I'm awaiting my first Browning A-5. A Japanese 3" Light Twelve. Tell me about replacement barrels. Can I use a 2 3/4 barrel if I don't shoot 3" shells out of it?

A Browning A-5 "Light Twelve" should come with a 2-3/4" chambered barrel whether it was made in Belgium or in Japan.

I thought "Light Twelve" models were only 2 3/4" chambers? Weren't the 3" guns referred to as "Magnum" or something like that?

The 1997 humpback that lives here shoots 3" chers, and says Magnum on it.

I'm waiting on it to be shipped to me. It says "light twelve" on the receiver, so maybe the seller doesn't know that it isn't a 3". Guess I'll see soon

The Light Twelve is 2-3/4" only! The 3" version is known as the Magnum Twelve. I own both and a Light Twenty to boot!

The Auto-5 Browning was produced from 1903-1976 and that was the last year of the Belgium Brownings, which are regarded as the best of model.
They were made in Japan from 1976-1998, and they were more trouble prone, so the great A-5 had its run.

Now another new version from 2012, not sure about those.