Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Lubing Magazine Tube on an A5?

What is the best way to lube a magazine tube and friction ring on an old A5 shotgun. Today I got one out and the lifter wasn't working well. I sprayed some Silkroil on it and it took off working fine, but I got some on the magazine tube. Gun started kicking like blue blazes. I set the rings for heavy loads and that helped, but than I realized I had oil on the friction ring. Got me wondering what is best way to lube this properly. I remember reading about something that someone sprayed on his A5 recoil system and let it dry in the warm sunlight and he thought it worked well. Don't recall what it was and figured someone here is bound to have good feedback about the old recoil system.

Start by cleaning the magazine tube, recoil spring and friction rings completely clean of lubrication and leave them bone dry. JMB used just two drops of motor oil on the magazine tube. Wipe the magazine tube all around with the two drops of whatever decent lubricant you favor. Set the friction rings for heavy loads and see if the gun will run with whatever shells you are using. If you are using light loads and the gun won't run light loads when set up for heavy, then set the rings for light loads and rock on. It's about 50/50 the gun will run light loads set up like that. If it will the recoil will be soft and wear and tear on the gun is nil. If you plan on using heavy field loads then you should be good right there.

I put some CLP type oil on a piece of paper towel and wipe down the tube and rings. I then take a clean section of towel and wipe down the tube and rings before putting it all back together.

If the tube and rings feel greasier than I like, I'll wipe everything down with solvent, wipe off, let dry, and start over. I've been doing this since my first A-5 in the mid-1970s as did my father before me and his father before him. Well, except the CLP, that is my twist on the old method.

There is no fixed amount that should be applied, as the spring tension varies. The key is to use as little as possible that will still allow the action to function. Start with a dry magazine tube with friction rings set to the heavy setting and see if it cycles properly. I’d it doesn’t, put a very light amount of oil on the magazine tube and check. I’d it still doesn’t cycle, go to the light setting with the rings.

More likely, especially on an older and much used gun the spring is soft and lost much of its strength. If a dry tube and the heavy load ring setting still allow a non-magnum load to cycle, definitely get a new spring. Art’s has them.

Thanks, I've got a new spring ordered from Numrich. I 've noticed 20 and 16 gauge A5 parts are scarce everywhere. Everyone has 12 gauge A5 parts on hand.

Art is THE MAN regarding Browning Auto Fives. Midwest Gun Works also has Auto Five parts.

Art’s has springs for all gauges.

Ordered friction piece from Art's. Appareantly 16 and 20 gauge use same piece. At least I hope they do, that's what I ordered. Appreciate the heads up about Art's, the only place I could find friction piece in stock.

Remember your gun was designed before modern synthetic and teflon gun oils were invented.

Every time I have had someone say their A5 (or Remington M11, Franchi 48, etc) will not function correctly, the easiest fix is to wipe off mag tube and put on a real light layer of axle grease (slick50 grease is what I use right now). people are amazed that their gun works better......

You use grease in very cold temperatures? John Moses himself used a couple drops of motor oil.

I can't add anything except this, a pal had his stop working properly when dove hunting so he pulled the dipstick out of the truck and dripped about 3 drops off it. Shotgun went back to working just fine.

Lots of good info in this thread. I believe the only time I've set my old Light Twelve up for heavy loads, was when I was wringing out it's short barrel with slugs & buckshot. The Modified barrel that came on it has run a couple thousand Winchester Universals with no malfunctions on the light load setting. It is far and away my favorite shotgun.

I lube the mag tube maybe twice a year and wipe it down to where you can't see any oil on it.

Yes, it works fine. Just a thin film.