Browing auto 3"

A Browning A5, in 3" 12g?

If my memory is correct (it's been 15 years), there are a two brass "friction rings" under the forend, over the magazine tube, between the spring and the barrel. There are also three bushings that are beveled on the inside edge to fit over the friction rings (the barrel fitting acts as the forth bushing).

Going from the rear of the shotgun, the order should be:
spring
bushing (beveled edge forward)
friction ring
bushing (beveled edge rearward)
bushing (beveled edge forward)
friction ring
barrel (which will bevel toward the rear)

These rings are compressed when the barrel cycles (as the barrel travels rearward). More rings gives more friction. For 3" loads you need the full set of rings. For low power loads (low brass), you need to remove a friction ring (and the two accompanying bushings).

-nosualc
 
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Almost right.
For a 2 3/4" A5-
* for high brass shells, you put the friction ring and the beveled ring between the barrel extension and the action spring installed on the magazine tube.
* for low-brass shells, put the beveled ring on the magazine tube all the way against the receiver, then the friction ring, then the action spring.

For 3" guns, Browning does not recommend changing the arrangement of springs/friction rings. The 3" gun is designed to fire 3" shells only. You can try putting the friction rings and beveled rings against the action with the action spring above it, but I have never known anyone who made an A5 Magnum operate reliably that way.
 
I just pulled down the manual fron Browning's website (http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/auto5_mag_2up_s.pdf)

Browning calls these things "friction rings and brakes". What I was calling a friction ring (the brass parts) is what they call a brake, and what I was calling a bushing, they call a friction ring.

No disrespect to Scorch, but the manual says that although designed for 3" shells, you can use 2 3/4" shells if you set up the rings the way I described in my earlier post (download the manual, they show pictures).

I owned one in the late 80's (my first "new" shotgun). I used it for trap, and upland game set up with 1 friction brake. And I used it for waterfowl (3" loads) and deer (slugs) with 2 friction brakes. I put light oil (I think it was RemOil ) on the magazine tube. I would use BreakFree today.

The gun was always reliable for me.

-nosualc
 
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