Browning A5 priced too low what am I missing?

Actually that is average retail for a gun in that condition, no collector is going to touch it so that just leaves shooters and they pay very little for old fixed choke shotguns like that.

It is highly doubtful that your gunsmith is going to make it "original" for $350, chances are he is just going to sand it down and refinish it which will increase the value only slightly and it still won't be the least bit collectible.

If the rust isn't terrible and it has a 2.75" chamber it is probably worth the price as a shooter, they are excellent shotguns.


PP

Try to find a gun with a polychoke on it, it ads negligible value to the gun but will cost a lot ($150 give or take) to buy one and have it installed.


PP

A Poly-Choke or Cutts Comp actually reduces the value of a gun considerably.

A very early (4th year they were made) 1927 Browning A5 would not be as desirable as a later Light-12 with the speed feed loading feature.

Those old ones are heavy like a tank.

rc

I would just watch gunbroker.com until something like you want shows up for a reasonable price. There are millions of these guns floating around and it shouldn't be too hard to find something that will make you happy as-is without blowing a lot of money on gunsmithing.


PP

I had a clean 1936 that I shot at the range every weekend for quite some time. I could only get $350 or so selling it; what seemed massively cool to me evidently wasn't so cool to most any other shotgun buyer....

I sold it specifically because I concentrated on post-1956 Light models...

rbernie said:

I had a clean 1936 that I shot at the range every weekend for quite some time. I could only get $350 or so selling it; what seemed massively cool to me evidently wasn't so cool to most any other shotgun buyer....

I sold it specifically because I concentrated on post-1956 Light models...

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It's first generation semi-auto shotgun with tube recoil spring that needs manual adjustment. If not set correctly the gun does not cycle right or the for-end wood cracks. The upland game hunting is creeping to non-tox shot and soft non-tox shot compatible with older choked barrels is about $100/25. The only loved Auto-5 are like new boxed variety in less common persuasion like the ordinary but for some reason highly acclaimed by Browning fans 'Sweet Sixteen'. I have held a few and found nothing great about them.

I have a 1947 Auto 5 in ok shape. I sent the barrel to Briley to have it threaded for chokes. For that and 2 extended chokes I think it was $200. The barrel isn't numbered to the gun, so I didn't feel bad having that done. Full Choke 30" rib barrel are fairly common.

I paid $525 for the gun and I was happy to get it at that price. YMMV.

I'm actually getting ready to bust some clays with it today once my shooting buddy gets here

The A5 crops up here all the time in WA, and sits for sale at $350-$450 for weeks at a time. I toyed with getting one, but the reviews say they are heavy and won't reliably cycle all shot, and may not even fire slugs well...

Seems cool, and for $200 or so, I'd buy... but at $300 I'd probably look around for something else.

I toyed with getting one, but the reviews say they are heavy and won't reliably cycle all shot, and may not even fire slugs well

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The non-Light versions are a bit heavy but they handle well. I've owned a half dozen or so and they all cycled everything down to 1oz without issue and most would cycle 7/8oz well. No issues with slugs at all.

They were in production for a hundred years for a reason - they are a brilliant design that just flat out works. If you were a gun manufacturer that made a semi-auto shotgun, chances are that the Auto5 was competition (and chances are that you'd need to say some bad things about it to make your own gun seem better)...

Most folk that I find passing along negative info about the Auto5 have never spent any real stick time behind one.....

rbernie said:

The non-Light versions are a bit heavy but they handle well. I've owned a half dozen or so and they all cycled everything down to 1oz without issue and most would cycle 7/8oz well. No issues with slugs at all.

They were in production for a hundred years for a reason - they are a brilliant design that just flat out works. If you were a gun manufacturer that made a semi-auto shotgun, chances are that the Auto5 was competition (and chances are that you'd need to say some bad things about it to make your own gun seem better)...

Most folk that I find passing along negative info about the Auto5 have never spent any real stick time behind one.....

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^^^ This. I'm not a huge fan of how they (or any semi-auto) FEEL compared to a good-fitting O/U, but I've shot the A5 and Remington Model 11 a decent bit over the past 40 years, and hunted and competed alongside a lot of them. I don't think I've ever experienced or even seen a misfire or failure to cycle. They are pretty much a mechanical masterpiece as guns go, and you have to manage to royally screw one up in order to make it unreliable.

For the OP, you can buy a nice one cheaper than you can buy a ragged one and have it refurbished. I paid $281 for this 1954 Belgium-built Light Twelve on GB a couple months ago and turned it into a HD gun. It's in outstanding mechanical condition, and very good cosmetic condition, particularly the metal. If you want a gun with a Cutts or a poly-choke, you can buy one at a reasonable price, and get an amazing quality gun for the about the price of a cheap, stamped-part pump gun.

Poly-Choke:
http://www.poly-choke.com/choke.htm

Cutts Compensator:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...HqGp2gWwkoCIBg&sqi=2&ved=0CEUQ9QEwBA&dur=2950

The big difference is, the Poly-Choke is adjustable to any choke just by turning it to the choke setting you want.

The Cutts uses interchangeable choke tubes.
And they are no longer made.

rc

Flfiremedic said:

Turbo,

Can you please post a good pic of that poly choke? Did it come on the rifle or did you buy it?

Thanks,

Medic

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Let me know if you still need a photo of mine after rcmodel posted the link. You can see one like mine in the top left image of this page: http://www.google.com/search?q=cutt...=0;cutts compensator shotgun&imgdii=_&imgrc=_

It came on my gun, but I removed it when I cut the barrel to 18". Sounds like you are looking for the Weaver style, but if you need a Cutts I could consider selling mine. I think it's a Modified choke, if I recall correctly. I only have the one screw-in tube but they come up for sale on the auction sites.

I have shot Remington model 11s since 1957, when my Grandpa gave me his. I was 13 at the time. If anyone thinks a Rem mod 11 or Bro A5 is heavy, they better think seriously about joining a gym......I have three Rem 11s, one in each gauge.....chris3

Forgot about the Savage 720 which is a GI gun.....chris3