Confessions of a Browning A-5 Aficionado
By Randy Wakeman
A browning auto-5 shotgun with the serial number you provided,was made by FN of belguim for browning in 1914. Where is the serial number on a browning citori shotgun? On the receiver.
Browning Auto 5 20 Gauge Serial Numbers Identification
- 1976-1997 In 1976 Browning standardized its serial number identification which it followed until 1998. Auto-5 Type 151=Magnum 12 gauge 161=Magnum 20 gauge 211=Light 12 gauge 221=Sweet 16 231=Light 20 gauge 2. Date of Manufacture is a two digit code Z=1 Y=2 X=3 W=4 V=5 T=6 R=7 P=8 N=9 M=0 3. Serial Number beginning with 01001 at the start of.
- Belgian Browning Auto 5 Semi-Automatic 20 Gauge ShotgunManufactured in 1962. 2 3/4' chamber, improved cylinder choke, and 14 1/4' LOP.
- The first Browning Skeet Model Auto-5 was introduced in 1935 in both 12 gauge and 16 gauge. Browning added the Sweet Sixteen to its line in 1937 to provide a lightweight model of the 16-ga.
- To find your serial number, you will need to refer to your owner's manual. We have most owner's manuals online. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided on serial numbers and dates of manufacture are accurate, records on early production models such as the Auto-5 and Superposed shotguns were not included due to.
The Browning A-5, the most important semi-automatic shotgun ever made, is likelyalso one of the most misunderstood shotguns, despite its 110 year history. Thereis an amazing amount of misinformation and misunderstanding about what it was,what it is and what it does. Although at its best in the field, the A-5 won itsfair share of National Skeet Championships in the form of the Remington Model 11.Whether an A-5, the license-built Savage 720 or Remington Model 11, or theversions after the Browning patents ran out (Remington 11-48, Franchi AL48,etc.), the A-5 is easily the most influential shotgun ever made.
It was not designed to be quickly completely disassembled. The ultra-thin screws ofthe Belgian A-5 served as a deterrent to the would-be home gunsmith. Likelymore A-5's have been damaged by amateur smithing attempts than any other gun.The information is readily available on what to do, though. Anyone can downloadthe field service manual from Midwest Gun Works if they are curious. I'm oftenasked by people who have inherited or otherwise obtained fifty year old A-5's 'what they should do.' Well, almostevery mechanical device that you care about deserves a professional serviceevery fifty or sixty years, whether you think it really needs it or not.
Art's Gun and Sports Shop of Hillsboro, Missouri is the best in the business. You cantune into Art's at http://www.artsgunshop.com and watch videos of Art Isaacson himself bringing an oldA-5 twenty gauge back to life. While periodic field-stripping, inspection,lubrication and normal cleaning is easy enough as described in the A-5 ownersmanual, beyond replacement of brass friction rings and a perhaps a recoilspring, the innards of an A-5 are best left off to a professional like Art whohas done thousands of them. It costs more to have to have a pro like Art firstundo a bad 'fix' and then 're-fix' it the right way rather than just asking himto just do it right the first time.
The notion that an A-5 kicks extra hard is wrong. Properly set-up, they are one ofthe softest-shooting shotguns ever made, but only if you do your homework.Rumor has it that John Browning suggested 30W motor oil to lightly lubricatethe magazine tube. The first of the A-5 patents (No. 659507) was awarded on October 9, 1900. While that may wellbe, it all has to be put into context. The Ford Model T was introduced eightyears later, in 1908. We have far better-performing lubricants, protectants andmotor oils today.
My great-grandfather, George Chamberlain Wakeman, who I had the good fortune toknow quite well, was a farmer and commercial hunter. Aside from punt-guns, histwo favorite shotguns were a damascus-barreled Ithaca Side-by-Side and aRemington Model 11. Great Grandpa was very hard on his guns. They were justtools and he shot them to pieces and could rarely be accused of cleaning them.He shot the vent rib off of his Model 11 and just kept on shooting. When he wasdone hunting, the Model 11 always ended up in the same place, leaning on thewall behind the refrigerator.
That Model 11 is still fully functional today. My grandfather's sole hunting gun formost all of his life was a Belgian A-5. My Dad saved his paper-route money andafter a couple of years bought a used Winchester 1897 12 gauge for his firstshotgun. That did the trick for a long while, but a very bad electrocutionrequired skin grafts and made his left hand temporarily worthless for shucking.Not letting accidental contact with an 11kV line ruin pheasant hunting, Dadwent the A-5 route, finding that he could balance the A-5 on the wrist of hisclaw-like left hand and still make it rain pheasants. Dad's hand got better,but the A-5 was there to stay. Many firearms aspire to be lifetime guns, butthe A-5 is the genuine article. A-5's have already made the trek through fivegenerations of Wakeman hunting, so I can personally attest that they are morethan just lifetime gun wannabees. A-5s are the real deal.
To finishup on the recoil notion, when I was in Argentina a few years back, one of thebird boys asked if I liked A-5s. Of course, the answer was yes. He proudlybrought out his A-5; to say it looked rode hard and put away wet would be anunderstatement. He asked if I wanted to try it and I said, 'Of course.' Now,that A-5 kicked. It practically tore my shoulder off. I popped off the barreland there was no bronze friction piece, no bevel ring, no nothing. Just abarrel on a spring. I asked if he understood that some critical parts weremissing and he said, 'The little pieces? Don't need them, threw them away tenyears ago.' I mentioned that he'd likely have a lot more comfortable gun withthose little pieces installed properly. He said, 'No. This is the best. This isthe best gun ever. It never jam. It never jam.' I didn't doubt him. That A-5cycled just fine, even though the back of the receiver was pounded mercilesslywith every shot and apparently had been enduring that for years.
