Japanese A-5

[moospis]

Looking at a 1991 Japanese Browning Magnum Twenty shotgun. It is in great condition and I even fired a couple of shells. A little kick but a nice gun IMO. A lot of price range I have found when trying to find out its worth. Any helpful information would be appreciated. Value?

 

[rabid wombat]

Welcome to the Forum!

I cannot help you with value. It is probably Miroku. Miroku is an extremely respected manufacturer. Good quality! Others much more knowledgeable will provide you more information.

https://www.miroku-mfg.co.jp/en/products/

 

[rbernie]

Browning shifted production from Belgium to Japan / Miroku in 1976. The Japanese guns are set up for choke tubes, and the barrels are thicker-walled. As a result, they tend to command a bit more money from most folk (altho there are folk that prefer the slightly lighter Belgian guns).

Price depends on where you live, I guess. Places with upland birding will favor the 20ga (even a magnum) while places with lots of waterfowling will gravitate towards 12ga guns (if they even still use the Auto-5). My last two (2) 20ga Auto-5s (pre-panic) were bought in the NoTexas area and sold in the $600 -$700 range.

The 20ga magnum was always a bit of an odd duck, if you pardon the pun - it's heavier than the regular 20ga and most upland hunting doesn't require magnum shells, while it still doesn't have the payload capability desired by the waterfowling types (especially once non-tox shot became the norm).

 

[Rudolph31]

Completed Items on Gunbroker has a few:

https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search/completed?Keywords=Magnum Twenty&Timeframe=1&Sort=1&PageSize=48

Not all of these guns sold, some auctions just ended with no bids. So click on the auctions to find out.

 

[Ranger99]

I've had Miroku and Belgian Brownings,
and had no problems from either and
both functioned flawlessly.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy another

 

[welldoya]

Wow, I wish I could find a 20 gauge for $600 or $700 like Rbernie. Cheapest I’ve seen is $1,000, right on up to $2,000. They bring more than a 12 gauge.
I’ve heard that Magnum 20s have a big following among pheasant hunters.
I’ve used a Miroku 12 gauge since the mid 80s. Great gun.

 

[cdb1]

Browning shifted production from Belgium to Japan / Miroku in 1976. The Japanese guns are set up for choke tubes, and the barrels are thicker-walled. As a result, they tend to command a bit more money from most folk (altho there are folk that prefer the slightly lighter Belgian guns).

From what I’ve seen, read and heard, Belgian made Auto 5’s are more desirable and command a higher sales price than Japanese manufacture Auto-5’s.

 

[rbernie]

From what I’ve seen, read and heard, Belgian made Auto 5’s are more desirable and command a higher sales price than Japanese manufacture Auto-5’s.

I think that really depends on the fixed choke - a full choke Belgian gun will sell for a lot less locally than a Japanese-made gun with Invector chokes. From memory, it seems as if the majority of Belgian guns that I picked up have had a full choke and that definitely hurt their value.

I prefer a Belgian barrel, long and with no rib, but locally that seems the anomaly and not the rule.

 

[rromeo]

From what I’ve seen, read and heard, Belgian made Auto 5’s are more desirable and command a higher sales price than Japanese manufacture Auto-5’s.

The Belgium guns are much more common. I can't even think of the last time I saw a Miroku A5 for sale.

 

[earlthegoat2]

A 3” 20 ga A-5 is an odd duck as @rbernie states. That also makes them a bit uncommon and it would seem that because of this, they get higher prices than most other A-5s. There were a few Belgian 3” 20s made as well and I suppose those will fetch a bit more. When I think of an A-5 Magnum though, I usually think of a Miroku gun.

I seem to remember them going for over $1000 around 2010. The completed auctions link above reveals they are anywhere from $1000-$2000.