Browning Auto 5 Barrel..... Not marked where it was made?

gunbooth · May 18, 2011, 02:48 PM

Hey guys, not new to auto 5's at all but I have never seen one marked like this. One side is marked

BROWNING AUTO-5
* SPECIAL STEEL 20GA. SHELLS-2 3/4"-28" CHROME
BROWNING PATENTS

And the other side has no markings at all. So two questions, Does anyone know why it says chrome? And where was the barrel made?
I have had over 100 auto 5's and have never seen one like this. Any help would be appreciated!

zippy13 · May 18, 2011, 04:46 PM

Greetings gunbooth, and welcome aboard.

Might it be newer replacement barrel, Japanese or late FN production? Hopefully one of the hard core Browning boys will have a definite answer. Is the barrel chrome lined? The "chrome" marking could be to alert anyone pondering doing some choke or chamber mods. How old is the receiver?

lamarw · May 18, 2011, 04:50 PM

I believe the single "*" mark stands for full choke.

Also, I think a lot of the older barrels even for the old Winchester Model 12s were made of chrome even if blued.

Does the barrel serial number match the receiver serial number?

Double check me because I could be wrong.

SauerGrapes · May 18, 2011, 08:48 PM

I think the newer Brownings have the hard chrome lined barrels, unlike the older Belgium guns.
Does yours have screw in chokes? Must be a Japan barrel.

gunbooth · May 19, 2011, 08:18 AM

Bought it alone from an online auction so I cant match it up with a receiver. It is a fixed full choke. I will take some pictures of it later today. Does look absolutely identical to a Japan barrel I have accept completely missing the made in markings. Well, that and the CHROME line that I have never seen.

gunbooth · May 19, 2011, 10:52 AM

oneounceload · May 19, 2011, 12:05 PM

Either the chamber is chrome lined or the entire barrel is. 70 is for 2-3/4" 15.8 is the bore diameter in mm at the muzzle, IIRC.

The normal Belgian proof mark is PV, not PT, so I am not sure where this made. It should have said something on the barrel somewhere

zippy13 · May 20, 2011, 01:58 AM

Curiously, your Browning barrel has French proof-marks. Its marks are clearly those of the St. Etienne proof house. The F below the proof marks may stand for France, not full.

FYI: Varney-Carron the old French company that made barrels for Hastings, and has acquired the Hastings name, does replacement barrels for the Browning Auto-5

May 18, 2011, 02:48 PM	#1
gunbooth Junior Member Join Date: May 18, 2011 Posts: 3	Browning Auto 5 Barrel..... Not marked where it was made? Hey guys, not new to auto 5's at all but I have never seen one marked like this. One side is marked BROWNING AUTO-5 * SPECIAL STEEL 20GA. SHELLS-2 3/4"-28" CHROME BROWNING PATENTS And the other side has no markings at all. So two questions, Does anyone know why it says chrome? And where was the barrel made? I have had over 100 auto 5's and have never seen one like this. Any help would be appreciated!

May 18, 2011, 08:48 PM	#4
SauerGrapes Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2009 Location: S.E.PA. Posts: 920	I think the newer Brownings have the hard chrome lined barrels, unlike the older Belgium guns. Does yours have screw in chokes? Must be a Japan barrel. __________________ NRA member, DCF&S member, PAFOA member, USPSA member, NSCA member R.I.P.____Murphy

May 20, 2011, 01:58 AM	#8
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Curiously, your Browning barrel has French proof-marks. Its marks are clearly those of the St. Etienne proof house. The F below the proof marks may stand for France, not full. FYI: Varney-Carron the old French company that made barrels for Hastings, and has acquired the Hastings name, does replacement barrels for the Browning Auto-5 Last edited by zippy13; May 20, 2011 at 02:10 AM. Reason: add FYI

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May 18, 2011, 04:46 PM	#2
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Greetings gunbooth, and welcome aboard. Might it be newer replacement barrel, Japanese or late FN production? Hopefully one of the hard core Browning boys will have a definite answer. Is the barrel chrome lined? The "chrome" marking could be to alert anyone pondering doing some choke or chamber mods. How old is the receiver?

May 18, 2011, 04:50 PM	#3
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	I believe the single "*" mark stands for full choke. Also, I think a lot of the older barrels even for the old Winchester Model 12s were made of chrome even if blued. Does the barrel serial number match the receiver serial number? Double check me because I could be wrong.

May 19, 2011, 08:18 AM	#5
gunbooth Junior Member Join Date: May 18, 2011 Posts: 3	Bought it alone from an online auction so I cant match it up with a receiver. It is a fixed full choke. I will take some pictures of it later today. Does look absolutely identical to a Japan barrel I have accept completely missing the made in markings. Well, that and the CHROME line that I have never seen.

May 19, 2011, 10:52 AM	#6
gunbooth Junior Member Join Date: May 18, 2011 Posts: 3

May 19, 2011, 12:05 PM	#7
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Either the chamber is chrome lined or the entire barrel is. 70 is for 2-3/4" 15.8 is the bore diameter in mm at the muzzle, IIRC. The normal Belgian proof mark is PV, not PT, so I am not sure where this made. It should have said something on the barrel somewhere