[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

I came across an A-5 on the dealer's used rack for $340. Its a 12ga.

The receiver and butt-stock are in good shape---I'd say 90% to 95%--nothing but honest use and wear. The innards could use a good cleaning.

The forend is cracked and epoxied back together----found a new one at Cabela's for $45.

The barrel is 22 or 24in??? long has a vent rib---fixed FULL choke---2.75 chamber and says Browning Arms St. Loius(sp?).
There is some surface rust---the mid bead is broken off and the front bead is some guys hack job---basically just a short screw that they put in there.

So what I was thinking if I got it--was get the new forend---strip the butt and refinish both the same way.

Take the barrel down to the gunsmith---have the choke opened up to IC and have the rib drilled and tapped with new beads put in.
Then take it home and clean it up and cold blue it myself.

Leave the receiver alone--maybe reblue---disassemble and clean thoughly.

What say you guys---worthy project or am I better off just buying a new one(semi-auto that is--not necessarily a Browning) for a few bucks more????????

Thanks

OBG

[Smoke]

Seems a bit pricey for the shape its in.

Look around some more. I bought a very nice Belgium Humpback for $450 a year or so back.

I'd say skip the one you found and keep looking.

[HSMITH]

Way too much money for that one.

[PJR]

The barrel is suspect. According to the reference books I have Browning didn't make a 22 or 24" barrel with a vent rib and even if they did it is a very short barrel to have a full choke. Did you actually measure the choke or is it marked as having a full choke? This combined with the homemade front bead leads me suspect it's been cut. Check the distance of where the mid bead used to be and the front bead. If it seems closer to the muzzle than the midway point the barrel has probably been cut and is now a cylinder choke.

Throw in the other requirements to bring it up to respectable condition and it's a money pit IMHO.

Paul

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Its marked as having a full choke-------sounding more and more like I did good by not taking it.

Asked them if they would come down when I discovered the cracked forend----they wouldn't and it was pretty much a deal breaker for me last night.

Figured I'd check here to see if I was passing on a diamond in the rough.

Thanks guys.

[Dave McCracken]

I like A-5s, which is funny because I've never shot the things well. Out of respect for JMB, perhaps.

Sounds like a good $200-250 project gun to me. If they won't come down, keep looking. And that barrel is almost certainly sawn, and it sounds like it was butchered when they did it.

HTH....

[Mannlicher]

I would offer them $250 cash. You probably would walk out with it. Cabela's has those nice Hastings WadLock II barrels for about $300. I put one on my older Belgium Browning, and turned it back into a shooter.

I have 4 A-5 Brownings now, the two 12 GA, one 20, and my all time favorite, the Sweet 16.

The Browning A-5 is my all time favorite shotgun

[Marshall]

TOO HIGH!

The barrel puzzels me? Most 2 3/4 in guns by Browning that had a full choke were 30" barrels.

Could it be a slugged barrel?

[SteelyDan]

I really like the A-5s. A good tip I got for looking at used ones is to check the gap between the front of the operating handle and the receiver. It should be about 3/16". If the handle is hitting the receiver it means the fore-end is worn out and must be replaced, which may be prohibitively expensive. If the fore-end is bad so are the friction rings, carrier latch spring, and maybe the breech bolt or locking block.

[BAD_KARMA]

There is no mystery to this gun. What you have is a chopped down barrel. Someone got some dirt and bulged out or blew out the end then hacked sawed it and rigged a homemade front sight. Take a dime with you and try to fit it down the muzzle of the barrel. If it is full choked the dime will not fit. If it does fit point this out to the shop keep and put the pressure on him. By the way forarm cracks are very common on the A-5's. It is caused by shooting them with the barrel loose. When you tighten the forend you must push the barrel all the way back then tighten the cap at the end of the mag. tube as tight as you can get it with your FINGERS.

[Kahr carrier]

Sounds like a Money Pit PASS.:)