I've always wanted an A-5, and just bought a new 20 gauge lightweight, made in '94, with a 28" barrel. Does anyone use an A-5 for grouse or other upland hunting, and if so, do you like it?

I use Dad's old 12 guage humpback for quail. It was made in '57 and is still tight as a ( you fill in the blank ).

There is just something sweetly unique about the sound a Browning A-5 makes when you load them.

They keep on shuckin' when the Berettas and the Remingtons have shut down because of carbon fouling. They have no equal in quality either. Thanks...Bill.

I have and early 50's light 12 that I use for upland and trap. I love it and it is completely dependable.

Have any of you ever found that it was any more difficult to shoot accurately initially when going from a rounded receiver like on other repeating shotguns to the squared receiver of the A-5?

No, I have an 870 and an A-5 12 Ga Lightweight. I can pick up the A-5 anytime and have no problems getting used to the receiver. In fact if you're focused on the target and front bead you don't even notice it.

Thanks, that's what I thought, just throwing it to my shoulder in the living room. Looking forward to shooting it, hopefully this weekend. The fit and finish of these shotguns really is second to none!

My A-5 is the best shotgun I've used. I picked mine up used in 1986. It an older modle made in the late 1920's. It's a 12 ga. with a 26 inch barrel with a Cutts compensater. Used it for pheasaants and quial when I was stationed at FT Riley KS and I use it for dove and quail down in AZ now. It's allway's worked. The Only problem I had with it was the reciever tang would get too cold to hold with my thin shooting gloves during late season bird hunting in KS. I cut a thin peacec of foam rubber and taped it over the tang, solved that one.

Should be a beautiful gun for grouse. I've carried my 12 ga. A-5 Lite once for grouse, but I found I've been spoiled by my very light 20 ga Spanish double. After half a day of carrying and walking, there's a big difference between a 7-1/2# gun and a 5-1/2# one. But I still love it for ducks, skeet, trap.

grouseman

Nice wood! My Lite 12 doesn't have wood like that. Still better than the straight grain stuff you normally see today though.

I've been shooting A-5s exclusively as my upland guns for well over 30 years. They are my strong preference:







For years it was a Belgian Light Twelve, and for the last five or six I've switched primarily to a Belgian Sweet Sixteen.

I don't think I'll ever stop loving the A-5.

Rick

Those photos are certainly convincing evidence of the effectiveness of these shotguns, combined with your shooting ability!

I am also a sucker for Belgian Brownings, especially A-5s. Problem is, shooting left handed (using my Rem. M 11 12 ga., or my A-5 16 ga.), my trigger finger starts buzzing after a couple of shots, and is almost numb after firing a box in a short amount of time. Is this due to the double-shuffle effect of the barrel coming back and then slamming forward, or do I just need to learn to get my finger out of the trigger guard for each shot?

Thanks all.

forepaw

I shoot a Remington 11 in 16 gauge and enjoy it a lot. There is something about it that is reminiscent of a time long ago. Mine has a solid rib and full choke, but as long as I let the birds get out a little bit before firing it works well. Just don't shoot a chukar at 12 yds with that full choke, by reflex, I'll tell you from experience, there wasn't enough for the dog to pick up. Definately my bad. Good luck with yours, they are fine shotgun. Ryan

Browning A5 for upland hunting,

Heck fire, them Browning A5's are great for all kinds of hunting with a shot gun. I've used mine to turkey hunt with.
.

Best damn auto shotgun ever made. Been through countless 1100s, 11-87s, Browning Golds, Berettas and even a Benelli, and nothing touches an A-5 for reliability and (for me, at least) factory stock fit and pointability. Safe contains three Light-12s and one 20. Plus half a dozen Belgian barrels. I ain't running out in my lifetime, or my son's. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I just picked up an AUTO 5 Mag, Belgian Made 1952. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> My dad and bother both had one as I was growning up. Both Sweet 16's! I'm partial to 12 ga myself. They used there's for Pheasant-Rabbits and Deer. Now since I have your ear-can you get a Auto 5 mag to shoot light Skeet/Dove loads? Shot mine today and it wouldn't cycle a new round. I'm thinking remove one of the two recoil springs should do it?

Look inside the forearm---there's a decal that shows you how to swap ends with the buffer washer to use light loads. Very quick and easy to switch back and forth. My older A5s will cycle with dove loads even when set for high brass---guess the springs are getting softer.

Steve_NO
My reloads are light 3 dram loads , most heavy field loads are 3 1/4 dram. Is your Browning a Light model? I've looked at both manuals for light vs mag and it looks like the light has only one spring vs mag has two!

Well I just got off the phone with Browning- they said it should cycle my reloads with both springs in an where I got the friction ring set at. I do have some Factory dove /skeet loads -I'll give them a try if they cycle then I know my reloads are to light for this gun. I'm thinking it reguires atleast a 10000 CUP loading where as my reloads are at 9000 CUP. I can get to 10000 CUP just have to go with a bigger bushing, 128 LEE now with Unique.

