Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Browning A5 basket case

Gary L
A neighbors home burned a few years back and his 20 Ga. A5 was undamaged but water logged. His nephew completely disassembled the entire receiver and trigger assembly and put all the parts in oil.

I am pretty good with guns I take apart myself but he asked me to put this back together for him as his nephew is now over seas.

I need a schematic breakdown to guide me through reassembly and I don't know if the age of the gun will dictate what schematics I might need.

I have a container full of parts and springs and not being the one who took it apart makes for a rather interesting puzzle.

Any help or guidance to where I might find the info I need will be greatly appreciated. I would date the gun to at least 50 years or older.

Thanks

gary
0

Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • tsr1965
    Hi Gary L,

    You can go to E-Gunparts.com, or Numerich, and get a schematic for the A-5. It will cost a couple of dollars, but you will have the whole thing.

    http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=14505

    Best
    0
  • dcs shooters
    quote:Originally posted by tsr1965
    Hi Gary L,

    You can go to E-Gunparts.com, or Numerich, and get a schematic for the A-5. It will cost a couple of dollars, but you will have the whole thing.

    http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=14505

    Best


    Just click on the top right where it says "open schematic in new window. On that page there is a box to click and print it [;)]
    0
  • Hangfire
    Morning Gary~

    Might find something here..

    http://tinyurl.com/9sml3ac
    0
  • rufe-snow
    There are a number of videos on the disassembly and restoration of Browning A5's on U Tube. Use "Browning A5", as the search term.
    0
  • Gary L
    Thanks to all! That didn't take long and I got the info I need.

    I will never understand just why his nephew disassembled it to this degree when he could easily have dried the trigger assembly out and soaked it in the oil bath. He stripped it right down to parts and pieces.
    0
  • slumlord44
    What he did was at least a lot better than doing nothing and letting rust destroy a perfectly good A5.
    0
  • Gary L
    Just a quick update.

    Wow what a chore this has been but I did finally get it all back together and working.

    I did find on line schematics but I was unable to enlarge the photos to print them. I also went to You Tube and watched the tutorial a few times. They link the Rem 11 and the A5 as the same or very similar guns but the one I am holding is a lot different from the ones in the on line tutorial. Probably an older or first generation model. This one has a lever below and forward on the left side with an exposed spring that screws into place from the outside of the receiver. Photos attached if I did it right.

    DSCN1959.jpg

    DSCN1960.jpg

    According to the owner this gun was in nice used condition at the time of the fire and the gun was handed over to the Sheriff for safe keeping while the owner was wintering in Fl. I have cleaned it up as best as I can removing surface rust and blemishes and I am refinishing the wood now for him. I am told the Sheriff placed it wet in a plastic bag and left it in the evidence locker for 2 months in that state. Too bad but it will still be a good shooter when I get it finished.

    What made my task very hard is being handed a cigar box of parts, screws and springs along with the receiver and stocks.
    0
  • Hawk Carse
    My neighbor the gunsmith hated to see "cigar box" guns coming in. Probably some obscure model that would take a lot of tinkering to get back together... if all the parts were there in the first place.
    0
  • Gary L
    Yes Hawk. When ever I disassemble any of my own guns I am meticulous about removing parts and placing them in the order they were removed and sometimes even writing down which screws and lengths went where.

    This cigar box basket case on a gun I have never owned or cleaned was a daunting task for me but a challenge I wanted to tackle for my 87 year old neighbor.

    The guidance I got from here and direction to sites was instrumental in allowing me to get it done. The stocks are starting to look pretty decent with 5 coats of true oil so far and probably another 5 to go. I think it will turn out pretty nice considering the way it was when I got the soggy mess. I don't have a clue what kind of value a very old A5, twenty in great shape would have but this one will survive to shoot again even after being rode hard and put away wet.

    Thanks for all the help guys.
    0
  • tsr1965
    You done a very nice job, with your rescue. It could be professionally refinished, but then it would add cost, that wouldn't be original. This way(the way it is now), it has a story to tell, and hopefully a few more chapter's will be written in that story.

    NICE JOB!

    BTW...there were rear mounted safties, well before WWII.

    Best
    0
  • Gary L
    Not that it makes any difference but will the numbers date the gun?

    DSCN1964.jpg
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity

Didn’t find what you’re looking for?