NEED ID AND VALUE HELP FOR BROWNING A5
MY LATE FATHER PASSED ON TO ME A BEAUTIFUL BELGIAN BROWNING A5
20GA LIGHTWEIGHT WITH MUCH ENGRAVING AND A GOLD TRIGGER. BARREL
APPEARS TO BE ABOUT 25" WITH NO RIBBING JUST ETCHING ON THE TOP.
ALSO SAYS 20GA STEEL SHOT 2 3/4" SHELL AND MADE IN BELGIUM.
SERIAL NUMBER IS 1Z 51634. I CAN'T FIND ANY INFO ABOUT THE DATE
OF THE GUN OR POSSIBLE VALUE. ALSO SAYS GTWENTY ON BOTH SIDES
ABOVE THE TRIGGER AMIDST THE ELABORATE ETCHING. CAN ANY ONE HELP
PLEASE[?]
THANKS
RANDMAN1
20GA LIGHTWEIGHT WITH MUCH ENGRAVING AND A GOLD TRIGGER. BARREL
APPEARS TO BE ABOUT 25" WITH NO RIBBING JUST ETCHING ON THE TOP.
ALSO SAYS 20GA STEEL SHOT 2 3/4" SHELL AND MADE IN BELGIUM.
SERIAL NUMBER IS 1Z 51634. I CAN'T FIND ANY INFO ABOUT THE DATE
OF THE GUN OR POSSIBLE VALUE. ALSO SAYS GTWENTY ON BOTH SIDES
ABOVE THE TRIGGER AMIDST THE ELABORATE ETCHING. CAN ANY ONE HELP
PLEASE[?]
THANKS
RANDMAN1
0
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Hello RANDMAN1...
Please turn off your CAPS LOCK when typing... it is tough on the eyes.
OK, your Browning A5 was manufactured in 1961, and the barrel appears to be of much newer manufacture. From a collectors standpoint, your A5 is not worth much (unless you can find the original barrel). From a shooters standpoint, it is worth about $500. BTW, the top of the barrel is "matted".
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
Randman - Welcome to GB - I do not necessarily agree with Bert as to your barrel not being original to the gun. Your Belgian matted barrel sounds like it ought to be about right for the gun - you do say that the barrel is stamped "Made in Belgium". I think you may be confusing the issue when you said it says on the barrel: "Steel Shot" which would indeed refer to more modern gun barrels, but I doubt that your barrel really says "Steel Shot" - look again - I think you'll find that it says something like "Special Steel - 20 gauge..." which describes the material of which the barrel is made, not the shot that is fired from it.
If your 1961 A-5 Light Twenty is real clean, full original blue in good shape and wood/varnish clean and original, no shortened stock or cracks or splits, I'd say $500.00 would be a nice buy and I think it would possibly go higher. A couple of years ago I bought a very clean Light Twenty A-5 with vent rib and modified choke in the parking lot at a gun show - I paid $500.00 and I feel like I made a good deal.
If I were you I would go to the auction lots and search "Browning 20" or "Browning Light" and such and get a feel for what the market is for guns similar to yours - you'll note final selling prices as well as others, like minimums/asking prices, etc. Look for Browning's choke code marking on your barrel - it consists of asterisks and other marks such that a single * = full choke, ** = modified choke, etc. If we were in the same area I'd like to be looking at it if you are selling it. Otherwise, I think listing it at GB will get you its maximum value as long as you describe it completely and include two or three real clear photos. Good luck, Tim
"If the zoo is closed, drop by the Senate. You'll get the
same feeling and you won't have to pay." Bob Dole0 -
quote:Originally posted by timbroman
Randman - Welcome to GB - I do not necessarily agree with Bert as to your barrel not being original to the gun. Your Belgian matted barrel sounds like it ought to be about right for the gun - you do say that the barrel is stamped "Made in Belgium". I think you may be confusing the issue when you said it says on the barrel: "Steel Shot" which would indeed refer to more modern gun barrels, but I doubt that your barrel really says "Steel Shot" - look again - I think you'll find that it says something like "Special Steel - 20 gauge..." which describes the material of which the barrel is made, not the shot that is fired from it.
If your 1961 A-5 Light Twenty is real clean, full original blue in good shape and wood/varnish clean and original, no shortened stock or cracks or splits, I'd say $500.00 would be a nice buy and I think it would possibly go higher. A couple of years ago I bought a very clean Light Twenty A-5 with vent rib and modified choke in the parking lot at a gun show - I paid $500.00 and I feel like I made a good deal.
