Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Anyone use a Browning Auto 5 for upland hunting

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.