Browning A5 magnum Year?

legn4

February 17, 2004 07:41

Jerry it looks like 1965 according to my book, haven't been wrong since the last(lol).Good luck! Eddie

Work'n like a dog all nite

0

Herschel

February 17, 2004 07:46

If I read the serial number chart correctly in the Blue Book, the shotgun was made in 1957. I know that is approximately correct as I own #9M over 56796 that I received new in about 1956 or 1957.

0

jerrynv

February 17, 2004 07:56

Hi

Thanks to all that replied. I guess it is a 1965. I truly appreciate your taking time to reply.

Regards,

Jerry

0

Bert H.

February 17, 2004 10:26

quote:Originally posted by Herschel
If I read the serial number chart correctly in the Blue Book, the shotgun was made in 1957. I know that is approximately correct as I own #9M over 56796 that I received new in about 1956 or 1957.

Herschel... if your A-5 is marked 9M, it was made in 1959 (that is what the "9" signifies. Please copy the below information for future reference. I hope this clears things up for all of you fellow A-5 owners[:)]

(source NRA-ILA "GUN-TALK" BBS)

INTRODUCTION
Only comparatively recently have collectors developed an interest in production and shipping dates of Browning Arms. Coinciding with this interest, the Browning Company began studies to determine dates, but due to lost and destroyed records, it was necessary to estimate production and sales on some models for some periods of time. Where this was necessary, it will be stated in this book.

A number of sources have been employed to compile the dates presented here; these include studies by Browning, original records from Browning and Fabrique Nationale (F.N.) as well as records in the possession of various individuals.

Various studies show serial numbers for U. S. and Browning Arms were duplicated with those of F.N.. To quote Browning, up until 1953 common serial numbers were used for Browning and F.N., to number 437000 for 12 gauge and 100000 for 16 gauge A-5 models.

Major dating problems are encountered due to production in Belgium and later, Japan. Browning maintained most records in the U.S., while many records remain and were used from Canada, Belgium and the U.S.

In most cases, dates and other information in this book will enable collectors and dealers to determine the date of manufacture of their guns.

The first Browning in the gun business, as far as documentation exists, was Jonathan Browning, born in Tennessee in 1805. By 1824, Jonathan was a competent gunsmith and all around blacksmith. By 1834, he had moved to Quincy, Illinois. Single shot rifles were produced by this Browning early in his career, and later he was to make revolvers and unusual repeaters which used a loaded multi-shot bar.

In 1842, Browning moved to Nauvoo, Illinois and continued his various trades. Another move was made in February of 1846, and after a long journey, pausing for rest and repairs at various sites, Browning arrived at the Mormon settlement in Utah in the Fall of 1852. Once again, he set up his shop.

Very few of the Jonathan Browning guns were made, and the few remaining today are exceedingly rare.

On January 23, 1855 John Moses Browning was born. Probably because of his early training, Browning was to become the most famous and honored gun inventor the world has ever known. By the time he was fourteen, John was repairing guns as well as thinking about new designs. In 1879, at the age of 24, Browning patented a single shot rifle. With his brothers, he began making single shot rifles based on his patents.

Family history relates that around six hundred of the rifles were produced. They are rare today, since few have survived.
In 1883, the Winchester repeating Arms Company purchased manufacturing rights to the Single Shot rifle. Browning and Winchester were to retain their relationship for many years, and in addition to numerous patents issued for models which were not produced, Winchester was to produce numerous models based on Browning designs. Included in this array were the 1885 single Shot model, and the Models 1886, 1887, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, and 1900. In addition to these models, many continuations of these models were to be produced.

By 1902, Browning had severed his relationship with Winchester and had contracted with Fabrique National (F.N.) to produce his new shotgun. Numerous other companies were to benefit from Browning's genius, including Stevens, Colt and Remington. With continuing work and thought, numerous machine guns and heavy ordnance were invented and developed by the firearms genius of Ogden.

Some other guns, invented by John M. Browning and covered in this book, include his .25, .32, .38, and 9 MM pistols. The Browning Superposed Shotgun was developed during World War One, once again at Winchester while he was in New Haven working on the B.A.R.. A wooden model of the Superposed shotgun, originally in the Winchester engineering department, is still in existence. In October of 1923 application was filed for patents on the Superposed Model.

