Browning Auto-5 Magnum 12
The Auto-5 was the first successful semiautomatic shotgun design. My Papaw carried a Belgian-made Browning Sweet 16, and my little Franchi AL-48 20 gauge uses the same long-recoil mechanism. Some find the “double-shuffle” of the barrel snapping forward into battery distracting, but having known nothing else during my early shotgunning days, to me that’s exactly how an autoloader is supposed to feel.
I bought this shotgun with money I didn’t have when I learned that Japan’s Miroku had stopped producing them. Credit is frowned upon by those of my Papaw’s generation, but I used a Visa card to get one of the last three Auto-5 guns in existing stock at our local sporting goods store. Of all my gun purchases, the only ones I regret are the ones I didn’t make. I don’t have that credit card anymore, but the Browning is still my go-to gun. I hope I live long enough to wear it out, but like Papaw’s Sweet 16, all evidence points to someone else having another lifetime of hunting experience with it.
2 responses so far ↓
1 ellenbr // Jul 18, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I’ll agree that the A5s are somewhat noisy when compared to the slick Benelli SBE (the inertia system makes it so much more quiet?? – HA!) much less a double. There are really only 2 issues w/ the A5 which is the beating the forend experiences and keeping up w/ the friction rings (contractile collar-brake) in the off season. Little has changed, with the exception of the location of the safety, since John Moses Browning’s patent of 1903 (filed May 6, 1899) with 10k being sold world-wide by say 1905. I think most of the first ones were straight stocks, unlike your round knob or Prince of Wales grip, but could be ordered w/ different dimensions and stock types. And price; well if anyone is interested, the Regular Gun was $35 with Cockerill (John Cockerill, a very large iron and steel company in Belgium) tubes. One interesting feature is that the receiver is pretty thick at the rear which provides a block for whatever extreme shotshell cartridge one might choose to ignite.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
2 armchairoutfitter // Jul 18, 2008 at 10:06 pm
As usual, Raimey, you are right on. I have a running forend crack that is probably due to either the “Baby Mags” or some of my more ambitious handloads. As much as I hate to alter the classic good looks (in the eye of the beholder, right?) of the Auto-5, I may go with composite when I have to replace it. Search the terms Browning Auto-5 and forend or forearm crack sometime and see how many hits you get.
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