Browning Auto-5 price

[6_gunner]

I was browsing a gun shop today and found a Remington 12 ga Browning Auto-5. It might have been a different model, but it was definitely the Auto-5 design. It appeared to be very solid, but well-worn, with little blueing left.
It was priced in the $250 dollar range, which struck me as a very good deal. I'm not really in the market for a shotgun, but if that's an exceptionally good price I might get it.
What do you think?

 

[zinj]

That would be the Remington Model 11. Perhaps one of the most undervalued shotguns today. Once you shoot an Auto-5 (or clone) you will have a hard time going back.

If it checks out fine, that sounds like a reasonable price, depending on features and overall condition. When you say "little blueing left" do you mean that the blue is just thin or is there pitting?

Some things to check for specific to Auto-5s and clones are:

All of the screws are present (occaisonally lock screws are missing)

The screw-heads aren't buggered (not too huge of a deal, but this means someone tried to disassemble the gun without the proper screwdriver)

All the recoil system is present on the magazine tube (big recoil spring, bronze friction brake with black steel compression ring, and the steel friction ring)

The fore-end is not cracked (especially check around the little nub that the magazine cap locks on, cracks often propogate from there)

And if you haven't noticed it already, the carrier doesn't allow the magazine to be loaded without the holding the bolt release. This is a trait of all Auto-5 type guns pre-50's due to using a one-piece carrier.

 

[Sharpdogs]

I just shot my Remington Model 11 this weekend. It's an absolute pleasure to shoot. If I stumble across another I am picking it up. Recoil was a breeze and I was suprised how easily I was able to bust clays. It had been close to a year since I went skeet shooting. I plan on going again next weekend. $250 is not a bad price for the Remington if it's in good shape.

 

[6_gunner]

The bluing was well-worn, but little or no pitting. I probably won't get it if that's about the going rate; I just thought I'd snatch it up if it was an exceptionally good deal.
I saw it at Bullseye gun shop in Kokomo, IN if anybody's interested.