No fun when you all agree on a topic so let me stir a little. A5 are too damn heavy. Cant shoot steel without damaging the barrels, cant shoot 3in, and you have to change the spring to go from upland to magnums. Also, kick more than gas. And to clean the receiver, what a nightmare to put it back together. And they do have a problem ejecting lighter loads.
Sorry, but Im sticking with Beretta.

Steve NO, I had the same experience with my 1919 version, and it turned out that the brass friction ring had worn out from about a million rounds downrange. The recoil was really hammering the gun, so I put a new one in.

I was at the club a couple of years ago when a real pretty woman came back from halfway around the sporting clays range with an A5 with a splintered forearm. It had split into about 5 pieces. I have seen A5s with cracked foreends before, but that one was a mess. So if your gun is cycling too easy, you might want to fix it.

Maestro, you are right that A5s are hard to assemble. Remember though that you only have to do it about once a generation. I borrowed a 391 last week, that hadn't been cleaned in about 1K rounds, and it wouldn't eject light loads either. Worked OK otherwise. It didn't fit me (too long) but I still shot it about as badly as I do my guns.

The 391 is a nice gun. No nicer than an Ithaca 51, but nice.

maestro
The A5 light will not shoot 3" Mag. But the A5 Mag shoots 3" and 2 3/4"! All but the Belgian barreled A5's can shoot steel.
Mine can't it Belgian made-but if I wanted to shoot steel all I'd have to do is buy a post 1965 barrel. As for being to heavy? Mine isn't any more heavy then my Mossburg 500. Definately doesn't kick as much as the Mossburg does. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />MY Dad, rest his soul, always shot a Winchester model 12. He was a paper maker for St. Regis. He got his left hand/arm caught in a paper machine and virtually left his left hand useless. This was about 1945, the year I was born. He bought a light-12 and I grew up looking at the gun. He kept the model 12 till he gave it to my brother and he traded it for a Stevens double 12. My first gun was an 870 bought from Montgomery Ward in 1960. I got married in 1966 after getting out of the Navy. In 1967 I bought a light 12 like dad's for $75.00. I took it out and shot low brass loads. It jammed every shot. I took it back and went to a gun shop and bought a brand new one. $174.95. Allot of money to come up with in those days. I got a manual with the new one and learned about the friction ring and sort of kicked myself for being so ignorant . In 1970 I got divorced. I still have the Browning though. Much more faithful than my first wife. It has a squared pistol grip. I kinda wished it was rounded. BTW, I still have dad's also. Thanks for asking. It brings back a whack of memories, both good and bad. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I don't know how you'd call under 7 lbs for a 20 gauge heavy. As far as shooting 3" shells, who cares for an upland gun? I'd take an A-5 over an aluminum receiver Beretta any day.

BMR,
The problem with me is that I get used to shooting with one gun and then switch game and need to use a different gun. Id prefer to use the same one, and I can do that with the Beretta. And Im not sure if the "Aluminum Receiver" was an insult towards the Beretta or not. I really dont worry about what the metal is called as long as it works. You have your preferences and thats the beauty of the world we live in. Wouldnt want it any other way. Viva the A5! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
maestro

I bought my Light Twelve new in 1956 and it is still going strong. I have used it for quail, doves, ducks, geese, prairie chickens, pheasants, rabbits, squirrels, and clay birds. One of my favorite guns and one of JMB's best designs.

That shotgun is as old as I am, except it still looks good!
NICE.

I just picked up a 1986 A5 Magnum Twelve in 95-98% condition.
Glad I did that.

The Amazing A-5

Yes, it is easy to do. I have the secret. I will go home and look at my kit I built and give you some measurements. DO NOT cut those springs !!!!

Don't forget that lubrication is the other factor in how the friction rings function. Try a little bit more oil on the mag. tube and see if that cycles better.

In another 100 years, nobody will be talking about the Benelli SBE or the Beretta 391. But people will still be bragging about how their 175 year old A5 is still working!

Yes....I had a 20ga. about 15 years ago....and should have kept it....they are superb autoloaders.

I'll be taking the A5 out soon, and I need some advice.
Since I plan to shoot only low base shells for clay shooting:
HOW ARE THE RINGS & SPRINGS SUPPOSED TO BE CONFIGURED FOR THAT?
If somebody can explain it or show a link or picture, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Put the black steel ring on first, bevel down toward the receiver. Then the big main spring, then the friction ring, bevel up toward the business end. Then the barrel and forearm.

When tightening, always make sure the rear of the wood is seated correctly onto the receiver. There is a wood ridge that needs to be seated correctly before final tightenting.

That's the correct setup for light loads.

Rick

Thank you.

