16ga.com Forum Index
Author Message
<  16ga. Guns Wanted or For Sale  ~  16 ga A5, straight stock
Jeff Mulliken
PostPosted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:01 am  Reply with quote
Guest





I recently picked up a 1924 Browning A5 with a straight stock at a bargain price. What a fun gun, and it's not likely to get confused with any others in the rack at the gun club!

Being a standard 16 it's a bit heavier than the Sweet Sixteen but is still a very nice handling gun. It just my replace my Sweet 16 for flinging Bizmuth at ducks in flooded timber this fall.

Now the hunt for the holy grail begins....a Sweet Sixteen with a straight stock. Has anyone ever actually SEEN one?

Jeff
Back to top
revdocdrew
PostPosted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:26 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 28 Dec 2005
Posts: 2016
Location: Glendale, AZ

Unable to PM you Jeff and you are no doubt aware the chamber is very likely 2 and 9/16.

_________________
Drew Hause
http://sites.google.com/a/damascusknowledge.com/www/home
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
dannypratt
PostPosted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:03 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 722
Location: Napoleon, MI

Jeff,
I have seen and handled and nearly purchased a mid 50's straight grip light twenty. That being said, I would assume that they made a straight grip Sweet 16, probably a European market gun, as that light twenty was. I believe it was from England, and it had original sling swivels on it, as the box was also there and was curiously marked with all the information, including that it had the swivels. I had never seen one actually say that in factory print before (about the swivels). Should of bought it, it was mint and they wanted 1600 for it, not much when you figure you'll never see it again.
There is a straight grip twelve for sale on gunbroker or auctionarms right now, can't remember which and it was pretty rough.
-Danny
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jeff Mulliken
PostPosted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:53 pm  Reply with quote
Guest





A straight stocked 20 ga A5??? You should have bought it just for the fact that some one would pay $$ to fill out a collection. The prices on 20 ga A5's are getting even more stupid than the Sweet Sixteens...and they are not a nicer gun, mayn parts are direct swaps from the 16, so I know which one this crowd would prefer.

Thanks for the word on the short chambers, but I'm already well versed on the early A5's and have 16's in both 65mm and 70 mm chambers, sweet and standard weight, straight and pistol.... The Fiocchi 67mm hulls feed pretty well but I cut down 2 3/4" shells to 2 1/2" which feed flawlessly.

For anyone considering an A5 the standard weight 16 can be a real honey and less than half the cost of a "Sweet". If you bother to check weights some of the standard guns are within 3 oz of a Sweet.

AND if you buy one GET the plain barrel, they are way cheaper, you cant see a rib anyway cause of the humpback. And the weight reduction makes them handle even better as a higher percent of the weight is between your hands than any gun of it's type.

Regarding the Straight stock 12, that was listed, I looked at it. It was a beater but interesting because based on the serial number it was not made for shipment to the US, but it had a some US markings on the barrel. I think it was one of the guns made for the US just before the remington contract was signed to make the model 11 and were sold to other markets.

I passed on it as I have a much nicer straight stock (grade 1) 12 ga already.

Any other fans of the A5 out there?
Jeff
Back to top
Guest
PostPosted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:54 pm  Reply with quote






Jeff- I too have a sweet 16 A5. My best shooting gun. Mine is fitted w/ a polychoke, that I enjoy very much. Like the 16 so much, now have acquired a 20 lt and 12 mag- but the 16 shoots the best for me.

Enjoy your new toy
Back to top
Guest
PostPosted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:45 am  Reply with quote






Jeff,
Couldn't agree more with the ribless barrel / weight reduction theory. I have quite a pile of fine old A-5's and the plain barrel models are actually my personal favorite. I have a number with ribs, a number without. Actually according to the old brochures I've got and also very old Shooters Bibles, the engraved top plain barrel is listed as a matte rib, even though there is no actual raised portion and the raised vented rib is listed as I just wrote it.
Yes, a straight grip Twenty was unbelievable to find, beautiful to hold and swing and awesome in condition, sadly, I had about 3 other A-5's in various states of purchase at the time, and had expended all my Browning money at that point. To me A-5's are the ultimate in a repeater, non-SxS and I gladly hunt with them regularly. I do enjoy the rib on the ones that have them as an asthetic feature, but for overall handling and balance, I'm all plain barrel. A Belgium Sweet 16 on an October day in the field can not be surpassed.
-danny
Back to top
Dave Erickson
PostPosted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:20 am  Reply with quote
Guest





I'm with you guys on the plain barreled A5 praise. I had a Sweet Sixteen (plain barrel) for a while. Nice gun. I missed it after it was traded away, so I refurbished another 16 gauge humpback, a Remington 11, that is also a plain barrel and handles as sweetly as my old A5 Sweet Sixteen.

For me, these 16 gauge humpbacks are very easy to shoot well. The plane of the receiver top just leads to the front bead platform, and it's just a matter of putting that hazy blob on the target (or ahead of that target) and watching that target get NAILED. Getting off the topic here, but it seems either people really shoot these guns well or they hate them. My 16 gauge M11 just flows to the target or bird and just seems to center them time and time again.

As gun prices keep going up I think it would be wise to secure a nice used 16 gauge A5 or one of the many variants while they are still a bargain.
Back to top
CitoriFeather16
PostPosted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:52 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 989
Location: Las Vegas

I too, love the A-5's! I shot my first pheasant with my fathers Sweet 16 plain barrell in the mid '60's and went on to shoot my first of everything with the same gun. Before steel shot became a requirement, it was a fantastic duck gun. Just never jammed. After steel went into effect I bought a A-5 Mag 12 for waterfowling. Just as reliable but never balanced or handled as well as the Sweet 16!

That same Sweet 16 resides in the safe now. It shows plenty of wear but no abuse. Comes out from time to time for a little skeet shooting or quail hunting. Fantastic gun!

Matt
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Guest
PostPosted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:49 pm  Reply with quote






Here is a theory to bat around and disect.....no need to be gentle...

I think the combination of light barrel and weight concentrated between the hands and the long sighting plane make a Sweet Sixteen into a short fast handling gun that points like it was a long gun.

Keep in mind that a 26" barrel and 6" receiver make for a 32" sighting plane.

Note, becuse of metric lengths the early barrels that were referred to as 26" were actually 25 1/2" long

Jeff
Back to top
popplecop
PostPosted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:13 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Jun 2005
Posts: 885
Location: Wisconsin

Never was much of a fan of the A-5, wasn't in to semi auts and they were heavy. Only had shot a couple of 12s. Then a friend gave me a Belgian Sweet 16, 28" VR, round knob stock. Well, now that was a whole new ballgame. Took it out to shoot some clays with my old prejudices, wow, I really liked it and it shot well. It won't replace my SxSs, but it does get used for pheasants and has shot ducks with bismuth. It is a great old classic shotgun.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jeff Mulliken
PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:20 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 781

I shoot with a lot of SxS guys. We all handle each others guns a lot. The SS is one of the few guns that the SxS guys throw up to their shoulder and swing and smile and say wow, nice and actually mean it....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
All times are GMT - 7 Hours

View next topic
View previous topic
Page 1 of 1
16ga.com Forum Index  ~  16ga. Guns Wanted or For Sale

Post new topic   Reply to topic


 
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum




Powered by phpBB and NoseBleed v1.09