Classic Auto Five

Claybuster said:
I'm not an Auto 5 fan. Like most Browning designs the Auto 5 it is overly complex, difficult to disassemble, doesn't switch easily between light and heavy loads and IMO handles like a stump.

The Belgian-made guns are fixed choke and Browning advises not to use steel in them. Therefore you are limited to a Japanese-made model if you want choke tubes and plan to use steel. Having Briley install choke tubes doesn't make much sense because the cost of installation, the chokes and shipping will come close to what the gun is worth and you will not get that money back should you decide to sell the gun at some point.

Here's a thread that you might find of interest:

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1584639-A5-bolt-stuck-to-the-rear

The Auto 5 was ground breaking in its day. That day was in 1902. There's nothing wrong with using an older design provided you go into the gun fully aware of its quirks and challenges.
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OMG someone that thinks like I do about them. I always say they handled like a log :)
 
saskbooknut said:
Funny how one's posting a respect for an obsolete design can be misinterpreted.
The Auto 5 succeeded because it just plain worked. When FN's long recoil patent expired in 1947 a number of derivatives immediately came to the marketplace, copying and building upon a successful design.
The Remington 1100 was the first truly successful gas operated semi-auto shotgun, fondly known as Jam-o-matic in the duck blind (among my friends, anyway). Their success was partly due to reparability and a reliable supply of parts. Self compensating gas operated designs are now available, which should prove to be more reliable and versatile. Gas operated guns inevitably need more attention to cleaning, but offer some reduction of perceived recoil.
Short recoil designs are very, very reliable in the best made guns.
A lot of progress has been made in the design of semi-auto shotguns since the Auto 5, but it is always good to remember where you have "come from".
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I owned and shot a number of 1100’s over a few short years. Short because IMO the way they jammed, went through o-rings, had parts fall off and/or split, snap or break during firing they should have been renamed LEMONHUNDRED!!
 
the spank said:
I owned and shot a number of 1100’s over a few short years. Short because IMO the way they jammed, went through o-rings, had parts fall off and/or split, snap or break during firing they should have been renamed LEMONHUNDRED!!
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Nothing I could not fix in 5 minutes with my eyes closed. Sure we carried spare parts when we shot them seriously but so what
What event did an auto 5 ever win :)
Was there even one :) maybe log rolling
I still have all of my sets of 1100's from as far back as 65 and they still shoot just fine. Where are all the A5 from those years
Guard rails maybe LOL
Cheers
 
3macs1 said:
Nothing I could not fix in 5 minutes with my eyes closed. Sure we carried spare parts when we shot them seriously but so what
What event did a auto 5 ever win :)
Was there even one :)
Cheers
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I came across a video one time of old time trap shooting. Twenties or thirties I believe and almost every gun on the line and shooters awaiting the field had A-5’s. Most had English style stocks. The rest were SXS’s. If you look at old ATA pics from the early 1900’s to about the war years(WW2) you’ll see a vast number of shooters with A-5’s. Must have been the autolader trap gun of it’s day? It’s also the time when the Ithaca singles were a popular gun.
 
the spank said:
I came across a video one time of old time trap shooting. Twenties or thirties I believe and almost every gun on the line and shooters awaiting the field had A-5’s. Most had English style stocks. The rest were SXS’s. If you look at old ATA pics from the early 1900’s to about the war years(WW2) you’ll see a vast number of shooters with A-5’s. Must have been the autolader trap gun of it’s day? It’s also the time when the Ithaca singles were a popular gun.
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LOL where they shooting glass balls
My grandfather shot in the ww2 years and all he left me was some real nice SXS's like model 21's and if A5 was the gun to have he would have had 6 of them at least where he shot and how he collected guns . The rem model 32 must have been still going then was it he had a 32 tc out of the 40's I remember for trap

Just playing with you trying to sturr the pot with looky since I know he loves his A5's :)
Cheers
 
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Why is are ypu guys so quick to dismis the Auto 5's. What can the Win 1100 do that it cant, and to be honest the only real problems with the design is the handguard cracking due to people not taking the time too switch the ring over.
 
Ilove12gshotguns said:
Is the Auto-5 still relevant today? yes and no,

The problem with most Auto-5's is that you cannot shoot steel threw them, and most have fixed chokes that severely limit there practical use in the field. Belgian made Auto-5's tend to hang on walls or get used strictly for "clays" purposes on account that they were not designed to shoot steel and have fixed ckokes, resulting with little use with todays modern high speed steel hunting loads.

