Questions on shotgun value and customizing it

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  • m.ammer69

    Member
    Jul 3, 2013
    76
    So recently I completed my search for my new shotgun, nothing particular special, a browning auto 5, 16ga, looks like it has an adjustable choke, but kinda run of the mill, it's seen some wear but over all in good shape, pretty much everything I've been looking for except that the barrel is a bit longer then I would like. I was curious if anyone knows what it might be worth? I was thinking of having a few inches taken off the barrel, would doing that devalue the gun? Or is this something that would be worth keeping original? With this gun having a seemingly adjustable choke,does that mean I'm still able to fire slug ammo out of it? I can post pictures of the choke if that would help.
     

    Yingpin

    Ultimate Member
    May 31, 2013
    1,054
    Kingsville, MD
    It sounds like you may have found a Browning Auto 5 16 ga or a Sweet 16? What is the Serial# I love those guns and my grandfather had one all his life. The polychoke on many of the old shotguns sometimes had a slug setting if I recall. I have never shot a slug out of one but believe that all the old timers did in the 60's and 70's. With todays modern slug guns and the competitive pricing on them from savage and the likes, I would say you are probably better spending the same amount of money on a rifled barrel slug gun. The browning would make a fun bird gun and sporting clays but it may not be what you are hoping to get out of a slug gun. I am assuming you want to hunt deer with it?

    16ga slugs are probably harder to find than 16 ga lead ammo. The last old Browning 16 I saw last week was listed at about $450 Cutting the barrel down in my opinion would be a bad idea for that gun. If you already own it, can you see anything on the choke that indicates slug setting? You would not gain anything out of shortening a smooth bore barrel to improve anything for a slug gun. It would only make it worse I would guess.
     

    m.ammer69

    Member
    Jul 3, 2013
    76
    So correct me if I'm wrong the serial number is on the underside of the frame near the loading ramp correct? If so then the serial is 2843, which kinda changes my mind on having it cut down. I do own it, got that and a 44mag lever action at the same time. I bought it as kind of an all around, something useful for fowl, something small enough I can fire a few magazines through it and not kill my shoulder but with good stopping power, something I can use for dear slug, something shorter and semi for home defense and something old/unique to fit into my collection. Up until recently everything I owned was made pre 1980, oldest is somewhere between 98-114yrs old, company records where destroyed in 1960. So the Browning fit pretty much everything except the slug and short barrel. It does have a number of different settings on it so I have no doubt it has a slug setting but there is nothing I see that says to me "hey this is the slug setting". I know that slug isn't as accurate out of a smooth bore but I know you can still hit your target if you know what you're doing. Shortening the barrel was just something I was thinking of doing to make it a little more well rounded but not at the cost if destroying the value of it. With the serial number being alot lower than I originally thought it make me think more of finding a shorter barrel then having it cut down.



    It sounds like you may have found a Browning Auto 5 16 ga or a Sweet 16? What is the Serial# I love those guns and my grandfather had one all his life. The polychoke on many of the old shotguns sometimes had a slug setting if I recall. I have never shot a slug out of one but believe that all the old timers did in the 60's and 70's. With todays modern slug guns and the competitive pricing on them from savage and the likes, I would say you are probably better spending the same amount of money on a rifled barrel slug gun. The browning would make a fun bird gun and sporting clays but it may not be what you are hoping to get out of a slug gun. I am assuming you want to hunt deer with it?

    16ga slugs are probably harder to find than 16 ga lead ammo. The last old Browning 16 I saw last week was listed at about $450 Cutting the barrel down in my opinion would be a bad idea for that gun. If you already own it, can you see anything on the choke that indicates slug setting? You would not gain anything out of shortening a smooth bore barrel to improve anything for a slug gun. It would only make it worse I would guess.
     

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    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    It's a standard 16ga Poly Choke. Yes, if you open it up to Cyl or Imp, it'll fire slugs just fine.

    Don't cut the barrel down, it WILL absolutely kill the value of it if your SN actually is that low.

