80 + Years Of Love

Zilmo · September 17, 2009, 05:09 PM

I just inherited this shotgun (I refuse to call it a "shotty"). My oldest brother brought it to me this afternoon. My dad got it from his best friend as a kid and a young man, and it had belonged to his father. From the serial number, I would place it mid to late Twenties. It probably hasn't been used it thirty years, but my brother said he got his first six Chuckers with it on six straight shots.

It has wear, and a small chunk missing from the base of the stock by the buttplate, but I wouldn't change a thing.

oneounceload · September 17, 2009, 05:22 PM

awesome looking gun!....that patina on the wood on the grip shows it was used as a much-loved gun......enjoy it!

TxGun · September 17, 2009, 05:24 PM

(I refuse to call it a "shotty").

Refreshing. You sound a little more mature than some.

The solid rib adds to the value of your A5. Nice gun.

FYI...Midwest Gun Works, among others, has a nice factory rebuild kit if you feel you need it.

http://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/...rowning-auto-5

Lee Lapin · September 17, 2009, 05:50 PM

I don't know Brownings that well, but I'd say the 'suicide safety' indicates it's early 'twenties or older... . No matter what its born-on date, it's very nice and the fact that it's an heirloom makes it priceless.

lpl

hogdogs · September 17, 2009, 06:13 PM

Just dern purdy! No one with junk Homer Depot screwdrivers tore up the receiver screws!
I would feed it, clothe it and put a roof over it's head. Nice ol' gal!
Brent

jgcoastie · September 20, 2009, 04:05 AM

It ain't worth the scrap price of the steel... I feel so terrible about you being stuck with such a junk firearm that I'll give you $20 for it.

Very nice... I would give my left.. err... pinkie toe for one of those...

A finer semi-auto shotgun has yet to be made IMO...

Russ5924 · September 20, 2009, 10:52 AM

Thank You! For not calling it a SHOTTY:barf: Nothing drives me more crazy than calling a Shotgun a SHOTTY what are they 10 years old

I think you have yourself a winner there great looking gun

sophijo · September 21, 2009, 07:31 AM

Beautiful and that history is priceless. I have an old Parker, pretty beatup, my Granddad carried, my Dad, and now me. I wouldn't trade it for any gun on the planet!

jaguarxk120 · September 21, 2009, 07:55 AM

Thanks again for not using the word "shotty" I don't think W.W. Greener ever used that term. Iwould think if one walked into Holland and Holland and asked for a shotty, they would show you the door.

By the way realllly nice Browning. Keep it as it is, it has history.

billyj571 · September 21, 2009, 03:35 PM

sweet I have a sweet sixteen made in belgum nice gun.

LanceOregon · September 21, 2009, 09:17 PM

My first shotgun that I got when I was 15 was a Belgium made Browning Auto 5. It is the shotgun that I first learned to shoot and hunt with when out shooting with my Dad.

Sadly, that beloved shotgun was later stolen in a burglary of my Dad's house. He replaced it, but by then production of the Auto 5 had moved to Japan. I still have that Auto 5, and it is a gorgeous gun that still shoots and functions absolutely great. I just wish I had my original Belgium made gun that I shot with as a kid, instead of this replacement my Dad's insurance paid for. Instead, someone somewhere else has that shotgun.

John Moses Browning was such a visionary, and he personally considered the Auto 5 to be his greatest breakthrough achievement in firearms design. In fact, it was his creation of the Auto 5 that lead to his fall out with Winchester, and his leaving them to go work with Fabrique Nationale instead.

Browning realized that the Auto 5 would revolutionize shotgun shooting, and demanded that Winchester give him a royalty for the gun. When the President of Winchester told him a flat no, and only offered him a miserably low fee to purchase all rights for it, Browning stormed out, and never did business with Winchester again.

The Browning Firearms museum in Ogden, Utah has both the first and last production Auto 5 shotguns on display:

I don't own any shotgun quite that old myself. But I am also a Browning fan, and by far my oldest shotgun is one that is a little over 70 years old, and is Browning's first big achievement in Shotguns: The Winchester Model 1897 pump action.

The 1897 was to pump shotguns what the Browning Auto 5 was to automatics: they were both the first guns of their type to be a real big success. In fact, both were huge hits in the market. The 1897 ended up selling over 1 million guns, and the Browning Auto 5 sold over 3 million units.

I'm honestly hesitant to shoot my 1897 much at all, and I've never even taken it hunting. It is a short 20" model, but has a modified choke, making it quite effective for hunting. It balances and swings just great, despite its short length.

Anyway, nothing is quite like these old classic Browning designed shotguns. They are indeed guns to always treasure. And they pay tribute to a true American hero and genius: John Moses Browning.

Here are some pics of my old Winchester 1897:

Here is a close-up of the stock:

And here is a closer view of the action:

sophijo · September 21, 2009, 09:24 PM

Thanks for the great write-up and the pics!

September 17, 2009, 05:09 PM	#1
Zilmo Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2009 Location: At home. Posts: 369	80 + Years Of Love I just inherited this shotgun (I refuse to call it a "shotty"). My oldest brother brought it to me this afternoon. My dad got it from his best friend as a kid and a young man, and it had belonged to his father. From the serial number, I would place it mid to late Twenties. It probably hasn't been used it thirty years, but my brother said he got his first six Chuckers with it on six straight shots. It has wear, and a small chunk missing from the base of the stock by the buttplate, but I wouldn't change a thing.

