Browning Auto 5 help

[LawofThirds]

I've got a browning auto 5 in 12ga with a 28" barrel that I'm wanting to cut to something a little more multipurpose with a 20" barrel.

The browning I have has the stippled receiver, lack of half moon disassembly cut and different stock that seems to indicate that this is one of the Remington built Auto 5's (1940-1946). I've heard that this gun actually uses Remington model 11 barrels, rather than the much more expensive Browning barrels.

Any browning experts out there know if there's any truth to this? Also, I know the friction rings needs to be set up differently with a shorter barrel setup, anyone have any practical experience with doing that?

 

[CSestp]

What other uses do you want out of it? Dont butcher such a fine shotgun. I have one my father special ordered with a 32 inch barrel. I can knock a drake out of the sky at 75 yrds with it easy. I would recommend you learn to use that long barrel and get a second shotgun for whatever other uses you need.

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[itsa pain]

why would the friction rings be set up different because of short barrel. I have a browing that someone cut down to look like the jungle gun made by browning for the war and I use standard ring settings my friend has a rem made browning and it says made in Utah I think look on your barrel I could call him and ask him if you say what it says on your barrel or you could put in your serial no on browning website that will give you info

 

[LawofThirds]

Let me be clear: I don't hunt, I shoot the occasional clay/skeet, and I'm turning this into a shotgun for 3 gun competition/social work. I'm looking at buying a second barrel to cut down (to preserve the original), I'd rather not cough up 500 for a barrel I'm just going to cut down if my gun will use Remington Mod. 11 barrels.

This is not a highly engraved browning A-5, but rather, war time production by remington. It's got minimal scrollwork and the entire top and rear of the receiver are stippled.

 

[HILLBILLY-06]

Well, the remingtons I have seen that made those browning auto 5's were easy to spot because they 1). do not usually have the first round load bolt close feature, and 2). have an enormous ammount of pattent numbers all over them. I have see several from 1939 through early 40's that were like this. They are very rugged and well made, and all of them functioned very well.
I am not sure about your barrel question, but browning use to be good about telling you when they were made just with a phone call, and they were happy to send out a free safety pamplet as well. I haven't done that in a few years, so not sure if they still do it?

 

[rule303]

The Remington built Browning A5's (not to be confused with the very similar Remington model 11) will have a letter prefix serial number on the left side of the receiver, and matte finished top, and less engraving than the Belgian guns. Barrels will interchange with standard weight A5's, minor fitting may be required.

 

[CSestp]

If you would educate me what are the targets for shotguns in 3 gun, and do you use steel or lead shot? If you can use lead look into finding a a5 in 16 guage. I dont know if they made any japan barrels for a sweet 16 or feather weight. Anyways those normally came with much shorter barrels.

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[1KPerDay]

3-gun is all lead bird/buck/slugs, and I've never seen a 16 gauge. I've never seen a 20 gauge, though they're usually legal in the "standard" classes. If you run a 16 gauge A5 in 3-gun, you deserve to win on general principle.

However, the A5 is NOT the ideal shotgun for 3-gun. Just in case that was unclear to the OP.

 

[CSestp]

Ive always wanted to get into 3 gun just to take strange setups, a break top revolver, m1 garand, and why the hell not a5 in 16. Would totally get my rear handed to me. But it would sure make a ruckus i bet.

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[LawofThirds]

Well.. My setup I'm aiming for in 3 gun is a VZ.58, CZP01, and Browning A-5. Definitely not your normal 3gun setup. But then again... I've run normal IDPA with a S&W 642.

 

[JPG19]

Forgive me for my ignorance, but why would an A5 in 16ga raise such a ruckus? I happen to be the proud owner of a Belgian made Browning A5 in 16ga .

 

[1KPerDay]

Make sure your club allows magnetic ammo for the VZ... mine no longer does (according to 3GN rules or some crap). Or find some copper-plated stuff. Or load your own.

That setup definitely would earn you some "cool" points. The A5 may not run really well with a short barrel, though.

JPG, simply because it'd be unusual amid all the RemMossBenellis, is all.

