Found a A-5

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 2:54 pm

Bought a Browning A-5 today, got it for 250.00, tickled pink.

Click on last picture for range report, the milk bottle is kinda hard to see in the sun.

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 2:58 pm

NICE!!! I would gladly pay $250 for just about any Auto 5. Is it Belgian or Japanese? Good deal either way, just asking.

The classic semi auto shotgun. Like the round pistol grip and the solid rib. Good looking gun there, Pitchy.

I liked your video too!

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:26 pm

"Found an A-5"

Did you ever, you totally scored big time on that sweet gem
Pitchy.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:29 pm

damienph wrote:NICE!!! I would gladly pay $250 for just about any Auto 5. Is it Belgian or Japanese? Good deal either way, just asking.

The classic semi auto shotgun. Like the round pistol grip and the solid rib. Good looking gun there, Pitchy.

I liked your video too!

Thanks it`s a Belgian, six didget starting with 270,000
I planned on cutting the barrel to 20 and using it for a home deffence gun but i`m not sure if i should. The stock has been shortened and there are a few pits on the outside of the barrel.
thoughts?

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:35 pm

casastahle wrote:"Found an A-5"

Did you ever, you totally scored big time on that sweet gem
Pitchy.

I'll second that..

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:43 pm

Pitchy wrote:
damienph wrote:NICE!!! I would gladly pay $250 for just about any Auto 5. Is it Belgian or Japanese? Good deal either way, just asking.

The classic semi auto shotgun. Like the round pistol grip and the solid rib. Good looking gun there, Pitchy.

I liked your video too!
Thanks it`s a Belgian, six didget starting with 270,000
I planned on cutting the barrel to 20 and using it for a home deffence gun but i`m not sure if i should. The stock has been shortened and there are a few pits on the outside of the barrel.
thoughts?

Pitchy.......... I'm going to kick your Fanny from here to tim-buck-to if you cut that barrel. (Brotherly Love Showing)

Please don't do it... That little pup is worth 2 to 3 times what you paid for it

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:48 pm

Pitchy wrote:
damienph wrote:NICE!!! I would gladly pay $250 for just about any Auto 5. Is it Belgian or Japanese? Good deal either way, just asking.

The classic semi auto shotgun. Like the round pistol grip and the solid rib. Good looking gun there, Pitchy.

I liked your video too!
Thanks it`s a Belgian, six didget starting with 270,000
I planned on cutting the barrel to 20 and using it for a home deffence gun but i`m not sure if i should. The stock has been shortened and there are a few pits on the outside of the barrel.
thoughts?

I think that it could make a good HD gun but if it were mine I would probably leave as is and hunt with it. How short is the buttstock, would a spacer and a new pad make it long enough?

I guess what I am saying is those old solid rib barrels are just too cool to cut down and stick in the closet or behind the door; take that old Belgian hunting. Cut down a plain round barrel for a HD gun.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:50 pm

Just looked up the serial number, it`s a 1949.
Not sure how much was cut of the stock, it measures 11 inches without the pad, it comes up pretty good as is.
I`m hearing ya brothers.

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:51 pm

You got a good deal there for sure. I picked up a magnum version last week and paid $375 and thought I did good. They sure are fun to shoot and almost as habit forming as levers. I tried mine last Friday behind my house shoots 1 1/4oz lead and 3" steel no problem (choke is modified). I even shot a partridge with it as I was walking out of the bush. It took off to my right and flew behind me. I swung around shouldered and fired in one motion.(i'm left handed) either it fits me right or I was VERY luck.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:52 pm

damienph wrote:
Pitchy wrote:
damienph wrote:NICE!!! I would gladly pay $250 for just about any Auto 5. Is it Belgian or Japanese? Good deal either way, just asking.

The classic semi auto shotgun. Like the round pistol grip and the solid rib. Good looking gun there, Pitchy.

I liked your video too!
Thanks it`s a Belgian, six didget starting with 270,000
I planned on cutting the barrel to 20 and using it for a home deffence gun but i`m not sure if i should. The stock has been shortened and there are a few pits on the outside of the barrel.
thoughts?

I think that it could make a good HD gun but if it were mine I would probably leave as is and hunt with it. How short is the buttstock, would a spacer and a new pad make it long enough?

