Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Choke options for Browning auto-5?

Wondering if the installation of choke tubes would be an option for an older (Belgian) auto-5 light. Anyone done this, or had it done. Also thinking about just opening it up from full to modified for steel shot, but that would clearly negate the possibilty of setting it up with a turkey choke.

My dad had a gunsmith tackle this job a number of years ago. Thinwall Colonial Arms chokes were used. They are available from Brownells and others. The smith told him that, shooting steel shot, it would eventually fail. It eventually did, and the last 2 inches or so of barrel, with choke, blew off. But it took nearly 20 years of shooting steel through it for that to happen, probably around 100 rounds per year. BTW, this also was an older (mfg. circa 1965?) belgian Light Twelve.

Although it might be an option, you need to consider how it might negate any potential collector/resale value if the shotgun is in decent shape.

I'd say save your original barrel. That way the serial numbers will still match and you won't destroy it over time - Those Belgian bbls were not made of materials that work well with steel shot.
Look around for another barrel choked the way you want it for steel shot or find a full choke plain barrel with no rib you can have cut down to open up the restriction - some times you can find a bbl made in Japan for less money.
Hastings used to make replacement bbls (some in 2 3/4" chamber)with choke tubes - don't know if they still do or not.
Sometimes you can find them if you look around.

Good luck,
Ted

Thanks for the replies gentlemen ... gives me some possibilities to ponder.

for the time trouble,cost and aggravation you will be better off buying a new shotgun built for the job you need done and savintg the browining for the quail.

1) Here are my two Browning 12 ga A5 muzzles.
a) One was swaged out by Stan Baker from outside diameter 0.839" to 0.876" before it was reamed and tapped.
b)The other still has the factory full choke and the barrel is .823" outside diameter.

2) Different choke systems are needed for thin barrels:
..a) I am set up for 12 ga Rem Choke in a few pilot sizes. 32 threads per inch system. I need a barrel to be .845" diameter.
..b) Winchoke is also 32 TPI and needs .845"
..c) The Tru Choke system with 44 TPI needs at least a .825" barrel muzzle.
..d) The Tru Choke Thinwall aslo with 44TPI needs at least .805"

3) After reaming and tapping for Rem Chokes in many shotguns, I have found the preparatory reamer to be slow and the tap hard to turn.
So I have been quickly cutting with a boring bar to get close, then the reamer, and then I power tap using the engine lathe.

What does it all mean?
I cannot modify my full choke A5 with the Rem Choke tooling I own.
But I have been shooting steel shot through it for a long time, and it is still ok.