If I were you I would go to the auction lots and search "Browning 20" or "Browning Light" and such and get a feel for what the market is for guns similar to yours - you'll note final selling prices as well as others, like minimums/asking prices, etc. Look for Browning's choke code marking on your barrel - it consists of asterisks and other marks such that a single * = full choke, ** = modified choke, etc. If we were in the same area I'd like to be looking at it if you are selling it. Otherwise, I think listing it at GB will get you its maximum value as long as you describe it completely and include two or three real clear photos. Good luck, Tim
"If the zoo is closed, drop by the Senate. You'll get the
same feeling and you won't have to pay." Bob Dole
Tim,
Thanks for your educated reply. You were right, it does say special
steel not steel shot. My mistake. Also right in front of special
steel there are two **. Does that mean it is a modified choke and
could you explain to me just what that means?
Thanks again
Randman10 -
Hello RANDMAN1...
The following are the choke markings used by Browning;
* = Full Choke (F)
*- = Improved Modified (IM)
** = Modified (M)
**- = Improved Cylinder (IC)
**$ = Skeet (SK)
*** = Cylinder bore (CYL)
Bore diameters by gauge:
10 gauge = .775 inches
12 gauge = .729 inches
16 gauge = .662 inches
20 gauge = .615 inches
28 gauge = .550 inches
Common Shotgun Choke Restrictions from bore diameters:
.000 restriction - cylinder
.005 restriction - skeet
.010 restriction - improved cylinder
.015 restriction - light modified
.020 restriction - modified
.025 restriction - improved modified
.030 restriction - light full
.035 restriction - full
.040 restriction - extra full
Typical Shot Spread Per Choke
Choke Yards
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Full 10" 15" 20" 25" 30" 35" 40" 45" 50"
Mod. 15" 20" 25" 30" 35" 40" 45" 50"
I/C 20" 25" 30" 35" 40" 45" 50"
Cylinder 25" 30" 35" 40" 45" 50"
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
Okay Randman, It looks like you're on your way. That's a fine shotgun and fairly sought-after around here. I think it came out in 1958 or 1959 so yours (a 1961) is early. Rounded knob on the pistol grip portion of the buttstock? Later Belgians had "flat knobs".
I would encourage you to resist any temptation to take it down and clean it real well. Most general clean-up is done UNLOADED without tampering with any of those hair-thin slotted screws.
Slide the bolt open, remove forestock, barrel, recoil spring and rings and wipe it down with light oil, avoid oiling the wood. There may still be a diagram glued to the inside of the forestock showing how to arrange the recoil items on the magazine tube. Browning's website has a nice schematic and you may even still be able to get a manual mailed to you for the Light 12's & 20's.
There is probably a removable wood plug in the magazine tube that limits the magazine capacity to two standard 2-2/4" (edited to read 2-3/4") shells. That little Belgian plug sells for $10-$20 or more. Keep track of it.
If you intend to keep and perhaps use the gun you probably ought to clean it up some UNLOADED and keep a very, very, very light film of oil on the metal, especially the magazine tube outer surface where all the recoil action takes place & a thin wipe of oil in the clean bore.
If your intent is to sell it, I would say to not clean it. Cleaning won't make it any more desirable to an informed buyer and lots of bad things can happen when an inexperienced person cleans aa A-5.
Do not touch any screws with your Stanley or Proto screwdrivers.
Do not close the bolt with the barrel removed - there is a button on the receiver to which one's finger is almost irresistably drawn.
If you must close the bolt once the barrel is mounted UNLOADED, slow its close by holding onto the bolt lever and keep fingers clear of ejection port.
Depending on how it was installed or how long its been since it was turned, the magazine cap (which should be able to be turned by hand UNLOADED once you've pushed the barrel rearward and relieved the tension on it) may have to be first turned with VERY heavily padded pump pliers.
Use only the softest cloth patches and pads to clean with. No metallic abrasive scrubbers - maybe a ScotchBrite type pad but only to brighten up the magazine tube outer surface if it has begun to look rusty. The unblued magazine tube and recoil spring will rust if the gun is poorly kept. Smooth recoil operation depends on a clean, slick magazine tube.
Well you probably knew most of this already - I guess I'm just reflecting on my youthful experiences with my first A-5, a Light 12.
BertH has provided you (and the rest of us) with some great information. Bert, I have printed the data, and I am especially glad to have the "choke spread" figures, but all of it is helpful and handy to have.
Best, Tim
"Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals."
Albert Schweitzer, 1875-19650
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