doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Slightly off topic: Browning A5

I know it's not a double but you guys are the experts I trust.
What are the key points on a 16 ga A5? I can't tell a $500 one from a $1500 one but a local shop has the nicest one I've seen for $799. I don't need it not even sure I want it but if ever I do I think this is it ?
Great original finishes. Darker wood appears hand checkered not blond gloss stuff
Light scroll and Brownings face on the action. Very slender forarm. Crown and circle and 16-70 on left side of barrel. FN browning automatic on hard rubber buttplate

Doesn't sound like the "sweet sixteen". Rather a regular A-5. I have one that belonged to my Grandfather; no money could buy it, but I don't shoot it because it has a "suicide safety" inside the trigger guard I don't like.

The older ones had 2 9/16 chambers and won't eject a 2 3/4 shell. Most of those have been 'converted' by extending the chamber and opening the ejector port. What to shoot in it is problematic. The spring and friction rings were adjustable for "high and low brass" shells which doesn't mean anything anymore. Yours seems to be a newer one with 2 3/4 chambers (at least that's what the barrel is) with the 16/70 marking.

You have to experiment. High enough pressure to eject is necessary, but too much will split the fore-end wood. You'll have to get used to the double shuffle ejection business too...Geo

I once had a gentleman bring me a nice early 16ga Browning A5 which he had on trial. He had shot it & it had jammed. The barrel was plainly marked 2 3/4" but I knew the gun should have been from the 2 9/16" era. Examination showed the barrel was a replacement & the receiver had not been modified. I explained to him what would be required to make it function with regular 2 3/4" shells & he decided to pass on it & wait for another, which I thought was a smart move. If you plan to use 2 3/4" shells be certain the receiver is compatible. On the A5 just changing barrels is not enough.

The gun in question is a 2-3/4" gun. The 16-70 on the barrel refers to guage and chamber length in mm. 70mm = 2-3/4".

If it is a sweet sixteen (lightweight) it will be marked so and have a gold trigger and have holes drilled in the barrel's magazine ring.

If the gun is in very nice condition and is not messed with, that price sounds reasonable to me.

I have on old one with the front triger and a solid rib. It looked like it was re-blued and the stock (and recoil pad) were a disaster. I got it for abut $200 plus the credit from cheap .22 I won at an NRA dinner.

Redid the stock. It now is my "Go To" gun for for second season doves. Choked full and it really reaches out there. I eaven take it to the sporting clay range sometimes for fun.

It must have been modified at the factory becuase it shoot just about any 16 ga load I put it it flawlessly.

Re: Forends. A slpit A5 forend is typical. I have repaired several. I use epoxy and fiberglass window screen. IMO they break mostly becuase they were shot without the forend cap being tightened.

The above are just my thoughts, but a tread about an A-5 16 ga makes me happy to chime in!

Jerry

The standard weight 16's are very nice, if a bit (obviously) heavy.

The engraving was cut very deep on the older guns, and as you mention the checkering was very well done.

It is likely a 2 3/4" gun, but as mentioned you should verify.

They are fun to shoot. The gun is alive, and the action working has a certain charm after you get used to it and learn to appreciate the genius of the design.

A couple things... it's a recoil operated gun. You can adjust the friction by changing the rings to the correct orientation. The beveled edge of the bronze friction piece should be toward the muzzle, and for just about any shell made today the other ring should be stowed below the barrel spring and not used.

Very light loads are not good for the gun. This is because to get them to function, the spring steel clip needs to be removed from around the bronze friction piece. The bad part is that the bronze piece also controls the speed of return to battery and without the clip the barrel comes forward with more speed. Thus the cracked fore stocks.

It's not heavy shells that crack fore stocks, it's the speed of the barrel returning to battery and the actual recoil of the shell has nothing to do with that. The barrel spring is compressed the same amount by any shell that fully drives the action rearward, thus is has the same stored energy. The friction system acts much like a recoil buffer on the return stroke.

Shooting the thing with the bronze piece removed will almost guarantee a cracked fore stock. I'm pretty sure this is why we see so many of them with cracks. It's easier to remove the friction piece than to clean the gun, and indeed a few used A-5's are found on the rack with that piece missing.

Everyone should own at least 1 FN Browning A5. As Shotgunjones stated the guns feel alive. They just work, I've got an early 60's Light Twelve 26" imp cyl that I use to hunt and fun sporting clays, can't seem to miss and gun handles very well.
Sound like the one you are looking at is pretty nice, here is a pretty long thread over on Shotgun World that may help you with a time frame and give you an idea what to look for. As far as price,799 if all original and excellent shape is an ok price, 50 to 100 bucks less would be better.
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=216472

Picked up this one a few weeks ago, first year,all original,1903, serial 2182.

I seem to recall the better/older ones had screws not pins when you look at the bottom of the action.

http://www.gun-tests.com/special_reports...ml#.VIGoA8mmXIo

No pad FN @ 799 seems reasonable-take a look at GB and see what they are going for.Be sure to check the forearm for a crack-very common and not a deal killer but might help in valuing it.

Peoples likes & dislikes being so variable I personally do not feel there is any item, shotgun or otherwise, which has ever been built that "Everyone should own at least 1". "MY" personal feeling on the A5 is that in the Sweet 16 version it has about the best feel & balance of any once barreled repeater made. Then I shot one, my uncles sweet 16, & felt that "Live Action" of the barrel flopping around like a dying snake in the grass.
At that point I lost all desire to "Get Used To" that certain charm of that flopping barrel. Having shot a few others over the years, all belonging to someone else :Fortunately", my opinion has not changed. I am fully aware that many folks used them & swore by them, & still do, but they're just not for me as long as my old Lefever SxS holds out & I am quite certain it's going to outlive me.

They are very popular in these parts. I get them in quite often for not cycling. The fix is always the same, a good cleaning and proper friction ring set up. I kinda like them but have never carried on in the field as there is always a double at hand.