Finicky A5

[Willie Lowman]

I have a Browning A5 Light 12. The wood is in bad shape. There's a long crack in the forend and a burn on the stock from where it was left too close to a campfire by the previous owner.

I found the gun to be a jam-o-mattic with normal 2 3/4 shells. However it runs 100% with Remington Premier STS target shells witch are totally smooth hulls. I am guessing it would run well with paper hull shells but I don't have any to test.

The metal/finish is near 100% on this gun. When it runs (with the right shells that are no longer in production) it runs great. When fed regular shells it simply doesn't work. It has trouble chambering, problems extracting and ejecting. It's just all bad. But like I said, when I use the Premier STS shells it runs and runs.

I want to have new wood put on the gun because the metal is beautiful. I would also like the gun to run on normal readily available ammo.

I don't know much about the A5. I have never taken it down to the point that I have removed the bolt from the receiver. Any and all advice is appreciated. I can provide pics if they will help.

I'd take it to a gunsmith but there are no real smiths in my area anymore, just AR15 assemblers.

[FrankenMauser]

Any time you obtain a used A5, you should disassemble it and check on the arrangement and orientation of the friction ring.
Firing one with an improperly installed friction ring can beat the crap out of the shotgun. Or, it might be safe, but just run like crap for seemingly "no reason".

Tear it down. Clean it up.
Check your friction ring.
Reassemble properly.

[Willie Lowman]

When I got the gun the friction ring was installed under the spring against the receiver. It malfunctioned on federal and winchester ammo in this configuration but ran on the Remington STS. I put the friction ring at between the barrel lug and the spring. The gun still won't work on regular shells.

[Willie Lowman]

Just tried 5 rounds of Winchester birdshot. first 2 rounds fired and cycled. then this happened.



I couldn't get my finger in far enough to push the shell back into the magazine tube. it was stuck agaisnt the lifter.

I flipped the magazine shut off and it popped out and chambered. I fired the shell with the shut off off. The gun ejected the empty hull. I disengaged the shut off and fired again. I got this.



Again I flipped the magazine cut off and the shell chambered right away.

As I have said many times, I never have problems like this when using Remington STS shells. I would simply stick with them but they are no longer produced.

[mulespurs]

Lube up that recoil ring and magazine tube. They don't like to run dry.

Before you lube put the butt on the ground and firmly push on the barrel, of coarse you are unloaded.

You ahould be able to push the barrel into the receiver the length of the shell, but will be a firm push.

Then try it after you lube the magazine tube and rings.

I bet after you lube it properly it will run like a sewing machine.

Let us know,
Ray

[Willie Lowman]

Well... I oiled the mag tube and the ring and the spring. It's better but the shells are still sticking against the lifter. I can flip the mag cutoff and the shell will come off of what it is stuck on and it will chamber and close.

I can push against the bottom of the rim and it will chamber and close.

So for some reason the rim is hanging up right here...

[Scorch]

Most problems with any A5 can be solved by a complete disassembly and cleaning. And by "complete disassembly", I mean complete. If you don't know how, find a good gunsmith to show you.

When I got the gun the friction ring was installed under the spring against the receiver.

Yes, that's the low-powered/target shell configuration.

I put the friction ring at between the barrel lug and the spring.

That's the full-powered load configuration. It's no surprise it won't cycle target loads.

Lube up that recoil ring and magazine tube. They don't like to run dry.

Absolutely not. Those are called "friction pieces" for a reason. Rather, look on the internet to see how to place the friction rings for different loads.

It's not a modern shotgun with self-adjusting features, it is a 125 year old design for people who use their hands and heads.

[Willie Lowman]

And by "complete disassembly", I mean complete. If you don't know how, find a good gunsmith to show you.

There is the problem. I watched the Brownells disassembly video and I 1, don't have the correct screw drivers. 2, don't trust my self with the fiddly little bits inside that receiver.

As I stated before, there are no real gunsmiths around me anymore. The all died of old age. All we have are Glock and AR15 parts swappers.

If someone could tell me a good smith in the SE or central Ohio area, I'd take it to them.

[pete2]

That shell looks like a cheap Winchester, not the best shell there is, in fact the worst. A Rem STS or Win AA will probably run. Or a premium Fed. Or try a cheap Fed. Even pump guns some times hang up with the cheap Winchesters.

[MarkCO]

Good posting Scorch. But I think pete2 nailed it. Steel casehead cheap Winchester is the nemesis for many a shotgun that will run brass case heads perfectly fine.

[Willie Lowman]

I took the advice of a gunsmith I follow on tumblr and tried heavier loads with more "oomph" to cycle the action. 3.5 dram heavy game loads from Federal. Results were a little better but I still had the same failure to feed.







So no. The brass headed Federal heavy game load jammed the same way the steel head Winchester did.

A Rem STS

I've said multiple times that this gun runs 100% on Remington STS. But it's not available anymore at any of the places I buy ammo. If you could show me where to buy some I would be very grateful

[bladesmith 1]

Dick Williams in the Bay City area in Michigen is a great gunsmithing store. They are reblueing my second Auto-5 right now for me. There should be two different friction rings - a thick one called a friction ring, and a second more or less a thick washer with a beveled inside. They have them because my first 5 had one missing. You start with both on the top, move the friction ring only to the bottom for medium loads, and both to the bottom for light loads.Go too light and you'll crack the forearm. But it sounds like you may have a different problem. They only get $160 to reblue the vent rib barrel and receiver on my Light 12. Can't beat that. They do good work. Their # is 1-989-777-1240. Maybe they could help you over the phone.