On November 26, 1926 John Moses Browning died in his office at F.N.. The great inventor was gone, but as long as guns are discussed, his name will live.

DATE INDEX
Earlier, only the serial numbers were placed on the guns with some exceptions. From 1958 to 1968, the last digit of the year was used, for example, 8G28000 would be a gun made in 1958, G the model of gun and 28000 would be the serial number. Even before 1968, it was realized that each ten years the last digit of each year would be duplicated, so in 1968 a new practice began. This used the last two digits of the date, for example, 69C1234 69 would be the year 1969, C the model of gun and 1234 would be the actual serial number of the gun. In 1975, a new dating system began. With this system, two letters were used, for example, "PN" would be "89" or 1989.

THE LETTER Z means 1
Y 2
X 3
W 4
V 5
T 6
R 7
P 8
N 9
M 10

After 1975, only three digits were to be used for the product code, so number 151RT1001 would be an Auto 5, 12 Gauge Magnum, made in 1976, with serial number 1001.

Plans were made to begin each model with serial number 1000 on January 1 of each year. In new designs where special lower serial numbers may be valuable, lower numbers or special numbers could be used. Some years the serials did not begin at 1000 as intended. In the words of Browning's spokesmen the new system would be very descriptive and would help to date a gun and to instantly know the model and other facts about the gun. One of the reasons for the new systems was the fact that F.N. and Browning realized that some numbers were being duplicated by sales from the two companies. There are a few guns, especially those for special or foreign sales, with unusual numbers in non-standard locations. Product codes and dates of manufacture can be determined by simply reading the product code-dateserial number line. Any guns made or models introduced after 1958 can be dated by using this Date Index.

ONE NOTE OF IMPORTANCE:
According to Browning, "on all European and U.S. made guns": PRODUCT CODE IS FIRST, YEAR IS SECOND,SERIAL NUMBER IS THIRD
"On all Japanese made guns": SERIAL NUMBER IS,FIRST YEAR IS SECOND,PRODUCT CODE IS THIRD

THE AUTOMATIC FIVE (A-5)
Production of the A-5 began at F.N. in 1902, with the first gun, serial number 1, shipped to the U.S. September 17, 1903. Serial number 206 was the first gun shipped to a foreign country. Twelve gauge guns only were usually offered in the U.S. until 1925, but production of the 16 gauge began in 1909.

In 1958, the 20 gauge was added to the line; 20 gauge magnums were added in 1967. The "Sweet 16" was introduced in catalogs in 1937. Lightweight 12 gauges were made as early as 1946.

John M. Browning had enough confidence in his new invention to order 10,000 Auto Fives when they were first produced. These guns were marked, "BROWNING AUTOMATIC ARMS CO. OGDEN UTAH-U.S.A."
Very few guns marked in this way will be found. In 1931 the first real Browning catalog appeared. From 1924 to 1931 letters and folders were used to list the guns.

A corporation was formed in 1927 to sell Browning guns. Headquarters were in Ogden, Utah until 1970, when offices were moved to Mountain Green, Utah with a Morgan, Utah mailing address.

Prior to 1924, few serial records remain. Browning and F.N. rcords give the following dates of manufacture for the A-5. Serial numbers began near 3000 in 1924. Figures quoted here are for Browning and F.N.sales world wide and are approximate due to missing records.

DATES OF MANUFACTURE A-5
Year Start End
1924 3000 18000
1925 18001 33000
1926 33001 48000
1927 48001 63000
1928 63001 78000
1929 78001 93000
1930 93001 108000
1931 108001 123000
1932 123001 138000
1933 138001 153000
1934 153001 168000
1935 168001 183000
1936 183001 198000
1937 198001 213000
1938 213001 228000
1939 228001 229000
1940-1946 WAR YEARS. NO PRODUCTION FOR CIVILIANS AT F.N. FROM 1946 TO 1951 PRODUCTION WAS BY REMINGTON IN THE U.S. ACCORDING TO RECORDS FROM BROWNING AND REMINGTON, APPROXIMATELY 45,000 12 GAUGE, 25,000 16 GAUGE AND 20,000 20 GAUGE GUNS WERE PRODUCED BY REMINGTON. BY 1952, F.N. WAS AGAIN PRODUCING THE A-5.