I guess what I am saying is those old solid rib barrels are just too cool to cut down and stick in the closet or behind the door; take that old Belgian hunting. Cut down a plain round barrel for a HD gun.

Amen

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:55 pm

Now for a tech question, as i posted above this is a 1949 model.
When loading i have to push in the bolt release button in order to get a shell in the bottom, bolt open or closed. Is that normal?

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:00 pm

My Remington model 11 circa 1939 (basically the same shotgun) is the same. I just drop a round in the open action, push the action release button and it loads. I then flip it over push and hold the button and load 2 more. My magnum has a 2 piece lifter and loads without holding the release button.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:01 pm

iceman wrote:My Remington model 11 circa 1939 (basically the same shotgun) is the same. I just drop a round in the open action, push the action release button and it loads. I then flip it over push and hold the button and load 2 more. My magnum has a 2 piece lifter and loads without holding the release button.

Cool, thanks, i`m good to go, and still tickled pink.

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:04 pm

I believe that that is standard on the older guns. Sometime in the mid '50s Browning introduced the "speed loading" feature that let you just push the lifter up without pushing the release button.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:27 pm

Very nice. That is a classic shotgun.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:31 pm

damienph wrote:I believe that that is standard on the older guns. Sometime in the mid '50s Browning introduced the "speed loading" feature that let you just push the lifter up without pushing the release button.

Nice to know, i`m feelin good.

Thanks KirkD

pwl44m · Post by **pwl44m** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:39 pm

Pitchy,! good thing that jug didn't have feathers. U had 1 too many rounds in there. U done good. I have one about the same age only in 3" Mag. haven't fired Mine yet. Only had it for 2 years, no sense gettin in a Hurry.
Oh and I concur with the rest. DONT CUT That barrel. If U want a home defense gun I have a Win 1400 I'll sell U for $225 and U can cut the devil out of it. LOL
Perry

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:47 pm

Nice addition to the group there, Pitchy.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:48 pm

Thanks Perry, ya it looks like the barrel stays stock, i have a Mossy 590 for a HD gun anyway. Thanks for the offer though.

Thanks Kim, she`s a beauty alright.

3leggedturtle · Post by **3leggedturtle** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:52 pm

Wow nice rifle, really like the way the wood looks. Which shop did you get it at? Hope I didnt miss it on my way home last Tuesday

Glad you found it. Still need me to look for a Model 11 still ?

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 8:59 pm

Pitchy,

You did real good with that find. Now go hunt something with it. Can't let Game Keeper and Nath have all the fun.

Joe

Post by **Hobie** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:04 pm

If I had that gun (great buy!) I'd likely be cutting it back. BUT, that's me, you got it and likely for a reason. I think YOU might be better served by a nice pad (get rid of that old pad) properly fit to the gun to give a skosh more stock length. That's if you measured length of pull from the center of the trigger back to the pad center. Check out the springs, Brownells has a spring kit if you need it, which will help preserve the old girl. She's probably got the original springs and they do need replacing now and again.

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:23 pm

Pitchy wrote:Now for a tech question, as i posted above this is a 1949 model.
When loading i have to push in the bolt release button in order to get a shell in the bottom, bolt open or closed. Is that normal?

Yes, that's normal for the year of your gun. They went to what was called an Easy Load in sometime in the 60's where you didn't have to push the button anymore.

Don't cut that solid ribbed barrel, it's in decent shape at all. The solid ribbed barrels are harder to come by. Go to some gun shows and find a second barrel worth the money or check Gunbroker.com, or somewhere. You could get a rifle sighted deer barrel for it, also. of about 21 inches that would make a good home defense gun without having to cut it off, but sometimes you can pick up cut barrel worth the money at gunshows, etc.

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:30 pm

I keep an A5 for home defense, just like yours with the front triggerguard safety. It just so happens that mine has a heavy ribbed cut barrel on it, with an old Cutt's compensator on it, but mine came that way. It is about 26 inches overall.

