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<  16ga. Guns  ~  The Tried and True Auto-5
dannypratt
PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:09 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 722
Location: Napoleon, MI

Fellas,

Who here shoots the Original BROWNING Auto-5?
What do you use yours for primarily?
Which chokes do you find the most useful?
Do you prefer Vent Rib, Solid Rib, Matte or Plain, or Invector barrel?
What barrel length do you prefer?
Standard, 3-shot, or Sweet?
Pre War straight or round knob, American round or flat knob, Post War late round knob, flat knob, or Japanese round knob?

Now this pertains to field use, not collecting. I personally like "x" set-up in my den, but I've found I shoot "y" set-up much better in the field.

This will be very interesting I think. These guns are far more able to tailor to ones taste with factory components then one would think.

I'm not discounting the Remingtons and Savages at all...I love those too. But let's focus on the true Browning guns this time around.


Last edited by dannypratt on Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:52 pm; edited 3 times in total

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skeettx
PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:28 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
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Location: Amarillo, Texas

Pre-war, 3-Shot

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dannypratt
PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:40 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
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Location: Napoleon, MI

SkeetX...

Damn! Forgot that! Adding it now.

Missed an immaculate 26" CYL, 3 shot AMERICAN at a gun show 10yrs ago....thought about it too long, came back...GONE! Most likely why I forgot to list it, PTSD.

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Pockets
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:19 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 29 Nov 2018
Posts: 87
Location: Oklahoma

I've just recently journeyed into the 'original' Auto 5 world of wonder.
A Belgian Lightweight 12--Modified.
I refinished the stock, replaced the actionable parts for and aft and reblued it.

A Belgian Magnum 20--Modified. Looks like it was shot a few times and put away.
I replaced the parts for and aft.

Learning about these fine guns has been a lot of fun.

I found both in local shops not 2 miles apart in the lst month or so.

Haven't decided what to do or what I like.
Very Happy

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sneem
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:47 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2008
Posts: 477

I have two. One, the 12 gauge, I have had for over 50 years. The other is a 1959 Sweet 16. Vent rib, 28 inch barrel, Modified choke. Wouldn't change a thing. It has definitely pushed the 12 to the back of the safe. It will do anything the 12 will, carries easier and the pheasants in South Dakota tread lightly in its presence.

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4setters
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:36 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Posts: 381
Location: NW Arkansas

I've only owned one Browning Auto-5, and its still in the safe. Mine is standard weight, round knob, blond wood, no-rib, beautiful. I bought it used in 1984 to hunt ducks with here in Arkansas. Before non-tox was mandated around 1990 I used this gun to great effect on mallards and other ducks. With HV reloaded #5 shot, it was a very efficient duck gun. Before steel, I knew quite a few duck hunters who uses Auto-5 16 gauges (and lots using 12s).

Starting in the 90s and to the present, I use it when I can on pheasants. Same efficiency. In my opinion, it (and others such as Sweet 16s) is a better gun for pheasants than for quail. On pheasants it is a death ray; on zigzagging quail, the overall Auto-5 package is not as responsive as some of my other guns. However, lots of quail hunters from years past used the Sweet 16 is open choke configuration (along with light 20s) to quail hunt.

My gun is marked modified, but with the usual tight-for-choke standard for older Brownings, it shoots more like full. Even though it is 7+ pounds, I've never found it too heavy when hunting all day.

I've mostly shot HV loads through all these year, with no malfunctions that I ever remember. Lots of good memories with an Auto-5!

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16 gauges:
1954 Win M12 IC
1952 Ithaca M37 Mod
1955 Browning Auto-5 Mod
1940 Ithaca NID M/F
1959 Beretta Silver Hawk
Ranger 103-II M/F
Browning A-5 Sweet 16
Browning Citori Invector
Rem 870 Remchoke
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:45 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
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Location: Napoleon, MI

This is good stuff!

Keep em coming fellas!

