Brenneke slugs into a 4" group @100 yards. Mine has never jammed. With the recoilling barrel, recoil is barely noticeable. I have a B-Square scope mount on her with a Bushnell Banner 1.5x4.5x32 scope. Great gun. I used to use it for trap, skeet and sporting clays on occasion and it handles the light loads very well as long as you remember to reverse the rings. Would not hesitate to buy another. -Jason
 
It will be perfectly fine for casual skeet and clays. But find a Light gun, not a magnum, if you want to shoot standard/target loads. And get a decent recoil pad fitted.
 
ENERGYBOSS said:
Same with the 1911 and mauser 98? good is good.
Click to expand...
Yes and no.

Even JMB thought the 1911 could be improved. It's called the High Power. Strip down a Sig Sauer and compare it with a 1911 from a design standpoint and the better design is obvious. The 1911 is my favourite semi-auto pistol but it wouldn't be my first choice for duties other than paper punching.

The Mauser 98 is a design that really hasn't been improved upon if we are comparing controlled-feed bolt actions. It's one of the reasons that I consider Mauser and a couple of others worthy of more respect and praise than John Browning.
 
I always wanted an Auto 5 myself and over the last couple years picked up two off the Exchange Forun here. One was made in 1963 and the other in 1967 and both in excellent condition. The full choke A5 surprized me on the trap field and I've shot that better than my dedicated trap guns ( BT-99 and Citori ) which I've since sold. With the Mod barrel in, informal Sporting Clays lets you play with a 100 year old classic design.

Don't use them for hunting as they are heavy guns to lug in the woods. To save the wood from getting dinged I picked up a Ram - Line synthetic stock set which can be installed in a couple minutes - got that off the exchange Forum as well.

The Auto 5 dosn't compare to say my Beretta 391 Sporting but then it was never meant to. I bought them as classic guns and truly a pleasure to own and shoot.

Regards,

REM3200
 
JMB deigned the HP to compete with the 9 mil crowd,he never even got to see it! The Sig is just a stamped reciever(except the .357 sig which has a machied all steel slide)just like a newer AK! The fireing block is pinned into this stamped reciever!!

Tell me how this is superiour to the 1911A1 or the Mod 35!

Better yet very few (maybe one) cycle faster than the A5,or the Remington model 11!

The only Sig I see superiour would be the Sig 210!

Also just from a collectors view what would be wrong with owning the very first auto-loader?

Same as a P-38 Walther(first auto loader DA /SA)not a many rounds as an M9,but still stone cold reliable!

Browning also made two versions of the BHP,one with iternal extractor and one external!

Kimber did that also,and learned it's lesson(back to internal)!

A5's and 1911's just the way JMB designed them(KISS)!

Bob
 
I tried to edit this post but could not,just want to add that the A5 light twelve (with a matted 26 inch barrel)weighs less than a mod 1100 with ribbed 28 inch barrel!!

So much for weight of the A5!

Bob
 
bobbyjack said:
Also just from a collectors view what would be wrong with owning the very first auto-loader?
Click to expand...
Absolutely nothing but the original question asked for opinions on the A5 as it compares to more modern designs. My view is that there are better designed and performing guns available.

I am not one of those people who gets all dewy eyed at the mere mention of John Browning's name. I don't think the A5 is in the same league as more modern autoloaders particularly the Benellis.
 
Look at it this way. On one hand you could have a modern, fuel injected, fuel efficient, high-horsepower motor like out of a Corvette or the new Hemi. Zero maintenance required, will run like a Swiss watch.

Or you could choose a '63 426 Max Wedge engine, with dual Holleys on top of a giant cross ram manifold, solid lifters, 13:1 CR, headers, and an idle like a cold-hearted she-b!tch from hell.

Each has pros and cons. They can't even be compared, let alone decide which one is 'better'.

If in doubt, get one of each!
 
I would just like to make one thing clear to Smoothbore which does not seem to be mentioned previously. The A-5 is not gas operated! It is recoil operated, which means that rather that bleeding off gas from a port in the barrel, the action works as follows -

The powder gas expands and acts against the breech bolt , forcing it and the barrel, which are locked together as a single unit, rearward. Thus the action spring and the recoil spring are compressed during the rearward movement by the bolt and barrel. At the end of the travel, the barrel is unlocked from the bolt and under the power of the recoil spring is pushed forward. It is at this time that the empty shell is ejected. The bolt is held back momentarily, then released and moves forward under the force of the action spring. This is when a fresh round is picked up from the magazine and fed into the chamber and the gun is ready for a subsequent shot.

This is a simplified explanation - the A-5 action is quite complex, and all the parts are in there for a reason. I think these old guns are fascinating, and if in good condition will provide many years of dependable service.
 
Plus what nobody is adding is that the Bennile is 1/13 of a secound faster than a Rem 1100,while an Auto5 will out shoot them both! The A5 has a two stage trigger(one hook catches the trigger)and one hook catches the hammer(on the way back into battery)so you are ready to fire quicker!

The bennnelli uses a trigger reset like the AK-47(and you will feel finger slap)if you try to bump or shoot too fast!

So JMB though it all out the first time out!

Bob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom