Browning Sweet 16 with Poly choke, do I buy?

WillyKern69 · November 21, 2012, 06:38 PM

A friend of a friend knows I am looking for a Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen. Well he has one that is for sale. He had it sold for $750, but when the guy saw that a aftermarket Polychoke was installed he bailed on ther deal. He would consider a lower offer. I have to admit other than it being a choke and reducing the price I really don't know what a Polychoke is. It was put on years ago if that matters. Does it destroy the vaule that much? Could it just be a shooter? Any thoughts would be apprciated. Thank you in advance and Happy Thanksgiving!

WK

SauerGrapes · November 22, 2012, 03:15 PM

Are you a lover of 16ga shotguns? Do you really have a purpose in mind? If you like the Auto-5 platform and plan on using it, I'd say buy it. If it's an impulse buy, pass on it.
The Browning Auto-5 is one of my favorite semiauto shotguns. They've become a love it, or hate type gun.
A lot of folks loathe the ajd. choke just because of looks and from a value stand point.
They were an alternative to having a fixed choke gun and made them more versatile for upland hunting. I've never shot a gun with one, so I don't know how well they pattern. I would want to pattern the gun before I bought it.
And yes, they do impact the value of the gun. Most guys buying the sweet sixteen, want them in original configuration. Myself, something like a Auto-5, I'm looking for original. Some guys may not care.
It's like buying a sporterized ww2 rifle, it may shoot fine, but it's value is degraded.

WillyKern69 · November 22, 2012, 11:04 PM

Thanks SauerGrapes, I want a 16 gage autoloader. And I do love A5s. I might just lowball him to get on the board. I can always sell it.

BigJimP · November 23, 2012, 10:48 AM

The polychoke is always a negative...reducing value 25 - 50 % in my view...

But a 16ga is more or less obsolete these days as well...with today's variety of shells, its easy to get 1oz shells in a 12ga ( the typical load for a 16 ga ) or even in a 20ga. The days are gone - when the 16ga held that 1 oz niche...and light, and nimble ...and while I get all that ( changeable screw in chokes...and a wider variety of shells in retail changed all that - when we got away from fixed choke guns). Some of my buddies are even loading their 12ga shells down to 3/4 oz ( like a 28ga load ) these days...and 1oz and 7/8oz loads are really common in 12ga reloads.

If you really want an Auto 5 - at least go with a 12ga /in original condition, ideally with a Modified choke so it has some versatility vs the more common Full choked guns I see all over...to maintain some value. The market on 16 ga guns is very very soft....( market on auto 5's in general, is soft in my area too )....some of the used gun shops in my area, have quit taking auto 5's as trade in guns because they just have too many - and they haven't been selling for the last couple of years - unless they're in virtually mint condition.

In my area, in original condition, and in excellent shape ...with no poly choke ...that gun isn't going to sell for more than $ 350. There are just too many shotguns out there today, new and used, with screw in changeable chokes...for this gun you're looking at, nostalgia aside, from being worth much / and they're hard to sell, so I wouldn't just assume you could sell it at all ...

WillyKern69 · November 23, 2012, 05:25 PM

thanks BigJimP. I think I'm going to pass on the deal.
Thanks

BigJimP · November 23, 2012, 07:15 PM

You're welcome......but if you need a shotgun, get out there and look around at some gunshows or some used gun shops, pawn shops that specialize in guns ... or the bulletin boards at a lot of clay target gun clubs....

there are a lot of very good used guns out there....and have fun with it !!

SauerGrapes · November 23, 2012, 07:31 PM

The auto-5 is a great gun, but it only appeals to a select group of guys like me. There is market for them albeit small. It's a work art, and a gun that was made by craftsman. They were never the same after production went to Japan IMO.
I don't know where you live JimP, but I'll buy the sweet16 all day long for $350. The poly choke kills the value of this one.

Quote:

I can always sell it.

No no, this isn't something that would be all that easy to sell. My qualification was you would only buy it, if you indeed wanted to keep it and use it. Without being original, your cutting out a big group of guys that wouldn't even consider it.

BigJimP · November 24, 2012, 11:36 AM

I'm in the Northwest ...but the market on Auto 5's does vary accross the country.

The Auto 5 - is the semi-auto of my youth ( in the 50's) / there were a lot of them in the family ...and I've had one in the back of my safe for a long time ..but in terms of comparison with a variety of guns on the market today - like the Benelli's - the old Auto 5's just have a bunch of issues ( and unless you're very meticulous on your maintenance - a lot of them have cycling issues).