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16gaDavis
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 10:45 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2062
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)

I've only had 1 in my whole life . Std 12 with rib/poly a few yrs back .Heavy . Shot a goodly amt of skeet with it . One of the old guys saw it and wanted it to go with the one he had . Went to So Dak once and got some birds with it - liked it well . He passed a while back and his kid grabbed it post haste . (like my 48's MUCH BETTER !)

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16'er
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:27 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 08 Oct 2006
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Location: Tappahannock, Virginia

Had a few. Have let them pass on to new homes now. One SR UnMarked Sweet, one Plain barrel Sweet, and a 3-shot short chamber 16. Gave my brother a Light twelve a few years back.

I liked them as a fan of Browning the gun designer, but they just sat in the safe and never got any play time. Not their fault, Where I shoot, Break guns are the standard. (I probably would have kept the last Sweet, but the divorce was a little rough on the collection. Note to self, never tell future wive(s) 'I'm buying you a <insert gun name here>, unless you mean it)

If I had my druthers, I'd take a Light twenty with a straight stock and a Skt choked, matted rib 24" barrel.
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Soggy socks
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:33 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Apr 2016
Posts: 369
Location: Vermont

My first gun was a Belgian Sweet 16 26 inch barrel 1973 flat knob blond wood. Bought it brand new from a whole rack of Auto 5's in Rome New York . I was 14 at the time so my uncle had to buy it. It stayed there all summer while I mowed lawns and other things to make money to pay for it. The price was $232.50 but I got it for $195.00 because my unc did business with the guy. I wore it out shooting pigeons/rabbits deer and clay birds. Shot my first buck with it and my first 25 straight at skeet along with most every other game animal in Ny . I sent it back to Browning probably early 90's and had it re done. It looks like new. Ill pass it on to my grandson
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Pockets
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 2:56 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 29 Nov 2018
Posts: 87
Location: Oklahoma

Soggy socks wrote:
My first gun was a Belgian Sweet 16 26 inch barrel 1973 flat knob blond wood. Bought it brand new from a whole rack of Auto 5's in Rome New York . I was 14 at the time so my uncle had to buy it. It stayed there all summer while I mowed lawns and other things to make money to pay for it. The price was $232.50 but I got it for $195.00 because my unc did business with the guy. I wore it out shooting pigeons/rabbits deer and clay birds. Shot my first buck with it and my first 25 straight at skeet along with most every other game animal in Ny . I sent it back to Browning probably early 90's and had it re done. It looks like new. Ill pass it on to my grandson


I love this story, the history and where it will go next.
Very cool.

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dannypratt
PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:10 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Napoleon, MI

This is all GOOD STUFF!

Soggy Socks, so far, I've got to agree...best Auto-5 story yet!

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CitoriFeather16
PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 7:16 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 09 Dec 2005
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Location: Las Vegas

I inherited my fathers 1950 Sweet 16 when I was 14 years old. For the next 15 years I didn't shoot anything else. As I started to earn a little $$ I branched out to other shotguns. Mostly all 16's. But if I really really needed to hit something, I'd reach for the Sweet. 27" matt barrel. It was originally choked full but I opened it up to modified as I was never going to sell it. It still rests in the front of the safe.

Matt
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 7:37 am  Reply with quote
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CF16,
You have a solid second to tops on your story too! That is very similar to my Auto-5 heritage. And it seems like many of us have come to the Auto-5 thru family heritage...I believe there is a reason for that as the Browning Auto-5 truly lasts thru generations. I think not only from design aspects, but simply because there is a mystique to them that seems to draw in younger folks who grew up around an older family member carrying one afield.
We've all read similar accounts from Model 12 folks as well, and to some extents Ithaca 37 folk and Remington folk, but somehow, at least to me, it would seem the Auto-5 carry a certain style of reverence among its family users.

This is excellent stuff!

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dannypratt
PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 7:42 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
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Location: Napoleon, MI

16er,

Yes...20ga with straight stock and 24"...man o man, why did they not produce that!

Could have marketed right next to the SuperPosed SuperLight models..

Oh to dream!

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