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Ive heard the same stories about Model 11's not recycling if their barrels are shortened and can't say its not true. But I know some outlaws back in the 1930's shortened model 11's fore and aft to make what were called "whippet guns". There's a famous photo of Bonnie Parker pointing one at Clyde Barrow. I believe one was taken from the Dillinger gang too. You'd figure that if these people had been unhappy with the result of their remodelling, they'd have tossed these guns and stolen something else.
I've also heard that Model 11's won't recycle properly if they're loaded with too light a load and that they should be adjusted (a "how-to-do-it" is availiable on-line) for the type of load you shoot. I'm wondering if you adjust your gun to its heaviest load setting (meaning most drams of powder, I think, not shot size) if that would compensate for a lighter weight barrel? Or do I have that backwards?
Why the difference in prices between A-5's and Remington Model 11s? Well, Remington Model 11's were not produced after 1947 while Browning A-5's continued to be produced until about 10 years ago (I think). So, the average age of Remington Model 11's for sale today is considerably older than the average age for A-5's, even though A-5's began production in 1902 and Remington Model 11's were produced from 1905. (Well, actually, the gun Remington produced on the John Browning patent from 1905-1910 was called The Remington Autoloading Shotgun; then it was tweaked a little and called the Remington Model 11 in 1911.) The oldest Model 11's are now reaching the 100 year old age that seperates "vintage" from "antique".. When these guns start being purchased as antiques instead of as firearms, I look for their value to increase. One things for sure. There's not much downside risk in buying a $211 gun that was designed by John Moses Browning, one of this country's greatest inventors, who considered this autoloading shotgun to have been his greatest achievement.
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