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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ New A5 |
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Posted:
Wed Dec 27, 2017 7:58 am
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Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 694
Location: MN
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Never owned a semi auto except my Berretta for geese but I found the new A5 intriguing. Have seen several and I gotta say I don't see how Browning can be very proud of this one. The furniture on all of them was terrible. Slab cut blanks, smudge stained and spray lacquered. This is something i would expect on a $300 Mossberg not an $1800 Browning. My 1973 $269 20 gauge BSS has far better furniture than what I have seen. This should be an embarrassment for Browning. I don't expect fancy wood on a field grade gun...just a little QC.
I'm sure they function great...but so does a Remington. |
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Posted:
Wed Dec 27, 2017 8:26 am
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Joined: 14 Sep 2016
Posts: 67
Location: KC,MO
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The wood on the ones I have seen has been comparable to the stocks on Remington V3s, Franchi Affinities and Bennelli Montefeltros think that’s just what entry level wood looks like now for the most part. |
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Posted:
Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:28 am
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Member
Joined: 22 Aug 2011
Posts: 1498
Location: the Moosehorn
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Furniture does not refer to the stock. it is mechanical placement of lock parts. |
_________________ ALWAYS wear the safety glasses
If you take Cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like Prunes than Rhubarb does ----G.M/ |
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Posted:
Wed Dec 27, 2017 1:03 pm
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Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1257
Location: Nebraska
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..and I prefer iron to brass furniture most of the time. |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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Posted:
Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:49 pm
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Joined: 10 Jul 2010
Posts: 356
Location: Ponchatoula, Louisiana
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All that previously having been said, mine seems to bring down the ducks as effectively as the Beretta 400 does.
Just my 2 cents,
Chuck |
_________________ The reason I am awed by shotgun shooters is that most of them don’t know how in the hell they do what they do.
Charles F. Waterman, |
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Posted:
Wed Dec 27, 2017 5:33 pm
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Joined: 13 Jul 2017
Posts: 39
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I've handled only 3 of them. One at Cabelas, my brothers and the one I own. The stain was uniform on all three. The finish was the high gloss prevalent on guns in the 60s and 70s. Mine even has some figuring.
If you are looking for very high grade rubbed oil finishes, I suspect you'll be disappointed. If you'll take serviceable I doubt you'll have a problem with them.
Doesn't mean some aren't poorly finished. It just means I haven't seen one in that condition.
Bill |
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Posted:
Wed Dec 27, 2017 6:12 pm
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Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 94
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I have been cautious about sharing my opinion about the "New" Sweet Sixteen. I have read about various material/quality/function issues re the gun. I have handled and examined a few. All I can say is "I LOVE Old School firearms, particularly the Belgian Auto 5's"
I own or have owned Sweet Sixteens, Twenty's, Twenty Magnum, and Light Twelves. I still own a Japanese Auto 5. I would not exchange any of them for the new A5. But, honestly, I regard all vintage guns in higher regard than 9/10 firearms today.
The most I ever paid for any Sweet Sixteen or Auto 5 Belgium manufacture was $1050 for an Auto 5 Twenty in 100% condition. All of my guns were made at a time when human skills were still necessary and evident to produce the gun. |
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Posted:
Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:24 am
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Member
Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 472
Location: drummond island MI
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I own a new Sweet 16 and an old vintage sweet. Both are beautiful and shoot great. The key difference is the lighter weight of the new model, 1 lb lighter. That's a lot in my book. I like the rounded grip of the vintage better as well as the oil stock finish. The action on the new is 2 inches longer than the vintage. I'm sure that's to accommodate many different shell lengths of other models. The shorter action on the vintage looks better IMO. I wish they had scaled down the action to the old length. As a field gun the new sweet is a delight to carry. I doubt that any competitors have smaller actions? |
_________________ shoot quick but take your time! |
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Posted:
Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:29 pm
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Joined: 14 Sep 2016
Posts: 67
Location: KC,MO
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studdog wrote: |
The action on the new is 2 inches longer than the vintage. I'm sure that's to accommodate many different shell lengths of other models.
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I think it’s actually because it’s a completely different action, right? |
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Posted:
Fri Dec 29, 2017 5:44 am
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Member
Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 472
Location: drummond island MI
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Yes it is completely different. But, It didn't need to be that long to accommodate 23/4 inch shells. I suspect all the new A5 actions are the same length. |
_________________ shoot quick but take your time! |
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Posted:
Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:26 am
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Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 234
Location: KY
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Not a 16 but I handled my buddies new A5 the other day in the blind. I did not care for the pistol grip one bit on it. It seemed "too perpendicular" to the barrel if that makes sense. It did not possess enough rearward cant and seemed uncomfortable in my hand. My preference though, others may find it perfect.
They need to have a rounded knob pistol grip to catch my interest. |
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Posted:
Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:06 am
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Member
Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 472
Location: drummond island MI
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I would prefer the POW like grip like my vintage sweet. I've carried my SXS Fox XE 16 and the new Sweet A5 in the field. The SXS is much easier to handle even though the weight is close. A5 is just chunkier. |
_________________ shoot quick but take your time! |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:25 pm
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Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 90
Location: At the edge of a Florida marsh
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I handled a light 12 and a new A5 today.....
And to be fair and disregarding my personal preferences,
They are different.
Literally different from stem to stern but it’s still a Browning A5.
Just like today’s Ford Mustang is different from a 1960’s mustang but in the end it’s still a Ford Mustang.
Do you follow?
To compare one to the other is not apples to apples.
Although they are slyly marketing it as such, it’s not.
I think a better comparison for the new A5 would be say to a Benelli but not to a JMB Auto 5 because there is nothing that compares to the original design.
By the way, who designed the new A5?
Anyone?
Bueller? Bueller? |
_________________ Never get out of the boat unless you're willing to go all the way |
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Posted:
Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:52 pm
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Joined: 11 Jul 2011
Posts: 38
Location: Missouri
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The new sweet 16 is nothing but a Benelli with Brownings name on it. |
_________________ T.S. Elliott |
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Posted:
Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:17 pm
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Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 90
Location: At the edge of a Florida marsh
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Pretty much |
_________________ Never get out of the boat unless you're willing to go all the way |
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