 

[mnrivrat]

The A5 may not run really well with a short barrel, though.

I don't see any reason why the shorter barrel should give a problem. This is a recoil operated gun and unlike a gas auto, does not depend on gas volume or dwell time. Friction ring set up should not need to change over different barrel lengths on this type gun.
If you look up the guns of Bonnie and Clyde (cut down Remington Model 11)you will notice the barrel can be cut quite short.
I am sorry I can't answer the original OP's question regarding interchange of barrels. ( I do not fulling understand what the ? refers to regarding a Browning A5 or the Remington copy of the Browning A5) Remington made the Model 11 using the Browning A5 patten, but I am not aware that they made a gun that was marketed under the Browning name ?

Some Model 11's may be marked as Browning Patten but they are still Remington made guns and the barrels from one Remington A5 style gun should fit others .
Perhaps minor tweeking required ?

 

[LawofThirds]

Everything that I've read on short barreled A5's seems to indicate that they'll run anything but you'll have to give up some of the recoil eating properties of the friction rings (ie, light loads in a short barrel should use the heavy load setup and heavy loads have no recoil soaking) and the shortest that will run with the normal friction ring setup is 20". Since I like 20" and it fits a 3 shot extension, it fits my needs perfectly.

 

[1KPerDay]

Can you get an extension for browning? I was under the impression that you needed to run a one-piece extended/long mag tubes. The Rhodesian A5s were like that IIRC. They also had full length forends.

You've got an uphill road ahead of you. Keep us informed!

If you look up the guns of Bonnie and Clyde (cut down Remington Model 11)you will notice the barrel can be cut quite short.

If you actually read the history you will find that they didn't run particularly well, either. The long recoil action is a bit finicky when you start cutting heavy chunks metal off of the moving parts and removing back pressure.

 

[LawofThirds]

I've heard that a 11-48 extension will work, and I know choate has done several sizes. It just requires a longer spring and removal of the spring clip at the end.

 

[rbernie]

I don't see any reason why the shorter barrel should give a problem. This is a recoil operated gun and unlike a gas auto, does not depend on gas volume or dwell time. Friction ring set up should not need to change over different barrel lengths on this type gun.

The problem with making the barrel too short is that the gun will batter itself in short order.

The long recoil system needs a certain range of barrel weights in order to keep the timing and recoil in check. If you make the barrel shorter, it recoils faster due to the loss of barrel weight. And yes - I have BTDT. Anything shorter than 20" is gonna beat the snot outta the gun with standard field loads, even with the friction rings set to magnum and the tube run dry.

 

[Gordon]

Suffice to say that after running a 19"ventrib barrel ,which is heavier than a plainbarrel ,in SG courses and 3 gun stages, I arrived at the perfect length IMHO with the 24" Japanese Factory Browning rifle sighted Slug barrel. It patterns better than most others riot barrel with buck shot as it is a tight straight cylinder choke and the action has a reliable slow ka chunk with recoil reduction evident something the 19" did not do. With a 3 shot extension which was made for A-5s by Choate a decade or two back it looks right too.It mounts very fast with it's 13" LOP with a Limbsaver smooth pad.I have a industrial Velcro 5 shot loopstrip on the off side of the butt where I can still transition by laying my cheek on the velcro fabric. I ran a wood screw sling swivel eye right behind the wrist below and in front of the strong side cheek and use a single point,the 24" barrel is about 2" off the ground for my 5'10".

 

[LawofThirds]

The barrel that I'm considering cutting down is actually a full rib without any cutouts. I figure between that, running on the magnum setting and dry as a bone, it shouldn't beat itself up. To be safe though, I'm first having it cut at 22" from 28".

 

[jaguarxk120]

You can sell a solid rib barrel for enough to buy a new gun.

 

[itsa pain]

if cutting the barrel short results in battering the action I would just add a friction ring ot two. I have a A5 that someone cut down to 18" with a smaller no vent poly choke and I have no problems with normal ring setup the choke helps a little

 

[LawofThirds]

Wasn't aware that the solid rib was worth significantly more, besides, I like the Auto 5.