Looking for some help here on a browning automatic that was passed down to me by my grandfather. the serial number is 237280 which I could determine makes it a 1947 model. So, if anyone can tell me anything about this gun or things to look for would be greatly appreciated. I'm told the gun is valuable and even if it's not I plan to keep it in the family for many years to come. Thanks
Browning model 11 auto loader
- Thread starter cdomangue
- Start date
It is a Model 11 remington made A5 shotgun. While doing a serial number look up on the Browning website it dated the gun to 1947. It has a solid vent rib down the barrel. I will try and post pictures soon and thanks for looking and trying to help. I am by no means a guns expert...
Remington actually made the A5, with Browning markings, at two periods, from 1905-1910, and from 1940-1947, when the Belgian factory was out of business. But those guns were not marked as Model 11.
Browning was what we would now call a "free lance" designer. He had no factory and never entered series production for any of his guns. He sold the rights to his designs to whichever gun companies offered the best deal.
For a while, that was Winchester, then Colt, then FN, then Remington. He sold rights and also worked on a royalty basis. The neat part is that he made a lot of money, but never had to raise capital, build buildings, or buy production machinery. He made drawings and models until he got the idea working, then turned it over to someone else to worry about.
Companies were so eager to buy a Browning design that they even did all the patent paperwork for him. And in one case, that rose up to bite them. Winchester's patent attorneys drew up the patents for the A5, and made them very tight. But when negotiations over a purchase vs. royalty agreement broke down, Browning took his design to Remington (the death of its president broke up that deal) then to FN. When Winchester decided to produce its own autoloading shotgun, its chief designer, T.C. Johnson, had to work around the tight patents his own company had drawn up.
Jim
Browning was what we would now call a "free lance" designer. He had no factory and never entered series production for any of his guns. He sold the rights to his designs to whichever gun companies offered the best deal.
For a while, that was Winchester, then Colt, then FN, then Remington. He sold rights and also worked on a royalty basis. The neat part is that he made a lot of money, but never had to raise capital, build buildings, or buy production machinery. He made drawings and models until he got the idea working, then turned it over to someone else to worry about.
Companies were so eager to buy a Browning design that they even did all the patent paperwork for him. And in one case, that rose up to bite them. Winchester's patent attorneys drew up the patents for the A5, and made them very tight. But when negotiations over a purchase vs. royalty agreement broke down, Browning took his design to Remington (the death of its president broke up that deal) then to FN. When Winchester decided to produce its own autoloading shotgun, its chief designer, T.C. Johnson, had to work around the tight patents his own company had drawn up.
Jim
FWIW, the WWII era Remington-made A-5's, based on the Remington Model 11 but with Browning markings, all had letter-prefixed SN's.
In 1947, Remington would have been back to making their own version of the A5 again - with Remington ILO Browning markings.
It's mis-leading to use the Browning website just because Remington used a Browning design - it wasn't a Browning gun.
As a Remington, the rear of the barrel should be stamped with a Letter Date Code (two or three letters) on the LH side, just forward of the receiver, that can be used to determint the DOM.
The first letter of the Code is the month of manufacture, followed by one or two letters which are the year of manufacture.
Month Codes: [first letter]
B - L - A - C - K - P - O - W - D - E - R - X
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
Year:______Code: [second (and third*) letters]
(a sampling of 9 years, below)
1945_______ PP
1946_______ RR
1947_______ SS
1948_______ TT
1949_______ UU
1950_______ WW
1951_______ XX
1952_______ YY
1953_______ ZZ
As an example, using the above table, a barrel with the code "CSS" would have been made in April 1947, hopefully still attached to it's original receiver.
.
In 1947, Remington would have been back to making their own version of the A5 again - with Remington ILO Browning markings.
It's mis-leading to use the Browning website just because Remington used a Browning design - it wasn't a Browning gun.
As a Remington, the rear of the barrel should be stamped with a Letter Date Code (two or three letters) on the LH side, just forward of the receiver, that can be used to determint the DOM.
The first letter of the Code is the month of manufacture, followed by one or two letters which are the year of manufacture.
Month Codes: [first letter]
B - L - A - C - K - P - O - W - D - E - R - X
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
Year:______Code: [second (and third*) letters]
(a sampling of 9 years, below)
1945_______ PP
1946_______ RR
1947_______ SS
1948_______ TT
1949_______ UU
1950_______ WW
1951_______ XX
1952_______ YY
1953_______ ZZ
As an example, using the above table, a barrel with the code "CSS" would have been made in April 1947, hopefully still attached to it's original receiver.
.
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