I keep the mag loaded on it, with the magazine cutoff in the cutoff position. That way, someone who doesn't know what he is doing can't load it, until he figured it out, but I can in a flash, so I think it safer to keep around loaded, in case the wrong hands get ahold if it.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:17 am

very nice. I had a newer version browning with a slug barrel. It was the firearm I shot my 700# black bear with. A fantastic shotgun. When I got home from the hunt, I grabbed the gun case to take it in the house, and the shotgun slid out (cause it wasnt fully zippered) hit the ground and split the stock. I was too young and too dumb to just replace the stock, but instead wound up selling the A-5. You have done very well and I wish you years of happy shooting. blessings.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:49 am

Thanks everyone, i`ll look around for a second barrel, maybe a smooth one to cut back.
Todd nope ya can quit lookin, found it at Reeds.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:31 pm

Took it to a Buddy's and shot some clays, that baby shoots good

the choke seems to be modified. Barrel length is 29 1/2 to the chamber so not sure what it is, a dime is pretty loose in the end. I measured wrong on the stock, it`s 13 1/2 in from trigger guard too the end of pad

Post by **Hobie** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:33 pm

Pitchy wrote:Took it to a Buddy's and shot some clays, that baby shoots good the choke seems to be modified. Barrel length is 29 1/2 to the chamber so not sure what it is, a dime is pretty loose in the end. I measured wrong on the stock, it`s 13 1/2 in from trigger guard too the end of pad

So the stock might not have been cut or cut just about enough to allow for the pad (I just can't remember but somebody here KNOWS

). As to the barrel length, measure muzzle to breech face, should be 28" give or take a bit. I have never found the dime to be an accurate measure of choke because choke is the difference between the bore and the most constricted part of the actual choke. PERFORMANCE of said choke very much depends on the ammunition used. I'm not sure about that vintage but I believe that Browning coded the choke description using asterisks (*). IIRC this would be the correct code...

'*' designates full choke (F)
'*-' designates improved modified choke (IM)
'**' designates modified choke (M)
'**-' designates improved cylinder choke (IC)
'**$' designates skeet (SK)
'***' designates cylinder bore (CYL)

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:03 pm

Barrel measures 29 1/2 inches, took it off and measured and put a stick down the barrel with clossed bolt and got the same. There are two asterisk on the barrel so it`s modified. As for barrel length what i`ve read there was a 28 and a 30 with the 30 being full choke. Sooooo i`m not sure on the barrel length, it doesn`t look like it was cut off.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:42 pm

Hobie thanks for the help, took a couple pictures to see if we can figure this out. The address is correct for the year, not sure about the asterisks there are two but spaced quite aways apart. Could it be someone cut a 1/2 inch off a 30 inch barrel and the asterisks are a single stamped twice.

A pic of the front sight and bore.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:26 pm

Congrats! What a great find!!!

Post by **Hobie** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:25 am

Pitchy,

We'd call that 30" and Modified. As you know, but some readers might not, one can only be certain how a barrel patterns by actually shooting it for pattern with the intended ammunition. I've seen some rather open barrels shoot very tight patterns and some rather tight barrels made to shoot nice open patterns by varying the ammunition. An old trick, that.

Sad to say for some here but if I got a good price on that gun I'd make sure I had new springs, cut the barrel move the bead to the proper position on the new barrel, ensure the friction ring was forward for the heavy loads and make it an HD gun. We just don't have the birds around here to justify another shotgun otherwise. No more quail, grouse disappearing, dove populations down, no more pheasant, can't get permission to hunt geese or ducks... That's ME, not you. Seems to me the gun suits you as is.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:33 pm

Thanks Hobie, the guy a friend at the gun shop took it apart and looked it over and said he thought that the gun hadn`t been shot that much. He seemed to know what to check. I tried low base shells on the high base setting and it wouldn`t eject the shell which is a good sign i guess. Put the brake in the low base setting and we ran a box and a half through it with no problems. Had a guy tell me today that it wouldn`t make a good HD gun that they won`t function shooting from the hip. So i loaded it up and held it loosly from my side and emptied it as fast as i could pull the trigger. The thing that is keeping me from cutting it down is it seems hard and expensive to find another barrel that will fit this older gun.
I`m heading to a gun shop in the morn to look at a light weight with 26 in Im barrel tomorrow that looks like new, a heads up from a buddy.

madman4570 · Post by **madman4570** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:24 pm

There is only one thing I would do with that gun?

Enjoy it

That's a find and I would keep er just as she is! (Nice)
Congrats------that is an awesome score.

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:36 pm

Pitchy wrote:I`m heading to a gun shop in the morn to look at a light weight with 26 in Im barrel tomorrow that looks like new, a heads up from a buddy.