My father in law had a light 12 and a Sweet 16, plus Browning autos in .22LR and .308, and thought he was good to go from Missouri to Wyoming. Died of old age without ever finding out how much a man needs a rack of magnums. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Dang, carlos111 , I just posted how cool your story on the .22's was, and now you give us another cool story on something else.
Thanks! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I wade through my friction ring setup confusion with the help of an old gunsmithing book. It says put the friction ring down at the bottom too for light loads. With three parts to arrange and two of them being two sided, there are 120 possible setup combinations. Maybe only one of them is exactly right, but many of them ain't exactly wrong.

I solved the steel shot/ old barrel problem by buying a Hastings barrel for my older 12 Mag. Works great

BMR

That's one pur-dee scattergun you got there. Although I've yet to pony up for one, I'm a sucker for the A5. There may be better autoloaders, but I've yet to see any that are better looking. I've shot many an A5 and I've never had even so much as a hint of a problem, so I'm not sure how much better those other guns are.

Last month I bought a Citori and I like it. This month I bought a (ok, two days ago) Winchester Model 12 and drove directly to the range, and I like it even better than the Citori.

A buddy of mine has a light 20 A5 and he let me shoot it...That wasn't a good idea because now I really want one. I will admit, it did kick more than I thought it would but I think that was because the stock was a bit short for me and it had no recoil pad.

I think a light 20 with an improved or Invictor barrel, 1/2" spacer and a 1" recoil pad would be a dream come true for me.

Thanks, Kevin. I still have not had a chance to shoot it. When I get back to my home state of WI later this summer/early fall I plan on going over to a friend's farm and blasting some pigeons we chase out of his barn. It's lots of fun and good warmup for grouse hunting!

I use an A-5 from 1952.

An interesting gun, it is a 12 gauge with a factory 25 3/4" barrel bored straight cylinder, and so marked. It has a solid rib. Pretty good Missouri quail gun....

Peak pressure has absolutely nothing to do with an A-5's ability to cycle.

I bought a 16 gauge A5 right at the end of upland season here in NE (last weekend of the season actually). The day I bought it it was raining but the next morning I woke up to a nice clear day. So I headed out behind the house back into the woods by my pond and kicked up a rabbit. Very first shot I ever fired through an A5. I've since killed a couple of boxes of clay pigeons and this fall we'll see if we can't knock down a pheasant or two. She's an oldy made 1926 according to the blue book. The barrel has been converted to shoot the 2-3/4 shells.

Flat side of washer: always against spring; bevel side always against beveled side of brass friction piece.

Manual is free for the download from Browning.com.

I did for several years in the early 70's. Then I discovered better upland guns such as the Win Model 12, Remington 31 and Ithaca 37 pumps all in 16 ga. Lighter and much easier for me to use than the big hump back. Never could get use to the clunk clunk double shuffle of the long recoil barrel moving rearward. Also never did like my trigger finger getting wacked by the safety on the double recoil shuffle. Excuse my rant, but for fun I just shot a round of trap today and reminded myself on why I had not shot that gun in years.

I used A-5's for years.

All good but now I use a Benelli Super Black Eagle.

Spot

I could never make up my mind on an 12 gauge...first gun I ever had that was mine is a model 37 Ithaca Trap with an extra mod barrel...then grandad gave me his model 12, I thought I needed a new shotgun and bought a BPS stalker, one of the first balck guns, wood stock painted crinkle black.

My dad finally gave up hunting an gave me the @-5 light he save for and bought when I was in highschool. I've been shooting that better and better...last fall shot more roosters than ever. Now I have my other grandad's A-5 16, 2.5" shells are hard to come by, but my first shot put a ringneck in the truck...guess I'm hooked.

Then I had to have an SBE...got one of them and can't hit CHIT!

Sure glad I kept the A-5's....

I still use a 1952 vintage for upland. I even use it for trap league and shot a 25 with it last week.

I have an A-5 SweetSixteen rounded pistol grip 28" barrel bored Modified. Hunt pheasants and use it quite a bit and like. I bought the gun in a hardware store about 10 years ago. I had the day from hell and was lsot and stopped in the store to use the restroom. I walked by the gun rack and saw the gun and asked the counter help to look at since I thought it was a 20 gauge and it was obviously a Belgium gun. He said no it was a 16 and I said let me look at it. The gun was around 98% and had the original operation maunal. He said some older gentleman had brought it in and they paid him cash for it. They had a tag on it for $525. I handed the gun back to him and said I would go $475 and we split the difference at $500. I had been looking for a good sweet 16 for some time to go into my limited collection of shotguns. I have a Citori 16 also and wanted the A-5 to go along with it. I go to South Dakota for pheasant and with the numbers of birds it is quite a bit fun to shoot and I always get comments on how nice a gun it is. I thought it was quite the fortuitous find.

I had a 20 guage A-5 I killed bunches of grouse with, loved it. Fast, light and pointed well. I need another.