Browning Auto 5 rifle barrel converted to 3” chamber?

[NoAlibi]

I inherited a 12 gauge Browning Auto 5 Magnum shotgun (circa 196? - it has the round pistol grip) and an additional barrel with rifle sights marked 2 ¾ “ .

Do I have to do anything more than have the chamber reamed out to be able to shoot 3” shells through it?

Thanks in advance for any help…..Doc

 

[Dave McCracken]

Yes. various parts will have to be changed and not cheaply.

Good news, there's nothing in North America that 2 3/4" slugs will not handle.

 

[NoAlibi]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't looking to shoot slugs through it, instead I wanted to shoot 3" shotshells with #4 buckshot.

The 2 3/4" loading has 27 pellets where the 3" loading has 41 pellets - 50% more...big difference!

If the receiver is already set up for 3" shells what extra parts would I need?

 

[redranger1]

You would be better off selling that gun and buying one that shoots 3" or trading for one. However i just noticed that you said the shotgun is a magnum. If that is the case i dont know that anything else would have to be changed to shoot 3'' shells through a barrel rechambered for 3''.

 

[rcmodel]

+1

You already have a 3" Mag receiver & barrel, so I would agree the 2 3/4" barrel could have the chamber lengthened by a knowledgeable gunsmith with the correct reamer.

But before I did anything, I would shoot some of those anemic 2 3/4" buckshot loads and see if you still really want or need a 3" buckshot load!

Better yet, shoot 3" loads in the 3" barrel and 2 3/4" shells in that barrel.

rc

 

[Maverick223]

Whoa, whoa, whoa...that additional bbl that you speak of is rifled. Rifled scattergun barrels will impart spin to shot and therefore pattern in a wide torus shape...this is bad. Use the smoothbore for shot and the rifle bbl for slugs. If you decide that you want to use 3in. slugs, so be it (I don't know for sure but this may be too hard on the action), but don't lengthen the chamber just for shot (whether it be buck or bird).

BTW, most sabot slugs (and slugs in general) are 2-3/4in.

 

[rcmodel]

+1

If the barrel is rifled, leave it alone and shoot sabot slugs out of it.

It won't work with buckshot, but I assumed you already knew that.

rc

 

[Blue Line]

it would be cheaper to buy a less expensive jap barrel that takes 3 inch shells than reaming out a 2.75 chamber.

 

[kirbythegunsmith]

Details

NEWS FLASH.

Browning 12 ga. barrels (but not 20 ga.) of 2-3/4" style have different magazine ring positions than 3" barrels.
Therefore, even if the barrel was smoothbore, altered chamber length, etc., it's still not compatible with a MAGNUM 12 ga. frame parts/forend set-up.

In this picture, the middle 4 barrels are 12 ga. 2-3/4", and the bottom 2 are Magnum. See the barrel ring position change?
Those barrels are some of what I posted about selling for the Widow of a long-time friend.

Kirby
[email protected]

 

[Maverick223]

Have you tried attaching the bbl to confirm that it fits? In light of the information presented above, it seems like that may be a good idea before proceeding.

 

[NoAlibi]

Actually I inherited two Browning Auto 5 12 gauge shotguns...the magnum I mentioned and a non-magnum. It appears from the comment made by kirby the barrel was meant for the latter.

Maverick223 - I did not try fitting the rifle barrel (doesn't have any rifling) to the magnum receiver. When I get back to Florida I'll check it out.

Thanks to all that replied.

 

[Maverick223]

rifle barrel (doesn't have any rifling)

Well that is peculiar; in my limited experience, most barrels with rifle sights have rifling. Only one way to find out, but I imagine that kirbythegunsmith is right considering that you had two. Hope we are wrong, and it works out for you.

 

[Gordon]

"most barrels with rifle sights have rifling", your experiene must indeed be limited with RS barrels then. Rifled SG barrels are the exception not the norm. They won't shoot shot or buck effectively and are usually reserved for deer with sabot type slugs. A rifled choke tube will also fire sabot slugs well and can be switched by demand.
Browning NEVER made A5 rifled barrels.
IMHO rechambering an A-5 barrel is a waste of time and money. They can have the forcing cone lengthed to good advantage however and can be tubed also.

 

[Maverick223]

your experiene must indeed be limited with RS barrels then. Rifled SG barrels are the exception not the norm.

Indeed it is (that is what I said after all ), in fact my experience with shotguns as a whole pales in comparison to my experience with rifles. I honestly see little utility in a rifled shotgun barrel, unless rifles are not permitted in the area in which you hunt, because sabot slugs afford no performance advantage when compared to a traditional rifle. Full-bore slugs can provide some advantage for large prey (like bear protection), but generally do not require such barrels...so needless to say the rifled bore shotgun is a subject that I have little interest in and know little of. That said, I have played with a few over the years.

 

[Superposed]

AS Kirby said. Browning A5 12 gauge magnum barrels (3") are NOT interchangeable with Browning A5 12 gauge light-12 or standard barrels (2 3/4").

Superposed