So all of this does affect my view of them ...and how I view the 16ga today as well. In the 50's the 16ga had a niche ...just not so today...and unless you reload 16ga shells, it can be expensive to shoot vs 12ga or 20ga especially.

I'm a big Browning fan...just not an Auto 5 fan...

November 21, 2012, 06:38 PM	#1
WillyKern69 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 160	Browning Sweet 16 with Poly choke, do I buy? A friend of a friend knows I am looking for a Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen. Well he has one that is for sale. He had it sold for $750, but when the guy saw that a aftermarket Polychoke was installed he bailed on ther deal. He would consider a lower offer. I have to admit other than it being a choke and reducing the price I really don't know what a Polychoke is. It was put on years ago if that matters. Does it destroy the vaule that much? Could it just be a shooter? Any thoughts would be apprciated. Thank you in advance and Happy Thanksgiving! WK

November 22, 2012, 03:15 PM	#2
SauerGrapes Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2009 Location: S.E.PA. Posts: 920	Are you a lover of 16ga shotguns? Do you really have a purpose in mind? If you like the Auto-5 platform and plan on using it, I'd say buy it. If it's an impulse buy, pass on it. The Browning Auto-5 is one of my favorite semiauto shotguns. They've become a love it, or hate type gun. A lot of folks loathe the ajd. choke just because of looks and from a value stand point. They were an alternative to having a fixed choke gun and made them more versatile for upland hunting. I've never shot a gun with one, so I don't know how well they pattern. I would want to pattern the gun before I bought it. And yes, they do impact the value of the gun. Most guys buying the sweet sixteen, want them in original configuration. Myself, something like a Auto-5, I'm looking for original. Some guys may not care. It's like buying a sporterized ww2 rifle, it may shoot fine, but it's value is degraded. __________________ NRA member, DCF&S member, PAFOA member, USPSA member, NSCA member R.I.P.____Murphy

November 23, 2012, 10:48 AM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	The polychoke is always a negative...reducing value 25 - 50 % in my view... But a 16ga is more or less obsolete these days as well...with today's variety of shells, its easy to get 1oz shells in a 12ga ( the typical load for a 16 ga ) or even in a 20ga. The days are gone - when the 16ga held that 1 oz niche...and light, and nimble ...and while I get all that ( changeable screw in chokes...and a wider variety of shells in retail changed all that - when we got away from fixed choke guns). Some of my buddies are even loading their 12ga shells down to 3/4 oz ( like a 28ga load ) these days...and 1oz and 7/8oz loads are really common in 12ga reloads. If you really want an Auto 5 - at least go with a 12ga /in original condition, ideally with a Modified choke so it has some versatility vs the more common Full choked guns I see all over...to maintain some value. The market on 16 ga guns is very very soft....( market on auto 5's in general, is soft in my area too )....some of the used gun shops in my area, have quit taking auto 5's as trade in guns because they just have too many - and they haven't been selling for the last couple of years - unless they're in virtually mint condition. In my area, in original condition, and in excellent shape ...with no poly choke ...that gun isn't going to sell for more than $ 350. There are just too many shotguns out there today, new and used, with screw in changeable chokes...for this gun you're looking at, nostalgia aside, from being worth much / and they're hard to sell, so I wouldn't just assume you could sell it at all ... Last edited by BigJimP; November 23, 2012 at 11:21 AM.

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November 22, 2012, 11:04 PM	#3
WillyKern69 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 160	Thanks SauerGrapes, I want a 16 gage autoloader. And I do love A5s. I might just lowball him to get on the board. I can always sell it.

November 23, 2012, 05:25 PM	#5
WillyKern69 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 160	thanks BigJimP. I think I'm going to pass on the deal. Thanks

November 23, 2012, 07:15 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	You're welcome......but if you need a shotgun, get out there and look around at some gunshows or some used gun shops, pawn shops that specialize in guns ... or the bulletin boards at a lot of clay target gun clubs.... there are a lot of very good used guns out there....and have fun with it !!

November 24, 2012, 11:36 AM	#8
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I'm in the Northwest ...but the market on Auto 5's does vary accross the country. The Auto 5 - is the semi-auto of my youth ( in the 50's) / there were a lot of them in the family ...and I've had one in the back of my safe for a long time ..but in terms of comparison with a variety of guns on the market today - like the Benelli's - the old Auto 5's just have a bunch of issues ( and unless you're very meticulous on your maintenance - a lot of them have cycling issues). So all of this does affect my view of them ...and how I view the 16ga today as well. In the 50's the 16ga had a niche ...just not so today...and unless you reload 16ga shells, it can be expensive to shoot vs 12ga or 20ga especially. I'm a big Browning fan...just not an Auto 5 fan...