Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Browning Auto 5 ?

I am looking at getting a Belgium Auto 5 in 12 gauge.
Question, is on the light 12 model vs. the standard,
the light model is 10 oz. lighter. Where is the weight
savings? Looking at a ribbed model.
Any differences that are important?

Weight is saved by drilling three holes in the barrel ring; the rib on vent ribbed barrels is narrower; the receiver has additional material milled out of it and more wood is removed from the butt.

That 10 ounces does make a diff if you are carrying that girl around bird hunting all day.

That Light Twelve is a dandy...mine is a '69 Model, and it's got a permanent home.

Call my Light Twelve my meat gun, it's a killing machine. I own five other shotguns but if critters need to die the A5 is chosen.

Agree there are real advantages with the "Light" It is very nice to handle and to hunt with. Glad I have one to use. I have both.-Mike

And by the way, don't think of the "Light" Twelve as light, as mine weighs in at 7#10 oz. It's just not really heavy as the standard weight or magnum versions are.

Your post got me to weigh mine, it is 7# 13.6 oz with a 26 non-rib barrel, empty.

Thanks for the help, it may be interesting that some like me are looking to
purchase a 40-50 yr. old shotgun as their next purchase.
I grew up with my Dad using a "sweet 16".

I have learned the Belgium Brownings are superior to the later
versions in many ways.

What year did Browning go to Japan?

Any thoughts about the older to the newer versions?

Belgium mades will always command more money if you decide to resell. Browning moved to Japan to reduce costs. Many folks say the quality did not suffer, but to me the bluing is not as deep on the Jap guns and they definitely have a different sound when you cycle them.

I prefer the round knobs and vent ribs to the Prince Charles grip. 16's seem to command top dollar, followed by the 20, and then the 12.

Not strange to us that appreciate them, and your grand kids will still use that gun if you treat it with a TLC.

1976

If you plan on shooting only lead, Belgium, if you plan on shooting steel, Japanese.

1954 was the first yr of the 2 piece lifter and speed load. I have a Standard and Light weight, both made in 1957, to me, these are the best I have seen quality wise. I had a 1954 Standard and until I found the '57, I thought it was the best. I also had a 1926 that was pretty dang awesome, except I could not get used to the safety.

Good luck and post pictures!

I bought mine in 1963. It has had cases, not boxes, of shells through it. When quail were still everywhere, I usually went through two cases of 500 per year. The last time I tore it down to the bare bones, there was just no wear. It was my only shotgun until age began to tell on me,

Mine started life as a 28" modified, just prior to plastic wads. I should have just honed the choke, but instead I had a Lyman adjustable choke installed. My directive to the smith was cut the barrel to 20 inches, then add the choke. What I got was a 20" overall barrel. Handy as a defense gun, but noisey and kind of ugly. My solution was to purchase a new 26" vent rib barrel, made in Japan, with screw in chokes. The blue matched and the fit and function are as good as the original.

Later I had Belgium made 16 and 20. Like an idiot, I let them go. The Sweet 16 would be my choice if I were to do it over. You would likely have to buy case lots of shells, but I do that anyway.

The 12 ga is never a mistake. The Sweet 16 is close and a good bit lighter.

Jack

The Browning Auto 5 starts and stops with the Sweet Sixteen

Belgium all the way,, If you want to shoot steel buy a Jap barrel.

Just be aware that the 60s vintage guns were built during the salt wood years so be sure to check . I recently bought a nice 74 sweet 16 . I just enjoy holding and looking at it . The blurring the engraving the nice wood really they are almost a piece of manufacturing art. You sure don't see that today on any of the current crop of autos and I don't want to hear about reliability and shooting various types of ammo. Wait 75 years and let's see how many of the current crop of dipped camo whiz bangs are still being used. There are quite a few auto 5s out there that have served in duck blinds and grain fields and still going year in and out.

I don't think the salt wood issue affected the Auto-V.

Here's my Browning shotguns.

Broadway Trap with Briley chokes
Silver Feather - my wife's
Lightning 20ga
Light Twelve



I almost didn't buy the Light Twelve because of the squared off knob but am glad I did. Fit and finish is no where near the quality of the O/Us.

I own a 1951 Belgian 16 gauge standard (built before the "Sweet Sixteen") that I use for upland birds (to include turkey) and a 1992 Japanese Magnum 12 with invectors for my waterfowl shotgun. I would love to add a Light Twelve to my collection. The salt wood issue did effect the Belgian Auto-5, just check for rusting on the tangs behind the receiver. I find the Jap model works as well as the Belgian and is made as well - I'd take either one.

I did get my Browning Auto 5, 1960 model. It is a Light 12,
with a newly replaced Belgium 26" ribbed barrel with modified choke.
The bluing is excellent on the receiver, and the wood is
good, and had been refinished in the past and now shows
some wear. This will be my pheasant gun this fall in ND.


I've tried to post some pics, but this site is not
friendly to that, and I am having trouble. Maybe somebody
can give me advice on that.

I never noticed salt affecting an A-5. Maybe so, I just didn't see it. Salt was a problem late 65 perhaps, 66 through 76 for sure. I had a couple of bouts with salt. One on a Superposed which Browning took good care of with the warranty card. The other was on a beautiful Olympian grade .270 which I did not have a card for. Yikes. It didn't show for years.

Easiest way to check is to remove a butt plate screw. If it is rusty, pass. My swivel stud rusted out on the Olympian with no outward appearance of rust. Only the slightest trace of early rust at the tang.

I have had a '63 Light 12 for 51 years now. It is a great shotgun. As I get older, I really wish that I had bought the Sweet 16 or a Light 20. I advise against the standard weight guns.

Best wishes,

Jack

I believe the salt wood issues mainly involved the bolt action rifles of the late 60s

I have never seen salt on the Auto 5, but have had it on Safari and Medallion grade high power rifles, as well as a Superposed and a T-Bolt .22. The rough years were '67 to '69.

Please bring me up to speed on the salt wood.

Here's a good rundown by a guy who has repaired a bunch of them:

http://www.artsgunshop.com/Video/SaltIntro/videoPlayer.htm

I picked up a 1965 Light twelve recently. almost new, 26" IC bent rib. Have had it out a couple times shooting sporting clays,it performs very well.

THIS

Very pretty, thanks for that picture!

Augie - NICE BROWNING!

Very nice indeed.

Thanks, I looked for couple years for a like new Belgium at a decent price, stumbled across this one at a local gun show, other than a couple small dings in forend it is close to perfect.