16ga.com ~ View topic - 11-46 vs A5

I have a chance to buy an excellent condition 11-48 in 16ga. I do own a A5 a A5 Sweet 16.
I don't know much about 11-48's -- Buyer is asking $425.00 delivered to my door via Post office. Don't have to go through licensed dealers on Canada.
Comments on 11-48 vs 5's will be much appreciated.

pretty much the same gun except for the design was the start of the 1100/870 era . Mine work fairly well right down to 23 gram loads. (<7/ Cool

Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 477

I have both a Sweet 16 and a 16 ga 11-48. Although mechanically similar, they are totally different guns. I like and shoot both. In fact I took the Rem 11-48 to SD this year and left the Sweet 16 at home. Not that I like it better, it was just its turn to go to the field.
The 11-48's are nice guns and as you see run about half the price or less compared to the Brownings. But gun fit and feel are a personal thing. In my case I'm quite pleased with the 11-48. It will continue to see range and field time.

Member Joined: 07 Jan 2013 Posts: 398 Location: Virginia

Sneem expressed it very nicely. I have three A5 and two 11-48s.

I love the look of the Belgian A5s, but the 11-48s have a few advantages. They will handle high and low power shells without having to take the gun apart to move the friction ring. And as Sneed said, they can be bought for quite a bit less money.

The 11-48s and 48s are nice guns and are a great value on today's market. And many of them were made in 16 gauge!

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3185 Location: NCWa

My step-mother's first husband had two 12 gauges, an 11-48 and a light 12 A5. I shot both of them and they were both very serviceable guns, The only operational difference that I noticed was whether one liked the "hump-back" or the newer contoured back. Both are the long-recoil system, so type of recoil was the same.

Member Joined: 08 Jul 2013 Posts: 325

I bought AGI's Auto-5 Armorers Course. In it they covered the Remington Models 11 and 11-48.

The advice given to gunsmiths about the 11-48 was to tell the customer that it could not be fixed. The breech block locks differently than in an Auto-5 and is not as strong. When it goes the parts are just not available.

I think a good scrounger could probably find anything but Brownings are cheap and Model 11s even cheaper. Why ask for trouble?

I've had two 11-48s, a 12 and a 16. As far as repairs go, their are several sources for parts. I replaced a friction bushing and a mainspring and I think a forend. Mechanically, the cut for the locking lug in the barrel extension is perhaps somewhat soft and both of mine had a shallow bur that developed from the locking lug peening it. That was easily stoned out. However, they apparently will develop excess headspace over time. The standard cure was to find a new locking lug. They were sold, as I remember in various lengths to compensate for wear. The other cure is to silver solder a steel shim to the back of the lug. Both of the guns I had, would dish the case heads. The 12 slightly so. A new recoil spring and friction bushing improved it considerably. If I remember correctly, there was an "improved" friction bushing developed by the factory for later production guns and I substituted one. My 16 was rather bad at making the heads concave. Since I'm a reloader, it was aggravating to have to chase down the hulls and then have them cratered. The Cheddites were the worst. A friend still has his 11-48 16 ga. his father gave him as a teenager and it does the the same thing to a lesser extent, so I"m thinking its fairly common. On the other hand, the dished hulls would usually work in the 11-48 when reloaded, but not so much in my CZ double. Anybody ever heard of an A-5 doing that? Like most 1950's vintage scatterguns, the 11-48's are almost always found (at least in our area) with 28" or 30" barrels with tight full chokes. The 16 I had would pattern in the high 80% range with one-piece wads. Bottom line for me is, I would not discourage you from buying one, if you go into the purchase knowing there might be some "issues" inherent to the design. I still have a soft spot for recoil operated shotguns and I"ll probably own another one someday.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2357 Location: West MI

