Which Browning A5 for HD and general use?

N

Neal_G.

New member
Hello,

I've been researching about getting a 12 gauge Browning A5 to be my nostalgic, general purpose shotgun for home defense and fun. I know they made the gun for a loooong time, and multiple models. I figured I'd try to get one made in the '60's or later.

I wanted to know which A5 model I should get for just shooting 00 buckshot and the like, no steel shot?

Thanks
 
Get the Mossberg model 500 with the extra barrel.

Turning a A5 into a HD gun is a waste of money. What ever $$$ punt to it will be $$$ down the drain. Not many people will pay a premium for a A5 HD gun.
 
For a fun gun I would get a late model with a 24" barrel, and screw in chokes if possible. On the other hand a 870 or Mossberg 500 would be a better choice for HD JMHO. :)
 
There is nothing wrong with the Auto 5 ....and if that's what you want for a general purpose gun, that's what you should buy.

They were made as Remington model 11's / and as the Browning Auto 5's for almost a hundred years - from early 1900's - thru about 1998 or so. They did have some different models - Light, Magnum, etc - and the Auto 5 was made in 12ga, 16ga and 20ga ...and I looked it up(because I forget) but see they were made in 20", 26", 28" and 32" barrels.

We had a few Auto 5's in my family when I was a kid ...in 12ga and 16ga and 26", 28" and 32" barrels as I recall. I used to think they were a very good gun / but its pretty old technology these days ...still not bad ...just different. They have a "long recoil" system ...and it kind of "clunks" in and out of battery ...and in my mind, its fairly slow to cycle ....but if kept in good condition, clean and well lubed they are very reliable ( and they are nostalgic ) ....

The most versatile, in my mind, would be a later gun, made in the 1980's or 1990's with screw in chokes ...but if you want an older one ---that's up to you. The most versatile - for HD and fun would be a 12ga with a 26" or
28" barrel - and personally, I'd go for a 28". It isn't a "fighting" shotgun ..its a versatile gun ...that you can use for birds, clays, defense, etc ...

I see the other responses ...buy a pump gun ... ( in a tactical configuration ) ...but its my opinion, that most of those tactical or fighting guns go to the range twice a year - somebody puts 20 rds thru them ..and they go back in the safe. If you want a "fighting gun" buy the Benelli M-4, or a Rem 870 tactical or something ...... Buy the Auto 5 - if you want a nostalgic gun / like the feel of it ...and have some fun with it ...and in the one in a gazzillion chance you need it for defense, it'll be just fine.

I won't pretend to advise you on tactical shotguns - I'll leave that to the experts like DaveMc or scattergunbob ...they know what they're talking about. I have 25 or so shotguns ....all for fun, birds, clays, etc ..and nothing shorter than a 28" barrel / I can use them for defense if I need to ...but a 1911 handgun in .45 acp is the first weapon I'll reach for if I ever need one ...

good luck / and have fun with your search to find the gun that suits you the best.
 
yeah, I'm not interested in buying one of the many modern 'tacti-cool' looking shotguns with lights, rails and crap all over them. I'm a 'basic is better' person, as long as it's 12gauge, has a stock, is dead realiable, and can carry 5 shells, then I think an A5 will fill the HD role fine. I don't plan

As for the fun role, that will be it's primary purpose and the old technology actually makes that even more enjoyable for me. I'm sort of a throwback person!
 
Either a Buck Special with rifle sights or a 26" vent rib with screw chokes would work very well.

There was one three gun competitor who could outrun the gas guns with an A5. It may be an old design but it isn't obsolete.
 
Another Thought - If you have a little patience, shop around or watch the various gun auctions or web sites and buy one produced the same year as your birth year.

Then you might also consider a Pre-WWII gun.
 
any A-5... If you want one to use for hunting,, get something with a mod choke.. If someone is in your living room at night,, modified choke will do the job.. Also a good choke for deer, birds, ect..

Just a regular ole bead site. Rifle sights are useless in the field,, they are good on slug guns..

Close quarters, sights are useless anyways..
 
Suggest you look at a Remington Model 11 before you buy. You can usually get one for half the price of an A-5 in comparable condition. These two guns do not generally have interchangable parts, but operationally, while not a clone, Remington's Model 11 autoloader is practically the same gun as FN's Browning A-5. This is because the Rem Model 11 was built based on the same patent that FN's Browning A-5 was based on. (John Moses Browning, the famous gun designer, sold the Fabrique National company of Leige, Belgium the rights to manufacture and sell his patented autoloading shotgun in Europe and most of the rest of the world, but he sold Remington Arms Co., of Ilion, N.Y. the rights to manufacture and sell that same gun in the United States.)

The only operational differences in the two guns are two features of dubious value that the A-5 has, that the Model 11 doesn't. One is a magazine cutoff and the other is a double-clawed shell ejector mechanism. Most A-5 owners have never figured out a use for their magazine cutoff, and the Model 11's single claw shell ejector seems to be at least as effective as the A-5's double claw shell ejector is.

The last Remington Model 11 was manufactured in 1947. FN continued the A-5 up until about the 1970's. The only reason the Remington Model 11 was discontinued in 1947 was that with all it's hand-fitted parts, and with the price of American labor after WWII, it became too expensive to manufacture it in the US for what its largely middle class, mass American market could afford to pay.
 
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The mag cutoff is great for emptying the chamber but leaving the magazine full.. We dog hunt for deer here in SC,,, and if you have to hit the highway to go round up dogs before they run on someone elses land and pisses em off,,, cut off the mag, jack the shell, cause it, tool box it,, and roll..

if you have the chamber open, hit the mag cutoff,,, and the gun self loads.. I would buy an A5 if hunting is the priority.. I would not buy one for home defense only.. Too great of a gun to have sitting in a corner waiting on a burgler..
 
I won an A5 at Second Chance many years ago, and have fooled around with it over the years. My main issue with it, is that it REALLY KICKS when using full-power buckshot. But, having said that, I keep it loaded in the safe for snuffing flickers and starlings around the place. (NOTE, flickers love to destroy our buildings).
 
A-5 Safteys

I have owned three A-5s and I think you will want to find one with the push button saftey(from right to left). Earlier models have a push forward saftey on the trigger guard. In my opinoin they are not reliable, and are hard to work. They get stuck, espesially with gloves on. I have had many a bird get away b/c I counldn't get the saftey off. I would hate for you to find that out in HD situation. Maybe some others can explain it better. But I could not wait to sell that one. Now I have 1964 Model and I love it. Not so good for goose hunting unless you get really close. Also liked the suggestion on the Model 11. I have one from the state prison system with and IC choke and dark wood. Might try to finding one of those.
BILLDAVE
 
I have 2 A5's :light 20 and light 12.
They both throw an awesome
Brenneke slug.I also have my brother's
2 sweet 16's and they throw an accurate
Brenneke. I would stake my life
on my two ,any day, anywhere
 
Neal:

Look for a Browning A-5 12 Light made in Japan in the 70's or 80's They are incredibly well made guns, and if you shop around, you should be able to find one in decent shape for not too much money.

Finding a short HD barrel for the gun, though, may prove to be very difficult, however. They rarely show up used. Hastings Shotgun Barrels used to make nice replacement barrels for the Browning A-5, among other shotguns. However, they went out of business last December, bankrupt.

Your best bet may be to have a gunsmith shorten a sporting barrel for you to something like 24 or 22 inches.

.
 
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