Browning A5 Magnum 12

[levi431]

I have a few questions about this gun.
1) How do you know if it was made in belgium?
2) it says invector special steel, can i shoot steel through it?
3) What is the best configuration on the friction rings and brakes for waterfowl hunting with 3" shells.

The serial # is 4**94 PN151

Any info on this gun and the 16 and 20 gauge would be great! thanks in advance!

 

[Goatwhiskers]

First off, never give your full serial number over the internet.
You can shoot steel, but nothing tighter than modified choke, that will give you full patterns with steel.
There should be a sticker inside the forend showing how to set the rings. Basically for 3" you will have: recoil spring, steel ring,cone forward, bronze ring, steel w/cone backward, steel w/cone forward, bronze ring, then the barrel. For 2 3/4" remove one steel and one bronze, store at rear of recoil spring to prevent loss. The gun is not designed to shoot trap loads, tho some may function with such, don't know why.
If made in Belgium it will be marked as such.

GW

 

[Dreaming100Straight]

Per Browning:

The Belgian-made A-5, Superposed, Leige, and other Belgian Over/Under models, Double Automatic, American-made A-5 and all other models not listed in category 1 or 2. Note: Belgian Auto-5 barrels are interchangeable with the new Invector barrels which are made in Japan. With this new Invector barrel installed on the Belgian-made Auto-5 receiver, steel shot loads can be used. (Shown below, Begian Superposed Over and Under.)

See the full FAQ.

That is what is currently on the Browning web site. Compare how it read in 2009, when it said that the bulge was merely cosmetic.

All current Browning shotguns with the Invector or Invector-Plus choke tube system are fully steel shot compatible with current factory loads. However, there are limitations to the compatibility of many older Browning shotguns with conventionally choked barrels. In certain models, shooting steel shot may cause a slight "ringe bulge" just inches behind the muzzle. The damage to your gun is purely cosmetic, but the "bulge" can be a factor in resale, especially with collector-grade shotguns.

That from a post by JohnBT ostenstibly quoting the then current Browning FAQ.