Browning Auto 5 defense shotgun

[trbon8r]

I seem to remember some time back there was a gentleman that had taken an older beater Browning Auto 5 and turned it into a defense type shotgun. I was wondering if that gentleman still posts here and has any pictures of his project gun? If anyone else has undertaken a similar project with your Auto 5 I'd love to see pictures.

I just need to find the right donor gun. Something that might have had a Poly Choke installed or something along those lines where I wouldn't feel guilty chopping the barrel or ruining a collectible piece. I guess that rules out my 95% condition Belgium Mag 12.

Supposedly Choate made an extended magazine tube for the Auto 5 but has since discontinued it. Are there any other alternatives to the Choate that are available? Thanks.

 

[Gordon]

1969 Lt weight Auto 5 12 ga (2 3/4") This gun has the "speed feed" articulated shell lifter- besure your donor gun has one! It had a Vent barrel which I cut to 19" because the vent post fell there. I clamped on Williams Fire sights to the rib, but the dayglow filaments kept blowing away, so I just filed the aluminum down and blacked it and called it good . Right now it has a 22" Factory rifled slug barrel, I don't mind the extra 3" for good sights!
All new springs and friction pieces with a detail stip and lube job. Cut the stock to 12.5"LOP with a Limbsaver. I first made a 7 shot extension from a TacStar Remington extension (kinda sorta the same thread but required a machined plunge relief) but have since found an 8 shot Choate extension on e bay which looks good with the 22" barrel.
I inletted (screwed and epoxy on top of a dremeled groove)a 3" piece of Aluminum Pic rail onto the left side of forearm in the strongest spot I could find where I put a Sure Fire L-5 in a VLTOR mount. I screwed in one 1.25" heavy duty sling swivel to the left side of stock wrist to hang a single point MOUT sling. And screwed on a 5 round shell holder strip to the right cheek piece ,NOT good for transitioning to the left shoulder!
I had the whole ugly lightly pitted mess(was an old duck gun!) lightly sprayed black by a local Rhino Coat dealer for $30. It took some buffing to get working smoothly. It is behind the seat in my truck , no pictures for now!

 

[trbon8r]

Thanks for the info!

 

[cherryriver]

I had a little experience with a Choate Auto-5 magazine extension about three years ago.
I called Choate and they uncovered one old dusty one on a back shelf and I bought it.
It went right on and seemed great. For fun, I entered a "practical" shotgun match with the gun and on the second stage, the gun tied up. It declined to feed any more ammunition.
It happened once more that day and then again the next match, so I removed it and stored it in a bottom drawer somewhere.
It turns out the follower was hanging up on the junction between the extension and the old magazine, letting the shells just sort of lay there.
According to my more-experienced friends, this is a not-uncommon occurrence with these types of extensions.
I later put a different brand extension on an 11-87, and used that in place of the Auto-5, but the Remington was never anywhere near as reliable as the Browning and I parked it. If I ever figure out the problem with the Choate Browning tube, I'll go back to that, because, no matter how much harder the Auto-5 kicks than the 11-87, at least it kicks every single time you press the trigger.
Bill

 

[Gordon]

2 areas of attention not normally looked into on Auto 5's for rapid hot and heavy fire are the tube that goes into the stock and has a bit of wood holding back a coil spring. That spring usually gets rusty and no attention and the tube like wise gets rusty and grungy. Tighten the butt stock on TIGHT after you clean and lube (or replace it once on an old gun) , also keep the foreend tight! The Tac Star I remachined had no real gap after I plunge cut it I will have to look at the Choate tube to make sure the shells have a smooth transition , and correct it if it doesn't. I've fired about 150 assorted rounds since I put on the Factory slug barrel and Choate extension but have not taken it thru a SG class like I did before the barrel, Choate extension and Rhhinp Coat was put on. Next Awerbuck class I will use it. BRW the 22" barrel barely clears the ground(3-4") hanging from a single point sling on my 5' 11" .

 

[mnrivrat]

You might find a mag follower with a little longer skirt would also help that transition between the mag tube and extension.

To the OP : Don't pass up a Remington Model 11 for this project . They can generaly be found cheaper than the A5 and are good guns.

A beater however should always be torn down and checked to make sure the bolt buffer is intact, and that the bolt has no cracks. This goes for both the Browning and the Remington guns. The last two I looked at at the local gun shops had cracked bolts - you can't realy see this until you get the gun apart, so I always made the deal with the shop that "if" the bolt was cracked I could return the gun. They know me well enough to know I would not cheat them and swap out a part however - so just keep this in mind.

 

[trbon8r]

How does one tell if an Auto 5 has the "speed feed" loading gate or not?

 

[Big Az Al]

speed feed??????

Maybe a two piece carrier?

The older one are one piece you have to push the release button to make the carrier move to load the mag.

Later ones have the two piece it will push upwards without having to push the button!

 

[Gordon]

Righto! And as soon as you take your finger off that shell you pushed in- a magical little man whisks it up into the breech and drops the bolt!

 

[Jack2427]

I have an older(no speed feed) A5 that I had cut to 18.25", had a night sight dot on the front end, and a synthetic stock/forend. I did not extend the mag tube because I had long ago handled a factory modified A5 made for the British in Rhodesia, 24" barrel and a long unsupported extended mag. Any little bang on the mag tube is bad news, and because of the long recoil action, the mag tube cannot be supported. SO I have a 6 shot, neat shotty that handles nicely, and groups #4 and 00 buck very well at out to 50 yards. Nice feature is the mag cut off, so specialty rounds can be fed in with 5 shots in reserve.

 

[trbon8r]

Maybe a two piece carrier?

The older one are one piece you have to push the release button to make the carrier move to load the mag.

Later ones have the two piece it will push upwards without having to push the button!

Can the older Belgian guns be found with this feature, or was it limited to the later Miroku guns?

 

[Gordon]

"1969 Lt weight Auto 5 12 ga (2 3/4") This gun has the "speed feed" articulated shell lifter-"

Don't know the year exactly when the Belgian guns introduced them , but it was post war and about 1955 or 56 I think. The Miroku guns are at least as good IMHO BTW.