I like them, have owned 6 along the line and down to 3 right now. Been "servicing" my buds 20ga A5 for a while so use that as comparison. I appreciate the simplicity of the 48's action over the more complex design of the A5. The simplicity gets the nod when hunting the junk where a lot of chaff ends up in the gun; grass, twigs, etc. The 48's seem to digest or tolerate this stuff more easily than A5's and if/when they malfunction from build up, field stripping and cleaning the shmutz out is very easy which also is a bene when bench cleaning at the end of a season, the 48's come apart and clean up very easy. The dishing/dimpling can happen but I've never been able to isolate the issue since it happens so intermittently/inconsistently in the guns I've had the pleasure of shooting. Since I don't know your economics and am more a buyer than shopper and believe that if you enjoy a product and can afford it...just buy the damn thing, but, what is essentially $400 for the gun seems on the high side and comes close to the most I've ever spent on a 48 which is an all OEM 16ga skeet model w/VR that looks like it stepped out of a time machine with barely a scratch on any of the furniture with honest handling marks/wear in the bluing from a shooter that took good care with the gun. Issues I see common in these are a hairline crack in the fore end wood since it's so thin but has never diminished the operation just aesthetics and is supported by a thin metal sleeve that some simple glue shoved in there usually takes care of the problem. I've always been able to find parts, albeit used, but that said rarely ever need them...long story short, IMO, great semi auto field guns. Sorry for all the words, hope they help, enjoy the gun if you get it. BTW, envious about the direct mail thing, wow.

Member Joined: 08 Jul 2013 Posts: 325

Didn't mean to start a pissing contest with oldhunter.

His post sent me on a hunt for the AGI DVD. Couldn't find it, but:

I was mostly interested in the A5 instruction. Nevertheless, I clearly recall the instructor saying that the 11-48 had SOME PROBLEM that progresses to the point that the gun cannot be repaired. That's not my opinion--that's the opinion of the Master Gunsmith at AGI. I expressed my opinion at the end--parts can be scrounged, but why bother when you can get a better gun for the same money. I stand by that. After all, grouser47 was asking for comments.

Before posting I looked at the Numrich site and saw most parts listed. In my experience Numrich has every part but the one I need. Spent a lot of time looking for a receiver mounted 16 gauge carrier spring before giving up and modifying a M11 spring to fit.

Do not forget these folks also

http://www.sarcoinc.com/r48.html

http://www.gun-parts.com/remingtonshotgun/

http://www.gunsprings.com/Rifles%20%26%20Shotguns/REMINGTON/11/cID2/mID108/dID199

and lately

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=11-48&_osacat=7301&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.X11-48+16&_nkw=11-48+16&_sacat=7301

Member Joined: 08 Jul 2013 Posts: 325

Thanks, skeetx. I got the M11 spring from Sarco, and Wolff did finally did come through with a run of receiver mounted carrier springs (Browning changed to trigger plate mounted springs in--I THINK--1958.). But after a day of grinding and fitting I was so proud of the result that I haven't tried them.

I didn't try Bob's Gun Shop. He was on vacation or something and also I wasn't too sure about his operation. It seems you can't call, just fax your credit card and keep your fingers crossed. If you have used him I'd appreciate hearing of your experience.

On one of the shotgun sites, somebody supposedly quoted a Remington shop employee who said when the 11-48 was mainstream, you never worried about not having something to when you showed up for work. Smile

I haven't looked at one recently, but generally usable specimens of 12 and 20 gauge field grade 11-48s in our area are under $300.

Member Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 451 Location: La-Tx

I have spent all of my life in a rather large group of family and friends that hunted as a way of life. There would be 25-30 of us regularly at duck camp. Of those shooting auto's some shot A-5's and most of the rest Remingtons. The 11-48's were for the most part were a shoot it for 5-6 years and send it back for a rebuild shoot it 3-4 more years then trade it for a case or two of beer and buy another. Of those I'm still in touch with no one still has one of those 11-48's but the A-5's are still going strong.

Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 1480 Location: Mpls, MN.