1948 a5 belgium

[bradley 1578]

I recently inherited a mint 1948 browning A5 semi 12 gauge...any idea of its worth for insurance purpose...it is in excellent condition with 95%bluing and an unblemished stock...any input would be appreciated

 

[Tom Held]

more info needed

solid rib barrel, vent rib barrel, plain barrel, fixed choke or poly choked, if fixed is it skeet, IC, mod, full, 2 3/4 or 3 inch chambers, etc., etc.? Could be worth from $500 to $800. I would just shoot it. Tom

 

[axeman_g]

Not worth anything... very little monetary value... please box it up and ship it to me for disposal.

dependent upon those things above plus i would look real close on the barrels and see if the chambe is marked for 2 9/16s shells or 2 3/4. Big difference in price. Another is the stock brown wood or tinged red... some people will value it less for red wood because of the salt in the wood from the marsh grass used in packaging the wood blanks in transport. Oh yeah... by the way your gun was made at Remingtons factory for FN because FN's plant was destroyed in WWII and did not reopen until 1953 IIRC. It would have been a Remington Model 11... only about 60K made this way during the war. So it is neither Belgian made (somepeople value this more ) nor Japanese (started in 1975 by Miroku and some people say they are equal to the Belgian guns) but American made so while not unigue it is different. Relaizing it is american... I would imagine the chamber is 2 3/4 right off the bat.

Need alot of questions answered before giving a value... but $500 sounds like a good starting point... good be much more or a little more. The main problem with A5s are the "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" syndrome. I love a5s, I shoot them very well. Some are collectible, some are not.

 

[bradley 1578]

A5 12 gauge

Thank you for the input...the barrel is a long smooth bore with a serial number 389xxx marked special steel 2 3/4....Browning Arms Company St Louis Mo...made in Belgium... with a lower marking of O Kg 885 and some symbols that appear to be signs of the craftsman. The stock is brown and looks like walnut finish. Please excuse my ignorance of correct questions and data but I am pretty new at this. Thanks again for any input.

 

[Tom Held]

a 5

Not a problem. I have one of these probably in the same vintage that I shot for years before we had to use steel shot. I suspect the barrel is full choked. Really does not have any collector value but is still a very nice shotgun and good shooter. If it is choked modified or less it would be a good waterfowl gun with steel shot. Would be a good trap gun and pheasant gun. Have fun with it. Tom

 

[.45Guy]

If it really is 48, would it not be one of the "American Brownings?"

 

[axeman_g]

Now with that serial number I think you have a gun made in 1953, in Belgium, unless the barrel is a replacement. No wayto really tell unless it is a drastic change like a 1930s Belgian gun and a Japanese Barrel.

Take the barrel off to possibly find a mark that is one of the following....

'*' designates full choke (F).

'*-' designates improved modified choke (IM).

'**' designates modified choke (M).

'**-' designates improved cylinder choke (IC).

Dependent on length, the gun will most likely be full or im. It would be a great trap shooting gun as the humpack makes you keep you head up and looking over the barrel.

Good luck with it, I would pay $500-$600 for it at a show FYI.