1938 browning A-5 3 shot model
i have a 1938 browning 12 ga A-5 3 shot model, 28" full vent rib all matching serial numbers and its 98% cant find any info on browning 3 shots anywhere and am wndering about the guns value.[?]gun was boght at a show in 1973 by my father, has safety in front of trigger and round knob pistol grip he was told by the dealer it was ca.1938, still cant find anything about the 3 shot models anywhere, browning colletors society wants the gun but wont answer any questions about it[?][?][?][?][?][?][?]
not sure of the grade, has dark walnut wood standard markings the only peice that might identify it is it has an original recoil pad with white line spacer
not sure of the grade, has dark walnut wood standard markings the only peice that might identify it is it has an original recoil pad with white line spacer
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Hello browningfan...
I too, am a HUGE John M. Browning fan[^].
What gauge is your A-5[?] When you say "excellent shape", what does that mean[?] What we really need to know, is the graded condition (condition is best described as the % of original factory finish remaining on all parts of the gun... barrel, receiver/frame, and the stocks). How do you know it is a 1938 production A5[?]
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
quote:Originally posted by browningfan
i have a 1938 browning 12 ga A-5 3 shot model, 28" full vent rib all matching serial numbers and its 98% cant find any info on browning 3 shots anywhere and am wndering about the guns value.[?]gun was boght at a show in 1973 by my father, has safety in front of trigger and round knob pistol grip he was told by the dealer it was ca.1938, still cant find anything about the 3 shot models anywhere, browning colletors society wants the gun but wont answer any questions about it[?][?][?][?][?][?][?]
All of the Browning A5s made after 1934 were 3-shot. Based on the fact that it has the safety in front of the trigger guard, it appears that the dealer your father spoke to is correct about when it was made. FN ceased production of the A5 in 1939 when WW II broke out in Europe, and when they resumed production after the war (circa 1949/50), the safety was moved to the rear of the trigger guard.
The pre-war A5s were made in three different grades with a Vent rib (Grades 1, 2, and 3)... which do you have? The Grade 1 is a plain gun. The pre-war made A5s are viewed by some as less desirable due to the position of the safety.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
very dark walmut stock and forearm, single shot selector, rubber recoil pad with white line spacer, i was under the impression that most models in this era had plain bbls, and no recoil pad??? 0 -
Hello once again...
The recoil pad (and spacer) is 98% likely to not be original to the gun (and it will negatively affect the collector value). The early A5 shotguns are more frequently found with a plain barrel, but they were also made with either a Solid milled rib, or a Vent rib (either of which will add a premium to the collector value).
It appears the you have a Grade 1 gun, and I will need to see several photos of it (to determine the actual authenticity of the finish) before passing judgement on its potential value.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
are there any cracks in the wood? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by bobski
are there any cracks in the wood?
small crack in forearm, im guessing caused by barrell recoil
every A-5 12 ga ive seen is cracked in the same place, if its been shot much0 -
Most A5's with cracked forarms have been shot with high brass and the friction ring not moved to the right place. I have 2 and shoot the heck out of them with no cracks or problems. I too would like to see pictures but if it is a 12 gauge with the wrong butt plate and plain barrel in mint condition and pre war I have seen and bought these for 350.00 to 450.00 with 500.00 being tops. just my 2 cents
col elect1mike Illinois
volinters RRG
I am a man but I can change if I have to,I guess.
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Browningfan - You have obviously gotten lots of good responses to your inquiry. Few topics here arouse more attention than A-5's.
One more element to add to your growing catalog of pluses & minuses - while the likely non-factory buttpad is no plus to your gun's resale value, where it really suffers is where the stock is shortened (sawn) to accomodate the added recoil pad. You may be fortunate that the stock was not shortened - it is unlikely, but possible.
Maybe Mike, Bobski or Bert will weigh in on this, but I was a little thrown by the 3-shot terminology. I suspect that yours is capable of holding 5 shells with the magazine plug removed, no? There is a 2-shot Browning auto (double auto?) but I believe A-5's meant 5-shot.
Good luck and welcome to the forum. Tim0 -
thank you all for your help, but a few things, ive seen other brownings with the same buttpad, no sawing has been done on this gun and there is no plug in the gun it is clearly marked "browning 3 shot" on the forarme, a five shot forearm will not fit this gun, its too long, having lots of trouble with this gun, was told by dealer that the vent rid bbl and buttpad may have been speacil order by original owner, double beaded vent rib, buttpad and only a three shooter, cant find anything on agun like this???????????? 0 -
ELECT1MIKE, having repaired and refinished more auto-5's than I care to think about, I've found that it wasnt the high brass as much as low brass that caused the cracks... same situation except when the low brass wouldnt feed the shooter would pull the forend off and OIL the begeebees out of the friction ring and the mag tube. Between the oil softening the wood at mag cap and receiver and the high brass then hammering the barrel back and the resulting return slam because there was insufficent friction due to the oil. I've seen this on extremely old guns, those that were only a year or two old as well as the remington clones. they all had the same thing in common excess oil and oil soaked wood. When we pointed this out to the client we either got the typical "the brother-in-law did it" or less commomly "I didn't know that".
Scott0
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