I didn't mean to imply that longer 16-gauge shells weren't available in the 40 or 50 years prior to Remington bringing out their autoloaders. In my early ammo catalogues paper 16-gauge shells are available in the standard 2 9/16 inch length and in 2 3/4 inch, 2 7/8 inch and 3 inch. In those days, the factory loaded longer shells didn't pack a heavier payload, but more and better wadding to give a better gas seal.
The Browning A5 built by FN in Belgium got into production in 1903 and the first 10000 units were marketted by SD&G in the U.S. bearing the name Browning Automatic Arms Company. The year 1904 marked the beginning of new restrictive tariffs on foreign products. Facing such punitive rates, John M. Browning negotiated with FN for the rights to manufacture and sell the Auto-5 in the United States. He inked a deal with Remington, and they got their Autoloading Gun (later Model 11) on the market in 1905. After John M. Browning's death in 1926, his sons and nephews established a new company to import and market the Browning guns built by FN, beginning with the A5 and preparing for the Superposed.