Careful, slippery slope!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 6:18 pm

Well some of ya are going to be mad and some will like it but this is why i bought the gun in the first place. Cut it too 18 1/2 inches, have to get a tap to put the bead back on.

These guns are all over the place around here and this barrel was pitted bad the last ten inches anyway.
I love it.

azzhandler · Post by **azzhandler** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 6:25 pm

Hey pitchy, soon as I heal up a bit, I will dig around, I have a barrel that was already cut off when I bought the gun, I own 6 auto 5's the sweet sixteen with ventilated rib being my very favorite of all, I got hit by a car while on my motorcycle, was sitting still waiting to turn left when I was hit from behind by a woman doing at least 45 mph, she never hit the skids until after she hit me, said she never seen me,

but anyhow soon as I am able to get around better I will dig through my " junk room " as my g/friend calls it and see if I can find the barrel, if it's not in that room it will be in the barn and might take me alil longer

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 6:29 pm

azzhandler wrote:Hey pitchy, soon as I heal up a bit, I will dig around, I have a barrel that was already cut off when I bought the gun, I own 6 auto 5's the sweet sixteen with ventilated rib being my very favorite of all, I got hit by a car while on my motorcycle, was sitting still waiting to turn left when I was hit from behind by a woman doing at least 45 mph, she never hit the skids until after she hit me, said she never seen me, but anyhow soon as I am able to get around better I will dig through my " junk room " as my g/friend calls it and see if I can find the barrel, if it's not in that room it will be in the barn and might take me alil longer

That`s how it works, soon as i cut it off someone has one

now i need a barrel that ain`t cut off.

Naw no biggie i like it this way and plan on buying or trading for a couple more, thanks for the offer though.

Post by **Hobie** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:22 pm

Pitchy,

It looks great! Now I REALLY to look for one.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:41 pm

Thanks Hobie and everyone else, hope ya find one.

The perfect couple.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:08 am

Oh oh, hope ya all don`t hold it against me too long.

Put the bead on it this morn, looks good, now have to shoot it again, vid anyone??

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:32 am

As Tim Allen says "Rahrarhrarh!"

Hobie wrote:Pitchy,

It looks great! Now I REALLY to look for one.

I feel your pain. Is there an A5 wanters support group?

Pitchy wrote:The perfect couple.

Brother, that's hard to argue against. In more ways than one!

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:12 pm

Sweet!

jb

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:39 pm

Thanks

Don`t let anyone tell you ya can`t shoot a A5 from the hip that it won`t function.
I`m shooting Estate low base 7 1/2 at five yards from the hip and eight yards from the shoulder.
Most fun.

Videos, click on pictures

Post by **Hobie** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:57 pm

Back in 1972-1973 we shot skeet with a Mr. Shifflett from Elkton, VA (since deceased) who used an A-5. He could shoot station 8 from the hip. Sometimes he'd show off and shoot doubles from a station, from the hip. He just liked to shoot, hunt grouse and quail (neither of which are much in evidence nowadays), and visit. He never had a malfunction with that gun.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:04 pm

cool

So far i`m pretty impressed with it and it has replaced my Mossy 590

I decided not to go look at the light model, i don`t need any more, i don`t need any more, i don`t need any more, i don`t need any more.

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:57 pm

Pitchy wrote:I decided not to go look at the light model, i don`t need any more, i don`t need any more, i don`t need any more, i don`t need any more.

Famous last words. And besides, no one likes a quitter...

At Ft Campbell I shot skeet with a bunch of military retirees on a regular basis. One was named Sonny and he used a Sportsman 58 (or something similar) with a Cutts compensator and he was in his mid-70s at least. Sonny had suffered a shoulder injury as a child and grew up shooting with the butt tucked under his shoulder. He'd run 25 straight with nauseating regularity. At least it was nauseating to someone who'd just started skeet shooting and could barely break 10 per session.

Post by **Hobie** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:30 pm

I remember when there was a functioning skeet range at every AFB I went to, courtesy of General Curtis LeMay.

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:51 pm

Pitchy, Pitchy, Pitchy....

jfwlb · Post by **jfwlb** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:37 pm

Long time lurker, seldom poster here with a suggestion, Pitchy.

Here is my Model 11 before:

All you need now is one of these:

This is my Remington Model 11 with an extension tube so it now holds 8.

If you are wanting to know anything about how to do it just let me know.

Good luck with your new A5!
John