I've purchased countless A-5s over the years, new and used. To date, I have neverbought a used A-5 with the bronze friction piece and the bevel ring set upcorrectly, not one. Sure, I hear that A-5s kick. The first question is aboutthe friction piece and ring set-up. The normal reply is, 'What is a frictionpiece?' So, there you go.
You'll also hear a lot about 'the hump.' Actually, A-5s have no hump. Those with asincere interest in humps will refer to the Bactrian camel and the Dromedary.The Dromedary is the one hump camel, while the Bactrian has two. Those arelegitimate humps, far predating the A-5. The A-5 bears no resemblance toeither. The hump is just an inaccurate way to refer to a squared-off receiver,which isn't all that confusing to begin with. Most repeating shotgun receiversare squared off at the front and on the top, so the idea of another squared-offside should baffle no one.
The squared-off receiver of the A-5 serves a purpose, though. It provides aninstant, broad sighting plane that also removes any need for a barrel rib,ventilated or otherwise. All you see is top of the bead, whether or not yourA-5 has a barrel rib.
The A-5 design promotes keeping your head-up, with no stock-crawling. You won't hear ofpeople getting their faces slapped with the comb of an A-5 as it typically theside of your jaw you are shooting off of, not plunging your cheek into thewood. Too much comb can be a real face-breaker, I can tell you from experience.Not the case with the A-5. It is instinctively fast to shoulder and fire withvery little movement of your head. For those who say they don't like looking atthe hump, if you are looking at the hump you likely just don't know how toshoot an A-5.
Certainly A-5 shotguns do not fit all individuals perfectly. This really shouldn't cause greatsurprise, as SxS or O/U shotguns also do not fit everyone perfectly. No gundoes. Adding length of pull to an A-5 is as easy as adding a pad or spacers, aswith any shotgun. We don't think much of adjustable combs and other stockworkwhen needed for other shotguns, so it should hardly be considered worthy ofgreat trauma if the shotgun happens to be an A-5.
The other idea out there is that A-5s are always heavy. That isn't always the case. Therecently tested A-5 20 Mag weighs 6.5 lbs. We can call it light, we can call itheavy, but 6.5 pounds (unless gravity is different in your neck of the woods)is just 6.5 pounds. Though rare, the A-5 was made in an alloy-receiverSuperLight version. Browning, likely correctly, thought that American hunterswere a bit rough with their guns and that the weaker alloy receiver was not agood choice for the American market. When you have a steel barrel and breechblockrepeatedly recoiling into an alloy receiver, sooner or later the steel wins.Also, weight between the hands adds smoothness to the swing, offers betterhandling and is something that alloy takes away from the A-5. Steel also holdssharp crisp engraving where alloy attempts usually look cheap and muddy bycomparison.
The olderlicensed versions of the Browning A-5, the Remington Model 11 and the Savage720, both have good track records, as well. They do lack the refinements of thelater A-5s, like the magazine cut-off and speed loading, but were neverthelessbuilt upon the same impressive action. If imitation is the more sincere form offlattery, the Franchi AL48 flatters the A-5. Waiting until the Browning patentshad expired, Franchi was free to copy the A-5 without paying licensing fees,and they did.
Browning Auto 5 20 Gauge Serial Numbers Free
The Franchi AL48 has an alloy receiver, making it cheaper to build and lighter inweight. It has its own following, but lacks the refinements of the later A-5's andis not as durable. Yet, it is strong enough. The AL48s I've personally ownedhave been lacking in wood quality and had heavy, mushy triggers compared to theBrowning original. The AL48 is still being produced today, but never had themagic of the A-5. Perhaps it is because Franchi ignored what I feel are the twobest upland versions of the A-5, the Sweet Sixteen and the Mag 20.
When theA-5 production shifted from FN in Belgium to Miroku in Japan, both good and badthings happened. The Miroku guns are well-made, perhaps using better steel thanthe FN product. Along with Miroku came an end to some of the hand work, thehand checkering and better engraving that was now done more economically, ifless artfully, in Japan. A-5s also got heavier, with heavier screw-chokedbarrels, standard ventilated ribs and thicker forearms. The Miroku guns alsobecame heavier for another reason; their barrels were longer. The BelgianBrownings had metric length barrels, so a '28 inch' Belgian Browning actuallyhad about a 27.5 inch barrel. The Belgian 'blue' (that actually had some bluehue to it) was gone in the Miroku guns, replaced by hot salt black, as withmost guns today. Probably cheaper to apply, but another subtle loss of theBelgian mystique.
The A-5 20 Mag I reviewed weighs exactly 6 lbs. 7 oz. I also have an A-5 20 Mag Miroku,with amazing wood. However, my '26 inch' Miroku 20 Mag with Invector screwchokes weighs 7 lbs., 7 oz., one full pound more than the Belgian version.Sure, it is just as well made, perhaps stronger, certainly more versatile withits factory screw-chokes and rated for steel shot. However, a full pound extra ona 20 gauge gun is a hefty price to pay.
So it went with the rest of the A-5 line, to the point where the last production A-5'Light Twelves' were heavier than vintage FN 12 gauge standard weight guns,much less the Belgian Light Twelves. Costly to produce compared to the blow-molded,punch press competition, the notion that the A-5 was heavy and ponderouscompared to other autos, while not true during FN production, was becoming moretrue every year in Japan. Still the greatest of all time, like the oldprize-fighter that stuck around for a few too many fights, the now pudgy A-5lost its edge.
For those that know what they are looking for, the A-5 cannot be bettered. For the reasons described, the FNproduction from the late 1950's through 1975 or so remains the best of a fine breed.
