1957 A-5 shotgun

A buddy of mine has a Browning Sweet Sixteen. Great gun. And I can honestly say that this is a gun that people do love, not like, but love. My friend's Browning was discovered in his father-in-law's basement after his passing. It was lovingly wrapped and stored in soft oiled cloth in a gun case hidden in the basement ceiling. From the state it was in, it was almost new, but looked to have been cleaned and oiled on a regular basis. No one in the family knew that this gun even existed. Apparently there was a gun accident in the mother-in-law's family early on in the marriage, so he, for the sake of domestic harmony, sold his firearms with the intent of always going back to owning guns after a fews years when the storm died down. He never did, other things kept getting in the way. But still, despite all this, he kept that Browning hidden in the basement, the one gun he could not part with.

from http://www.kimdutoit.com/dr/weblog.php?id=P2344

Here's a shotgun which is not only liked, but loved by people who've ever owned it. The Browning Auto-5 (sometimes called the "humpback") was the first semi-auto shotgun made, and was designed by the Man Himself, John Moses Browning. Even among his many other designs (eg. the Colt 1911), the Auto-5 is regarded as Browning's best design. Stories of its reliability and ruggedness are legion: at one point, the Auto-5 was the waterfowl piece, and without which few hunters considered their gun safe complete.

Many shotgunners think, incidentally, that the venerable Auto-5 is still the fasest-cycling semi-auto shotgun, matched only recently by Benelli and the new Brownings.

Production began in 1902, and ended in 1999, which means that the asking price of the Auto-5 has shot up, and no one makes accessories for them anymore.

[pause to allow boos, jeers and catcalls to subside]

Personally, I blame the Democrats. Wasn't Bill Clinton President in 1999?

To give you an idea of the Auto-5's popularity, the two-millionth Auto-5 was produced in 1970 at the FN-Herstal factory in Belgium. Other A5s were made under licence by the Japanese company Miroku, but these are not as treasured as the Belgian-made models (although still as expensive).

This one, the "Light Twelve", is listed at Collector's Firearms for $1,095 -- other models sell for less, although not much less.

Other versions are the Magnum (12ga. and 20ga. only), the "Sweet Sixteen" (the "Light" 16ga.), and the "Light Twenty". All calibers are available in "Standard" weight, which may be preferable from a recoil-management perspective -- taming recoil is the only area where the Auto-5 trails the competition (and even then, not by much).

Barrel lengths vary from 24" to 30". The length of the barrel can sometimes (but not always) be estimated by the "pet" names given to the various types: "Shooters" come with the shorter barrels, "Stalkers" with 26" barrels, and so on. People will often have swapped barrels from the original format, so it's not always a reliable guide. The "Buck Special", of course, is a slug gun with a rifled barrel.

So... why should I get an Auto-5 instead of one of the new whizz-bang modern ones painted in a camo pattern?

Well, duh... because it's an old gun, of course -- the same reason to want a Winchester 1894, a Colt 1911 or a Remington Police revolver. All were designed a century or more ago, and all are still outstanding examples of firearms engineering.

The Auto-5 still belongs in every serious shooter's safe, for its heritage if for no other reason. And some day, a Sweet Sixteen will be in mine.

[jerry]

My dad shooting his A5 12ga around 15 years ago

he's got good taste in shootin' irons

[DANA]

For me nothing mounts and points like the HUMP BACK. My very close second place are my Marlin Mod 90,s

DANA

[Oxford]

My Sweet Sixteen is one beautiful gun. It's loaded with extra's, too, including recoil pad, poly choke, ventilated rib, and of course the gold plated trigger. The original finish is in excellent condition, as well as the other parts of the gun. Guess my $100 investment in 1961 has turned into an excellent investment. Wouldn't sell it for $1,000 today. It's the top gun in my gun cabinet, for sure. :nod:

well I dropped it off at the local gunsmith for a detail clean and good going over :right: might not see it for awhile..he's kinda busy

[G Hollingsworth]

In looks only

Originally Posted by G Hollingsworth

In looks only

Que' ?

[jerry]

HA!

"Que' ? "


Usually I get thet from LD

[Oxford]

...then I'll add a double ? Explain that comment, bud. I'm a wait'in. Da :nod:

[Arby]

Dear Logansdad,

The A-5 Mag 12 was offered in 32" barrels, and the buck special was a smooth bore, not a rifled bore barrel; though I do not mean to be argumentative. If there was a "light" version of the "Sweet 16" I am unaware of it. If it exists, I;d buy it tomorrow. There was a light 20, and a light 12, as well as a standard12 (my personal favorite), but the 12 guage was the only one with three models: light, standard, and Mag. The 20 came in light & mag without an intervening model. To my knowledge, there was only one model of the 16.

I just cut and pasted what I found at that link Arby :right:

[navyeoseabee]

hello i became a member when i ran accross the google search of a 1957 a5 now after pm-ing oxford and i am now a proud owner of a shot gun that seems to have alot of history that i do not know anything about.
here is what i have

left side of the barrel says:
BROWNING ARMS COMPANY ST LOUIS Mo. MADE IN BELGUM
near the reciver i just noticed two items
a oval with 12-7c in the middle and above thar it looks like a letter or symbol EG and a star below it

right side"
**SPECIAL STEEL-12 GUAGE- SHELLS 2,3/4
that side i do under stand

reciver left side says:
LIGHT TWELVE
BROWNING

the SN is last three is 215 which matches none of the info on browning's webpage
all i can find is the G= light but unknow what year it is ? any help

thank you for your help oxford and if any one can help with my new investment i would appreciate it -arick



here is a few pics also

[Oxford]

Check your PM for more details I've sent you about the information you posted about your gun.

[Old Soldier]

Personal opinion is that if the A5 your looking at is that clean you better grab it quick for $450! Mine is clean as a pin and I have kept it that way. I have killed more than my fair share with my A5. I have taken an untold number of squirrels, quail, ducks, deer and a few hundred geese. I have never had a glitch in it's function, it has always performed flawlessly. When you look at it from a distance of ten feet you would swear it was almost brand new. Only when you get close do you see the discoloration around the edges of the wood where it meets the metal from applying a light coat of oil to protect it from rust. Also you then see the small dings and scratches in the finish of the wood. My browning was Belgian made and I have been offered over $1000.00 for it. I got it as a H.S. graduation present in 1972 and will still have it when I die. I have my Dad's Model 11 Remington that was made from the Browning Patent which was given to him by my Grandfather who bought it the year my Dad was born (1927). It has some age on it yet it still performs without a hitch, though in 1979 the firing pin finally wore out and had to be replaced. That gun was used to feed a family of 9 kids during the rough years of the depression.

So Logansdad, if you want a truly amazing shotgun you better grab that A5 quick and don't complain about the $450 that it will cost you. You won't regret it one iota.