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dannypratt
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:32 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 722
Location: Napoleon, MI

Fellas,

I've managed to own every conceivable interpretation of the Browning Auto-5 16ga, from every msnufacturer....except one particular model: Browning Auto-5 Standard Weight 16ga....

On a quick stop at my local (within 100 miles counts for me) gun shop, I managed to breeze right by a nice looking Standard Weight Browning Auto-5. Looked like a 12 at first glance, and had my eyes on other things. In all fairness, my good friend and hunting companion owns the place, so he usually holds any and all 16s that come in so I can get a first look, and believe me, days go by where I may not make it into the jobsite quite on time due to an emergency stop at said shop for a quick inspection. Anyways, I had whetted my whistle for my Savage 99 itch with a few fairly beat out stragglers in the rack, and with nothing better to do, sauntered back to the scattered 12ga A5s clumped up in the center. Fairly used and abused, I handled each one, then picked up the final one and immediately noticed it was fairly light...a quick glance proved nothing, and it wasnt until I looked at the barrel to check the choke that I realized that it was a Standard Weight 16ga...another quick study proved no rust or pits, a quick check of the stocks showed only light finish wear, a small crack in the forearm (about 1/2 inch) and just blueing loss on the upper and lower tangs, just enough wear to use them for the rest of my life and never know the difference. Another check proved the 30" full choke and that sealed the deal....Squirrel gun - check. Trap gun - check. Pheasant gun - check.
30 minutes later, and another hour of chit chat etc and I was headed the 30 miles back home with a 1958 Browning Auto-5, Standard Weight, 16ga, 30" full choke, plain bbl.
Once home and really inspecting it closely, its quite a fantastic find. I'd say 90% condition, all original, and truth be told, handles better than my 1969 Sweet 16 with 28" vent rib gun. This once again kind of drives home to me the balance vs weight issue. They can be lighter (Sweet 16) but have more forward weight due to the rib, and still not handle as well, to me, as a plain barrel gun with a higher reciever weight. This Standard Weight Browning is about the same weight and balance as my Savage 775 16ga, slightly lighter than my Savage Automatic 16ga, and surely lighter than my Savage 755 16ga, and balances better than my Sweet 16 28" VR.....( I'm not going to mention my 1964 Sweet 16, 26" IC choke, plain barrel I sold...its too painful).

Now, I've got to get in the field and see how this really shakes out.

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Good luck & great hunting,
-Danny Pratt
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P. Howard Clayton
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 11:49 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 13 Jan 2018
Posts: 32
Location: North Georgia

Congratulations Danny. I picked one up this spring and love it. I had one many decades ago, and let it slip away. Making atonement for past lapses in judgement can take up a lot of time and... money Wink You'll like it I'm sure.

Howard

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PRONGHORNSOUTH
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 7:45 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 30 Dec 2012
Posts: 269
Location: Chocolate City, Florida

Great find!
Look out tree rats!
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:25 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 722
Location: Napoleon, MI

Yep,

I did a medium duty cleanup on the old Standard Weight last night.

I dont think the gun had been fired or cleaned in at least 25yrs. Any oil had long turned to lacquer and gum, friction piece was green on the inside, everything just thoroughly gummy.

Cleaned up well, need to do a full tear down, but saving that for a good snowy day project.

The nice thing is, I was impressed with its condition BEFORE I cleaned it up, now it's really looking good!

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-Danny Pratt
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double vision
PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:42 am  Reply with quote
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I've always shot the standard weight guns better than the old SW16's. Beautiful guns.
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 3:45 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 722
Location: Napoleon, MI

I used to shoot my Japanese Sweet 16 pretty darn well, better than my Twenty or my Belian Sweet 16....sold the Japanese gun a while back, they are really nice, but parted with Japanese Brownings.....never could get real fired up about the extra barrel weight vs benefit of choke rubes.
That Japanese Sweet 16 weighed about 7lbs8oz....this Standard Weight rings in at 7lbs2oz...

Getting excited about my next hunt...

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-Danny Pratt
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