Browning 2-shot semi auto

4406v

New member
My local gun shop has a Browning Belgium made 2-shot shotgun on the used gun rack.What is the purpose of the 2-shot shotgun? It is an older model with the rounded knob pistol grip.The gun is 12 ga. and overall really nice shape.He is asking $500 is this a good deal?
 
Is this a Browning Double Automatic? Since most locales limit the amount of rounds a hunter can legally use on some game, this gun came around - IIRC, it holds two in the mag and one in the chamber for a waterfowl legal limit of 3.

They are asking anywhere between 600 and 1000 on some sites

From an old F&S article I found:

The short-recoil action Double Auto came in three versions, all 12 gauge – the standard model, with a steel receiver: the alloy-framed Twelvette, which I had, weighing 6 and 3/4 pounds or so, and the stripped down Twentyweight, a 6 pound wand.

It also came in different receiver colors: black (mine), gray, brown and green.

Browning advertised it as “Tomorrow’s Gun Today” and it looked like no other shotgun. It had a safety on the back of the trigger guard convenient to left and right handed shooters alike, and a pivoting forearm that latched to the bottom front of the receiver. If you unlatched the forearm and swung it down, you could slide the barrel off, leaving the gun instantly taken down into two pieces.

A lot of people look at the Double Automatic and see a solution in search of a problem. My more charitable view is, the Double Auto was an attempt to put a truly light and spirited bird gun in the hands of hunters for much less than the cost of a double and with a little less recoil.
 
my winchester model 1400 is like this only 2 in the mag and 1 in the chamber. but in your case not sure if you ment only one in the mag and one in the chamber, in that case it may have been made for sporting clays like skeet or trap? just an idea
 
I thought the Double Automatic only held 2 shells. As in one in the chamber, one in the mag??

An uncle had one years ago. I seem to remember a rather comical sight of a game warden trying to find a way to fit a 3rd shell into it in a dove field way back when. I think I was around 7 at the time, so I may be completely wrong........
 
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Thanks for updating me on the round count!...I thought it was only two, but then the specter of doubt crept in and I THOUGHT I had remembered correctly....appreciate the clarification
 
I always thought they were intended for the clay shooting games where there are never more than 2 rounds allowed anyway.
 
It looks unusual since the receiver has an ejection port on BOTH sides of the receiver.It is an interesting looking gun and I will probably end up buying it.I am just trying to justify why I have to have it.
 
That web site was VERY helpfull Looks like I HAVE TO BUY IT!!! since I don't have one.You guys are the best.
 
I own 2 Double Autos and an A5.

One is a 1961 Twentyweight(aluminum receiver).

The other is a 1954 Standard weight(steel receiver).

Excellent shotguns all three of them.

They all have the speed loading feature, where you slip a shell into the loading gate and it scoops it up and chambers the shell, then just add the other and it is ready to go(make sure the safety is on just in case).

I have shot skeet with all three of them and they are fun to shoot.

Buy that Double Auto and enjoy it.

Clarence
 
I just got one from Gunbroker, I wanted one since I was a kid making about $50 a week take home pay. One of these things would have set me back a few months pay back then

Here are pictures of the gun scroll down to the bottom of the page , it looks better in person. I just got the gun a while ago and haven't shot it yet.
 
I have shot skeet with all three of them and they are fun to shoot.

Buy that Double Auto and enjoy it.

Clarence

One of the reasons I got my gun was to give skeet shooting a try, when I was a cop I shot skeet at the police range with an 870 and couldn't hit a thing. Technically I think it was clay targets and not really considered skeet

Now all I need to do is find a place to shoot
 
I went and looked the gun over carefully last night.It is the standard model with a plain barrel and appears to be choked ** whicH I think is modified??? The bluing is good with a small amount of pitting on the barrel just above the forearm and the wood is real nice showing a little use but no deep scratches.The asking price is $500 do you guys think this is a fair price?
 
I went and looked the gun over carefully last night.It is the standard model with a plain barrel and appears to be choked ** whicH I think is modified??? The bluing is good with a small amount of pitting on the barrel just above the forearm and the wood is real nice showing a little use but no deep scratches.The asking price is $500 do you guys think this is a fair price?

Did you look at the pictures of the gun (post number #13 this thread)I bought at gun broker? The cost was $500 plus $16 shipping plus $25 FFL transfer the seller included a very nice Browning case so I am happy with the deal.

What do you mean by "choked ** whicH I think is modified??? " my gun has a threaded barrel with a choke screwed in that can be removed. I am no expert but I think they were all made this way

PS my gun looks better in person than in the pictures
 
There isn't a poly choke or other choke system on it.Just a regular bead on the end of the plain barrel.I saw on the shotgun website that they marked the choke type with *'s and the number of *'s would tell you what the gun was choked.
Check out shotgunworld.com and use double auto as a search word
 
silvercorvette said:
my gun has a threaded barrel with a choke screwed in that can be removed. I am no expert but I think they were all made this way
With the age of the gun, I suspect you either have an old school Cutts type choke or modern screw-ins were added later.

811274.jpg

Lyman Cutts Compensator Barrel Adapter
 
Choke of barrel codes for Browning:

* (F)
*- (IM)
** (M)
**- (IC)
**$ (SK)
*** (Cyl)

Silvervette;
If it has a screw in choke, then the barrel was threaded for it and not original.
Not that it is a bad thing.
My 1954 standard weight double auto came with a modified barrel.
I bought a separate full choke barrel and fitted it.
I am going to have that full choke barrel threaded for screw in chokes.


4406v;
If it is in good shape overall, I would not mind dropping $500. on it.

Clarence
 
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