Browning A5 20 Gauge Question

[ZBill]

I am having trouble finding the location and manufacture date for a Browning A5 20 gauge. It is serial number is C13401. The barrel is marked "Browning Arms Company St Louis Mo" with a Barrel length, including polychoke, of 26 inches. Barrell also says "special steel 20 gauge shells 2 3/4."

I thought these were made either in Utah or Belgium and not in St. Louis.
All information on manfacture date and location is appreciated, Thanks, Bill

 

[f4t9r]

THEY WERE MADE IN Belgium OR jAPAN
THE BELGIUM is more collectible and the Japan is a shooter

 

[Rpriestlyjr]

Go to the Browning website (www.browning.com) and you'll be able to find out all you need to know.

 

[Rpriestlyjr]

Oops, forgot. You will need only the serial number and model to research it.

 

[cubesteak]

Any resolution to your research?

Hey ZBill,

I have a similar gun, a 20 gague - C11988.

Looking at the browning site isn't very revealing:

http://www.browning.com/services/dategun/detail.asp?id=13

While it looks like this gun was made somewhere from 1940-1946 (given the ABC designation), the serial numbers just don't make sense. Either they restarted counting at 1 when remington took over, or they only made 1000 guns from 1940-1946. Being war years, I guess that may be possible, or completely impossible.

Anyway, I'm hoping that you might be able to shed some light on this...

Thanks very much in advance for your help!

Best regards,
CS

 

[rcmodel]

I'd say the FN factory in Belgium probably had a big red bullseye painted on it during most of WWII.

Also, a lot of FN's records were lost during WWII, due to bombing, and changing hands with the Germans.

My Browning book says there was no civilian production at FN from 1940 to 1946.


rcmodel

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

Blue Book of Gun Values does not show an A-5 in 20 ga before 1958 in the Serialization section (p. 2017 in the 28th edition)

Page 410 shows A-5's made from 1903-1940 in 16 & 12 ga, but no 20 ga.

Page 411 lists an "American Browning" Auto-5 12,16,or 20ga.

"American Browning" Auto-5-12,16, or 20 ga., Remington-produced model of the Auto-5, very similar to the Remington Model 11, except with Browning logo, mag. cut-off, and different engraving, over 38,000 mfg. in 12 ga. (ser. no. range B5000-B43159), over 14,000 in 16 ga. (ser. no. range A5000-A19450), and 11,000 in 20 ga. (ser. no. range C5000-c16152), stocks have Remington style round knob pistol grip. Mfg. 1940-47.

100%-$550 98%-$425 95%-$375 90%-$325 80%-$295 70%-$250 60%-$225

Add 10% for vent. rib and/or 20 ga.

An easy way to identify this configuration is to look for the "A", "B", "C" prefix on the left side of receiver.

Remington uses a lettered date code system on the barrel, but I don't know if they did on these shotguns or not.

Hope some of this helps
Oakville Shooter

 

[Gone Fishing]

Manufacture

Your Browning 20 gage is the same as mine. It was made by Remington Arms for Browning. Belgium wasn't up and running during the war and no Brownings were made. Remington used an A to designate a 16 gage, a B for a 12 and a C for the 20 gage. I would guess our shotguns were made in 1946.

 

[cubesteak]

Thank You!

Thank you so much! Extremely helpful... Sorry for the late reply - don't know why I didn't get an email from the "subscribe".

I really appreciate the help folks!

Best regards,
CS

 

[Junodad]

Browning A% 20 GA question follow up

I have a Browning A5 20 Gauge I bought used when I was a kid, probably around 1968 or so. I followed the thread of the other 20 gauge question until it got to the A-B-C identification.

Mine is labeled "OZ 37225" at the top(?) or barrel end of the receiver. The barrel is marked "Made in Belgium" and "Browning Arms Company St. Louis & Montreal P Q."

Is that of similar vintage as the other query? I.e. about 1946 or so?


Thanks in advance.

Steve
Seattle, WA

 

[tbotts]

Junodad;
your 20ga a5 was made in 1960.

 

[Junodad]

20 ga Browning

Thanks! What's the coding? The OZ or the numbers?

Thanks!

Steve
Seattle

 

[zanegrey]

A-5 16ga. buttstock interchangeable with the A-5 20ga. barrel?

Is the A-5 16ga. buttstock really interchangeable with the A-5 20ga. barrel, as Randy Wakeman appears to say on chuckhawks.com?