September 17, 2009, 05:50 PM	#4
Lee Lapin Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: SE NC Posts: 1,239	I don't know Brownings that well, but I'd say the 'suicide safety' indicates it's early 'twenties or older... . No matter what its born-on date, it's very nice and the fact that it's an heirloom makes it priceless. lpl __________________ Mindset - Skillset - Toolset. In that order! Attitude and skill will get you through times of no gear, better than gear will get you through times of no attitude and no skill.

September 20, 2009, 04:05 AM	#6
jgcoastie Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Kodiak, Alaska Posts: 2,118	It ain't worth the scrap price of the steel... I feel so terrible about you being stuck with such a junk firearm that I'll give you $20 for it. Very nice... I would give my left.. err... pinkie toe for one of those... A finer semi-auto shotgun has yet to be made IMO... __________________ "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." -Richard Henry Lee, Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, initiator of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the first Senate, which passed the Bill of Rights.

September 20, 2009, 10:52 AM	#7
Russ5924 Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2005 Posts: 1,874	Thank You! For not calling it a SHOTTY:barf: Nothing drives me more crazy than calling a Shotgun a SHOTTY what are they 10 years old I think you have yourself a winner there great looking gun __________________ Russ5924

September 21, 2009, 07:31 AM	#8
sophijo Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2004 Posts: 666	A5 Beautiful and that history is priceless. I have an old Parker, pretty beatup, my Granddad carried, my Dad, and now me. I wouldn't trade it for any gun on the planet!

September 17, 2009, 05:22 PM	#2
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	awesome looking gun!....that patina on the wood on the grip shows it was used as a much-loved gun......enjoy it!

September 17, 2009, 05:24 PM	#3
TxGun Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: Family ranch - Central TX. Posts: 467	(I refuse to call it a "shotty"). Refreshing. You sound a little more mature than some. The solid rib adds to the value of your A5. Nice gun. FYI...Midwest Gun Works, among others, has a nice factory rebuild kit if you feel you need it. http://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/...rowning-auto-5

September 17, 2009, 06:13 PM	#5
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Just dern purdy! No one with junk Homer Depot screwdrivers tore up the receiver screws! I would feed it, clothe it and put a roof over it's head. Nice ol' gal! Brent

September 21, 2009, 07:55 AM	#9
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,619	Thanks again for not using the word "shotty" I don't think W.W. Greener ever used that term. Iwould think if one walked into Holland and Holland and asked for a shotty, they would show you the door. By the way realllly nice Browning. Keep it as it is, it has history.

September 21, 2009, 03:35 PM	#10
billyj571 Member Join Date: November 5, 2008 Location: 30 Miles n of Seattle Posts: 25	sweet I have a sweet sixteen made in belgum nice gun.

September 21, 2009, 09:17 PM	#11
LanceOregon Junior member Join Date: May 10, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,774	My first shotgun that I got when I was 15 was a Belgium made Browning Auto 5. It is the shotgun that I first learned to shoot and hunt with when out shooting with my Dad. Sadly, that beloved shotgun was later stolen in a burglary of my Dad's house. He replaced it, but by then production of the Auto 5 had moved to Japan. I still have that Auto 5, and it is a gorgeous gun that still shoots and functions absolutely great. I just wish I had my original Belgium made gun that I shot with as a kid, instead of this replacement my Dad's insurance paid for. Instead, someone somewhere else has that shotgun. John Moses Browning was such a visionary, and he personally considered the Auto 5 to be his greatest breakthrough achievement in firearms design. In fact, it was his creation of the Auto 5 that lead to his fall out with Winchester, and his leaving them to go work with Fabrique Nationale instead. Browning realized that the Auto 5 would revolutionize shotgun shooting, and demanded that Winchester give him a royalty for the gun. When the President of Winchester told him a flat no, and only offered him a miserably low fee to purchase all rights for it, Browning stormed out, and never did business with Winchester again. The Browning Firearms museum in Ogden, Utah has both the first and last production Auto 5 shotguns on display: I don't own any shotgun quite that old myself. But I am also a Browning fan, and by far my oldest shotgun is one that is a little over 70 years old, and is Browning's first big achievement in Shotguns: The Winchester Model 1897 pump action. The 1897 was to pump shotguns what the Browning Auto 5 was to automatics: they were both the first guns of their type to be a real big success. In fact, both were huge hits in the market. The 1897 ended up selling over 1 million guns, and the Browning Auto 5 sold over 3 million units. I'm honestly hesitant to shoot my 1897 much at all, and I've never even taken it hunting. It is a short 20" model, but has a modified choke, making it quite effective for hunting. It balances and swings just great, despite its short length. Anyway, nothing is quite like these old classic Browning designed shotguns. They are indeed guns to always treasure. And they pay tribute to a true American hero and genius: John Moses Browning. Here are some pics of my old Winchester 1897: Here is a close-up of the stock: And here is a closer view of the action: Last edited by LanceOregon; September 21, 2009 at 09:40 PM.

September 21, 2009, 09:24 PM	#12
sophijo Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2004 Posts: 666	Lance Thanks for the great write-up and the pics!