Old A5 16 Gauge... is it a good idea to restore? or leave alone

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Stillwater97

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Hello,

I have an old Browning A5 in 16 gauge (Serial is 389xx) based on what I could find online, this shotgun was made in 1926.

I don't believe that it is a "sweet 16" as there isn't any fancy engraving on the receiver.

The barrel says something interesting:

*Special Steel- 16 Gauge -Shells 2 9/16

The bluing on the receiver is faded and furniture is in good shape without too many gouges or scratches.

I've shot 2 3/4 shells through it and it does fine, don't know if it was modified to accept new length or that the difference between 2 9/16 and 2 3/4 is not a problem.

Thoughts?

What have I got here?


I've hunted with it for 15 years and it knocks down birds really good.

I was thinking about getting it re-blued and re finished... should I do it, or is it better to leave it as it is?
 
Sounds like quite the piece!

IMO, I wouldn't even touch the finish or wood, or anything. The gun is quite collectable in its current shape, if you alter that, you will loose collector value.
I can understand if you don't care about "collector value," but it pays off if you ever need to sell it. If you do decide to re-finish/re-blue, you will degrade the value of the gun, and that value you can't get back. I can assure you of this from my expirences with re-finished antique Colts and Lugers.

The only real benefit to re-finishing/re-blueing it would be looks, unless you decide to modify it in some odd way.

Leave it alone, keep it, shoot it, clean it, and enjoy your nice piece of history.

1 vote for keeping it original!
 
What have I got here?
Click to expand...

Does your Browning have the safe in the front of the trigger guard? Many of the old Browning 16's do that are marked for 2 9/16 shells. I would leave as is condition myself as you will not add value to the shotgun by a refinish.
 
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It's your shotty. If you wany it pretty redo it! How do we know it wasn't refinished 2 times in 1947 and 1959? :banghead: It isn't that expensive a shotgun that I would worry about it. There are hundreds of them out there. Attend any big gun show and count the A5s. Maintaining "tools" is the owners responsibility.
Maintain it to your specificatons.
Joe
 
Leave it as is if you EVER plan to get rid of it. If you intend to use it for hunting and such but never get rid of it, I don't have any problem with people restoring bluing (sp?) or stocks.
 
Yes,

the safety is located in the front of the trigger guard.



As it chambers 2 3/4 rounds fine, I'm guessing that it was modified at some point in the past, so collector value is probably already damaged.

I guess it doesn't matter what it looks like as it doesn't affect how much of a bird killer it is.

Its fun to shoot and really points well.

given the utility of the old 16 gauge shell, I'm really surprised that the round isn't more popular.

thanks for the info and advice guys!
 
I have one of those also, 1933 to be exact... I also have a sweet 16 from '35. Is your wood a reddish color, more red then brown? I like the looks of that wood, the color comes from the packing of the wood in salt marsh grass on the way to the factory. If you gun sets the 2 3/4 shells then it was redone. Mine is still 2 9/16... it is not hard to find the shells on the net. They only cost a little more, but are high quality all the way.

Keep that old gun the way it is until it really needs to be worked on. Enjoy something that was built 80 years ago, and still looks and functions better then most guns built today. I cant even guess how many rounds have been put through my guns, and they still shoot wonderfully. Every once in awhile, I think to myself I should look them up in the safe and get myself something new, stop abusing the old ladies, and try something new, some strange. And I go shopping and then head home empty handed because nothing catches my fancy as much as those two old girls.
 
The short chambered ones will chamber a 2 3/4" shell just fine. However, unless it has been modified it will not eject upon firing. Does yours eject the empty shell if you shoot it?
 
Specified shell length is length after being fired. IOW, it's only 2 3/4" long after it's shot. A 2 3/4 load will fit into a 2 9/16" chamber just fine, but when it's fired the crimp will intrude into the forcing cone and run pressures way up. Chances are a fine gun like an A-5 with its JMB over engineering will hold up, but it'll add wear and tear. Just like running a car wide open all the time.

In your shoes, I'd go with conservation rather than restoration......
 
Guessing that it has a 2 3/4 chamber when it's clearly marked as 2 9/16 is hysterical optimism. Get it measured at a gunsmith. Don't shoot modern loads in it until you get it resolved.

I'd leave it alone. Clean it and oil it.
 
There's a new book out on the Auto 5 (HERE ) which is apparently the only authoritative source for year identification prior to WWII. I've been waiting on the $60 price to dip before buying.
 
It is almost a given that a pre-war 16 ga. A-5 has been altered and your experience of 15 years tends to confirm it, but as everyone has advised, get it checked. You might get by with light loads indefinately, but follow up. You are talking 5mm of chamber length and a steep angle on the forcing cone.

Be safe.
 
Little off topic but for those that do have a 2 9/16 chamber and end up shooting 2.5" like I do... I've found unexpectedly that Westly Richards has about the best price year round and will load them however you like. $99 per case. I haven't found anything cheaper and when I do they aren't generally the load I want. Just good info.

Have fun with that old browning and I vote leave it as is!
 
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I've never understood this attitude some people have about rebluing a gun in a restoration. Why does this supposedly reduce the value? If it's a good blue job and all the worn parts have been replaced this is going to be a gun that will be be reborn and start a second life. I'm not speaking for everybody but if I had the choice of purchasing a 1969 Chevy Camaro with the original but very rusty paint job and an original engine with worn piston rings vs. a restored 1969 camaro with a nice candy apple red paint job, no rust, a custom rebuilt engine and interior, I'd go for the second choice.
 
I also have an early A5. It is pre-WWII from the serial number but I have not been able to find the exact year. Safety is in front of the trigger guard. It will chamber and fire 2 3/4" shells with no problem but once they open up it will not eject them as they will drag on the front of the ejection port and hang up. The bluing on mine is mostly faded. It was my dad's before me and his dad's before him. I will never part with this gun till the day I die. I still will not refinish it because I want it to be the way it is.......from them. I have searched and have found several places on the net where I can buy 2 1/2" shells.
 
I am going to disagree with others about leaving it as is. You have a shotgun that is collectible but not highly collectible or rare. However I would not advise a reblue but instead a restoration. There is a big difference between having Joe the Smithy reblue it and having a professional like Turnbull doing a restoration. As an example I had a very solid but worn Parker Trojan that was worth about $500 or so, after Turnbull had restored it it ended up selling for $2150.00 with the disclosure it had been restored. This was about 15 years ago...today I would expect much more. Point is if you plan on this becoming a family gun a professional restoration is not a bad idea.
 
I agree with Capstick1 and 451 Detonics . Good quality guns were made to be maintained and kept up in good working order. If the gun had been owned or used by a famous person or had been scratched and dented because of its use during some historically significant event then that would be different. The A5 is a great gun; it has remained in production until very recently. It is very fixable and parts are fairly plentiful. You don’t even need a high end expert restoration as long as whomever you use is mindful and competent at maintaining the original finish, making sure sharp lines stay sharp, sanding lines go in the same direction as original, not sanding or buffing off numbers, stamps and other original markings. I would also want the bluing method to be the same as the original factory method. The A5 was made to be passed along for many generations.
 
Put down that sand paper and walk away from the buffing wheel. There are few really good gunsmiths that can reblue without pulling the engraving, lettering, or rounding any of the edges or corners. Likewise with the stock. Sand the checkering and you ruin it. It takes an artist to properly checker. Leave the gun as is and let it display all of it's historical character for all to see. That gun will out live you and your kids easily if properly taken care of. I have my Grandpa's Remington Model 11 and it will out live me, and the nephew that has it and his kids too.......The A5 gun is as good as it gets.....chris3
 
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