    Check the gun for more numbers and run it against this list to see what you find: https://www.browning.com/support/date-your-firearm/auto-5-semi-automatic-shotgun.html

    Beyond value, cutting the barrel down on a long-recoil action (which the A5 is) messes with the operation. The springs, buffers, and other tolerances are set to deal with the mass of a full barrel moving rearward under recoil inertia, lighten that up by chopping a few inches off the barrel, and you start mucking about with the reliability and how soft or hard it shoots.

    As to the full retail value, we'd need way more pictures of the whole gun plus closeups of specific areas to even give you a ballpark.
     

    m.ammer69

    Member
    Jul 3, 2013
    76
    Thank you, yeah I knew it was old but from the site I just read, this is is almost 100yr old. I think I'll be keeping it just the way it is unless I can find some sort of shorter barrel to fit it. Thank you guys for the information this far will be uploaded pictures soon.
     

    slsc98

    Ultimate Member
    May 24, 2012
    6,746
    Escaped MD-stan to WNC Smokies
    Great thread and, in addition to the reference posted by tallen, you could drop these folks a call; a5’s are pretty much their specialty (world renowned, actually and if you get the dad on the line he probably knows more about old a5 serial # peculiarities more than anyone at Browning)!

    https://artsgunshop.com/ (they’re at least one, possibly a couple hours behind us ... it may before 3pm there now, if I’m not mistaken)

    Congratulations!
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,888
    Pasadena
    Does it have the friction ring? What is the condition of the forend? Shooting slugs might be tough on that gun if the main spring is broken in and the friction ring is missing or worn out. You will feel it if the rounds are over powered and the friction ring is worn out. I'd stick with dove loads unless you replace those parts. I have two sets of springs and rings for my 80s A5. One for hunting loads and one for skeet shooting. The magnum version has a set of 2 friction rings that can be tweaked by pulling one or both out for reliability. The other set if for a regular model 2 3/4 only and works great with light loads.
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    Does it have the friction ring? What is the condition of the forend? Shooting slugs might be tough on that gun if the main spring is broken in and the friction ring is missing or worn out. You will feel it if the rounds are over powered and the friction ring is worn out. I'd stick with dove loads unless you replace those parts. I have two sets of springs and rings for my 80s A5. One for hunting loads and one for skeet shooting. The magnum version has a set of 2 friction rings that can be tweaked by pulling one or both out for reliability. The other set if for a regular model 2 3/4 only and works great with light loads.

    80's production A5s and earlier production A5s differ greatly in the friction ring setup. IIRC, many of the "newer" models were also chambered for 3" shells which changed the way the friction ring setup worked. You can see the difference here: https://www.browning.com/support/fr...s/how-do-i-change-the-rings-on-my-auto-5.html

    In the older models prior to 3" magnum rounds hitting the scene, there is only one single ring and a much wider single bronze friction brake vs the multiple smaller diameter brakes and multiple rings in the more modern guns. My Savage 720 (a licensed copy of the Browning A5) is from ~1930 or so and uses the older setup. Despite the age and obvious heavy use of my 720, it still handles just about anything like a champ so long as the friction ring is in the right spot for that type of load. OP's gun will be set up like the first two figures with a single ring and a single wide brake.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    I shoot slugs and buckshot all the time in my cut down lite 12 ga. Works like a champ and soft as a pussycat for recoil.
    How much and what type of lube placed on the magazine tube can have a huge effect on not only how the gun operates but how much recoil it develops as well.
    If you have an old gun that's been shot a lot, a replacement action spring is only a few dollars and not hard to swap out.
    Just make sure you don't take the main spring out with the tang screw.
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,888
    Pasadena
    Yeah I'm aware of the magnum vs lite friction ring setup and there is a lot of content to cover as far as lube no lube on the magazine tube, hunting in cold weather with viscosity of lubricants vs warm weather dove hunting, condition of the friction ring, main spring, ammo and so on. Once you get the perfect setup for what you want to do keep it that way. My A5 has two roles waterfowl and skeet to practice for waterfowl. I have two spring ring setups for each occasion and they are both reliable, so far.
     

    m.ammer69

    Member
    Jul 3, 2013
    76
    Here are some pictures of the markings I found on it, along with the serial number and some of the engraving.
     

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