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Browning A5 question

Herschel
I have an A5 Standard weight in 16 Ga. Serial number is 10475 and it has the old type safety that moves forward and back in the triggerguard. I think it is pre-WWII but would appreciate someone giving me the date of manufacture. The 25 1/2" bbl is cyl bore, marked ***. This seems unusual. Comments?
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Date Votes
  • Herschel
    hi, i'm thinking of purchasing a browning(belgium) new in the box. its a light 12, did these come with a pad? most ive seen had a hard buttplate, but this one has a rubber pad. thanks for help
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  • mark christian
    Herschel, i believe that your A5 was manufactured in 1927. 16 ga A5's were only introduced into the US market a few years previously, although they were available in europe. The 26" barrel was the shortest offered at the time- lengths up to 32" were available. I have no idea about what chokes were offered so I can't say whether or not a 26" cylinder bore is rare. Remember that no Belguim made A5's are compatable with steel shot.

    Mark T. Christian
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  • Herschel
    Thanks Mark. The gun is chambered for 2 3/4" shells and the barrel is numbered to the receiver. Do you know when they stopped making the 2 9/16 chambered guns? The forearm is stamped "Browning 3 Shot" on the bottom at the front end and the forearm is about 2 inches shorter than the 1950's vintage 12 GA A5 I have. Have I given the wrong model name for this gun? Maybe it should be called a Browning A3.
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  • mark christian
    Herschel, I don't think that any A5's were chambered for the 2-9/16"
    shells after production resumed following WWII. I know that it is possible to rechamber a 2-9/16" chambered gun to fire 2-3/4" shells.
    Browning used to offer this service, although I have no way of knowing if they still do.

    Mark T. Christian
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  • Herschel
    Mark, I am not in need of the rechambering service as the gun I asked about is already chambered for 2 3/4" shells. Since my gun is an early one, I just wondered when the changeover occurred. My uncle had a 2 9/16" Browning in the 1950's and I recall he could not find shells to shoot in it in those days.
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  • russellmason3
    your a-5 is of 1928 mfg. the gun did not come with a cyl. bore it has been altered. remember the first 1 to 1 1/2 inches of the gun contains the bore, yours has been reemed by a gunsmith sometime in the past.do not use steel shot, and avoid slugs as well.
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  • Herschel
    russellmason3, It may be that the choke has been reamed. How do you know without seeing the gun? The 1939 Shooter's Bible lists the Browning auto being available in 16 ga with cyl bore and 26" bbl. The barrell has the *** stamped in it. I don't know why a gunsmith would go to the trouble to get a die to stamp the ***. There is no evidence that any other choke marking was ever on the barrel. I know that steel shot is not to be used in it but why the prohibition on slugs? I shot many slugs through a Remington 870 with cyl bore while a LEO. I thought the cyl bore was best for slug use.
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  • emri_s
    The *** marking is Brownings code for improved cylinder choke.The safety located in front of the trigger and sliding fore&aft indicates the gun was made before about 1930.The gun was originally in 2 9/16 chamber and may have been modified to 2 3/4.Have a gunsmith check it for you before shooting to be sure the gun has been modified properly.Many people did partial jobs and didn't change every part that needs modifying for the gun to function properly.
    The original barrel would not have been marked with chamber length,newer barrels made for 2 3/4 shells are marked as such.The 2 3/4 marking on your barrel may have been added or the serial # may have been added to a later barrel.Newer barrels have the type ejector that is about 1 inch long and it slides in a grove.Older barrels have a short ejector that was fixed in place but if modified it was slotted so it would slide about 1/8 in back and forth.Hope this helps,Good Luck!!
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  • Herschel
    emri_s, thanks for the information. The barrel stamped 2 3/4 in the same small type as words "Special Steel-16 gauge-shells". I am confident the shell length stamp is original from Browning. The serial number on the barrel is x10475 and is stamped centered on the base of the ring that fits around the magazine as if the x was part of the serial number when stamped there. The serial number on the receiver is x10475. The x is somewhat squeezed in to the left of the 10475 as if it might have been added later. The extractor is about 2" long and has about 1/4" of forward/rearward movement. From what you tell me, I believe the barrel is a replacement. The shotgun is not a Sweet Sixteen but feel lighter than the 7.5 lbs it weighs.
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  • Herschel
    emri_s, I have always understood that the Browing choke code for improved cyl. was **_. The Blue Book of Gun Values also shows the improved cy. code to be **_. Are you sure *** is also a code for improved cyl. The Blue Book shows *** as being the code for cyl bore.
    This is the only Browning Shotgun I have seen that was marked with ***.
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