Browning Sweet 16

[CYANIDEGENOCIDE]

I was given a browning sweet 16 this past weekend by a lady for doing some chores around her house. It's clean and cycles smooth but from what I have read these guns have a propensity for breaking fore stocks. It's a 1975 Belgian model and I would feel bad if I took it dove hunting and broke something because it's no longer in production so I don't know if I could still get parts. My question is if you owned this gun would you take it hunting or just leave it at home and take something else.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

Hog wash! I've been shooting an A-5 for 40 yrs. They are NOT fragile guns, they are built like tanks.
If your shooting field loads, make sure the friction rings are set for heavy loads. Also, be very sparing when oiling your sweet sixteen.
Sometimes the wood can swell and start rubbing on the barrel. If you notice the blueing getting worn on the barrel, take some sand paper to the inside of the forend. Mine has some blue wear on the barrel where it contacts the fore stock. I've never sanded mine but some guys do.

Guys that break fore ends usually have too much oil on the gun and improper ring setting.
Take it out and shoot the hell out of it, you can't hurt it! BTW, parts are readily available for all the Browning A-5s.
That nice old lady gave you a wonderful shotgun! Enjoy it.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Guys that break fore ends usually have too much oil on the gun and improper ring setting.

The fore-end is a weakness of the A-5 and do crack occassionally. Not to worry though, original replacement stocks/fore-ends are available<http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=5385> though are quite pricey. You can minimize possible damage by making sure the friction ring settings match the load you're shooting.

 

[axeman_g]

Nice lady... I would be helping out as much as possible.

IRC>>> It is the twelves that like to crack forearms

 

[jimmyraythomason]

It is the twelves that like to crack forearms

So will the 16's.

 

[Armored farmer]

You were given a great gun.....If you don't shoot it, you were given a dust collector.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Shoot it plenty....

 

[Finprof]

My sweet 16 is an earlier one with the rounded end of the pistol grip. I didn't know that the fore-ends break, and, apparently neither did my gun. It goes dove hunting in South Carolina, grouse hunting in PA and woodcock hunting in NJ and pheassant hunting in North Dakota. It has never jammed or failed to fire under any circumstances.
When I lived in South Carolina in the 70's, almost every member of the deer hunting club had a Browning Auto-5 12 guage, hunted it every Saturday for 3 months, and killed a half dozen to a dozen deer with it every year. I never heard of a foreend breaking for any of the 50 or so club members.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I never heard of a foreend breaking for any of the 50 or so club members.

It does happen,trust me on this. I have replaced many fore-ends on A-5s both when I had a shop and later as favors for friends. Browning Auto 5s are excellent shotguns but they are not impervious to breakage. I even had one break the rear sear(on the trigger) and go full auto.

 

[axeman_g]

I am like Finpro on this one... never seen a 20 or 16g break a forearm. I have personally broken a light 12 forearm. Not saying it has never happened...

The Sweet 16 is one of the nicest shotguns EVER produced. Perfect balance of size, power and quality.

I got mine from a little, old admin at BellSouth at that time period. it was one of her fathers guns... but was in the garage workshop when they liquidated his collection. She found it months after his passing, forlorn next to the work bench. It was covered in dirt from the dirt floored garage, there was surface rust all over the bluing, and moss in the barrel. She sold it to me for next to nothing, and the quality of those guns is so great that it cleaned up perfectly and you would never know it had been neglected at some time.

There are times that I feel bad for shooting the old girl... I feel like I should just put her away and get another knock around gun. But I cant find anything out there in the open market for under $2000 that comes close to this gun in cache, quality, looks and plain old comfort to shoot.

Love it... shoot it.

 

[CYANIDEGENOCIDE]

Thanks a ton guys. I really wanted to use this gun, and what I have read here has convinced me I should

 

[Mike Wazowski]

Sweet Sixteen

The Sweet Sixteen is one of the finest semi auto shotguns ever produced. Perfectly balanced and a pleasure to carry in the field. Some of my fondest memories are of hunts with friends and family while carrying the "Sweet". They seem to just point themselves, you'll see.

Another advantage I have noticed when hunting with the 16 gauge - no one bums shells off of me.

Congrats on a fine shotgun. Many happy days afield.


Mike

 

[Mr. T]

My Father has a Sweet 16 and has had it for 40+ years...it is built like a tank and can take anything you throw at it. That being said I have seen A-5's with cracked fore end stocks, but from what I could see was that due to excessive oil being applied to the guns and the excess not being adequately wiped off, which can weaken the wooden furniture. Personally I would have no problem hunting with that gun. If you do find that you damage something on the gun you can order parts directly from Browning. My dad's brother found a Sweet 16 in an old shed on his property buried in a stack of old lumber and it was so rusted and the wood furniture was in such bad shape no one thought it would ever be restored. He sent the gun back into Browning to have it restored. $600 later when Browning sent the gun back it looked like a brand new gun out of the box. Don't be afraid to use it; it can take anything you can throw at it.

 

[Hocka Louis]

I had a thought...



I have a Sweet 16 myself. I believe someone makes synthetic stocks for them. Why not put the wood in a box somewhere and use it with the synthetic replacements, or at LEAST the forearm, so you can restore it whole down the road to pass along or sell?

 

[Liberty1776]

Everyone has pretty much said it - no gun is built stronger. Spare forends are cheap - you could get one and use it when you hunt, if you are concerned. Plenty A-5s out there with Acra-glassed forend cracks (the forends are easy to repair) A-5s are like Timex - take a licking and keep on ticking.

I love my 1100 too, but - for a fun education in manufacturing differences, break down an 1100 and an A-5 and look at the difference in quality, strength and type of metal in the parts and springs...