Year Start End
1946 229000 237000
1947 237001 249000
1948 249001 270000
1949 270001 285000
1950 285001 315000
1951 315001 346000
1952 346001 387000
1953 387001 438000

BEGINNING OF NEW SERIAL NUMBER SYSTEM IN 1954
H means STANDARD WEIGHT
L means LIGHT WEIGHT

1954&55 H39000 H83000
L42000 L83000
1956 H83000 H99000
Lightwgt Gl-G23000
1956 NEW DESIGNATIONS WITH "M" FOR STANDARD WGT. "G" FOR LIGHTWEIGHT.
1957 M22000 M85000
G23000 G85000
1958 G85001 G99000
8G1 8G28000

From 1958, serial numbers are preceded by the year of manufacture code. In this system, the first numeral is the date of manufacture, the next figure is the model code. An example, 8M is the standard weight made in 1958, 8G is the lightweight model.

MODEL NUMBERS A5
M--STANDARD WEIGHT
G--LIGHT WEIGHT
V--12 GAUGE MAGNUM
S--SWEET SIXTEEN
Z--LIGHT 20 GAUGE
X--20 GAUGE
X--20 GAUGE MAGNUM

The same date code is found for 1968 as 1958, but the bottom of the grip usually has the flat knob on the 1968, the rounded knob on the 1958. From 1969, the date code has two digits, as 69M for a standard weight gun made in 1969. In 1969, the standard weight gun was dropped from production. For the product code, which was actually the model of the gun, four digits were used:

MAGNUM 12 GAUGE--1501
LIGHT 12 GAUGE--2101
SWEET 16--2201
MAGNUM 20 GAUGE--1601
LIGHT 20 GAUGE --2301

After 1975, only three digits were used:
MAGNUM 12 GAUGE-- 151
LIGHT 12 GAUGE -- 211
SWEET 16 -- 221
MAGNUM 20 -- 161
LIGHT 20 -- 231

For production dates after 1969, see the Date Index in the front of this book. Thus, a gun with number 1501RT1234 is an A-5, 12 gauge magnum, made in 1976 (see Date Index) and is serial number 1234. After 1975, the number would be 151RT1234, or an A5-12 Magnum, made in 1976, serial number 1234. Serials were to begin with number 1000 each year.

TWO MILLIONTH A-5 COMMEMORATIVE

Serials run from 2,000,000 to 2,002,500. These commemoratives were sold from 1961-1974

Bert H.

Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!

0

Herschel

February 17, 2004 14:08

Bert, Thanks for the info. My recollection of the year I got my A5 must have been faulty. The Browning date of manufacture information in my Blue Book is not user friendly.

My pet peeve is to see someone jump in and provide misinformation on a forum whose title suggests that you should be an expert to answer. Now I have joined the ranks of the dispensers of misinformation. Sorry.

0

Bert H.

February 17, 2004 19:01

quote:Originally posted by Herschel
Bert, Thanks for the info. My recollection of the year I got my A5 must have been faulty. The Browning date of manufacture information in my Blue Book is not user friendly.

My pet peeve is to see someone jump in and provide misinformation on a forum whose title suggests that you should be an expert to answer. Now I have joined the ranks of the dispensers of misinformation. Sorry.

Hello Herschel...

You are welcome, and there is no need to applogize (to me at least)... we are afterall, human[:)]

Bert H.

Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!

0

bigbore613

February 26, 2004 20:06

Hello,
Ask the experts to me means if you don't know don't reply.As a member of the Browning Collectors Assoc. The V refers to magnum and the 5 refers to 1965. Single digits 0-9 refer to 1960- 1969 then they are stamped with 70 and up.Any one who wishes proof can consult the Brownig Collectors Assoc. .COM
ThanksJeff

0

s4shooter

February 28, 2004 04:57

"BIGBORE" WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL HAS ALL THE ANSWERS AND OF COURSE IS NEVER WRONG AND DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES (LIKE YOURSELF) IT CERTAINLY GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO CHASTISE THE REST OF US NOT SO PERFECT FOLKS. BY THE WAY I COMPLEMENT YOU ON YOUR PERSONAL CHOICE OF NAME.

Jerry Weinberg

0

Browning A5 magnum Year?

Comments

Recent Activity