Japanese made Auto-5's are made a little tougher and have longer forcing cones making them capable of shooting steel, but sadly again most are fixed chokes, again limiting their use. Since the Late 1980's to Early 1990's Japan started producing steel capable barrels with removable chokes, and when paired with a 12g 3" mag chamber, it makes the Auto-5 a real work horse in the field.

If you can find a one of those in good condition. Keep it....

Unfortunately parts are getting harder and harder to find. Plus certain parts are ungodly expensive, just take the wood forend for example. They can easily go for $200-$400 depending on condition, and if you CAN EVEN find a Jap barrel with a removable choke its worth $450++. Which gets me is most older Auto-5's are being sold for much less then the sum of their parts, with many examples being around the 350-450 mark on EE. At the same time look at Auto-5 barrels in the Parts section and you will se what I am talking about.


In my mind Browning Auto-5's are king, and as with any design that 100+ years old it has it quirks. That being sad if you give me a BNIB 12g 3" Auto-5 Japanese with removable chokes or a BNIB Super Black Eagle, I will take the Auto 5 any day.


Just my $.02
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ALL Belgian A5s with the stamp on the barrel "Special Steel" can safely and reliably use steel shot and 3" at that without changing the rings.
 
salarguy said:
ALL Belgian A5s with the stamp on the barrel "Special Steel" can safely and reliably use steel shot and 3" at that without changing the rings.
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Special steel stamping has nothing to do with steel shot. From browning books

The fact of the matter is that this "special steel" is nothing more special than any other quality alloy steel of the time. But the rumor mill turned over the years that there was something magical about Browning's "special steel" stamping and no one was about to toss out a good marketing ploy.
Check the browning web site
Cheers

1. WILL ACCEPT ALL CURRENT FACTORY STEEL SHOT LOADS:

All Browning shotguns with the Standard Invector, Invector-Plus or DS choke tube systems, However, we do not recommend the use of Invector full or extra full chokes with steel shot. They pattern too tightly, and sometimes result in a "blown" pattern.

2. WILL ACCEPT ALL CURRENT FACTORY STEEL SHOT LOADS EXCEPT THOSE WITH T, F, BB AND BBB SIZE SHOT:

The B-2000 and B-80 shotguns with conventional chokes (Non-Invector)

3. DO NO USE ANY STEEL SHOT LOADS:

The Belgian-made A-5, Superposed, Leige, and other Belgian Over/Under models, Double Automatic, American-made A-5 and all other models not listed in category 1 or 2. Note: Belgian Auto-5 barrels are interchangeable with the new Invector barrels which are made in Japan. With this new Invector barrel installed on the Belgian-made Auto-5 receiver, steel shot loads can be used.

YEAR OF PRODUCTION: Nearly all Browning firearms manufactured after 1975 have two letters in the serial number. The two letters indicate the year of manufacture: M=0, Z=1, Y=2, X=3, W=4, V=5, T=6, R=7, P=8, N=9.
 
Ilove12gshotguns said:
Why is are ypu guys so quick to dismis the Auto 5's. What can the REM 1100 do that it cant, and to be honest the only real problems with the design is the handguard cracking due to people not taking the time too switch the ring over.
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For me it was
hard to get parts for and expensive when you did find them
handled like a log in my arms
could not shoot steel shot
hated the humped receiver was like a poly choke on the end of a barrel I just kept seeing it
could not get them in the small gauges
butt ugly to look at :)
Don't like a recoil operated semi, gas is way softer recoil

Buy hey to each their own :)
Cheers
 
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salarguy said:
ALL Belgian A5s with the stamp on the barrel "Special Steel" can safely and reliably use steel shot and 3" at that without changing the rings.
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You are extremely uninformed my fellow gunnut. Special steel has been stamped on A-5’s since their inception. The original guns had it stamped in french “acier speciale”. Only the very later model A-5’s made in Japan could shoot steel shot. The A-5 was discontinued in 1990 and steel shot never became federally mandated for all states in the US until the 1991 waterfowl season and 1998 season in Canada. Special Steel stamped on an A-5 like any other Browning simply refers to the type of steel used and was a great marketing ploy as if Browning developed some new unheard of steel for their guns. It has absolutely zero to do with steel shot compatability.
 
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